Rebels too cool a name for Howell to drop

Howell High School is refusing to drop its team name of "Rebels" despite a petition asking it to get rid of all traces of the Confederate-inspired mascot and team name.

The school released a statement that read, "Howell High School’s team names will remain the Rebels, however, we will be working with our student body to hear their thoughts and design a new image for the school’s mascot in the near future."

Now personally, I'm not sure how much any student cares about the name of their team. But in light of the times and if it truly is the feeling of all who go to the school that the name should be changed and not just a select few, go for it. But before you do, I would urge you to consider re-imaging the definition of what it means to be a "Rebel."

Our country was built out of rebellion. Rock 'n' roll was born out of rebellion. The current protests are coming out of rebellion. Rebellion is what keeps our country honest and the people in it their ability to think about what is going on and question authority. We should never forget how to do that.

When I was in high school, both at St. Joe's (Blue Jays) and Marlboro (Mustangs), I questioned authority all the time. It got me a considerable amount of quality time in the principal's office, but it also started me out on the path that would lead me to question authority every night on New Jersey 101.5. This is a time when we in New Jersey really need all of us to be doing that.

So if Howell High School wants to change their mascot, that's their business, but I would rethink and reposition the "Rebel" name to mean something the students could be proud of. If you're looking for examples, check your heroes, I'll bet many of them rebelled against something.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

Rebels too cool a name for Howell to drop (Opinion)

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