ST. GEORGE – In response to recent mounting pressure over history and nuances associated by some with the “Dixie” name, Dixie State College of Utah administrators had a confederate statue removed from campus today.
The statue, depicting two rebel soldiers and a rebel flag, had become the target of many students who have been pushing for a new image for Dixie State.
(story continues below)
With minimal notice to even the workers who moved the statue, administrators hoped to keep the removal under the proverbial radar. Many students, faculty, alumni and locals have voiced their opinions over the topic; but the administration has yet to come out with an official decision or statement concerning the future image of the college.
“Administrators are trying to silence our student body president,” Gregory Noel said. “I honestly think Brody is doing what’s right. I’m happy we have a student body president who will address issues like this directly.”
Student Body President Brody Mikesell made his thoughts clear at the student forum concerning the potential name change.
“This is one of the main things I have fought for. It’s a great day.” Roi Wilkinson said. “It’s not like this is promoting anything other than negativity, and when students see it from that perspective they will agree with us.”
The 3,000 pound statue is being moved to a new location in town, possibly to the previous owner’s residence in the Green Valley area.
Next month, Dixie State Administrators will be presented with name change suggestions, and those looking to remove the term “Dixie” from the name of the college are now seeing progress in their efforts.
Related posts
Dixie State College launches name change survey, seeks public input
Name change forum, Dixie State College encourages public input on university transition
Dixie State students convene over school name change
Letter to the Editor: Minority Coalition stance on college name change
ON Kilter: Dixie State; there’s more at stake than a name
Perspectives: Dixie State College, resisting the tyranny of the minority
ON Kilter: When a sculptor shapes public perception, who speaks for whom?
Letter to the Editor: Restore Dixie; bring back the Rebel and the Confederate statue
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ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!! This is HISTORY! THIS IS DIXIE!! DO YOU SEE THE BIG “D” ON THE HILL??? Just because bad things happened here during the Civil War does not mean we need to get rid of every artifact that is depicted at that time. This is SO stupid. What is this world coming to. I bet the next statue will be of gay people or a POP star. That’s the generation we are in
I find it informative that the “Dixieites” around here want to have it both ways. On the one hand they claim that “Our” Dixie had nothing to do with the Confederacy, yet when the Confederate statute is removed they cry foul about the loss of “Our” heritage. Your hypocrisy is showing.
Again, the “dixie-ites”, as you call them, aren’t complaining about the statue as much as the silly rhetoric of those clamoring for “change.” You could do a basic google search (or just read my post below.) Your argument is really, really, weak. I suppose you’re the idealist fight-the-“system” kind of guy. That’s wonderful and all, but the system you’re fighting is non-existant in this case. You’re barking up an empty tree.
Now I see why you are uninformed….you rely on Google for your information. Do some primary source research to discover the truth.
you realize google is a search engine that can direct you to the most authoritative web sources and even scholarly journals…. If someone gets their facts from the onion you’re welcome to criticize (*cough…. china) but to criticize someone for using google as a source for finding information is like criticizing someone for finding their information in a library.
How about if someone doesn’t like the name or the history behind a school, that someone doesn’t need to attend. I have a hard time believing that trivial matters like this affect students performance in the classroom. Because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters, right?
OMG hilarious! Who cares about the D on the hill??!!! Lm88o Is tha what this boils down to to some?!
Well it’s obvious now which way the leaders are leaning on the new name. I would guess that the new University in St George will not have anything to do with the old Dixie theme or history. The folks who lead this charge can now move to another area and cry out for the necessary changes that will make them feel better regarding what ever issue that they will have with that City.
I have an idea for the new mascot and team name. How about the “Litigators” and the mascot could be a guy in a suit with a briefcase. And the new school song could be something about fighting for our feelings and making everybody happy no matter what. Sheeesh, I expected more from these leaders.
Now maybe they’ll sand blast that rediculous word off of Sugarloaf Rock.
The Dixie on the red hill is maintained by the high school with their years of traditions . Leave it alone, it’s just a high school. The D on the black hill is for the college traditions, or at least it was.
