An aquatic predator will soon be prowling along regional high school sidelines after officials gave their blessing this week for a new school mascot.
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee voted 8-1 Monday to approve a request from students to make the mako shark the new school mascot. The decision caps months of debate about the idea of adding a mascot in the hopes of igniting school spirit.
Charlotte Cramer and Madison Currelli raised the idea with the school committee earlier this year after students expressed a want for a mascot and a costume. The idea has sprung up several times over the years, but Ms. Cramer and Ms. Currelli, who just finished their sophomore years, outlined a five-step plan to get it over the finish line.
They conducted surveys of current students, staff and alumni, with the idea of picking a non-human representative, such as an osprey, marlin or shark. The voting came down to the mako, osprey and the tide, and then was narrowed down to the two animals.
“I’ve been so impressed working with the students through this, because it’s been such a thorough process [and] a genuine process,” said assistant principal Justine DeOliveira. “They went so far as to, once it was narrowed to [two] and the tide was out, they spent weeks reaching back out to everyone who voted for the tide to redistribute their vote to either osprey or mako.”
The picking of a mascot will not change any of the current branding at the school, nor will it replace the current team name of the Vineyarders. Instead, the mako shark will be an additional supporter and Monday’s vote clears the way for the students to explore buying a costume.
The school committee did raise questions last month about another school logo that came into the picture several years ago but fell out of favor.
In 2019, the school committee initiated a new look at the school’s branding, including MVRHS colors and logos. A logo that included the silhouette of a fisherman in a slicker and hat was considered, but its use in sports was discontinued in 2021 after students and teachers felt it didn’t represent the whole school community.
The mascot idea came up again in 2022, and got as far as being presented as Evening of the Arts. At the time, the osprey was the top choice and a presentation was supposed to be made to the school committee at the last meeting of the school year, but it was rescheduled and then never took place, said Ms. DeOliveira.
“It got bumped, the student graduated, and then we’ve had this break until this year,” she said.
New principal Bryan Lombardi, who started with the district last week, said that branding is important and this would give students a sense of ownership, especially as the school embarks on the school building project.
“I think it would go a long way for the students to feel empowered,” he said.
Chilmark school committee member Robert Lionette praised the work that Ms. Cramer and Ms. Currelli undertook, and said this would not go against the school’s efforts to have a unified brand identity.
“It’s amazing watching a student body act,” he said.
The mako is one of the several different types of sharks found in New England waters. The shark can grow to about 13 feet long, and is the fastest known species of shark, with the ability to swim up to 46 miles per hour.
Students opted for the species instead of the generic shark name because Monomoy on Cape Cod also has a shark logo.
Some members of the school committee said that they wanted to make sure the school stuck with the new mascot for the long haul to prevent new petitions coming up every few years.
Member Kathryn Shertzer advocated for a policy on choosing a mascot, and was the lone vote against making the mako official.
Member Amy Houghton, who made the motion to approve the mako, asked for the administrators to come up with guidelines for the implementation of the shark. Ms. DeOliveira said the students have already raised funds to buy the costume and it could be ready by fall sports next school year.
Ms. Cramer was in attendance at Monday’s meeting and was all smiles after the decision.
“Thank you for the support,” she told the committee. “I really appreciate it.”
This article appears in July 10, 2026.
What a shame. But I guess the important thing is that the students got what they wanted, and they certainly deserve credit for seeing the process through.
I still find it hard to understand why a violent predator is the image we want representing school spirit. Sharks are important to the marine ecosystem, but why does everything today have to be fierce, vicious or intimidating? Even the headline has the mako “devouring” the osprey. I understand the catchiness of it, but I suppose that rather makes my point.
The osprey was the way to go, in my opinion. It is iconic to Martha’s Vineyard, powerful, instantly recognizable and an important part of our ecosystem. Birds are predators, pollinators, seed dispersers and scavengers, and without them our food webs and agriculture would begin to unravel.
But I’m not in school anymore. The students made their choice and the committee approved it. I suppose this is just where we are today. And then there is the shark mock-up itself. Frankly, it looks ridiculous. The image speaks for itself, unfortunately.
The osprey would have said far more about Martha’s Vineyard than another shark mascot ever will.
One further thought on the osprey. Of course an osprey is a predator. My point was never that it is a gentle bird. It is what the two animals have come to symbolize and, more importantly, what the osprey means specifically to Martha’s Vineyard.
I remember back in 1970, when Martha’s Vineyard had only two breeding pairs of osprey. Beginning in 1971, Gus Ben David and others started building special nesting platforms around the Island after nests were being lost from trees and removed from utility structures. By 2014 there were 83 breeding pairs, and the 2025 Island count found more than 140. Some Vineyard nest sites have been continuously occupied for decades.
The mako may be faster and sound fiercer and more intimidating. I understand its appeal as a mascot. But the osprey has a remarkable history here. Makos are found in waters around the world; the Vineyard’s osprey recovery story belongs specifically to this Island. That’s the difference, and that’s why I thought it was the far better choice to represent Martha’s Vineyard.
Again, I congratulate the students and respect the choice they made. I simply would have chosen differently.
It should have been a fish!
A silhouette of a male osprey at sunset with a fish in its talons, delivering it to the nest, is the cover for my 2027 Sara’s Vineyard calendar. I waited about an hour to get that shot. Julian Robinson was the master of osprey photography. I do have an underwater camera but I hope I won’t be photographing any mako sharks anytime soon.