By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
Yukon school officials are emphasizing unity across the district in 2022-23.
As part of this effort, the iconic “Miller Man” has returned as Yukon Public Schools’ official mascot.
“We are going back to one Miller Man logo – the original Miller Man logo,” YPS Superintendent Dr. Jason Simeroth said.
Large school districts like Edmond, Jenks, Tulsa Union, and Broken Arrow each have a well-recognized emblem.
“You know it when you see it,” Simeroth said.
Using the historic Miller Man logo will “help with consistency throughout the schools” and “solidify our brand,” YPS communications specialist Peter Agnitsch noted.
The Yukon school district has four official district logos, according to the new YPS “style guide”:
- Miller Man – The Miller Man logo started in Yukon in 1965, when the YHS yearbook staff developed it. This image has been a staple of not only YPS – but Yukon as a whole. The Historic Miller Man shows the history of the school district and symbolizes the town’s history.
- District Logo – The YPS “District Y” was born around 2010. It was formed from a previous design, where the “Millers” was slanted going across the Y. The “Millers” across the varsity “Y” is in Brush Script font. The Y itself is in Varsity Regular font. This logo may be used on any platform to represent YPS. The structure of the logo is not allowed to be altered. The color may be subject to change with permission from a supervisor or member of the YPS leadership team.
- The YM Interlock – One common theme in the history of YPS logos has been the YM Interlock. It first took form in the 1980s in wrestling and both basketball teams. It then took a new form in baseball, starting in 1996. This is the most current up-to-date form highlighting the joining of Yukon and Millers.
- The Y of Yukon – YPS has had several “Ys” throughout its school system. The most common “Y” has been the Varsity “Y”, which can be found back in the 1970s. The “Y” is a Varsity Regular font.
YPS has trademarked the logos to “ensure that their safety is in the hands of the district,” according to the style guide.
District officials encourage all Yukon community members to use any YPS brandings as long as it reflects “school-appropriate” ideals and expectations.
Updating everything will be a gradual process, Dr. Simeroth acknowledged.
“We really want to focus on unity in our district,” the superintendent said at the Aug. 8th YPS back-to-school breakfast.
T-shirts were unveiled at the event featuring the iconic Miller Man logo along with the words “Yukon Public Schools” and “Est. 1891.”
A Google drive link has been set up so anyone can access electronic versions of official YPS logos and Yukon Miller emblems. They may be found on the district website at www.yukonps.com
