JONATHAN B. CARTER
WESTFIELD – The old adage states that all good things must come to an end and no one knows this better than students at Westfield High School, who get only four years before they depart to either college, the workforce or the military.
Yes, change is a concept that isn’t lost on WHS Bombers, which is why members of the WHS Student Council have opened up a contest to redesign the school’s Bomber logo.
Sponsored by Westfield High’s new Parent-Teacher-Student Organization, or PTSO, the contest is to come up with a new design for the school’s red “W” logo.
“The school student council is organizing it and the PTSO is going to be facilitating the contest,” said Andy Joseph, a WHS math teacher, boys soccer coach and advisor to the student council. “Basically, it’s open to anyone in the school community.”
Joseph stated that the reason for the contest stems from trademark issues over the school’s logo, which it shares with the University of Wisconsin.
“One of the first emails I received as principal was from an attorney representing the University of Wisconsin, basically a cease-and-desist order in using the logo,” said WHS Principal Jonathan Carter. “After doing some digging, it came to my attention that we’d been using the logo for some time and that it was a violation of their copyright.”
Carter said he then had a discussion with the school’s athletic department about the matter and determined that a change was needed, but one that would respect the tradition and brand of Westfield High, while still respecting the intellectual property of others, Wisconsin Badgers or otherwise.
“It (the new logo) will be on all the school’s athletic uniforms, as well as it’s letterhead,” said Joseph, adding that there will be prizes for the winning contestants. “It’s a big deal because we want something to brand ourselves properly. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
The particulars of the contest will be announced to the school community at large when students return from the Christmas break, with a winner being selected at the end of January or the beginning of February.
The PTSO’s involvement in the contest is of particular excitement to faculty and staff on Montgomery Road, as the formation of the organization has been a pet project of Carter in trying to foster better relations between teachers, students and their families.
“Most schools at all levels have a PTA, PTO or PTSO and I noticed when I came here that, while we had many parents doing great things in certain areas, there really wasn’t an umbrella organization that was pulling it all together schoolwide,” said Carter. “It will serve as a central repository for our school calender and the thousands of things that happen at our school every year.”
“It’ll bring people together, get people involved and improve communication,” he added.
“Right now, we have a president but are looking for vice presidents from all of the other groups – students, teachers and parents,” said Joseph. “It’s a nascent organization, for sure, but the intention is for it to be a place where we can focus efforts fundraising-wise and on other efforts that are important to the school.”
As to how the PTSO differs from a traditional parent-teacher organization, Joseph said the PTSO is more “analogous”.
“We have the school council, which is focused more on the academic goings-on within the building, but the PTSO is going to be more for the WHS community-at large,” he clarified. “But it is essentially a PTO.”
“I think there are plenty of students who would like to take the opportunity to redesign and revive our logo, as it has been around for awhile,” said WHS Junior Class President Devon Kurtz. “We’re trying to encourage not just Westfield High School students but future students to get involved with the whole process.”
Kurtz said that there are many students in the school’s Art Department who are looking forward to making the school’s logo truly their own.
“If there are people in the middle schools who want to get involved, we want it to be an all-inclusive thing,” he added.
