GWU is Quietly Removing “Colonial” From Campus Following Referendum to Remove “Offensive” Mascot
GWU is Quietly Removing “Colonial” From Campus Following Referendum to Remove “Offensive” Mascot
By
kara
August 28, 2019
GW is up to no good. Following a student body referendum last spring that narrowly voted to change the university’s “offensive” colonial mascot, The George Washington University has been quietly removing “colonial” from familiar campus fixtures. While the official mascot remains the colonial, the university recently renamed “Colonial Central,” the student center focused on registration and financial services, to the “Student Services Hub.” Additionally, the student group “Colonial Army,” which draws students to attend sporting events for the school, rebranded itself “George’s Army.” The group claims the name change had nothing to do with the recent referendum and the movement to remove the colonial name from GW’s campus, and according to the Hatchet, hoped it would “remedy the group’s declining participation at basketball games.” The spring referendum passed narrowly, with only 54 percent of students voting to replace the mascot. GW students who voted in favor of the referendum claimed the colonial mascot was racist and oppressive, and wanted the university to take on a more “inclusive” moniker. With such a narrow margin, it’s important to note that only around 5,000 students voted in the election—less than half of the 12,000 students who make up the university. The university declined to take a stance on changing the mascot after the election, but told the GW Hatchet “the leadership of the University will continue to listen to our students, faculty, staff and alumni as we study various naming issues.” Fixtures that remain untouched by GW’s attempted sanitizing? The Colonial Health Center and Colonial Crossroads, where students receive help regarding student organizations and study abroad plans. Back during the referendum, the GW YAF chapter took a bold stance against renaming the university’s mascot. “The Colonial is a unifying symbol of American resilience; it represents the American attitude to stand up to those who seek to defy liberty and justice for all,” their statement read. “The referendum is an effort to divide the GW community, which GW YAF strongly opposes.” GW should not cave to the fragile sensibilities of its student body. The colonial mascot is a historical symbol, one that should not be hijacked by the leftists attempting to push their manipulated narrative. For now, the university will cowardly hide behind quiet name changes of well-known campus landmarks and institutions, while staying silent on the encroaching PC culture that is plaguing GW. We shouldn’t have expected any better from a school too scared to take a bold stand to preserve history.
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Additionally, the student group “Colonial Army,” which draws students to attend sporting events for the school, rebranded itself “George’s Army.” The group claims the name change had nothing to do with the recent referendum and the movement to remove the colonial name from GW’s campus, and according to the Hatchet, hoped it would “remedy the group’s declining participation at basketball games.” The spring referendum passed narrowly, with only 54 percent of students voting to replace the mascot. GW students who voted in favor of the referendum claimed the colonial mascot was racist and oppressive, and wanted the university to take on a more “inclusive” moniker. With such a narrow margin, it’s important to note that only around 5,000 students voted in the election—less than half of the 12,000 students who make up the university. 
The university declined to take a stance on changing the mascot after the election, but told the GW Hatchet “the leadership of the University will continue to listen to our students, faculty, staff and alumni as we study various naming issues.” Fixtures that remain untouched by GW’s attempted sanitizing? The Colonial Health Center and Colonial Crossroads, where students receive help regarding student organizations and study abroad plans. Back during the referendum, the GW YAF chapter took a bold stance against renaming the university’s mascot. “The Colonial is a unifying symbol of American resilience; it represents the American attitude to stand up to those who seek to defy liberty and justice for all,” their statement read. “The referendum is an effort to divide the GW community, which GW YAF strongly opposes.” GW should not cave to the fragile sensibilities of its student body. The colonial mascot is a historical symbol, one that should not be hijacked by the leftists attempting to push their manipulated narrative. For now, the university will cowardly hide behind quiet name changes of well-known campus landmarks and institutions, while staying silent on the encroaching PC culture that is plaguing GW. We shouldn’t have expected any better from a school too scared to take a bold stand to preserve history.
