All West students know that the school mascot is the Bulldogs, but do they know that the school opened 58 years ago? And the mascot was voted on by students, staff, and parents? There is so much more to know about the West Bulldogs!

Most people like the school mascot because it’s so original.  Mr. Smiley, Principal of West, Alexandria León, 7th-grade student, and Natalie Yates, 7th-grade students, agree to this and like the tradition of our mascot. Mr. Smiley states that he doesn’t want to change it because it’s been here since 1962. 

Alex León answered that the bulldog is an alright mascot and she thinks what it symbolizes is great. Natalie Yates explained, “I like the Bulldogs and what it symbolizes because it’s really cool to have like a mascot and when you’re at a sports game, you say ‘Go Bulldogs!’ cause I prefer saying ‘Go Bulldogs’ instead of like the ‘rocks’ because like Salem’s rocks and I think that’s super weird. And then there’s a Bulldog in the gym, it’s just really cool to have a mascot.”

Natalie said that she wouldn’t like another mascot as confirming, “I don’t know, I think it’s like one of those things where you have something and when you come into it, it’s like “aww Bulldogs” … but now I wouldn’t want anything else.” Natalie reports that the bulldogs are important to her since she is on the West Basketball team.

Mr. Smiley describes Bulldogs as “tenacious and aggressive and it’s a sports mascot right you don’t want to be like the West Middle School puppy dogs or The West Middle School rats. You want to be like an animal or symbol that is like intense, and a bulldog is intense.”

 The logo the school is currently using was found online. Mrs. Rapson, our school secretary, found it online about 5 years ago, but the exact image of the first logo is unknown due to the school opening in 1962.

To contribute to our school name and mascot, Mr. Smiley has confirmed that they are working with a “company called Loveyourlunchroom.com, and they will basically take your school name, West, and school mascot, the Bulldogs, and then paints the cafeteria so they’re going to do it either over Spring Break or maybe over the summer.” The company will paint the lunchroom with something that fits the theme of West and the Bulldogs. The company will make the lunchroom feel comfortable and cool!

Now with the new break in school for the coronavirus, the company will still come, but we are not sure when.  

Go to Loveyourlunchroom.com and check out what this company is all about.

Works Cited

“Love Your Lunch Room – Signs with WOWZ Factor.” Love Your Lunch Room – Signs with WOWZ Factor, loveyourlunchroom.com/.