Class of 1968, South Hills Catholic, Pittsburgh, PA
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Were we the Golden Knights or the Rebels?
Jim Farnan raised a good question recently: Were we the Golden Knights or the Rebels? The yearbook is titled “The Knight”, but the football team was called the Rebels.
Amy Ganser, of the SLSHS Alumni Office had to do some reading in the yearbooks from the early years. "It seems that although the athletic teams in 1960, 1961 and 1962 were originally the Golden Knights, in 1963 ‘Knights’ and ‘Rebels’ began to be used interchangeably. By the 1966 and 1967 yearbooks, other than the name of the yearbook, the word Knight was no longer used. I did not see any explanation of the change written up in any of the yearbooks, but it seems that the class of 66 was the year that made a point to emphasize the use of Rebels as the team name and mascot."
I wonder who first made the association of the word South (in SHC) with the rebels of the southern states. Did it come from the athletes, a coach, a history teacher or a couple of students BS-ing (brain-storming...right?) over lunch?
I, for one, loved the imagery and preferred it over the Golden Knights. (Though, thinking back, I remember actually liking the duality represented by the two competing symbols.) The rebel flag was definitely a great prop for pep rallys and waving from car windows on the way to games.
I'm glad it came up before the era of the hyper-sensitive, politically correct mind-set came along and we lost our collective sense of perspective (and humor) in regard to mascots and other symbols.
...and probably wrong but I remember the green and gold was always associated with the Knight emblem and I never saw a rebel mascot and wasn't rebel more of a brand. Rebels became associated with the school because it was on the 'South' side of the city --- southerners; rebels. More branding terminology than branded mascot.
Also, don't recall rebels ever mentioned in school fight song --- but think Knights were but wouldn't bet on it as I don't remember all of the song. Probably had some rebel cheers which causes even more confusion.
Also I remember teams being referred to as the Golden Knights of South Hills Catholic and also the South Hills Catholic Rebels.
I thought we were both, and that's why there are so many schizophrenics from our class. Through jim dattilo, we may be able to not only have our reunion but begin a class action suit against seton la salle due to our class identity crisis.
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Amy Ganser, of the SLSHS Alumni Office had to do some reading in the yearbooks from the early years. "It seems that although the athletic teams in 1960, 1961 and 1962 were originally the Golden Knights, in 1963 ‘Knights’ and ‘Rebels’ began to be used interchangeably. By the 1966 and 1967 yearbooks, other than the name of the yearbook, the word Knight was no longer used. I did not see any explanation of the change written up in any of the yearbooks, but it seems that the class of 66 was the year that made a point to emphasize the use of Rebels as the team name and mascot."
I wonder who first made the association of the word South (in SHC) with the rebels of the southern states. Did it come from the athletes, a coach, a history teacher or a couple of students BS-ing (brain-storming...right?) over lunch?
I, for one, loved the imagery and preferred it over the Golden Knights. (Though, thinking back, I remember actually liking the duality represented by the two competing symbols.) The rebel flag was definitely a great prop for pep rallys and waving from car windows on the way to games.
I'm glad it came up before the era of the hyper-sensitive, politically correct mind-set came along and we lost our collective sense of perspective (and humor) in regard to mascots and other symbols.
Here's Terry Sullivan's two cents worth...
...and probably wrong but I remember the green and gold was always associated with the Knight emblem and I never saw a rebel mascot and wasn't rebel more of a brand. Rebels became associated with the school because it was on the 'South' side of the city --- southerners; rebels. More branding terminology than branded mascot.
Also, don't recall rebels ever mentioned in school fight song --- but think Knights were but wouldn't bet on it as I don't remember all of the song. Probably had some rebel cheers which causes even more confusion.
Also I remember teams being referred to as the Golden Knights of South Hills Catholic and also the South Hills Catholic Rebels.
So much for helping.
And from Mickey White...
I thought we were both, and that's why there are so many schizophrenics from our class. Through jim dattilo, we may be able to not only have our reunion but begin a class action suit against seton la salle due to our class identity crisis.
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