Just as Utah lawmakers are considering changing the name of Dixie State University to Utah Tech, a new group of students has emerged pushing for an alternative.
Governor Spencer Cox called a special session of the Legislature Friday to include a bill to rename the Utah Technical University school on its agenda. After more than a year of public hearings, focus groups and votes by the school board of trustees and the state university council, the legislature decides on the implementation of the change.
South Ogden Republican MP Kelly Miles told Fox13 News on Friday that he expects his bill to be heard before the Interim Committee on Education Tuesday.
Both the Board of Trustees of the DSU and the State University Council unanimously approved the change.
Proponents of the “Dixie” change have pointed to difficulties in recruiting and retaining students who associate the name with the South, the Civil War, and the Confederation. Past yearbooks show black-faced students, Confederate flags and a former mascot named “The Rebel”.
Opponents of the name change insist that the name comes from Mormon pioneers who settled in the St. George area to grow cotton. They recently started campaigning to pressure lawmakers to oppose a name change, accusing the state of indulging in “breaking culture”. The Washington County Commission recently passed a resolution supporting the retention of the name “Dixie” for the school.
However, Miles said that after an extensive process of entering information, he expects lawmakers to endorse a name change. Governor Spencer Cox is expected to sign it too.
Proposal from St. George University
Meanwhile, another group is pushing for another name.
Alexis Ence, an adjunct professor of English who is also an alumnus of DSU, worked with students to try to change the name recommendation from Utah Tech University to St. George University, even though it was quite late in the name change process.
“I supported the name change. Coming from the south, I know Dixie means different things to people outside of southern Utah, “Ence said.” I had my own difficult conversations with people when I was home to tell them where I work . “
While Ence supports the name change, she doesn’t believe the DSU listened to the community during the process and wishes to offer an alternative between Dixie State and Utah Tech University, the name suggested by the school’s board of trustees and endorsed by the state board of higher education.
The name has drawn criticism, however, and Ence said St. George University would strike a balance between the two current options.
Although Ence supports the name change, he has “recognized the beautiful meaning the Dixie term has for us on site”.
More:Utah Board of Higher Education unanimously votes to change the name of Dixie State University
“I think there is a way to change the name but keep it local and tie it to our heritage,” said Ence.
Ence plans to stand before a House Legislative Committee rumored to be meeting with students soon and has also called for assistance from several lawmakers. Ence will propose the name of St. George University to the Senate and is hoping for consideration.
Who was’ St. George’?
Ence and other supporters would rely on one of three theories as to how St. George got its name.
The first theory relates to a Mormon apostle named George A. Smith who helped colonize southern Utah. He is known as the “potato saint” because he let the settlers eat the peel of potatoes to combat scurvy, which was a common problem facing the settlers at the time. This is the theory that Ence used in her reasoning, and historians believe it is probably the most accurate.
“It is most likely named after the Mormon Apostle George A. Smith. Chances are it was named for his son who died before they colonized St. George, ”said Richard Cohler, a member of the Washington County Historical Society. Cohler was also president of the historical society for 10 years.
More:Dixie State Board of Trustees votes on the new name recommendation “Utah Tech”
There was also a man surnamed St. George who was on an expedition with the US military in southern Utah. However, Cohler said that this idea is less likely because St. George was colonized by the Mormons.
Some others have argued that the city was named after a place in England where Saint George is the patron saint.
“I’m honestly really against the name they chose. I just think it’s not very representative,” said Quinton Read, a DSU student who joined in. “Even more than I am Pro St. George, I just don’t like the name they choose. I think St. George is a better alternative. “
A long way to “Utah Tech”
Any suggestion for an alternate name would come very late in an already long process.
The DSU name change process has been running since July 2020 and was rejected by large parts of the community from the start. Earlier this year, the DSU sent out a survey that reached 14,449 people and ran two focus group rounds to not only get feedback from the community but also collect data on the name change, said Jyl Hall, the school’s public relations director.
In March lawmakers passed a bill mandating the DSU to come up with a name that would reflect the mission of the university and the region or state, while also allowing the university to compete at the national level.
“We found that it was getting more than a consistently positive response from the focus groups,” said Hall. “It was generally seen as a safe alternative to other suggested names. Some of the things that came out of it may not have been a strong location identifier outside of the region. ”
There are several St. Georges outside of Utah and also a St. George’s University in Grenada, which could make it confusing. This university already has the right to urls or other things that the DSU would need.
More:Confederate flags, slave auctions, minstrel shows: can Utah’s “Dixie” be separated from previous associations?
“Another concern that came up in the focus group was that at first glance, hearing about St. George University, one might think that it was a Catholic or a private institution and everything that comes with it, private and more expensive. Said Halle.
The DSU is a free admission facility and offers “high quality training at a reasonable price,” said Hall.
Should lawmakers approve the name of Utah Tech University, the Utah Board of Higher Education has tasked the DSU with setting up a Heritage Committee to help ensure Dixie’s legacy is preserved.
Elle Cabrera covers the latest news and topics. Please help us keep producing this content at thespectrum.com/subscribe.
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