GW Hoops / GW New Moniker Discussion

**Posted by danjsport** 10/13/2022 2:20 pm

Skittles- let's go down the rabbit hole. I have no opinion here. But please tell me what is a "Colonial." My quick google search leads me to dictionary.com. The definition is "an inhabitant of a colony." So, a Colonial, in this sense, would be somebody who inhabited a British colony. I don't really think this is problematic. But also, I don't think it's particularly great either.

BUt, to me, I don't really care what the nickname is.

**Posted by Hatchet Man** 10/13/2022 2:20 pm

Skittles wrote:
Colonists and Colonials aren't the same thing. Let's start there

Yes, but the colonists did plenty of bad things themselves. That's what's getting lost here by many of the Olds.

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 10/13/2022 2:40 pm

Hatchet Man, but our nickname has never been The Colonists. Or The Colonizers. So if Colonials and Colonists are not the same thing, then what am I missing here? Am open to a history lesson.

**Posted by GWRising** 10/13/2022 5:21 pm

Gwmayhem wrote:
Hatchet Man, but our nickname has never been The Colonists. Or The Colonizers. So if Colonials and Colonists are not the same thing, then what am I missing here? Am open to a history lesson.

One thing is clear - GW should just disband its history department. They have failed miserably to teach the difference between a "Colonist" and a "Colonial" both definitionally and contextually.

Gwmayhem - you don't need a history lesson. But some others surely do. Yikes!

And this isn't an issue between young and old, it's between those who favor bullshit virtue signaling and those that oppose it. That spans all ages on both sides.

Last edited by GWRising (10/13/2022 5:23 pm)

**Posted by JP** 10/13/2022 5:55 pm

Nothing to do with Hippos! That whole thing was Trachtenburg drunk at an art auction and then he donated the damn thing to the university (tax deduction) and a story had to be made up to support it.

Ps: you don’t ever want to put a black light on that thing. Just a warning.

**Posted by FredD** 10/13/2022 5:59 pm

FWIW Here is part of one of a few emails I wrote GW,

So, what is my point? Better to be the 10TH Wildcat or Bear than the first Hippo. Whatever is selected it needs a diminutive that in 1 syllable easily completes the cheer, Let's Go _____!

I am begging GW please do not over think this. GW is changing something some found hurtful or damaging. The reserve is NOT true. A new nickname will NOT bind people to the school more closely. It will be regarded as cool, ok, or ridiculous in an instant the way people judge other names or brands.

If the new moniker is something that must be explained, we have lost. How about this as a test, if another school picked the any of the names being contemplated would the reaction be, “What were they thinking?”

**Posted by Tennessee Colonial** 10/13/2022 6:40 pm

This whole issue reeks. There is nothing wrong with the name Colonials. The 13 original colonies were British, but they were very different from each other. Read the book "1775" and become educated. The Brits never wanted the different colonies to expand beyond the Appalachians. So, the Colonies revolted. Having a History degree from GW I AM angry about how ignorant people are on this issue.

But what I really don't like is non alumni voting on this matter. Students may never graduate and faculty who graduated from other Universities should not be involved. I went to Rutgers but I did not graduate from the school. Why should I have the right to vote on whether Scarlet Knights should be canned because of the Crusades? Were all knights involved in the Crusades?

**Posted by GW69** 10/13/2022 7:59 pm

I’m going to bed early.

**Posted by Sons of Liberty** 10/13/2022 10:12 pm

Good God, please please please not the hippos.

**Posted by ColonialNY** 10/14/2022 6:41 am

I hate Hippos or anything related to it as a name, but it would pretty well encapsulate stereotypical GW students. I mean, a rich guy went into an antique shop in New England while drunk and bought something. His wife didn't like it or want him to keep it. So he found a way to turn it into a tax write-off by donating it to the school. Then an elaborate story was created to pretend he wasn't just some rich, white drunk guy buying shit he didn't need. Rich people? Check! Tax loopholes? Check! People in New England? Check! Yep, that tracks.

**Posted by PKGW** 10/14/2022 6:46 am

NYColonial - thanks for the best laugh I have had I a while. When life has challenges I can always rely upon the wit of someone on the board to give me a well needed reprieve!!!

