W&L Board of Trustees to Drop “Washington,” Keep “Lee”

In a recent and unanimous vote, W&L’s esteemed Board of Trustees decided to drop the “Washington” portion of the University’s name in efforts to more properly reflect the feelings and opinions of its students and faculty. One trustee spoke to the Radish after the monumental meeting: “The Board really wants to have its finger on the pulse of what is most important, and we can’t continue to house an inclusive and historically conscious community with George Washington’s name glorified throughout our campus –it’s time to make a change.” Furthermore, Washington’s ideals of “fair governance” and “democracy” no longer represent what the country stands for. “This is a great move for W&L,” said one man dressed as a ghost in February.  

The Radish was granted access to the historic event, and I was astonished at the speed with which the trustees reached their decision. Each member sounded excited to light a tiki torch of progress. It really seemed as though this new change was a long time coming. And what’s more, the name change is not merely a subtraction; the words “is awesome” will be added after “Lee” in the University’s new name.

The newly created LIAU (catchy, right?) board also decided to instate a new mascot. Gone are the days of Tridey the Trident dividing our school with his politically charged rhetoric. Trustees are currently searching for an adequate replacement: so far, “Sir Stars n’ Bars”, “Super-It-Was-Just For-State’s-Rights-Man”, and “Kaptain Kool Kid” among others.

Such progress usually happens over generations, so it’s an especially inspiring moment in the history of our school. Now, every member of the university family can be proud of the fact that we are now a worldwide monument to positive change.