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Name makes town look ignorant
October 24, 2009 8:34:00 PM
If an institution is a private one, then its passionate supporters can call that institution whatever they want. However, if an institution is one that is sponsored by the government and taxpayers, you can’t have a name that implies it is for a particular race, age, religion, gender or national origin. That is discrimination on the basis of race, age, religion, gender or national origin.
Having a government-sponsored university named “The Mississippi University for Women” makes the town of Columbus and the university look very ignorant, especially since it is a co-ed university and has been one since 1982. If the town of Columbus is going to have a university named “The Mississippi University for Women,” then why stop there? Let’s have a “Mississippi University for White People,” a “Mississippi University for Old People,” a “Mississippi University for Mexicans,” and a “Mississippi University for Catholics.” It sounds so silly for a university sponsored by taxpayers to have a name based on race, age, religion, gender or national origin.
Del Oehms Hamilton | 10/25/2009 10:32:00 AMmark as inappropriate By that line of thinking Denton, Dallas, and Houston and the state of Texas would also appear to be ignorant since they proudly embrace Texas Women's University. There is absolutely no shame in embracing Mississippi University for Women as it is named and embracing the mission of educating women. The shame and ignorance lies in the hands of a town that does little to recognize the historical jewel that it has within its borders.
Suggestion | 10/25/2009 1:54:00 PMmark as inappropriate I think "Possum Town University" should be the new name. Now that's histerical. Way before the school was thought of , even.
TWUtoo | 10/25/2009 2:23:00 PMmark as inappropriate I agree with Del Oehms Hamilton - somebody needs to tell Texas how ignorant they are. They've supported TWU into three campuses and students into the tens of thousands. Boy, I bet they feel stupid right now!!
W Grad 82 | 10/25/2009 3:11:00 PMmark as inappropriate Mr. Pitts, perhaps if you knew anything about the history of the university that you think makes Columbus look dumb, you would know that it holds the trailblazing status of being the first state-supported institution of higher learning exclusively for women in the nation.
Further, you would know that several lawsuits to force MUW to change its name on the grounds that its name and mission discourage men from applying have been dismissed as groundless.
The mission and name of MUW remains relevant. Perhaps as a man, you don't care that women still earn on average 77 cents for every dollar that a man earns, but maybe your mother, aunts and sisters do, and if you have a girlfriend or a wife, maybe she does too.
JC | 10/26/2009 9:55:00 AMmark as inappropriate I think it would great if we had a Mississippi University for Old People.
GC | 10/26/2009 1:56:00 PMmark as inappropriate MUW was quite progressive, being a university for women. I wonder how many women choose MUW because it is a university for women? I don't think a name change is going to cause men to flock here to attend, but as MUW it might attract women that would end up elsewhere.
GR | 10/26/2009 8:02:00 PMmark as inappropriate If I didn't know about MUW and I lived somewhere other than Columbus or anywhere near Columbus, I wouldn't apply for MUW as I would think it was a university for women.
Hetro | 11/6/2009 1:01:00 PMmark as inappropriate If I were a male from out of state I would consider the "W" for just its name, man this school must be loaded with fine smart women. Wife material? What is the women to male ratio? Then...reality hits you. Ha Ha Ha
