We are the Warriors.

But we will be the Golden Eagles.

On Monday, Frederick’s principal Dr. Russell Fox got final approval for Frederick High’s new school logos, which will start to be used almost immediately after graduation this year. After covering this story for more than a year, we at the Scout are happy to share them with you now:

The new logos were designed by District Media Specialist Liz Allen under the direction of SVVSD Chief Communications Officer Kerri McDermid and with the assistance of SVVSD Marketing and Communications Specialist Eunice Peinado.

Allen admits that “it was definitely a challenge designing something so important to so many people, including generations of future students, but one I am really proud to have gotten to be a part of.”

According to Dr. Fox, the logos went through several renditions before the final approval on Monday. These designs featured the colors Navy and Vegas Gold, similar to the Warrior logos of Frederick’s past. A few of these concepts were even leaked to the public and mistaken for the final logo, which “definitely caused some confusion and frustration in our community” according to Dr. Fox.

Notably, the new school logos feature new shades of blue (HEX #12284b) and gold (HEX #ffc72c). The decision to pick a slightly grayer navy and a more vibrant gold was done to make the new uniforms and team apparel consistent, as Vegas Gold can be a difficult color to replicate. The brighter gold also has a greater emphasis on the new logos than compared to the predecessors.

Speaking on behalf of the new shade of gold, Dr. Fox said it “is a lighter shade of gold, but it also stands out. And [Frederick’s teams] will be more consistent among all uniforms. We will be one.” He indicated that these colors will be found throughout the building next year as part of the mascot change renovations, though “we won’t be repainting every wall and every shade of blue and gold this summer.”

Monday’s mascot confirmation was just another step in the long road to changing our mascot. The process was kick-started on April 23 last year, when Colorado Senate Bill 21-116 was passed through a Colorado Senate committee, prompting public schools that have Native American mascots and logos to gain tribal affiliation or change their school iconography. Schools that fail to comply with the new law will pay $25,000 per month, starting on June 1, 2022. Coupled with the preexisting pressure from some members of the community to change the mascot following Loveland and Eaton High Schools dropping their Native mascots, the District started the process of changing our mascot last summer.

On August 20, 2021, the advisory board of FHS sent out forms to the Frederick community collecting suggestions for the new mascot. The committee narrowed down the mascot nominations to the Golden Eagles, Mustangs, and Hornets before presenting to the SVVSD Board of Directors on October 13, 2021. The Golden Eagles got the most support from the school board and SVVSD administration. Now that the new mascot, logos, and colors have been finalized by the District Leadership Team, the next step will be to rebrand Frederick High.

While seeing the new mascot is exciting, Frederick will still be the home of the Warriors for a few more months. After graduation, the school has until June 1 to change all online branding of the school before the Senate bill that prompted the change takes effect. Then the school will undergo a complete makeover over the summer as every depiction of the old mascot and the word “Warrior” will be updated.

This will be no simple task–as the Warriors have been synonymous with Frederick High for decades, the Warrior name can be found on every uniform, school banners, the gym floor, and even in small lettering all across the commons. The total cost of the rebrand is estimated to be $600,000 to $900,000, which will be covered by a District special projects fund and will not impact the budget or programs at Frederick.

While Frederick is embracing a new mascot and new traditions, the Warrior will still live on in Frederick’s history. Our past sports trophies and our old yearbooks will always bear the Warrior name. The old photos in the entryway of the earliest graduates of Frederick aren’t going anywhere. Moving onto something new doesn’t mean that the past will be erased: one day, every student in our school will graduate and move onto new challenges, new adventures, and a new life–but that will never change the fact that they went to Frederick High School. Our school is going through a similar transition.

Frederick will always have its Warriors, but starting next year, they will have their Golden Eagles too.