Colorado: Dps

Students at Denver South High School got school district approval Thursday night to replace a Confederate soldier with the mythical griffin as the school’s mascot. “The times have changed and so must the mascot,” Junior Class President Donavan Hilton told the Denver Public Schools board, the Rocky Mountain News reports.

Former South High mascot (Image/DPS)

Hilton was among students who staged a walk-out to protest the Johnny Reb mascot a year ago — a regular occurrence, said South Principal Bill Kohut, who has been at the school 22 years. Students sponsored a contest for a new logo, which yielded the griffin, based on a protective gargoyle that looms over the

The selection, and seeming consideration, of nothing but white males for three high-profile political positions has prompted substantial backlash from Colorado's Latino political and business leaders who feel left out and ignored at a time of nearly unprecedented state and local political change.

"This will have legs down the road, I swear to God it will," said former Democratic state Sen. Paul Sandoval.

The grumbling began when three white males were selected as finalists for the vacant secretary of state position by a panel chosen to review applications for Gov. Bill Ritter. That left former Denver City Councilwoman Rosemary Rodriguez on the sidelines for a job overseeing Colorado elections, despite her experience as chairwoman

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Tom Boasberg fielded some pointed questions Tuesday at a community reception in the Five Points neighborhood about how he would lead Denver Public Schools as the district's superintendent.

Would he close more schools? When would he hire a new chief academic officer? And how would he differ from predecessor Michael Bennet?

Boasberg, 44, is the sole finalist for the superintendent job left vacant when Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate.

On Tuesday Boasberg was introduced at the first of five meet-and-greet receptions scheduled across the city.

Boasberg championed the district's improvement over the years but also reminded the gathering of about 70 people at Kimbal Hall that the district faces great challenges.

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet, appointed Saturday to replace U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, has deep roots and family in Washington, D.C., but he spent part of his first day in the nation's capital wandering the hallways and streets anonymously, alone and with a hole in his shoe.

Bennet, 44, won't be sworn in until after Salazar's confirmation as interior secretary, expected later this month, but the superintendent, who has no elected office experience, has a lot of catching up to do.

On Saturday, he spoke to President-elect Barack Obama by phone.

"He was nice enough to call to congratulate me," Bennet said.