Your justification is pitiful, Alvin! So, you’re saying we can squeeze in Desert Hills, Snow Canyon and Pine View on the sugarloaf too? Lmao!!
No. They can go find their own rock!
Yup, just another old, retired dixie turd, aren’t ya?
Get the #$$$$$$$$$% out of my Town
Comment edited.
Honestly, look how many years that this school has been called Dixie. It is on the rocks and many business have gone with Dixie in part of their name. It is huge history and it has no intention or ever had any intention of hurting people or certain races. Taking Dixie out of the name should not even be considered.
History is important and should not in any way be forgotten. However, in the current climate and times, the name does have a negative connotation outside of southern Utah. The college is trying to cater to students within as well as outside of this area. That’s why there is conflict. I think that history should be remembered,. There should be a museum or some place in St. George that includes the history of “Dixie.” It just is no longer appropriate to people outside of southern Utah, so that’s why the name is being considered.
Really now? It’s not like it was a statue of a tree with someone hanging in it!
The main point of the statue is bravery and loyalty, as demonstrated by the rider of the magnificent horse in the act of attempting, at risk to his own life, the rescue of a fellow soldier. In these days of national wimpification, we can’t be encouraging antiquated concepts of heroism and sacrifice. Someone may emulate them, get a booboo, and sue someone. Worst still, someone might get hurt feelings. From the Whitehouse on down, we have become a nation of pathetic wusses.
Good move! The statue made no sense at all. The theme is based on a Civil War poem/song about Union soldiers, not Confederate soldiers. That the sculptor twisted the story to use Confederate soldiers instead is an extreme use of “artistic license.”
I visited the campus a few years ago with a Civil War buff who was shocked that a poem that pays tribute to Union soldiers was used that way. The sculptor could have chosen some other way to depict Confederate soldiers rather than mislead everyone who sees the statue. Glad to see someone at the college is setting the record straight!
This is an old argument that doesn’t stop at the college. People have been trying to get St. George to drop the WHOLE “Utah’s Dixie’. It just means the south end of the state, but people have to complain about something so they make it out like we are promoting slavery and racism and rally to get all the signs removed, especially the “D” and “DIXIE” on the hill. I will never understand why people can’t stand to keep a little bit of history in the area and have to push their extrapolated views on everyone. the college should find it’s pair and stand up to bigoted, wrong people.
I find it informative that the “Dixieites” around here want to have it both ways. On the one hand they claim that “Our” Dixie had nothing to do with the Confederacy, yet when the Confederate statute is removed they cry foul about the loss of “Our” heritage. Your hypocrisy is dumbfounding.
The term Dixie in the context of Washington Co Utah has absolutely nothing to do with the Civil War (as far as I know, nothing bad happened here during the Civil War.) It simply meant that the area was warm enough to grow much needed cotton. And that’s pretty much it! Settler’s were not taking sides, nor sympathizing with the Southern States, nor making a comment about racism whatsoever. So the statue, other than being a nice piece of art, has little significance anyway. They ought to be depicting settler’s struggling to survive!
Being that Dixie’s connotation in the local context is harmless, the activism is remarkably ridiculous. Locals are up in arms about this because the term is meaningful to them. Just in a completely different way. Of course, I pretty much just stated something virtually everyone in Washington County already knows.
Brett, you need to do some research. I have lived here in Washington County for 8 years and I know that the man who led the settlers to establish the cotton mission was a former slave master. The families were all bona-fide Southerners. They were proud of their Southern culture….which was a slave-based culture. The term Dixie represented the Confederate South of Slavery and Secession, and the settlers of this area knew that. More to the point…..the Confederate statue was just one example of the associations between Dixie College and the Confederacy. For the longest time the mascot was a Civil War soldier Rodney the Rebel. The Confederate flag was raised over the campus with the American flag. The school officially sanctioned what was called the “Days of Southern Glory” replete with black-face minstrel shows and mock slave auctions. So, it is very disingenuous to claim that this statute had nothing to do with any of that stuff. More denial will get you no where (as the removal of the statue proves…the more you deny, the stronger the opposition gets.
