UPDATED: Bloomfield Hills High School Students Will be Black Hawks

The students of the future Bloomfield Hills High School will be known as Black Hawks.

Members of the first graduating class of the high school, set to open on two campuses in 2013, introduced the new mascot and black, purple and silver color scheme during a special press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Doyle Center for Professional Development.

Both selections were made by more than 800 students between grades 7 and 10 that voted through the district's internal Internet-based communication system for the better part of a month. Members of student councils from the grades involved in the vote helped design the selection process and gave input throughout. Student leaders from the current high schools then visited the middle schools and shared ideas about how to maximize voting among student directly affected by the change.

"We did this the most democratic way possible and it was important to get everyone's voice in this decision," said Mac Bank, a student leader at Andover High School. "We're creating a new identity for this high school and community and it's going to impact all of us."

Bank was among the dozen students at the press conference donning white T-shirts supplied by the district that read "Future Graduate of Bloomfield Hills High School" on the front, and "Go Black Hawks" on the back.

Black Hawks, envisioned as a bird of prey, was the overwhelming choice with 51 percent of the overall student vote, school officials said. The other two, the chargers and royals, each received less than 28 percent of the vote. The color schemes were also an overwhelming choice over blue and black, and blue and gold.

Students will also be involved in the creation of an official school logo and mascot design through a similar voting process. A timeline has not been determined.

Having a say in the future of the school left an impression on the students, many of whom said they were now excited about the merger of Andover and Lahser high schools.

"This was a cool opportunity to be involved and it was nice to have our voices heard and have the chance to express our opinions," said Daniel Settecerri, an eighth grade student leader at East Hills Middle School.

In addition to the learning experience, the whole process turned about to be a lot of fun.

"I had a lot of fun being involved," said Libby Baxter, a student leader at Lahser. "We get to set the legacy for this school that will serve the community for the next 50 or 100 years."

In a Patch reader poll earlier this month, nearly 39 percent chose the Chargers, while the Blackhawks and the Royals received 13 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

• 5 Things to Know: High School Consolidation to Start
• 5 More Things to Know About High School Consolidation in Bloomfield Hills