But ladies, who are we?
What is the first thing you think of when you hear “North Penn?” I am assuming you thought of Knights since they are our mascot, title, reputation, the bases of cheers and puns, etc. We define ourselves by a Knight, but what happened to Maidens? Are female athletes still referred to as a Maiden? Are we all Knights? When did it change? Why did it change?
For many people, Maiden had a negative connotation as the definition is a single, unmarried women. They are untried as a Knight or soldier and are referred to as servants. Conversely, a Knight is a military man, raised in a noble home and is an honorably title given to royal families. But the question is, who is the correct mascot for our female athletes?
Mr. Bartle, North Penn’s Athletic Director, has requested all students, players, and coaches to refer all students as the Knights. Concerns from the negative connotation of the Maidens, sparked Bartle to research schools in our area about their mascots and to reach out to the female athletic teams. The research resulted in the findings of few to none schools with two mascots, and none having a Maiden as their Mascot. With this in his head, around two years ago, Bartle spoke with some female athletic teams. The overwhelming majority wanted to be referred to as Knights, not Maidens, not Lady Knights. The main reason for the switch is that we are one high school, we fall under the same umbrella, and we are represented by one mascot.
“I have always been a Knight. I will never be anyone’s Maiden, a Maiden is a servant. I am no one’s servant. Once a Knight always a Knight; we bleed blue,” said Mrs. Linda Law reflecting on her high school years at North Penn.
I have always been a Knight. I will never be anyone’s Maiden, a Maiden is a servant. I am no one’s servant. Once a Knight always a Knight; we bleed blue.
— Linda Law
Between the time of Law’s graduation in the 1970’s, someone had changed our female athletes to the Maidens. Years ago, North Penn was referred to as the Knights of the Round Table. The Knights of the Round Table were characters in the legends about King Arthur. They lived in King Arthur’s castle and were the best Knights in the kingdom. Maidens had served the Knights at the Round Table and when someone had made that connection, that is how the Maidens became part of our school.
“I knew the general definition [of a Maiden,] but I did hear that people felt it represented a servant. Whether that was true or false, it was the impression some people had, and that wasn’t a good impression to have on our girl athletes.” explained Bartle.
Over the past two years, many efforts of spreading the unification of our school’s mascot were made. Between emailing and speaking with coaches, bringing it up at SOL meetings with all of the school’s athletic directors, confronting reporters from Suburban One, The Reporter, etc., the message that North Penn will only be referred to as the Knights has been clearly established.
Yes, it is going to take time before the word Maiden isn’t going to be associated with our female athletes. People are still going to refer to us as the Knights and Maidens but it will happen less and less as time goes on. All great changes take time, and this is one of them. There is no need to delineate between the Knights and Maidens. No matter what other people or schools may say, we are at one school, with one mascot. We are strong and loyal and determined, and we are the Knights.
Phil Maltese • Nov 9, 2017 at 12:09 pm
I think this is kind of a pointless argument. Although Maiden may be a negative connotation to women, its not even being meant in that way. Its literally just the name for a womens team instead of mens.
Lauren Wolfe • Nov 8, 2017 at 4:27 pm
I really love this article. I agree with Linda Law in saying that “I will never be anyone’s Maiden, a Maiden is a servant. I am no one’s servant.” I believe that can go without saying for the rest of the female student body. We are not anyone servant, we are equal and therefore, we are knights.
Kelly Sullivan • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:42 pm
Thanks for writing this article because i never once thought of the definition of Maiden. I have known the female sports teams have been called maidens, but i have always thought of it as an equal name. I do not even understand why their are two mascots I just think it is odd. I have always thought of myself as a knight and I still will. The knights is a powerful name and everyone in school feels included when you say “who are we?”. When you call the female sports teams the maidens it separates the power that is associated with Knight.
Blanche Poulin • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:38 pm
I agree 100% that we are all part of the same school, same family, and therefor we are all proud knights. I did not even know that the female athletic teams were referred to as maidens until I was a part of the girls soccer team here at North Penn my freshman year. Honestly I didn’t know at the time that maidens were servants but still that it was odd and unfair that we had a different mascot and name for the girls teams. I didn’t see why there was a need to separate the two groups, it’s 2017, we are all knights. weather girl or boy, athlete or supporter.
Briar Hines • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:37 pm
I’ve played on the softball team at North Penn and we have a little chant we say before the game, it goes something like this; “oh when the maids, oh when the maids, come marching in.” Except on our jerseys it says “Knights” and I’ve always wondered why we said one thing but then out shirt said another. But I like the idea of one mascot and one name to represent the North Penn family because it does demonstrate more of a unity and equality between both males and females.
Shannon O'Brien • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:37 pm
I thought it was interesting how we once used “maiden” to represent our female athletes. I have never heard anyone use the term, and in my 2 1/2 years of highschool If I played a sport, I would want to be represented as a knight. Similarly to what Mrs. Law said, since I have always been a knight, and use this word to chant for our football team, and I have always been called a North Penn Knight.
Haley Simmonds • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:37 pm
I believe it is very important to have our whole school unified as the knights. Our girl athletes are just as strong as our male athletes and do not deserve a negative lesser title compared to them. It unifies our school and brings us all together as equals.
Mackenzie Kuhn • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:36 pm
I strongly believe that we should have one mascot. We are all North Penn students, therefore we are all Knights. Also, a knight holds the characteristics that the North Penn student body and faculty achieve to be; strong and loyal.
Sam Berlin • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:36 pm
I love that we are all now one unit under one shared name. As a female at North Penn I want to be called a knight. While the “maidens” are an interesting part of our school’s history, I think I can speak for most students and say it has been left in the past. And after all, maiden-time just does not sound catchy enough.