Yes the college did “slave” auctions. they would get volunteers who would be auctioned of do do the winner bidders laundry or other things. this was done at colleges all over the country at the time. the money that was raised from it would go to local charities. now the college has moved on from this and now does date auctions. now they auction people off & the winner gets a “date” with the person. a lot like a john does with his prostitutes the buying is paying for what they call “dates” this is much better why not go after this now.
You know who else were slave owners? A very large number of American founding fathers? Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Washington, John Hancock, etc. etc. etc. I suppose we had not only invalidate the constitution, but the Declaration of Independence, and while we are at it, the stove and bifocals.
In fact, I imagine a very large portion of white people during the time period of St. George being settled were quite racist. In St. George and throughout the nation, racism was no doubt a reality. But the fact that a historical person was a racist does not invalidate any of that person’s actions.
As far as your claim that all the people who settled St. George were bona fide southerners who were proud of their slavery-rich southern culture, you are stretching the truth. I have no doubt that some of the people who settled St. George were from the South. However, a very large many were not. For example, most of my ancestors. The fact is that the people who settled St. George were Mormons. Belonging to a church which, although it has its own racial controversy, never supported slavery. The people who settled there grew cotton. It was in the south of Utah. It became Utah’s Dixie. The pervasive southern racism you suggest formed the Dixie culture is “disingenuous.”
I again have no doubt that the school once participated in racist activities. It might have even been helped along by some of its ties to the confederacy. But again, this school is not the only place in the world to succumb to racism when racism was much more common. Almost every single vestige of those symbols have been removed. And maybe the statue should, indeed, be one of them. However, that doesn’t mean the administration shouldn’t be sensitive to the community and alumni. At the very least they ought to inform them of their rational instead of carting off a piece of campus.
And it also doesn’t mean that the school has to erase every piece of its history. Appropriate steps should be taken. But at some point enough is enough. The school ought to seriously consider the ideas of the alumni and community in deciding that line. They have repeatedly failed to do so.
Couldn’t agree more!
“These laws are printed; you can read for yourself. If slaves are brought here by those who owned them in the states, we do not favor their escape from the service of those owners.” – Brigham Young in the New York Tribune.
Sounds at least a little like tacit support, don’t you think?
Yea, the whole Utahs Dixie is just killing this area. The marathon is not growing or popular, the senior games are a failure and nobody wants to visit this area because its so offensive. Ha, really? Enough already, this is getting ridiculous
Don’t worry Dixieland, Ned and Jed will show up at a local bank or restaurant along with the 50 other Pioneer statues in town. Trisha, we love you, but don’t ever leave Utah, Sweetheart.
Mr. Caldwell ought to do his homework. The statue does not depict two confederate soldiers. The statue depicts one confederate soldier and one union soldier, the one holding out his hand to the other. It is a commentary on the civil war and how it literally split families in two. It is a symbol for unification.
For years forces have put pressure on Dixie to get rid of semblances of it’s history. Some of those things made some sense. It is understandable that the stars and bars no longer fly over Dixie. Maybe it was even understandable to remove the word “rebel.” Although, I quibble on this.
However, removing this statue just shows that the people behind this force didn’t take the time to understand even what it depicted. This is also a growing trend, where each step of the way the old Dixie-ites fight the change and the forces who want the history demolished say, “Just this one last thing. Just one more thing.” It is never just one more thing. The day “Dixie” is removed from the school’s name will be the day when myself, a Dixie alum, forgets about this school. I don’t think I will be alone. I went to Dixie State College. I didn’t go to University of St. George, or whatever it is they decide to call it. And when I go, my donor money goes with me. And I don’t think I am alone.
The word “Dixie” is simply not an offensive word. There is a region of this country called Dixie to this day by people of many races. And certainly standing alone, pretending that this is terribly offensive is just silly. I’m tired of those behind the force to eliminate Dixie history suggesting they know better, or that maybe those of us against many of these changes live inside the bubble. That just isn’t true. I live far outside the bubble, and the word Dixie is just not offensive.
They say, “Oh, if we become a university, having Dixie in the name could hurt us.” Really? Show me the proof. I have yet to see a single shred of evidence. Why? Because there is none. What I am faced with in its place are artificially upset individuals, themselves having never left the bubble, who have imagined up a controversy. If Dixie goes, then good riddance to them.
