Why we shouldn't be the Allegany Campers

Hmm, well, I just had the bright idea to tell everyone why we SHOULDN"T be the Allegany Campers, and should be something else. First off, its a confusing name. When you say Campers, you think of boy scouts in there little uniforms, putting up a tent and starting a fire. What you don't think of is an indian, or, more politically correct, a native american. It leaves people to be somewhat confused on what our mascot is. At least a name such as the Allegany Indians would be a little better. Second, having a 'Camper' as a mascot to help you win b-ball games or score a touchdown is just plain wrong and stupid. Its at times like these that i wish we were the Alco Ganstas, or the Alco Demons, something agressive and powerful. Finally, the mascot is a bit old and outdated, and i think it should be time to get a knew, better one. One that stands out in the crowd, and has people wondering "Are they really that good." My personal favorites are Alco Pirates or Alco Dragons, something dangerous, deadly, and feared by all. I truely think that we shouldn't be the Allegany Campers, and that we should move on to something of greater and better powers!!!

First Dan, I recommend that you read the history behind the name campers in the book Allegany: Portrait of an American High School. Secondly, at the end of this school year, I got a call at school from a journalist in California who is writing a book on mascots and school nicknames for colleges. He is developing a list of the 100 most unique names/mascots for high schools and colleges across the country and is writing a book on this topic. He said in his research we are the only campers in the United States, so I for one like that distinction and I'll stick with the campers!!!

I had no idea that we were the only Campers....that's pretty cool. Also, a very interesting idea for a research project.

The Allegany Dragons.

That's what we'll call our Quidditch team.

THANK YOU MR. WHITE.!!!!!!!! Finally people will know that we arent being rude to anyone, actually we are quite politically correct and not just stereotyping native americans. Rock on Allegany CAMPERS!

alcojedimaster wrote:

First Dan, I recommend that you read the history behind the name campers in the book Allegany: Portrait of an American High School. Secondly, at the end of this school year, I got a call at school from a journalist in California who is writing a book on mascots and school nicknames for colleges. He is developing a list of the 100 most unique names/mascots for high schools and colleges across the country and is writing a book on this topic. He said in his research we are the only campers in the United States, so I for one like that distinction and I'll stick with the campers!!!

um...... BURN!

i think we should be called the allegany pirates or dragons cause thats just funny

i think we should stick with the campers
it has a history

plus "the campers" have a reputation

tracyfaery wrote:

The Allegany Dragons.

That's what we'll call our Quidditch team.

haha thats good. and thats cool that we're the only Campers.

If we DID switch names, I can't imagine how many people would complain.


(Allegany Pirate's mascot )

my high school is george washington and we are the patriots.. i thought it was cool.. we even had coat tails on our band jackets:



but, we weren't even the only patriots in the state.. so, i think campers is cool and unique.. i heard that you all are the campers because soldiers camped up on that hill in during the revolutionary war.. i think that's what he said.. i might have gotten it completely messed up.. not sure where the indians come in.. maybe it was the indians that camped there.. maybe it was the french and indian war, or the civil war....

yeah, thats what i heard too

OK Kids, here is the history lesson. Allegany High School has not always been located on Sedgwick Street. Eighty years ago it was on Greene Street and before that it was on Union Street and it even was located on Maryland Ave. way back in the day. The Indian comes from the Greene Street location, when they were designing the first yearbooks for ALCO they decided to call it Allegewi, which is the Indian word of Allegany (btw, it means, fairest stream betweeen mountains, or most bountiful river) This is where the Indian comes from: it represents our name, because Allegany comes from an Indian word. Now the Camper comes from the current location of our school. Our campus sits on a site that was a military camp during the Civil War and was called Campobello. Hence if you were a Union Soldier stationed in Cumberland during the Civil War, you would have either been a Camper (from Campobello) or a Hillian (from Fort Hill) Why they are the Sentinals I don't know, seems stranger than us being the campers, because a Sentinal the way they dipict it has nothing do to with the civil war. Anyway, that is the history lesson for tonight... See you all in Band.

chris, the Indian appeared at somepoint in the yearbook. Over the course of Allegany's long 120 year history, we hae made it our mascot. It just kinda stuck.

personally i like our name. The campers is special and strong like us. if we werent the campers then we wouldnt appear as strong in my opinion. The campers has to deal with the war and indians from way back in the day. well think about it.... the indians had to be strong to survive in the harshest conditions. also the soldiers had to be strong to fight and conquer. they may not have one but they sure tried thier hardest and in my opinion isnt that what being in the band is all about. trying your hardest, maybe canquering a "battle" or two, and going through things maybe others dont. {for example our 9-9 days in like 100 degree weaher}
not many kids are willing to go through a camp like that or be in freezing cold weather just to do something they love. if it hits over thier limit they quit or start to slow down. so personally if we are strong enough to survive that and work hard for what we want then why shouldnt we be named the camper..?.

i agree with mr. white in the sense that a unique and novel name is the way to go. however, when i hear alco campers i think of a bunch of unbathed people eating beans out of a can. so in the spirit of uniquness i say our mascot should be ronald reagan

No, absolutely not.
I will not hear of it.

Chris wrote:

i agree with mr. white in the sense that a unique and novel name is the way to go. however, when i hear alco campers i think of a bunch of unbathed people eating beans out of a can. so in the spirit of uniquness i say our mascot should be ronald reagan

you can have your point on how you see the name campers...

but why ronald regan??

nell wrote:

Chris wrote:

i agree with mr. white in the sense that a unique and novel name is the way to go. however, when i hear alco campers i think of a bunch of unbathed people eating beans out of a can. so in the spirit of uniquness i say our mascot should be ronald reagan

you can have your point on how you see the name campers...

but why ronald regan??

because he was AMAZING

Ahhh, To have not lived through the 1980's, it must seem like a glorious decade.

alcojedimaster wrote:

Ahhh, To have not lived through the 1980's, it must seem like a glorious decade.

It was. A kick-butt-non pansy- Amerrrica, spandex, an MTV that actually played music, and the invention of diet coke. Add those all together and stir and you get one dominant decade.

Whenever I hear about how great a president Ronald Reagen was, I'm overcome with the giggles. You know was a REALLY good president? Jimmy sodding Carter, that's who. He gets such a bad rap, it's terrible. I mean, look what happened during his time in office! Two Star Wars movies; the establishment of full diplomatic relations with China; Jupiter's rings are discovered; China lifts its bans on Shakespeare, Dickens, Aristotle. Who was Reagen? An ACTOR! And now people want to amend the Constitution so Ahnold can be the president. What a travesty.

And really, Chris. Spandex? Spandex and 'non-pansy' are mutually exclusive. Except in the case of Billy Idol. Though I believe he was more the tight leather kind of guy. But the point is that he could TOTALLY pull it off.

wow matt, you know your stuff.

Well actually, we are one of the lucky schools.
Most highschools that have native americans as mascots have had to change becuase it is considered offensive.
I still think campers is a pretty dumb name for our mascot though.

alcojedimaster wrote:

Ahhh, To have not lived through the 1980's, it must seem like a glorious decade.

i lived through half of it! (although i was in diapers for some of that.. haha)