By Keith Lokmagozyan

Anyone who has attended Granada Hills Charter (GHC) events such as basketball games, spirit week, and most especially, football games, has seen our school mascot, affectionately known as “Scottie.” Scottie mingles with staff, takes pictures with students, and even organizes the lines at the concession stand. Even if you are not familiar with the name Scottie, you definitely recognize the big furry dog that walks around trying to hype up the crowds.

With so many of his iconic appearances and such an impact on our school’s social media and website, many GHC students have been led to believe that he is our school mascot. However, when we refer to GHC sports teams, we are the Highlanders. GHC Highlanders; always will be and always have been.

So which one is it? Are we Scotties? Or are we Highlanders? Are we the Scottie Highlanders? Or are we the Highlander Scotties?

Let’s start by defining our terms. Scottie is a Scottish Terrier, a breed of small dog that originated in Scotland. A Highlander is a person who lives in the Scottish Highlands. Both mascots, whether furry or sporting a kilt, are associated with Scotland, many miles and an ocean away from Granada Hills.

The school brings the thunder through our impressive ability to withstand hardships, as seen with how we handled COVID. This resilience is a traditional Scottish trait. Along with our Highlander Scottie dog, our yearbook is titled “The Tartan” and our newspaper is The Plaid Press, both recalling the specific fabric of a Scottish kilt, worn so infamously by our marching band.

When dissecting all of our school-run groups, it’s safe to say that there isn’t a certain mascot or certain animal or warrior that represents us. In other words, it’s a goal. Something we as a school are always working towards.

You see, when it comes to a school mascot, it’s not just someone you take a cute picture with to post on Instagram, and it’s also not just a student in a hot sweaty suit doing their best to hype up the student section at football games.

A school mascot is a representation and a motif for what the school stands for. In this case, it’s not a matter of a Scottie dog, Highlander warrior, Tartan yearbook, or Plaid Press, rather it’s a goal that our school is constantly striving to achieve: a school with unity, a school with the strength to overpower and overcome.

GHC is constantly innovating and reflecting on its past to be the best school we can be in the future. But most importantly, GHC is a beacon of education seeking to empower the minds of the students within to be independent thinkers and learners.