Let’s say you innocently named your child “Gaylord” in the 1960’s and then later in his life he changed his name due to the negative connotations associated with it. Would you disown him too? Threatening to abandon the institution over a name seems shallow and short-sighted.
Sorry, Unimpressed but the sculpture is absolutely two Confederate soldiers. I walked by it every day for 2 years and every time it… two Confederate soldiers. And the plague explicitly says that the sculpture depicts two Confederate soldiers.
You’re right. It is two confederates. Perhaps I need to do my homework. My mistake. Anyway, my problem with this isn’t so much the statue. Maybe it even was time for the statute to go. Maybe it wasn’t. My problem is the lack of notice to the community. I also have concerns that this is just one more step down the road away from Dixie.
As for the Gaylord comment, that makes just no sense. A college is not a child. And like Dixie, the name Gaylord isn’t an offensive name. That child my be embarrassed. That child might be ashamed. That child might also be childish and oversensitive.
Aside from that, your analogy doesn’t translate. You’re making a slippery slope argument. Again, a college is not a child. I went to Dixie. I will always treasure Dixie. I have no affiliation with whatever it is they change it to, if they change it. Administrators and those who pressure them in the name of a silly cause can only ignore alumni and the community so long until they lose their support. They will lose mine if they continue to erase the things that connect me to this campus. I will not financially support an entity that continues to ignore my input and demonize my feelings.
Again, the word Dixie just isn’t an offensive word, especially standing alone. It just isn’t. As far as the statue goes, the least the administration could have done was give some notice.
I certainly hope that the alumni would still support the students even if the name changed. There are still good hard-working students who are trying to get an education. There are those who know the history of this area and those who don’t. If they change the name to St. George University, it would still be tied to the tradition and area. If they pick something else, maybe it won’t. My hope is that alumni would kindly consider still supporting students, even if they are making the college/university more their own by changing the name. I don’t know that changing the name will ruin the school. It will still be a good institution, and it will still need support. As a school we shouldn’t try to demonize our alumni. This is a very sensitive subject that can’t be run on emotions purely.
Ditto!
How is it that the community and alumni are being ignored. Have there not been multiple forums for each side to make their case? Just because you lost on this one does not mean you have been ignored.
Yes it does. It totally means that we’ve been ignored and the College doesn’t seem to care about the past…the only way to grow to the future is to learn from the past…if we wipe away what we are then what are we?
Revisionist will destroy the HISTORY of this great country.
Then we have nothing to remind us of the past and the Horrors the American People endured.
Then we will repeat the past!
Simple!
Clean your own house!
Look at your own history!
Look at the history of your genealogy!
Then learn from others mistakes, if you can find any history books with the real, unrevised versions to guide you.
GOD will judge your revisionist actions to our history to please the least of the people.
I am ashamed of revisionist!
Why is it that someone can move here for two-four years, find an issue with my town that I have grown up in and love, complain about something until it is changed and them move away never to return. shouldn’t I have more say then him who is still here after he had left never to return??
It’s every bit their town as it is yours. This happens everywhere. Imagine how strange a city/place would be if it was lacking outside influence, views and criticism. In my opininon, growth and change it the best thing to happen to St George. It’s finally becoming a city where acceptance for differences and diversity are taking shape. It’s not just your town, it’s thousands of people’s. Open your mind.
I don’t want to disrespect this town or its heritage. I am one of those who has just moved here for 2-4 years to study. Honestly, mike, this is how I feel people in St. George see me. I am an outsider with no opinion and no say on how the University/College I attend is run. This college is looking to cater to not just St. George community. This requires the school to be sensitive to all of its students. Where a person goes to college will follow them for the rest of their life. When I turn in a resume it will have this soon to be University’s name on it. I may not think this town is trying to be racist, but what about the person who looks at my resume? Maybe it won’t be such a big deal, but I’d like to think I have some right to shaping my education which is supposed to be molded around what students feel they need.
Kate, we welcome you to Southern Utah and to Dixie College. Hopefully you have enjoyed your time and hopefully you feel you can express your opinion.
