The student-led rebrand of Titus into Atlas

Sonya Pandya, Editor-in-Chief, & Manha Survery, Staff Writer

*Atlas is an alias for a Northview student who has chosen to remain anonymous. The Messenger staff has chosen this name in order to protect their identity. Any similarities to real student names are purely coincidental.

Northview High School has many recognizable symbols such as the lightning bolt or its blue and green color scheme, but what has remained overlooked for several years was Titus, Northview’s very own mascot. Decorated from head to toe as a traditional Greek titan, Titus has been Northview’s official mascot for several years and has appeared at pep rallies, sports games, and other school events.

However, his appearances weren’t frequent -  he wasn’t a staple at those events and thus wasn’t a defining part of Northview’s culture. Varsity football Coach Scott Schwarzer also noticed this absence at sports games, where school spirit is especially important.

“I've never seen a mascot at anything in four years,” Schwarzer said.

Titus’ absence was the catalyst for student leaders, teachers, and coaches, to change Northview’s mascot into less of a rarity, and more of a recurring figure that represents a part of Northview’s core values: excellence in arts, academics, and athletics. Principal Martin Neuhaus played a vital part in this, ensuring the new mascot encourages students to involve themselves in all parts of Northview.

“We wanted to lift up all of the other pieces that are equally important, especially for the high school experience,” Neuhaus said. “You need to be involved in the arts and in athletics, whether that's participating or cheering up. [You] need to be doing performances, band, orchestra, drama, all of those things. That's what makes it fun and enjoyable.”

In doing this, Neuhaus collaborated with teachers, Schwarzer, and student leaders to create a fully revamped version of Titus. First, they had to think of a name for this new mascot - one that was recognizable, unique, and representative of Northview. After doing extensive research, Schwarzer notes that a certain historical character piqued his interest.

“I wanted to represent you guys. Atlas was the one that held the world together when the Titans were being defeated by their Greek gods,” Schwarzer said. “Atlas embodies excellence and strength. He embodies perseverance and working with others to make them the best versions of themselves. That's why we made the change.”

After finalizing Atlas’ physical appearance, the next step was determining how to build Atlas in a way that made him engaging and interactive for students. Atlas notes that this has been an extremely important part of the process since Atlas will encourage and support overall school spirit. 

“We want to change Atlas’ appearance from a rarity to something that can be participatory,” Atlas said. “We are making plans and taking the creative measures to try and further his appearances, such as using t-shirt cannons, doing bits, fan interactions, and also general exposure and excitement.”

Northview Nation, a collective group of students and teachers who are boosting the concept of students at Northview being a united ‘nation’, is especially important to this process. Ultimately, the goal is for Atlas to be an engaging figure as well as encourage enthusiasm with a loud and interactive crowd at football games, whether that be from taking photos with students, dancing with cheerleaders, or cheering on teams.

“I think Atlas being at the pep rallies and being at the games is going to remind students that there will always be someone to support them,” Atlas said. “We really want to pride ourselves on what we’re doing, and how we’re interacting and relating to students.”

From a coach’s perspective, Schwarzer agrees that this will bring change to Northview’s events. He believes that students should try to enjoy their four years of high school and become involved in different types of organizations and communities so Northview can be more united.

“They're [going to] do a phenomenal job. They're excited about it,” Schwarzer said. “I think they're gonna bring some energy and some excitement.”

Hopeful for the future of Atlas, the team behind him is working hard for the coming year. Look forward to Atlas at pep rallies, sports games, club events, or even in the hallway. To make a lasting impact, it is up to students, teachers, and everyone at Northview to give Atlas a warm welcome this year, starting with the homecoming pep rally.

To book an appearance from Atlas at any Northview event, please fill out this form.