George Washington University Will Reject The Name Colonial .

George Washington University will withdraw its “Colonial” name, a name intended to honor its namesake but long criticized as a term glorifying colonialism, officials said Wednesday. In a statement, university officials said the use of the name has divided the community and “can no longer serve its purpose as a unifying name.” Officials said they would continue to use the nickname until a new name was introduced, a change that is expected to come by the 2023-24 school year. The announcement comes almost two years after the university set up committees to look into requests for the rejection of the nickname and the renaming of the school’s student center. The building, formerly known as the Cloyd Heck Marvin Center – named after a secessionist university president – was renamed last year. The name Colonials, introduced in 1926, was a ubiquitous part of the GWU experience. The sports teams are the Colonials. Students schedule medical appointments at the Colony Health Center and exchange Colony Cash for meals and laundry services. Mark S. Wrighton, who became interim president in January, praised the university’s “initial” approach to the decision. “I was impressed by the approach of the authorities and the co-operation of the special committee and it was clear that this process was guided by research and a strong commitment to the community,” Wrighton said in a statement. “While some may disagree with the result, this process has determined that changing the window is the right decision for our university.” The special committee that proposed the name change included GWU professors, staff, students, alumni and members of the athletics department, officials said. Experts in the history of the university also participated. Tanya Vogel, athletics director, acknowledged that some people will be disappointed with the decision. “The name is a way for our student-athletes, sports staff and fans to build community,” Vogel said. But, he added, “we see this huge opportunity to meet, share our experiences and explore what is important to our GW community as we begin the new nickname development process.” The special committee conducted research, events at the town hall and a university survey to understand the name issue. The graduates, as the members of the committee found out, were somewhat more in favor of retaining the term. Today’s students turned to stop using it. “For supporters, the term refers to those who lived in the colonies, especially those who fought for independence against England and, bravely, courageously and against all odds, secured democracy for the United States,” according to a published report. special committee. “For opponents, ‘Colonial’ means colonizers (both here and abroad) and refers to those who stole land from indigenous groups, plundered their resources, murdered and exiled indigenous peoples and introduced slavery into the colonies.” “Extremely offensive”: GW students start applying for a change of nickname Colonials. The committee found that the name came about without “stochastic examination throughout the university”, but “accidentally and accidentally” in the early 20th century. Before the Colonials, the GWU football team had names like “Hatchetites”, “Hatchetmen”, “Axemen” and, after the arrival of coach Henry Crum in 1924, “Crummen”, according to the report. The report noted that some members of the community may have used “colonial” as an alternative to “revolutionary”, but the terms had different meanings for the university’s namesake. Historians say Washington “categorically rejected” the term. It did not become popular until the period of the Colonial Renaissance in the late 19th and 20th centuries, the report said.