My questions to you are these:
Did you know the name of the college before you attended? Did you apply and then accept the offer of this college? Were you offended or worried at that time? When you came to Dixie, were you treated poorly? Did you see racism or discrimination on campus? Did you experience any yourself?
Then my question is: Why the sudden change in your opinion? Why the sudden worry?
Have you seen any evidence that the name of the college will in fact affect your job prospects? NO. You haven’t.
Good luck to you. Stay involved and voice your opinion. Just do some real thinking while you do, and don’t be blinded by nonsense that has no support or evidence.
The title of the statue is “The Rebels” depicting two Confederate soldiers. The uniforms are identical. The artist used extreme “artistic license” by changing the thought of the original poem/song that was about two Union soldiers and made it about two Confederate soldiers.
A better use of artistic license would have been to make it about a Confederate and Union soldier. But, alas, he did not.
I think the best action to take regarding the latest shananigans by this institution is to decide whether or not to support the changes. If you don’t like them, then don’t support anything affiliated by the “________” University when they decide what to call themselves. If the changes don’t bother you then support the athletic teams and other stuff this new Univesity will have to offer. Academics is a “business” and they are moving forward with their predetermined plan of action. I guess we wait and see if it was a good business decision.
What a disgrace to Dixie! This is a beautiful statue that depicts two brave soldiers, one whom is risking his own life to save the life of a wounded comrade. Every time I passed that statue I couldn’t help but think of the brave men who took a stand and fought for their freedom, their land, and what they and their fathers had achieved. It was not the issue of slavery that the average officer, or enlisted man went to war for! Many high-ranking Confederates enlisted for reasons other than slavery and were opposed to it. There were African-Americans who chose to enlist to fight, and others who wanted to enlist to fight for the Confederacy!! There is so much more to the history of the Civil War than just slavery! Dixie is our heritage! There is no slavery tied to how we were given our name! When the Civil War broke out there was fear that the war would take away the cotton supply. Brigham Young, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at that time, sent approximately three hundred families to the “Dixie Mission” to promote the cotton industry. The settlement, now known as St. George, was named after George A. Smith an apostle of the church. These families gave up so much to come to a place that didn’t have the basic necessities! They sacrificed, worked hard, shared, and depended upon one another for their survival!! These are attributes we should associate with the name Dixie and embrace the true meaning and history behind the name!!! We have been blessed to call Dixie our home!!
2 words…Get Real!
We have. How would you feel if someone moved into your hometown and tore out something you cared about? Even if you grew up here in “Dixie” its sad that you side with people who don’t care nothing about heritage!
History, Racism, Tradition, and Negative Symbolism aside, I think that if this school plans on catering to more than just the southern Utah community, it should take on a name that makes it sound like a professional University. Dixie is fine for a college, but it won’t have the same reputation or respect that it could if it chose a more professional name in the university sense. Would someone explain to me why there aren’t any schools named after this town? St. George University is still obviously connected to the area, and it sounds really professional.
I know, right? What is MORE HERITAGE than the name of the City itself?! People are oblivious, tripping out over a d*%n nickname!!
Amen and Thankyou, Kate! Very odd isn’t it? Even Vegas has a Las Vegas High School. Maybe there’s spme unknown secrets swept under the rug about Saint George, the name…
So a plain generic name like Utah Southwestern University is gonna bring people here? How bland a name is that? or St. George University? I mean really how original!
Perhaps no school is named St. George because St. George is only 1 part of the area, while Dixie (in Utah) refers to the entire southwestern area, including Santa Clara, Ivins, Gunlock, Washington, and even Hurricane, La Verkin, etc.
St. George University may sound professional (debatable), but it also sounds religious (specifically Catholic).
So tell us please, what makes Dixie ok for a “college” but not for a university? Why do you think it sounds unprofessional? How are you so certain that “it won’t have the same reputation or respect that it could if it chose a more professional name”?
We have made the name professional and will continue to make it professional.
