Well, today is a sad day for alumnae of the Mississippi University for Women. Tomorrow Dr. Claudia Limbert will announce her selection for the new name for the school. Why on Earth they allow someone who doesn't seem to have the school's best interests at heart to make such a heady selection is beyond me. It is a lose-lose any way you look at it, and I was not opposed to a name change.
An interesting article appeared in today's Clarion Ledger. Emily Wagster Pettus of the AP wrote in her article entitled MUW Seeking New Name for Broader Appeal, "...administrators say it's time to choose a new name that better reflects the mission of the campus in Columbus." She goes on to say "In building a new image for MUW, officials are trying to avoid Old South associations that some say Waverly or even Reneau might evoke." What? Are they serious?
Honestly, what can Limbert do about the geography of the school? Tear down each and every building, reassembling them brick by brick in some more favorable location? Appeal to God himself to uproot MUW from the Deep South? Give me a break! It is so interesting that they didn't even consider a name with Mississippi in the title, like they were ashamed to be in Mississippi. I know, all of the good ones are already taken....Mississippi State, University of Mississippi, Univeristy of Southern Mississippi, but there could be other good ones. Mississippi Tech? But then they'd have to add an engineering programme. Might be easier than tearing down the buildings.
I for one am a proud Mississipian, not by birth but by CHOICE, willing to take the good with the bad. Yes, Mississippi has a nasty racial history. Yes, we are the poorest and fattest state in the Union. The list goes on. A study of income tax returns in 2002 showed that MS ranked 51st in adjusted gross income yet ranked 6th in itemized charitable giving deductions. 6th! Look at the MS Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Mississippians rolled up their sleeves and dug in to help each other. Neighbors looked after neighbors. Looting was uncommon. Mississippians may be poor and obese, but we are some good folks. What's Limbert trying so hard to avoid?
Being a Loyal Daughter, I hate to see MUW turn its back on the rich social heritage of the school. Magnolias are reminiscent of the Deep South...will Limbert axe the Mag Chain? I guess the Mag Dorm is gone too. I can already hear the chain saws cranked to de-southernize the campus. How will the poor social clubs fare once the name 'MUW' is gone? Sorry D'Belles, your name is too Southern, maybe you could survive if you changed your name. I understand that the future of anything lies in the future but we must remember our pasts and learn from them.
Now that I live in MS and know more about the W's relationship to the state, I understand that the school isn't for everyone. That's okay--if the W was a one size fits all university, then it wouldn't be the W anymore. Limbert's goals, sadly, are to make the university more appealing on a mass scale, boost enrollment, and raise revenue. I translate that into "Limbert plans to un-W the W." Maybe the thing that's not right at the W is her.
