Help Gilbert name its high school (Mesa, Peoria: neighborhood, middle schools, subdivision)

[Ponderosa]

The referenced article describes how the uppity folks of Gilbert got in a lather when a "spanish" name, Campo Verde, was proposed for their new high school. They are taking suggestions from the public. My idea:

Devil Dog High (after the infamous Gilbert high school skinhead/drug dealer group)


Residents can weigh in on Gilbert school's name

[ibarrio]

BYU Prep

[savory]

Residents in Gilbert were not upset by a Spanish name, which means Green Field, they were upset that the name Campo Verde broke a pattern that had been consistent for years in the naming of Gilbert Public Schools neighborhood campuses, i.e., Mesquite Elementary, Mesquite Junior High School, Mesquite High School (Mesquite, by the way is a Spanish word, too*). They felt that with a Greenfield Elementary, and a Greenfield Junior High, the neighborhood high school should also be named Greenfield. Others were concerned the name "Campo Verde" would be confused with "Camp Verde," a town in central Arizona.

The media made a big to-do over the parents' comments, and before you knew it, the story had been twisted to make it appear the discontent was race-based, which it never was.

*Other Gilbert Public Schools campuses with Spanish names are:
Playa del Rey Elementary (in the Playa del Rey neighborhood)
Sonoma Ranch Elementary (in the Sonoma Ranch neighborhood)
Val Vista Lakes Elementary (in the Val Vista Lakes neighborhood)

[observer53]

Originally Posted by savory

Residents in Gilbert were not upset by a Spanish name, which means Green Field, they were upset that the name Campo Verde broke a pattern that had been consistent for years in the naming of Gilbert Public Schools neighborhood campuses, i.e., Mesquite Elementary, Mesquite Junior High School, Mesquite High School (Mesquite, by the way is a Spanish word, too*). They felt that with a Greenfield Elementary, and a Greenfield Junior High, the neighborhood high school should also be named Greenfield. Others were concerned the name "Campo Verde" would be confused with "Camp Verde," a town in central Arizona.

The media made a big to-do over the parents' comments, and before you knew it, the story had been twisted to make it appear the discontent was race-based, which it never was.

*Other Gilbert Public Schools campuses with Spanish names are:
Playa del Rey Elementary (in the Playa del Rey neighborhood)
Sonoma Ranch Elementary (in the Sonoma Ranch neighborhood)
Val Vista Lakes Elementary (in the Val Vista Lakes neighborhood)

Just because it sounds Spanish may not mean it is. Mesquite is not purely Spanish, it's also derived from a native tribal word. Sonoma is not found in any Spanish dictionary. And, with both Playa Del Rey and Sonoma, they simply took the name of the subdivision the school is connected to, which you state is their pattern. That's hardly a statement for multiculturalism. And "vista" is just as much an English word as a Spanish one. Val Vista is simply a contraction of Valley Vista.

[asufan]

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to comment as well. I think the district acted too fast, as there is already a "Camp Verde HS" in Arizona, and now this is called Campo Verde. I think they could have done something that distinguished itself from that.

But my main issue is the lack of originality with the mascot. COYOTES? is that the best they could come up with? There's already a HS in Mesa, and Queen Creek with the nickname of Coyotes, and also Centennial HS in Peoria and numerous other High School, elementary and middle schools. Just because the name of the school starts with the letter 'C', doesn't mean you need to go with the first animal that comes to mind. Take a few minutes and try to be more creative, because it's gonna be there for a while.

As a follower of HS Football in the valley, I'm going to find myself confused when it's constantly the Coyotes versus the Coyotes.