Do you think “Mayo Clinic” is a professional name? What do they do, study mayonnaise? Or worse, eat it? That sounds disgusting, so I don’t think I want to hire anyone who went there… Must be weirdos, right? Or Johns Hopkins? Serious, multiple Johns? Doesn’t sound very professional, so it should be changed. Or Notre Dame? Our lady? Sounds odd, doesn’t it–and maybe offensive (sexist) because it is claiming possession of a lady (not yours, but Ours).
Well, well, well, aren’t we the enlightened ones, Mr. Smigman’s reference to the “statute” as an abomination makes me laugh at the way you tried to make yourself appear so erudite and learned and then someone “informed” you that your simplistic judgement was in stark error to its real meaning. Smugman, I’d say, insisting your so much better than the rest of us. You are the kind of person that makes us get rid of nativity scenes, Mark Twain’s literature, etc. because it “offends” you. Well, your offensive to me, your smug imposition of your “modern” thinking. Your kind ask the rest of us to yield to your wisdom, perhaps, to get “In God We Trust” removed, or any semblence of offensive religion and its artifacts. I suppose you and your ilk would like to graduate from DSU, as long as it meant Diversity State University, or just DU for short. DUH I expect academia to spout this kind of drivel, after all, they gave us Kanesian Economics, socialist rhetoric, 16 trillion dollars in debt from borrowing 40 cents of every dollar the USA spends. Problem is, in the real world, outside of the academic bubble, it’s messed up and eventually those of us who respect tradition and old fashioned values end up having to clean up the mess left by you well intentioned educated idiots. And, we’ll do it again, eventually. God bless ya!
Ugh, you voted for Rombag, didn’t you? *brainwashed*
bwahahahahahaahahaha, You picked out one misspelled word in his comment and just laid on that bad boy didn’t you? You then proceeded to misuse your/you’re. Using your logic: you used poor grammar/spelling, your argument is invalid. lol
oh p.s. the whole “In God We Trust” thing, that only appeared on paper money in the 50s, though it has been on coins since 1864, and contrary to an email that is making the rounds it has not been removed from the new dollar coin, it is actually imprinted on the edge of the coin.
If you don’t like the word DIXIE then leave we’re not making you stay
For real? That’s old, can we hear something new?! Act like a “saint”!
Please don’t say “leave”. Dixie has been trying to welcome ALL people to it’s campus all through the years. Let’s not start pushing them away!
To all of you folks whom are thinking that you’re making changes for the better…YOU COULDN’T BE MORE WRONG !!!
All you’re doing is catering to the ignorant and misguided fools whom have zero knowledge about The War Between The Sates, along with zero interest to educate themselves about the conflict. It’s a shame that most young people today, including the elders whom are leading the way, are truly uneducated regarding true Southern history…They’re all missing several brain cells.
SHAME, SHAME AND MORE SHAME… This is a continuation of reverse racism. Stop erasing history.
Fools…Nothing more than uneducated reverse racists !
I’ll see you in hell Billy Yanks !
Deo Vindice ! Confederate Mike.
Just a little quibble, you speak of education and ignorance but you use “whom” incorrectly in every usage. 🙁
Not a big thing, just thought I’d let you know. Sometimes people erroneously use that form in an attempt to sound more grammatically proper. The proper pronoun would be “who” in each of your instances.
A quick and dirty way to know which form to use is to answer the question. In the case of your first use, “whom [sic] is thinking”? If I can answer, “him” then “whom” is correct, if I have to use “he” then “who” is correct. If I answer “him is thinking” I can tell that’s incorrect as I should say, “he is thinking”. This means “who” would be the correct pronoun. Him = whom, he = who. 🙂
Who is thinking?
Who has zero knowledge?
Who are the elders?
♫The more you knowwwwww. ♫
As for your central argument, though people should be educated in their US history, as that Utah was not really involved in the conflict (as so many have pointed out) this statue might be out of place here. Personally, I like history and this statue has been part of the DSC history since the 80’s, I hope they at least find some place to put it so that it can be represented as part of DSC’s transition to University status. SUU went from Branch Agricultural College to Southern Utah State College to Southern Utah University. A name change isn’t a death knell.
