Funny or strange high school and college nicknames

[agentsteel53]

On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, there is the Waimea Menehunes.

how unusual is menehune?  I looked up the term, and they're a mythological race of small people... but I couldn't tell if the connotation is more "badass fighting elves" or "cartoon smurfs".

[BigMattFromTexas]

A few in Texas. Bold = Towns I've been to.
Amarillo - Sandies
Atlanta - Rabbits
Bay City - Black Cats
Baytown: R.E.Lee - Ganders
Big Spring - Steers
Bryan: St. Michael - Dragonslayers
Cameron: Yoe - Yoemen
Columbia - Roughnecks
Crane - Golden Cranes
Crystal City - Javelinas
Cuero - Gobblers
Dallas: Hockaday School - Daisies
Dallas: Washington - Pegasus
Devine - Warhorses
El Campo - Ricebirds
El Paso: Eastwood - Troopers
Falfurrias - Fighting Jerseys
Floydada - Whirlwinds
Fort Worth: Polytechnic - Parrots
Frost - Polar Bears
Freeport: Brazosport - Exporters
Frisco:  Frisco - Fightin' Racoons
Frisco: Lone Star - Rangers
Grand Prairie - Gophers
GrandView - Zebras
Grapeland - Sandies
Groesbeck - Goats
Hereford - Whitefaces
Hamlin - Pied Pipers
Highland: Chinquapin - Burrs                 
Houston: Sharpstown - Apollos
Hutto - Hippos
Italy - Gladiators
Itasca - Wampus Cats
Jayton - Jaybirds
Kerrville: Tivy - Fighting Antlers
Killeen - Kangaroos
Knippa - Rockcrushers
Lewisville - Fighting Farmers
Little River: Academy HS - Bumblebees
Marfa - Shorthorns
Mason - Punchers
Mesquite - Skeeters
Muleshoe - Mules
Munday - Moguls
Nazareth - Swifts
New Braunfels - Unicorns
Pampa - Harvesters
Port Lavaca: Calhoun - Fighting Sand Crabs
Progreso - Red Ants
Robstown - Cottonpickers
Roscoe - Plowboys - Played a basketball game against them.
Rotan - Yellowhammers
San Antonio: Central Catholic - Buttons
San Antonio: Sidney Lanier - Voks
San Saba - Armadillos
Schulenber - Shorthorns
Springtown - Fighting Porcupines
Taylor - Fighting Ducks
Texas City - Stingarees
Tivoli - Redfish
Trent - Gorillas
Randolph AFB: Randolph HS - Ro-Hawks
Van - Vandals
Weatherford - Kangaroos
White Oak - Roughnecks
Winters - Blizzards Played football and basketball against them.
From:
http://www.tekonsha.k12.mi.us/scaa/teamnames.htm
BigMatt

[InterstateNG]

Centenary College Gents

Glenville High School (Cleveland) Tarblooders.

[golden eagle]

Taylorsville High (MS) Tartars. I always think of tartar sauce.

[Cheesehead77]

From Wisconsin:

Mazomanie (Mighty) Midgets

Black Earth Earthmen

Both high schools merged in 1964/5 to become Wisconsin Heights, and they became the Vanguards, named for the Vanguard rocket.  Sometime later, the medieval knight became their mascot, though they remained the Vanguards.  People are still trying to figure out what the connection is.

Mazo Jr High was still the Midgets until they combined with Black Earth Jr High in 1990 to become the Vanguards.  Not sure what Black Earth was between '64 and '90- I'll have to ask someone.

[mgk920]

From Wisconsin:

Mazomanie (Mighty) Midgets

Black Earth Earthmen

Both high schools merged in 1964/5 to become Wisconsin Heights, and they became the Vanguards, named for the Vanguard rocket.  Sometime later, the medieval knight became their mascot, though they remained the Vanguards.  People are still trying to figure out what the connection is.

Mazo Jr High was still the Midgets until they combined with Black Earth Jr High in 1990 to become the Vanguards.  Not sure what Black Earth was between '64 and '90- I'll have to ask someone.

And what is really interesting is that Vanguard I (launched 1958-03-17) is still in orbit:

http://www.heavens-above.com/satinfo.aspx?lat=0&lng=0&alt=0&loc=Unspecified&TZ=CET&SatID=5
http://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=5&lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=CET

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_1

Mike

[oscar]

On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, there is the Waimea Menehunes.

how unusual is menehune?  I looked up the term, and they're a mythological race of small people... but I couldn't tell if the connotation is more "badass fighting elves" or "cartoon smurfs".

Connotation seems to be more like "industrious".

[english si]

As Vanguard relates to the front part of Medieval armies, a knight is how you would symbolize it.

The rocket is so-called as it was the first wave of the US space program, scouting out like the avant-garde/vanguard (which is the English corruption of the French) would. To name something after something that's named after something and then to use the original as the mascot isn't that silly.

The Vanguard company in the UK uses a horse riding knight as it's logo.

The whole nicknames is linked in with the school's teams, and British high school sports teams are of little concern to anyone who's outside the team, the wannabee team and relatives. People watching these games is rare too. My old university's sports teams had names - mostly linked to the old university mascot of the Stag (was fairly briefly a dolphin, but they spend a few hundred k removing any trace of the dolphin a few years back), but the Frisbee team is the Skunks. These names don't get attached to people, just the team. Fans of certain professional football clubs have nicknames, but that's about it.

[Cheesehead77]

^^^

Thanks for clearing that up- now I know what to tell people.

The name was chosen because Heights believed they were in the front line of education at the time.  It was a brand new district, partnered with the UW (if I remember right), and they were utilizing new concepts in education.  Lots of technology, with electronic feedback systems (multiple choice push-buttons on the desk in front of each student), heavy use of A/V material, and such.  The whole idea was eventually scrapped in favor of more traditional methods.  I hear the auction they had in the '80s to get rid of obsolete gear was fun.

[hm insulators]

On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, there is the Waimea Menehunes.

how unusual is menehune?  I looked up the term, and they're a mythological race of small people... but I couldn't tell if the connotation is more "badass fighting elves" or "cartoon smurfs".

Connotation seems to be more like "industrious".

Menehunes are the Hawaiian counterpart to leprechauns, elves and the like; according to the stories, they're especially numerous on Kauai. Legend says that if they start a project after sunset but don't finish it before sunrise, then the project is abandoned.

[mgk920]

A few Div. I schools that have, well, IMHO strange nicknames:

Virginia Tech - Hokies
Purdue - Boilermakers
Minnesota - Gophers
Ohio State - Buckeyes (a tree seed)
Wisconsin-Green Bay - Phoenix
University of Southern California - Trojans
Oregon - Ducks
Nebraska - Cornhuskers
North Carolina - Tarheels
South Carolina - Gamecocks
Maryland - Terrapins (a species of sea turtle)
Texas Christian - Horned Frogs

Mike