**Posted by Skittles** 10/14/2022 10:54 am

The Colonials in the schools case mostly refers to both the time period when the revolution began as well as the colonies of our blossoming country. That is exclusively what it refers to. It was the colonial period. That's not the same thing as a focus on colonizing or the act of creating the original colonies. If "colonials" offends you I agree with the above sentiment of getting rid of the crusaders and cowboys and musketeers and every other Mascot related to troublesome history and activities. Hell, is the GW part next? Without him there's no THIS as we know it. But he had slaves. So where do you draw this line the "woke" culture has demanded of you?

**Posted by GW0509** 10/14/2022 11:18 am

Skittles wrote:
The Colonials in the schools case mostly refers to both the time period when the revolution began as well as the colonies of our blossoming country. That is exclusively what it refers to. It was the colonial period. That's not the same thing as a focus on colonizing or the act of creating the original colonies. If "colonials" offends you I agree with the above sentiment of getting rid of the crusaders and cowboys and musketeers and every other Mascot related to troublesome history and activities. Hell, is the GW part next? Without him there's no THIS as we know it. But he had slaves. So where do you draw this line the "woke" culture has demanded of you?

It's sort of silly to continue to debate whether or not it was prudent to move away from the Colonials moniker given that the decision has already been made. Even if the rationale was ahistorical, there is a 0% chance that the Board will wake up tomorrow and decide to stick with the name moving forward. Better to use our energy making sure we don't end up the Hippos or Commanders.

FWIW, SUNY Binghamton used to be the Colonials and they weren't even named after the colonial period but instead a building on campus: Colonial Hall. When they moved up to D1, they decided to rebrand as the Bearcats. GW's Board should have just said they wanted to come up with a rebrand without any sort of justification. I think it would've been received better than being accused of bowing down to the "woke."

One last thing is that a silver lining for a new name will be that announcers will stop incorrectly calling us the Colonels 50% of the time.

Last edited by GW0509 (10/14/2022 11:19 am)

**Posted by GW Alum Abroad** 10/14/2022 1:33 pm

Aside from some podcasters filling time, is there any real indication that the new nickname will be decided only by a vote of current students? This thread might be another case of Internet hysteria preceeding actual events.
In any case, students at other schools have voted on replacement nicknames in the past, it is how UC Santa Cruz became the "Banana Slugs" and $nobford became the "Cardinal"-- maybe letting smart alec kids make these decisions is not a great idea (and I want them to get off my lawn and turn down the hippity-hop music).
I am perfectly fine with the new nickname being "Colonials". We had a thread going earlier on nickname suggestions, perhaps someone can bump it to the front for those who want to discuss that angle.

Last edited by GW Alum Abroad (10/14/2022 1:34 pm)

**Posted by Class 'o 70** 10/14/2022 2:11 pm

Unlike Colonists or colonizers, Colonials is not really a thing. Frankly, it is kind of a made-up name, like "Billikens". But as bad as Billikens is, it is way better than Hippos. my two cents.

**Posted by GWRising** 10/14/2022 3:01 pm

If it weren't for that fact that the rest of us would have to be associated, I would love so much for us to be the Hippos. The ridicule that would follow would be glorious and teach these students a lesson to be careful about the law of unintended consequences. Imagine calling any of the women's teams Hippos. Just wow.

Last edited by GWRising (10/14/2022 3:01 pm)

**Posted by GWRising** 10/14/2022 3:02 pm

Tennessee Colonial wrote:
This whole issue reeks. There is nothing wrong with the name Colonials. The 13 original colonies were British, but they were very different from each other. Read the book "1775" and become educated. The Brits never wanted the different colonies to expand beyond the Appalachians. So, the Colonies revolted. Having a History degree from GW I AM angry about how ignorant people are on this issue.

But what I really don't like is non alumni voting on this matter. Students may never graduate and faculty who graduated from other Universities should not be involved. I went to Rutgers but I did not graduate from the school. Why should I have the right to vote on whether Scarlet Knights should be canned because of the Crusades? Were all knights involved in the Crusades?

Nailed it!!!!

**Posted by Free Quebec** 10/14/2022 3:40 pm

Hippos would be a disaster for recruiting for women’s sports. Not exactly a flattering nickname.

**Posted by GW69** 10/14/2022 4:10 pm

A female hippo is called a cow.Do we have a problem here?

**Posted by jf** 10/14/2022 5:54 pm

Yes, this was not thought through (what a great surprise).