All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
A different cougar is mounted in a hallway in the school today.
As we approach NHS's 50-year anniversary celebration on Sept. 9, we take a look back at the Cougar mascot and its history. The first graduating class of 1974 selected the mascot. Sources say that it was nicknamed 'Carrie the Cougar.' While the "Carrie" moniker has been dropped, cougar pride remains fierce.
A May 25-26, 1974, Longmont Times-Call newspaper clipping shows a picture of the unveiling event when a stuffed cougar was presented to the school. Marybeth Almquist Williams remembers the day. "That's me in the photo! I was a senior class officer who helped unveil the cougar."
Tim Lien also remembers as he wrote a school newspaper article about the cougar and the taxidermist who donated the mounted cat. In fact, the article was selected as an entry into a high school writing competition. According to Lien, it didn't win, but it was the highlight of his high school writing career.
"I remember writing an article about the cougar and some controversy surrounding it for the school newspaper," he said. "I called and talked with John Pawlak. As the caption says, he bought the pelt and donated the mounted cougar to NHS. Those who opposed our having the cougar thought it shouldn't have been killed. Pawlak was kind of offended that some were opposed and said he didn't know how or why it was killed, but it might have been a predator bothering some ranch livestock. Ultimately an overwhelming majority of the students liked it, so we obviously kept it."
As a reminder for all of the proud cougars who passed the stuffed mascot everyday during their time at NHS, the 50-year anniversary celebration is coming up. The tentative schedule of events for the celebration on Sept. 9, 2022:
3:00 pm: Homecoming Parade (Niwot Elementary to Niwot High School)
4:00 pm: Open House and School Tours
4:00 pm: Tailgate and Reception
7:00 pm: First Varsity Football Game at NHS Field and Halftime Show (including inaugural '74-'76 classmates)
TBA: Celebration in downtown Niwot
9:00 pm: After game party at Niwot Wheel Works
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