In the past, the only colors seen in the West Fargo community include green and white. With a new high school in the making, this has all changed. Now not only do green and white have a meaning, but so does Sheyenne High School’s blue and orange.
The situation has caused many parents and relatives to purchase two different types of apparel: Packer and Mustang. To provide a solution to this problem, German teacher Lisa Mulvaney, who travels to both schools to teach German, thought of a way to combine both the Packer and Mustang colors and logos.
“I literally was talking about taking a Packer shirt and a Mustang shirt and cutting them apart and sewing them together,” Mulvaney said. “I didn’t like that idea though because I thought it would be disrespectful to the schools.”
Mulvaney took input from her Sheyenne students and designed a shirt with both logos and colors.
“I just feel that it is important to honor all our Packers and Mustangs,” Mulvaney said. “I think we need to honor all our kids and need to be there for our students no matter if they are wearing green and white, blue and orange, or both colors and they look plaid-I love them all.”
Mulvaney went through local company ‘Bee Seen.’ Owner of Bee Seen, Packer mother Traci Weible, thought the design was a unique idea. Weible said the idea has come up to her, but thought Mulvaney’s idea could kick-off the process of Packer and Mustang apparel.
“Both my kids have friends that are Mustangs or Packers, so the parents are looking at buying two sets of clothes,” Weible said. “I think that the shirts will bring us together.”
The profits from selling the shirts will be going to student education, according to Mulvaney.
“The funds will either be going to students who would like to go to language camp at the Bemidji Concordia Language Village and the other portion would be for travel scholarships for students who want to travel abroad or study abroad,” Mulvaney said.
Senior Taylor Flakker experienced the German trip this last summer and thinks Mulvaneys project is a fantastic idea to help support kids who want to go on the trip.
“Having the option to try and get a scholarship or have a little financial backing is great especially because it is a life-changing experience and it gives you a completely new perspective on a different culture,” Flakker said.
The design on the shirt implements both colors and logos and says ‘West Fargo Public Schools.’
“When I got the graphic over my email I actually got chocked up,” Mulvaney said. “I think that no matter what we need to honor our students wherever they go.”
Mulvaney said she is focused on making sure that everybody in the community is family.
“It’s kind of like [the schools] are siblings. When someone from the outside picks on one of us, the other will be there to support,” Mulvaney said. “I hope that even years down the road this mentality continues, because that’s what I love about West Fargo.”