Why Are We the Lions?

We students show the fierce pride of the lion every day at school, undoubtedly matching the essence of our mascot. However, have we ever taken the time to consider the history of the lion and why it was chosen to represent Lakeside students? Ms. Schuyler, our school archivist, graciously shared the answer with me, which I am now passing on to you.

Surprise, surprise: Students voted to choose the lion as Lakeside’s mascot in the spring of 1935. It was chosen over the wolverine and privateer by Student Council members. An excerpt from the 1935 Tatler explains, “The Student Council meeting of March 19 featured a hot debate between the students concerning a permanent name for the school teams.” The first round of votes resulted in a tie between the lion and the privateer, leading the wolverine to be eliminated. The lion then won the second round, but there were several objections “because of illegal votes cast by several lower school visitors and several non-privileged council members.” One last round of votes ended with the second triumph of the lion, therefore becoming our mascot. One point worth noting is that the lion is not the sole symbol of our school. We are also represented by the chrysanthemum, which appears in Lakeside’s logo and was the mascot of St. Nicholas School before it merged with Lakeside in 1971 to become co-ed.

You may wonder how the lion aligns with our values and mission statement. Our school values have changed over the years, so it is difficult to say. Nonetheless, the lion does a good job of representing the pride and determination of our school. Additionally, our current mission statement was not created until 1994, showing that the lion came before our mission statement. I bet you readers can find connections between what is outlined in our mission and our lion mascot.

However appealing a wolverine or privateer may be as a choice for our mascot, the lion holds as a valid choice with strong reasons backing it up. The 1935 Tatler article stated some advantages of having the lion as our mascot: “... the L in Lions corresponds with the ‘Big L’ society, and Lion is not used in any neighboring highschool.” We students carry ourselves throughout the day with effort, kindness, cooperation and pride, and the lion is a perfect description of Lakeside’s powerful student body. Whenever you feel down, you can remind yourself of the fierce lion. When you are extra hyped up, you can commend yourself for matching the spirit of the active lion. Let’s enjoy the rest of our day with the joy and liveliness of a Lakeside Lion!