Bella Morasco • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:35 pm
I think this article is very important because it shows how we are trying to solve the problem of sexism in the school rather than make excuses as to why it is there in the first place. We are one school, so we should all be called the Knights no matter if you are male or female.
Samiha Rahim • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:35 pm
According to my perspective what I find cool is male athletes should be referred to as knights and the women as Maidens. If we know the right definition of maiden it doesn’t have to be part of being a servant its more like the female version of a knight. It all depends on how we look at it and how far we can think outside the box. I support the article and so I strongly believe that its time for a change!
Paige Verrillo • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:35 pm
I think the point Marissa makes about how North Penn is one school with one mascot is important. If we did switch to a Maiden being our mascot, then how would men athletes feel? Someone’s feelings are going to be hurt regardless of what mascot we have. If having a Knight as a mascot causes no problems, then I think it should stay that way.
Hannah Stevens • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:34 pm
This raises a great question in our high school and I am so glad that it’s being addressed. Growing up in the North Penn school district, I always heard ladies being referred to as Maidens. But being in the high school these past 3 years, I have always heard Knights as women and men. In my opinion, being called a Maiden does have a negative connotation. I believe we are all Knights and we should share that unity together.
Bri Hewlett • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:33 pm
I agree that it will take time to change completely, but speaking from experience with the girl’s basketball team, I have seen that it has already changed dramatically. I can’t remember the last time I heard the female athletes at North Penn referred to as Maidens and the newspapers have started consistently calling us all Knights.
Justine Lemon • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:33 pm
I think it is really interesting that I have only heard the mascot, “Maidens” associated with the girls basketball team. I have never heard it with any other female sport. I am not surprised to hear that there is an effort to unite under one mascot because it is very rare that I see another school with two mascots, even with a male oriented figure such as a Pirate. I agree that it only makes sense to have one mascot, because you always hear North Penn Knights, you rarely hear North Penn Knights and Maidens, but you would never hear North Penn Maidens. It portrays the female athletes and students as subordinate which we are not.
Emma Wasserman • Nov 8, 2017 at 12:33 pm
I agree that everyone, no matter their gender, should be referred to as a knight. We are all part of one team, and having the same title is a step towards inclusion and equality for all athletes.
Kylie • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:30 am
I like that our school is unified with the idea that we are all knights. In medieval times there wasn’t a female equivalent of a knight, and pushing forth an idea of a Maiden is unnecessary. Maidens are saved by Knights, and female sports teams definitely don’t need to be saved by the male sports teams. We are a unified school and our sports teams should reflect this.
Nikki Moissinac • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:26 am
I think that we should all be referred to as Knights because if we want to be united as a school, everyone should be referred to as the same thing. If women were referred to as Maidens, this could be seen as controversial to people that women are being referred to as slaves and it would make it harder for North Penn to be considered an equal community for all students. So, I agree with Linda Law that we are all Knights.
Molly Byrne • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:25 am
I loved this article because this is something I’ve thought about before. I never understood why we were known as the Knights and Maidens, when there is such a drastic difference between the two.
Katie Griffiths • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:25 am
What a great quote from Linda Law! Love it. A wonderful article with very valid points.
Jennifer Cedrone • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:25 am
I believe that if females and males want to all be claimed as Knights, we should be allowed to.
Lindsay Durkin • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:24 am
Being a part of the Marching Knights, I take pride in being called a Knight even as a female. As mentioned in the article, “we are one high school, [and] we fall under the same umbrella,” and I could not agree more with that statement. I see no reason for females to separate themselves from the whole of the group. We are all the Knights.
Morgan Jerue • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:24 am
I like the unify of the Knights as a whole instead of the separation of Knights and Maidens. Because North Penn is a community as a whole
Cat • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:24 am
This was a very interesting article especially for me being a female athlete here at North Penn. There is no reason to make two different mascots for boys and girls if we are apart of one school. Very nice work Marissa!
Isabelle Hughes • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:23 am
I agree with your view points and opinions because there shouldn’t be a separation of mascots between the girl athletes and the boys athletes if we are representing one school. I like how you use different people in the athletic department but also i would use female and male athletes to get there opinion and what they have to say about this certain argument.
Kamelle • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:23 am
I think it is important that our school is opting away from the title “maiden” for our female athletes. As time changes so do we and it is time for our school to not use such a dated term and to begin to represent our school, male and female, as a whole.
Sue Park • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:23 am
I agree with Mrs. Linda Law, that female athletes should just be referred to as knights, because us as a school are one and the term “maidens” does give it a negative tone. If I was a female athlete I would not want to be referred to as a maiden, because even though we are female why can’t we be called knights too?
Rob • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:22 am
I think this is a positive change for the school and it will unify the students and athletes. Go Knights!
Brittany Dennis • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:22 am
I never heard of North Penn going as the knights and maidens so this was interesting and new to me. I totally agree with the knight as being our only mascot because we are one school and it demonstrates unity and loyalty.
Kamelle • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:21 am
I think it is important that our school is opting away from the title “maiden” for our female athletes. As time changes so do we and it is time for our school to not use such a dated term and to begin to represent our school, male and female, as a whole.
Jennifer Dang • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:21 am
I never really focused on the aspect of the literal meaning of a Maiden, I just thought of it in terms of a female counterpart to our Knight mascot. It was really interesting to read this article and get a different perspective. I really like how you tied it altogether in the end!
Safa Sikder • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:21 am
I love this article! I also support the decision of getting rid of ‘Maidens’. As knights, both the males and females at our school define loyal, dedicated, and strong students.
Amelia Eshraghi • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:20 am
I agree with this article as a female athlete here at North Penn and have always wished to be referred to as a Knight rather than a Maiden.
Eric Diamond • Nov 8, 2017 at 9:20 am
Why was our mascot for our female sports teams changed to “Maidens” to begin with?