During the fall sports pep rally on the first Friday of school, a panda stood, cheering, alongside WJ’s mascots. Evidently, the time had come to figure out which mascots we do have and why.

The answer lies deep in WJ’s history. WJ opened in 1956. In 1967, WJ transferred students to Woodward High School, now Tilden Middle School, but took back Woodward’s students when the two schools merged in 1987. This unique back-and-forth transfer of WJ’s students influenced our mascot selection. The first time we got a new mascot, though, was even before Woodward opened.

“[Students] used to call this ‘Cow Pasture High,’” said Media Services Technician and WJ alum, Tyrone Huber, Sr., who graduated in 1962.

He remembers the days when the Spartans were WJ’s only mascot, something that science teacher Bill Morris thinks may be related to Michigan State University, which also has a Spartan mascot and green and white colors.

According to Huber, the 1962 senior prank consisted of the seniors bringing three calves into WJ’s main hall, which the flustered dean of the school chased around. At noon, a farmer came to pick them up, and, after the ensuing week of senior pranks, the dean left the school and never returned. Also, contributing to the cow spirit, in 1963, seniors painted a cow on WJ’s chimney, but this was painted over in 1998. This could have led to the birth of the Mighty Moo mascot, but some other rumors exist. According to the WJ website, students may also have carried a cow to the roof.

Huber still recalls the days when G-Square was a cornfield, as were the high buildings near I-270. Democracy Blvd., a dirt road, ended just past WJ. Rock Spring Dr. also ended at the school, and had no name.

According to Huber, in 1987, when WJ and Woodward were combined, representatives from both schools flipped a coin to determine the mascot and colors of the combined school. WJ won and chose to keep its colors, and Woodward decided that their mascot, the Wildcat, would be WJ’s new mascot, replacing the Spartan. In addition to the shift in mascots, there were many other changes throughout WJ’s past.

Morris remembers that today’s art wing used to be an automotive and wood shop, complete with a garage. Today’s tennis courts were a driving range, and P.E. teachers taught driving classes during school hours. Students could get into trouble for chewing gum when speaking to a teacher, running in the hall or even riding a bike to school.

“You could get after school [detention] for just about anything,” Huber concluded.

Although WJ always excelled in academics, Huber remembers a student population of predominately middle class white students, with only three African Americans in the whole school.

“The result is you don’t learn as much,” said Huber. “The more you are exposed to other races, religions [and] cultures, the less … bigotry [there will be].”

In 1997, at the half time of the homecoming football game, the Wild Thing was created as a mascot for sports games. Students made up a story about how Mighty Moo was captured and the Wild Thing rescued him. With this, a new unofficial mascot was born.

As for the panda, it’s more of an unofficial mascot. Someone in the leadership class owned a panda suit, and wore it to support the other mascots.

What our exploration of WJ’s history unravels is a common thread of pride and devotion to our school. Our many mascots, while entertaining, are not that significant in themselves. Together, they reveal that WJ’s students have always been spirited, and this, not our large amount of mascots, is what really makes us stand out.