Eugene Volokh has several posts about a controversy over the University of Massachusetts dumping it “Minuteman” mascot as too sexist and violent. (Read up from this link)
Meanwhile, a similar controversy is bubbling at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va.
Debate about the name is raging at the school, which began accepting men in 1970. Many students, faculty members and alumni say a name change would erase the legacy not only of Mary Washington but also of their degrees from a small, selective college. The school’s namesake was born in Fredericksburg and is buried there under a monument that is a smaller version of her son’s on the Mall in Washington.
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But admissions officials say the name confuses some potential applicants, making them think the school is a women’s college. Men’s basketball coach Ron Wood said the name’s connotations have turned off many a recruit, as well as some potential opponents. Wood said several colleges have refused to play Mary Washington for fear of losing to a school with a woman’s name.
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Martin Wilder, vice president of enrollment, says Mary Washington sounds like an all-female private school. But many feel that the administration is trying to play down the 65-35 female-male ratio and the tradition of being the only public college in the state named after a woman.
“If you call it ‘Washington and Monroe,’ you’re obviously implying that you mean George,” said senior Julie Stavitski, editor of the student newspaper, the Bullet. “And if you change the name so you don’t put off guys who don’t like the idea of a school named Mary, you’re not necessarily attracting the right kind of guy.”
I think I’ve got it now. You can name your college, or its mascot, whatever you want … as long as it sounds neither masculine nor feminine.
WTF!?
So, this co-ed school is thinking about changing its name because it sounds too girly?!?! My favourite argument here was the part about other colleges sports teams not wanting to play against them because they don’t like the idea of
Mary Wash is a public school and it was all-women for years. Just like UVA down the road was all-men. It’s in a lovely little town, but it’s not all that selective. Most of the students come from Virginia.
To change the name for marketing is so sad! Mary , mother of Washington, was a great character in her own right.
They tried to change the name back in the ’80’s and failed, so they are hanging on to the plan until they can push it through one way or another. It’s ridiculous in this day and age and smacks of sexism. The latest twist is that the administration claims they will retain “Mary Washington College” — the undergraduate liberal arts school, as a subset of the renamed University, but it’s clear that the name would soon be eclipsed by the larger university name. What of the sports teams and etc. that are so eager not to be named for a woman? Will they REALLY retain the name?
Alumni/students who are interested in viewing or signing the petition may find it at http://www.petitiononline.com/mwc/petition.html
Save the name!
Mary Washington College is an amazing institution that is one of only a handful of public schools that are named after a woman. Until the early 1970’s, Mary Washington was the women’s half of the all men’s UVA. Most of the buildings on the campus of the school are named for women. The institution can hardly be called “women-centric.”
The proposed name change would change it to Washington and Monroe University. Half-heartedly claims that the administration has promised the retention of the name Mary Washington College as a subset of the more masculinized university.
The name change itself poses problems for many supporters and alumni. Among those problems is the loss of the name Mary. The second problem is that in losing “Mary,” we then default to assuming that the name means George. A well known historical fact is that George Washington and James Monroe did not like one another. And there is no reasonable evidence that Mary Washington ever met James Monroe.
I agree with students that if the name change is to attract men turned off by a school with a woman’s name, are those the men that Mary Washington really wants?
Despite the outcries of current and past students, it seems that as Mary Washington moves to university status; it will also lose its individuality and a large part of its history.