Wappingers Falls High School Loses ‘Indians” for This New Name

After months of talking it appears that the Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls, New York has a new school mascot and nickname name.

Last year New York State told every public school district that had a nickname or mascot that used the term "Indians" needed to change before the end of 2023 or the school could lose any and all state funding. Most schools in the Hudson Valley that had Indians in their name had already completed the change including schools in Mahopac, and Liberty, New York, but there was one remaining school in the area that hadn't changed yet.

Roy C. Ketcham "Indians" No More

We've shared numerous articles about how some call the use of the term "Indians" racially offensive and with Roy C. Ketcham being the last school in the area to use the term many wondered when they would be changing it. Ketcham, the second largest High School in the Wappingers Central School district has been fielding suggestions as to what the school should change its mascot/nickname to for what feels like years.

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Just last month school principal David Seipp shared the school plans with us saying that the school student council was going to pick 3 names and then ask the school's over 1600 student body to vote on the name they would like to see the school use moving forward. At the time Seipp didn't share the 3 names but according to students and teachers at the school the 3 names students recently voted on include:

Titans
Knights
River Hawks

Ketcham's New Name is...

The vote took place over the last couple of days at the school and according to numerous students they have been told the winning selection was Knights! School officials haven't confirmed the change yet but if Knights is the winning selection the next step to make the official change is to get Board of Education approval. Seipp hoped that would happen by the end of October, which would then give the school some time to begin changing out any and all "Indians" references all over the school campus off of Myers Corners Rd in Wappingers Falls, with Knight's.

When the school begins that process and officially confirms the name change we will update this article.