As of Monday, my University, University of Mississippi aka Ole Miss, is without a mascot. This may not seem like a big deal, but to the students and alumni, it is. The Colonel is a bery much treasured symbol of the University.
Our Mascot, Colonel Reb, was taken away for two reasons, First, because they believe we need a more fierce looking mascot...which somehow in their minds will inspire our football team to perform better. Second, because some believe the Colonel to represent the Old South ideals of racism and slavery.
As far as the first issue, changing the mascot is not going to make the team better. Better coaches might..but that is a different issue all together. Colonel Reb is a much beloved symbol to the fans of our sports program, especially the football program. Some diehard fans have already demanded a refund on their 2003 season tickets. It has become quite obvious that this change is going to cause a great loss of revenue for the university.
Secondly, and this the bigger issue, changing the mascot is not going to correct the problems and change the past of this University. As one person stated to me today, "Doing away with symbols is just like cutting a weed in half. You don't solve the problem; the roots are still there." My worry is that taking away such a beloved symbol of the University might only serve to create more animosity.
Most of the students/alumni/local residence do not associate Colonel Reb with Racism...rather they associate it with the south and of a fine southern University. And no, the south does not equal racism. I, myself, am a southerner. I am also a student of sociology focusing on race and reconciliation. I, as a southerner, am proud of the south. I am proud of the culture that I was raised in. This is not to say I am proud of all of our past.
Interestly, the Chancellor promised the students that Colonel Reb would not be taken away. Yet, waited until the summer to announce that they WILL be doing away with him...a time that majority of the students are gone. On top of that, it was not mentioned in our local paper nor the school paper until today...two days after the fact. It was published, however, in national newspapers on tuesday.
Now, tell me what you think of this. You can join Unsolved Mysteries and post your own mysteries or
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