Peter Pioneer and his Covered Wagon

I am sure that you all have your preconceived notions about life in Oklahoma. If you have been following my blog, you are aware that I am seeking the opportunity to educate you all about the realities of life in the south from my perspective by defying expectations and debunking stereotypes. However, I have noticed something funny: in my modern community of Stillwater, Oklahoma, we know the stereotypes are false, yet we continually fuel them. This might be a relatively strange concept to grasp, but integrated into my contemporary high school are elements of stereotypes brought alive through traditions.

Here at Penn State we identify with the sleek image of the Nittany Lion and we proudly declare "WE ARE" in its name.

However, back home we epitomize the old south by identifying ourselves as Pioneers and hailing our mascot: the one and only Peter Pioneer himself. 

I am sure you are all in awe of the fine artistry it took to create our mascot. The masculine demeanor and solid jawline emphasize the power of our school, but in reality our mascot really looks a little more like this. 

Pretty sketchy, am I right?? Regardless of his not so powerful appearance in real life, we, for some reason, continue to affiliate ourselves with Peter (yes, we are on a first name basis) with pride. 

Not only do we have a coonskin cap adorned ambassador for our school, we also have a covered wagon in the center of our athletic center lobby for all to see. This is a cherished piece for our school, so it is roped off in the hopes that rebellious students will stay away; however, despite the administration's efforts, this has not always been a successful tactic. One legendary senior class somehow managed to break into the school in the middle of the night. They miraculously discovered how to remove the massive wagon from the athletic center. In my opinion, just taking the wagon in itself is an admirable senior prank, but they did not stop there. The following morning, everyone arrived at Stillwater High School to find the covered wagon perched on the roof of the school. 

Now that I am looking back on my time in high school, it's intriguing to see how bits and pieces of southern history are deeply woven into our high school. We recognize that pioneers and covered wagons hugely molded the beginnings of societies in Oklahoma, and although we have come a long way since then, we still continue to reflect on our history. I may not have descended from a long line of farmers whose family was brought to Oklahoma because of the Land Run, but I am certainly thankful for those who were. Because of them, Oklahoma was given the foundation to grow into an incredibly unique state; modern with hints of history laced throughout it.

Picture credit to

Penn State

and

Stillwater High School