I'd like to see a Crusader (knight in armor) riding a greyhound into battle as their logo next year. No cross, but still symbolic for both schools...

If you look closely at the pattern of the pigskin, you can see the image of Jesus punting...

Is that 2012 A.D.? A.D. as in "In the year of the Lord"? Houston we may have a separation problem.

This is just more evidence that those who pretend to be tolerent are often the most intolerent of all. A parent is offended by a cross? Everyone should bend to your preference because you're offended? Very sad.

Very nice! Great job on the student designers' part! And kudos to the situation being well handled by the board, the graphic design team, and the parents who expressed concerns.

It seems as if someone always has something to complain about. I remember several years ago someone complained about the tile decoration around the old swimming pool at the high school as looking like a swastika. That decoration had been there since the swimming pool was built back in the 1920s and noone complained about it! The school was forced to remove it. Being a SHS grad, I'm glad that the problem was solved but I DO think that people are overly sensitive!

I am a 58 year resident, SHS grad in '70 and current taxpayer of the 'diverse and tolerant' Village of Shorewood.
Like Wendy, I remember the swastika tiles at the 'old pool' and the fact that, at the time, I felt THAT was being overly sensitive! Looking back now at the fact that those 'Indian symbols', which they were, had taken on a new & horrible meaning for Jews, I feel that was totally the right thing to do! THIS situation is entirely different!
What I find completely baffling and more-than-a-little humorous is how a posting like this:
"Shorewood is one of the most, if not the most, diverse communities in the state. There are students of many different ethnic and religious backgrounds and they should all be taken into consideration, even in the design of logos!"
is immediately followed by:
" As a non-Christian Shorewood resident, I am happy the decision was made to remove the cross."
...an extremely interesting interpretation considering the abundance of "COEXIST" bumper stickers found within that one square mile.

'08 grad here, and what on Earth happened to the Shorewood-Messmer team? I mean, when did we actually get GOOD? This is completely new territory for me.

CowDung, I don't see that happening anytime soon, if ever.
I've posted the same request several times also w/o any response.
A continuing response from her has been that this is a public school uniform, when in reality it's a school "partnership " uniform and apparently Messmer, as a partner, has no say in the matter per the 'tolerance' preached over and over in these pages!

Just for the record, should anyone care who I am or why I post as I do, I don't engage hostile people with obsessive streaks. I'm sure in real life, they are less volatile, as social media seems to be a limbic brain trigger. However, I prefer to converse online and offline with people who are thoughtful and calm--and who are not blinded by anger and unable to access critical thinking skills.

My mother would say, "If the shoe fits, wear it." If you can't see the hostility in the posts that preceded mine, so be it.
I just have no patience for "crazy and mean."

That is not a logo. I have an idea though. Why don't you Shorewood liberals just take your crappy COEXIST bumperstickers off your hybrids and put them on the helmets.

For your drinking and dancing pleasure, I have edited out the spaces in the exchanges that peceded where N. Peske found 'having the need to spew hatred and venom' from Religious Symbol in Messwood Logo Prompts Parent Complaint and Removal

N. Peske, please point out where ' "If the shoe fits, wear it." If you can't see the hostility in the posts that preceded mine, so be it.'

Just the 'hatred and venom' parts will be fine...㋡

pReceded (from above)
abc def-10:51 pm -so very sad at just how intolerant this nation has become and how we just bend over & say thank you in the process for just a few
Bob McBride-11:09 pm -This certainly should have been expected, particularly in PC Shorewood. How the design got as far as it did w/o someone objecting is baffling. I'd suggest replacing the entire logo with the COEXIST banner. That way you can appease the sensitive progressive nature of the Shorewood contingent while retaining the Cross (nestled in amongst various other religious and non-religious symbols) for the Messmer crowd.
Clarke Warren-11:24 pm-Unfortunately the "drama" started when the Board (without a vote) unilaterally decided to demand action in support of a single complaint. It's a shame because this is not about "separation of church and state", which protects us from being REQUIRED to worship within a government mandated religion or being prohibited from worshipping however we choose. It's more easily explained as a clever logo on a football helmet that is designed to illustrate and pay respect to two communities coming together to create a diverse team with a common goal. One could argue that the Board's actions represent intolerance and a profound disrespect for two groups of students who designed a logo that they TOGETHER believed was a wonderful reflection of their respective schools' histories.

N. Peske-6:02 am - To me, this is a sign that Shorewood schools need to do a far better job teaching students about world religions and freedom of religion. I fear we're not preparing students for the future, and diverse workplaces, if it doesn't occur to anyone on the high school graphic design team that a religious symbol does not belong on a uniform worn by a public school student.
CowDung-8:23 am - Perhaps those students are just ahead of the curve since they can recognize the fact that wearing a cross on the uniform doesn't equate to forcing someone to worship a Christian god they don't believe in. We have a team made up of Catholic school kids playing alongside public school kids. Both Messmer and SHS deserve to be represented in the logo. Perhaps they should emulate the Steelers and have Messmer's logo on one side, and a SHS logo on the other. If looking at the cross offends a parent, they can sit on the other side of the field so they don't have to look at it...

Bob McBride-6:24 am-There's a bigger issue here than just a symbol. Is there any money coming from the Messmer side in support of team (aside from ticket and concession sales)? Shouldn't that really be considered a violation of the same magnitude?If so, then maybe the two schools should go their separate ways. Shorewood could go back to its previous stellar program and Messmer...well, too bad, I guess. At least everyone can take comfort in having done the right thing by keeping any semblance of religious influence, regardless of how insignificant, out of the public schools.
Jim Genthe-7:53 am- One complaint? ONE complaint from ONE parent? Seriously? I see it's good for for groups to COEXIST unless someONE doesn't agree, then we of course scramble to appease them until the next time! This reminds of the midget who had a job carrying salsa & chips in his sombrero @ a restaurant ( a job he LOVED, BTW) until someONE again, decided it was unfair to 'little people' and he was left with no job and a dazed look on his face!

George Mitchell-8:07 am-What a joke. As already noted, Messmer likely is providing financial support for the team. How troubling that must be for the many special people who occupy Shorewood.
Sunrocket-8:18 am-The perpetually offended are exhausting.
Jenny Heyden-8:56 am-Hi - I'm sure I'll draw fire with this one, and I must add that the logo does not need to be removed, just the cross. And, just to clarify a little - I was at the school board meeting. There were many students and parents there, there was unanimity amongst the board, and there was a bit of surprise that no one had previously noted, or noticed, the cross. Messmer and Shorewood administrations have already come to a very calm agreement that they're surprised too, and will rework the design so it does not feature a religious symbol on a public school helmet, paid for jointly by both schools. Graphics design team at Shorewood will learn from this, learning about church/state legalities, and that public money is not to be used for religious iconography, period.
CowDung- 9:15 am-If it is paid for jointly, why is it considered to be a 'public school' helmet?

...and..here it comes...

N. Peske-9:37 am Thanks for filling in some details, Jenny.
Some people--usually anonymous--just have a need to spew hatred and venom whenever and wherever possible (even on posts about Trick or Treat dates and an alumni salute at Culvers).
They are completely out of synch with how I've seen people in Shorewood resolve issues. It's sad that a few people can so distort what this Village is all about with their bile. You do have to wonder "What IS that about for them?"
It's always good to be reminded that actual people, showing up to actual meeting, thoughtfully enter into collaborative problem solving without histrionics or hatred. That's the REAL Shorewood and it's what I love about this Village.