OKLAHOMA CITY – It’s official, Capitol Hill High School is now home to the “Red Wolves”. In a close vote, students selected “Red Wolves” over “Guardians” to replace “Redskins” as the school’s mascot.

“It is an exciting moment for Capitol Hill students, staff and community. The students have been patiently anticipating finding out what the new mascot will be and to begin coordinating fun activities that incorporate pride and celebration; now the fun begins for all of us,” said Alex Souza, Principal, Capitol Hill High School.

Every Capitol Hill High School student had an opportunity over three days last month to cast their vote for a new mascot. “Red Wolves” beat out “Guardians” by 30 votes; more than 438 students participated in a blind vote coordinated and facilitated by McGladrey LLP. The auditing firm collected, tabulated and certified the election results; McGladrey representatives were on hand for the special assembly to help announce the new mascot.

“McGladrey takes tremendous pride in our long-standing relationship as the independent auditors for the District.  We were honored by the opportunity to supervise and ensure the integrity of the voting process. Our team members thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the students and being part of their excitement as they cast their votes.  It has been a privilege to be part of this historic event at Capitol Hill High School,” said Mike Gibson, Partner, McGladrey LLP.

The process to identify a new mascot started in December 2014, after the OKCPS Board of Education voted to remove “Redskins” as the mascot for Capitol Hill High School.  The administration created a committee of students, alumni and community members to identify a new mascot by the end of the school year.

Earlier in the selection process, the mascot selection committee identified four possible mascots for the school; after viewing sketches from a professional illustrator and reviewing the characteristics, the committee eliminated two of the concepts. The “War Eagle” was eliminated because the committee felt there was not a strong enough connection to the school, according to a statement from the committee. “Red Hawks” was also eliminated because it lacked originality and is similar to the former minor league baseball team in Oklahoma City.

The committee agreed upon “Guardians” and “Red Wolves” as the two finalists that would be taken to the student body for a vote.

“This process involved input and discussion from several stakeholder groups who have a vested interest in the selection of the new mascot for Capitol Hill High School,” said Tierney Tinnin, OKCPS Senior Communications & Community Relations Officer. “Now that the mascot has been selected we will continue to engage the community in celebrations, partnerships and fundraising opportunities to support the transition.” added Tinnin.

The district maintenance and operations teams will spend the summer respectfully removing the imagery of the old mascot; and will develop a timeline for replacement. A public auction will be held in July at Capitol Hill High School for community members who are interested in items that are no longer of use.

A “Meet the Mascot” celebration is planned for September 11th, the first home football game of the 2015 season. During the event the community will meet the students who will serve on the school spirit squad and peform at school events as the mascot.

“We have been waiting anxiously for this exciting moment; I am happy “Red Wolves” was selected, it is an intimidating animal that all of our competitors need to be ready for next season,” said Brett Jacobs, a member of the Captiol Hill High School football team. “We are excited for the next school year and all the ways we can incorporate “RedWolves”; I can imagine our lockerroom is the “wolf den” and we are the “wolf pack”.  I look forward to the new school t-shirts and events that will help grow school pride and help all of Oklahoma City respect the fierceness and strength of the “Red Wolves”, added Jacobs.

The Capitol Hill High School mascot transition process is estimated to cost more than $260,000; the district has developed sponsorship packages and encourages community members who can to donate to support the transition.

The district is meeting with leaders from the Oklahoma Indian Nations and other organizations who may be interested in sponsoring the transition as well.

Local community business Capitol Hill Graffix donated t-shirts for students to use for the mascot reveal assembly.

For a complete overview of the process and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.okcps.org