People arguing whether or not Talawanda High School should change its mascot filled the school’s auditorium at Monday’s school board meeting.

A branding committee, formed to determine if the “Braves” mascot should be changed because it stereotypes native Americans, is expected to report to the school board within the next few weeks.

Save the Brave, a group that has been campaigning online and distributing fliers around town, has urged supporters to attend the school board meetings and make their position known.

Supporters on the Save the Brave side of the argument filled the first two rows of seats, many wearing Talawanda varsity jackets with a Brave’s head emblazoned on the back.

“The Talawanda logo is a badge of honor,” Jody Asher, a Talawanda resident, told the board.

Asher was one of the many in the audience wearing a T-shirt that said “Braves Forever.”

Still others stepped up to the microphone to discuss how the mascot is offensive, and should be changed. They argued that it is insensitive to use any ethnic image to represent a product or a sports team.

Talawanda Supt. Ed Theroux updated the board on the progress the branding committee has made.

“We have narrowed the choices down to two,” he said. He declined to elaborate on what those choices are.

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