SIBU: If you walk into SMK St Elizabeth, you will be greeted by a new “Red Ant” mascot which stands tall near the school entrance.
The new mascot was unveiled by chairman of the school Building Committee, Temenggong Datuk Vincent Lau and a member, Datuk Janet Lau yesterday.
School principal, Clement Chieng said the mascot which came into being in 1969, symbolised the character of the students — strong-willed, cooperative, industrious, resilient and disciplined.
“We are one of the few schools with such meaningful mascots,” he said.
He said the old mascot built in 2007 under its former principal, Cathrine Robert Mowe, had been dismantled and replaced by new one of about four feet high.
A design and technology subject teacher, Tang Chung Ing and another visual art education teacher, Li Hie Na were the architects behind the new mascot.
“The new mascot costs RM4,000. It was built from scratch,” he said.
Chieng also touched on how the mascot came into being.
“The symbolism of ‘Red Ant’ for the students of St Elizabeth can be traced back in 1969 when the school published the first school magazine.
“Before it was published, a group of students, namely Teh Lee Gek, Laurinda Lam, Rose Ling, Sanghamitra Guha and Jacinta Ting discussed and debated on a fitting name for the magazine,” he recalled.
Eventually, the name “Red Ant” was chosen because of two reasons.
“Firstly, in the past, the girls were often teased by the boys of Sacred Heart Secondary School, who endearingly referred them as “Red Ant” because of their striking red uniforms, shoes and ribbons. “Secondly, the girls were likened to red ants by the local townsfolk because of their good values — strong-willed, cooperative, industrious, resilient and disciplined,” he said.
These two reasons explained why the editorial team at that time named the first school magazine as the “Red Ant”.
An editorial board was formed with Teh Lee Gek as the editor and Sister Maria as the adviser then.
He said although all the tasks had to be done manually, the editorial board managed to deliver the “Red Ant” school magazine successfully at the end of 1969.
“In 2007, under the principalship of Miss Catherine Mowe, the concept of “Red Ant” mascot was conceived and a “Red Ant” statue dubbed “Eliza” came into being.
To celebrate the values of the “Red Ant”, Tang, with the help of some teachers and students, undertook the construction of the “Red Ant” statue to embody those values.
“It is hoped that the students will strive for those values and embrace them. The “Red Ant” — Eliza —will always be remembered by anyone who was once a student of St Elizabeth School. Once a “Red Ant”, always a “Red Ant” and so the epithet lives on,” he said.
