Frustrated about the response of Warwick School District officials toward eliminating the district's Warrior mascot at the high school, four teens voiced their concerns to Lititz Borough council members June 24.

The students asked council members to sign a petition requesting elimination of images of an American Indian man because they view the symbol as racist.

Council president Karen Weibel said council would review the petition. However, she suggested the students keep discussing the issue with officials at the school district.

Three of the students — Dana Wiker, Matt Diabes and Michelle Sayles — are 2008 Warwick High School graduates and one — Ryan Epp — is a Warwick senior.

Epp attended the May 20 Warwick school board meeting, where he addressed the concerns of the students in light of the district initiative No Place for Hate. At the meeting, there was little discussion of the issue.

Epp said the Warrior name was not a problem. He said the visual symbol is offensive because it is a cliché representation of a Native American.

"If the school district wants to end racism and hate at the schools, this is a symbol of racism," Diabes said.

"It is still being used and there has been little effort to get rid of the symbol. He is on our report cards," Diabes said.

He said the Indian mascot was supposed to be eliminated eight years ago. At that time, a group of high school students and Native Americans attended school board meetings to protest the Warrior symbol and the mascot of an Indian dressed in headdress, marked with war paint and carrying a tomahawk. Appearances of the mascot at football games was ended, but the symbol continues to appear elsewhere.

Warwick Superintendent John George said the Indian image is used mainly for sports teams. The school district has tried to make it more low-key. The school district uses another logo, with a shield and "W," on most materials such as the district newsletter and meeting agendas.

However, the Indian image still appears on student ID cards, planners given to students at the beginning of the school year and high school report cards.

The students have talked with Rain Bear, a Lititz woman with Lenape ancestry. The Lenape populated areas of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Rain Bear was involved when students protested eight years ago.

"Do they know what they are portraying?" Rain Bear said, referring to the image of the Indian with a feather.

She said she and other Native Americans find the symbol offensive because it shows racism. She also said that many people assume that Native Americans are no longer in the Lancaster area.

"Some of our people were driven to the west, but there are many of us here," she said.

Wiker, Sayles, Diabes and Epp want to rally more support to eliminate the image. They plan to attend future school board meetings. They also gathered more information that will help them make their argument against the symbol.

"The mascot for the Lititz High School was the pretzel, so the Warrior has not always been the mascot," Sayles said.

Wiker said, "We hope that the school district can move away from the Indian mascot."