Thank you kindly for the grammar lesson Mike. You’re absolutely correct. My bad. It wasn’t used in order to sound more proper as you’ve stated, a simple lack on my part due to the fact that my head was fuming about the removal of a beautiful statue.
What these folks have done is an act of cowardliness. It doesn’t matter whether Utah has been involved in The War of Southern Independence. That point is completely irrelevant. What matters is there was a purpose for the statue, it was placed there for a valid reason for a great number of years and it is in all actuality relevant to the words Dixie and Rebels which are both a very important portion of history in this particular location.
The fact that it was O.K. then and not O.K. now, due to some artificial whinny victims is absurd.
These folks should educate themselves instead of crying wolf in order to obtain their fifteen minutes of fame.
COWARDS !!! It’s a lot easier to bury , erase and dismiss sensitive issues under the rug than to fight for a cause and educate the misguided fools.
Bravo Losers !!! Mission accomplished.
Deo Vindice, Confederate Mike.
Check your history, folks. Yes, the word “Dixie” was a nickname from the original Cotton Mission. The college was the “Academy”. It was the alumni, the “Dixie Colonels” that started all the Dixie rhetoric; the confederate flag, the rebel mascot. The KKK was even active here in the 1930s. And racism still is rampant, here. It does make a difference.
The KKK was here in St George. Really?? I need to see some evidence of that before you start throwing around those kinds of comments.
And are you from St. George or just a “move in” wanting to tear down heritage? Racism isn’t around the college at all. I attended here for several years the people that claim that racism is rampant are just talking a load of crap.
What a bunch of uneducated idiots…
Mr Wilkinson, Mikesel and the entire Dixie College students and staff who think the battle flag or the south fought to preserve slavery then your cause is even more lost than the Confederacy’s.
Yet even if that were the case, which it’s not, History has never been politically correct… yet this is the American story… OUR story….
I had never seen this statue before or heard the story behind it. This is a great AMERICAN story and the constent demonizing of our past will only condemn us to repeat it…
There really is something wrong with our education system.
I couldn’t agree more man.
It is a sham that people see this as a racist statement just because he is holding a confederate flag. I SEE TWO soldiers one helping the other as they do I see NO RACISISOM HERE
SAINT GEORGE UNIVERSITY, OR UNIVERSITY OF SAINT GEORGE……CASE CLOSED!!!!!!!!!
Hey Everybody!!
Tyler says case closed. I guess that’s it then! We will be a religious university.
Oh, but Tyler, does it have to be Saint, even though the city is spelled St.? I guess not, since thou hast spoken. Oh, and some people may be confused and think Street George, I guess.
I find the lack of civility in these comments to be amazingly incongruent with DIXIE. My time at Dixie was, without any doubt, the best time of my life. I knew it then, and while I’ve had a good life, I know it still. Most of my fellow “dearly-departed Dixie spirits” would enthusiastically report the same. Singing the Dixie songs with Mrs. D and Program Bureau, along with all those treasured experiences, with professors, administrators, and fellow students, cemented my understanding of what love means. “Just Come Down to Dixie,” “Are You from Dixie,” “The Reddest Sand,” “Big D,” “The Spirit of Old Dixie,” “Roc-a-by Your Baby with a Dixie Melody,” “Dear Dixie Land,” “Dixie Oh Dixie,” “Just for Now,” and so many more such songs fill me with joyful loving memories. I don’t disagree with eliminating any and all confederate vestiges, because that stuff wasn’t Dixie. Hateful racism was certainly not part of my Dixie. Mine was an education in love and inclusion. If the marketing firm conducting the study is worth its salt, they will find that, whether talking about the area below the Mason/Dixon line or the South-West corner of Utah, the overwhelming majority of people do not equate the name: Dixie with racism or slavery. The name has a rich, positive history in the area. If there is any evidence of racist views among those early pioneers, it was certainly in equivalent proportions with the rest of the nation, and has nothing to do with the name: Dixie. Furthermore, if the name were to be changed, it would be an amazingly defensive move—suggesting an admission of an un-true negative attitude. It would also be tragic for the alumni who would have a very difficult time feeling any real connection to an institution that would no longer be Dixie.
