"Plotkin went to George Washington University and, in typical advocate fashion, suggested that the school change its nickname of “Colonials. 
He was a sports fan and player; he followed GW basketball like a groupie"

”An avid basketball fan, Mr. Plotkin was a season ticket holder for GW men’s basketball, and he often aimed his ire in commentaries at other D.C. area universities, particularly Georgetown, for failing to schedule games regularly against GW and other local mid-major basketball programs"https://georgetowner.com/articles/2019/09/23/mark-plotkin-a-passionate-voice-has-died/

Last edited by The Dude (7/05/2021 4:02 pm)

As a student, there was some tounge-in-cheek talk about changing the nickname to "Whigs". Ironic consIidering George Washington´s aversion to political parties, but something that would have certainly been unique. As I have said on many occasions, a "colonial" is NOT a "colonist", and as someone who grew up (and attended GW) in exile thanks to "Yanquí imperialism" something I am acutely sensitive to. I also remember signing at least one pettition seeking to remove the segregationist´s name from the Student Center as a student, and that movement going nowhere-- and that was when you could use your meal card to buy pitchers in the very same building so you KNOW it was a looooong time ago.
In short, keep Colonials, dump the segregationist, use the slave owner´s name with caution...

Last edited by GW Alum Abroad (7/05/2021 7:15 pm)

MG14 wrote:

Not sure if this belongs here, but Valp has changed their nickname from "Crusaders" to "Beacons"

https://twitter.com/ValpoU/status/1425121007585566722

Interesting choice (although "Beacons" is pretty lame), especially considering that the Christchurch professional rugby team is sticking with the "Crusaders" nickname despite that city being the site of one of the worst hate crime mass shootings in recent years. In their defense, the rugby team is toning down the Christian iconography (which is kind of like congratulating the Washington Generics for banning "war paint" at games).

 

Last edited by GW Alum Abroad (8/10/2021 10:20 pm)