For those of you who say the old ways are being wiped out, you’re not just whistlin’ Dixie.
Case in point: Dixie State University is getting renamed.
As reported by Salt Lake City’s KSL-TV, the ball began rolling in the wake of George Floyd.
DSU received feedback from students about their experiences in 2020. [name] that included the word “Dixie” was problematic. [DSU President Richard Williams] described students calling him and telling him that in post-graduation job interviews, interviewers would ask them to explain the word “Dixie,” and ask questions about what kind of school it was.
Are interviewers able to believe that Confederate soldiers might have been trained at a four-year college in the west? Whatever the case, even though 2020 saw the wind of change blow, it was not surprising that there had been strong winds long before.
President Richard recalls:
“This is not a new conversation… We used to be the Dixie Rebels, so we changed our mascot. The Confederate flag used to be our flag. We changed it. You could look back 30, 40, 50 years, and we’ve continued to have different conversations regarding taking some of the symbolism of the Confederate war out of our name. … A young kid that’s coming out (of college) that’s interviewing for a job does not want to have to spend most of their interview explaining the name.”
Doubtlessly, when people think of “Dixie,” Utah isn’t what comes to mind. Channel 5 reports that problems led to a survey.
Students began speaking out against the moniker. The university then realized that it had a problem and partnered with Cicero Group for a detailed study into the impact of the name on students and university as a whole.
What that study found was that “Dixie” was impacting all facets of the university, from student, faculty and staff recruitment to marketing, where some outfitters wouldn’t carry the DSU brand due to the connotations associated with “Dixie.”
Hence, Utah’s state legislature — both chambers of which boast a Republican majority — replaced the public school’s name. Governor. Spencer Cox dumped “Dixie State” and ushered in a new era.
And on July 1st, it becomes official: The Beehive State will be abuzz with talk of “Utah Tech University.”
I’m very excited to say I have commitment to Utah Tech University, after serving a two year mission for my church! Thank you to everyone’s that has helped me up to this point! @CoachPPeterson @Coachtui_dsu @qbelite @jkjensen7 @Coach_Schwenke @SFHSFootball pic.twitter.com/u2xHSvkhca
— Jace Gunter (@JaceGunter) May 23, 2022
Over the past couple years, there’s been quite a revolution regarding words. In 2020, “Dixie” got ditched by some Chicks:
Artists formerly known as The Dixie Chicks have ended racism in America for good
Thanks to a Lady, “Antebellum” was similarly sacked:
Lady Antebellum Changes Their Name, Apologizes for Making Anyone Feel ‘Unsafe’
America’s in the midst of a relabeling:
James Madison College is looking for a new name
In an effort to combat racism, the US Army is renaming nine historical bases
University Renames Its Women’s Clinic Because ‘Women’ Was Medically Inaccurate
Our Patheticity is so Great: Virginia School Considers Using the Wasp to Replace Its Mascot, Due To the White People Acronym
Where sensitivity’s concerned, we’re heartily hitting our stride:
University Announces Fierce New Mascot – A Social Justice Warrior Without Sense, Victimized by Climate Change
Dixie State University’s downfall was not an easy event.
Critics said the effort to change the university’s name did not acknowledge the community’s many efforts historically to support the university from its humble beginnings as St. George Stake Academy to what is now a four-year public comprehensive university.
HB278 included a $500,00 appropriation to establish a “heritage center” on campus to help preserve and celebrate the history of the area.
Still, that’s that, and Dixie’s deleted — which was the whole point of the effort.
Oh, wait…
In an amendment to the bill, lawmakers passed the special session. It now requires university trustees that the main campus be designated the Dixie Campus for no less 20 years. After that, the trustees’ can decide whether to continue using the name.
Future students are sure to have some thoughts on this. Stay tuned…
-ALEX
You can find more of my content here:
San Francisco School Officials’ Attempt to Ban the Word ‘Chief’ Foiled by a Faux Pas
Florida’s Public Universities Go Full Throttle to Fuel the Preferred-Pronoun Revolution
Big Mile Marker: Iconic Baptist University Creates the First LGBT Student Organization
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