Sad day when we let the few decide for the many. What a pathetic place Dixie College has become…maybe it deserves to die!
This is not the school that my family has graduated from at all. This school is more worried about what is right for the few instead of the many. Thanks for the memories Dixie…I have moved on to a better school that has kept their traditions in hand!
Oh you’re acting pathetic! NOTHING stays the same forever…Welcome to life, get over it!!!
Whats next? Are we going to change the name of St George because it represents christianity.
Actually…We underuse the name around here. One would think this city’s name was DIXIE for godsake!!
Drop Dixie. There are other great names they could use… Dirt Shirt University, Utah’s “Party School” University, Color Country College, Near-by Polygamist Colony University.
For real though, the word Dixie is out-dated. It’s no longer a good description of a school that is trying to grow. The locals love the name, because of their vested interest and investment in the school. But the school is trying to grow beyond Washington County and even the state of Utah. Time to re-brand and rename this school.
And University of St. George is not good either. How about Southwestern Utah University?
Southwestern Utah University will not be accepted. There is already an SUU just right up the road. Another issue that the school is going to gamble on is alumni support. If they offend the already successful Dixie alumni who might quit giving money to the school, who will take up that slack? They will have to gamble on the new graduates with ties to the new and improved name to give all their extra cash to the cause. I’m sure the college already knows that. I’ve heard rumors that some big donors have already stopped giving and more may follow after the new name is given. College is a business and they are taking a big gamble with this name change.
Many people don’t know that this statue depicts a same-sex couple separated by war. In the original story, these two men were lovers. They were from different states but met at school prior to the Civil War’s beginning. In the actual story, they reunited after the war’s end, when they returned to school. They realized they participated in the same battles, although on opposite sides, without knowledge of each other at the time. The man who created this statue took liberties with the facts and came up with this more dramatic version. I took a history class at the University of Utah and the professor shared this interesting story with us. The story came from a family journal.
What! Are you just trolling on the net today? XD
Ahahah!!!
This is an example of History is written by the Victors. History never tells the truth. It only tells the version that the victors fabricate. Here it is the same. The Yankees won the war, and so their tale of slavery is what we are told. Forget the unrighteous dominion by the Yankees. They used the abolition to hide the truth about the power struggle and the economic supremacy that they wanted to keep. It’s not about slavery. It’s about money and power. The Yanks were about to lose it.
Anyways, there is nothing wrong with the word Dixie, or the Rebels.
BTW, I will always be a Rebel and a Dixie Alumni. Whatever college comes out of this is wrong and stupid and I will not be associated with it. I am disappointed that a once good college is allowing political correctness over power reality and heritage.
One solution to counter this “politically correct” movement…rusting away the traditions of our great nation, is for all Dixie graduates, Dixie locals, old timers, and traditionalists to fight back. You can hang as much Dixie stuff on your property as you want! Dixie banners, signs, license plates, make replica sculptures to put in your yard, etc. Dixie College, Dixie High School, Utah’s Dixie, Dixie salad, Dixie Andrus, and my son’s dog, Dixie should all stand proud. Those who do not like the traditions can go find another option…there are many out there.
Is it me or did it sound weird when the artist of the statue said ” let the black people or whoever is against removal vandalize it so they can go to jail wher they belong” ?
It looks really bad when a collage removes artifact’s from history just because some politically influence group don’t like what they think it represents. I guess y’all need to tell your perspective students they will get only the truth we think is acceptable and all other sources of information and thought will be shut out.
I agree with Danni there is much more to the Civil war than was is generally taught by the victor. A simple examination of the facts renders lie to the presumptuously assumption that the war was fought over slavery.
The North continued to practice slavery even after it had been abolished in the south, nor did the north tell themselves or the south that ending slavery was at all in their intentions. Indeed they went to great lengths to say it was not.
But we will not see or debate that history at Dixie college because some apparently influence groups don’t want anyone to see or hear of it. Instead they wish it to be (like this statue) wiped away quietly in the night. Silence to conversations you would not have and truths you would have uncovered.
Talk about academic honestly or integrity… I’m sure glad I never attended your collage and neither I nor any of my children ever will.