The Red and Black

Am I the only person who thinks there's something wrong with omitting the word "Student" in the new name "Zell B. Miller Learning Center"? One of the most attractive aspects of the SLC is that the university and state invested so much into a space named for *students*. The new name implies either that the old SLC is now off-limits to anyone not named Zell B. Miller, or else the entire place is now devoted entirely to learning *about* Zell B. Miller. The students have been omitted.

I wish cantankerous ol' Zell would pipe up and say, "Let's call it the Zell B. Miller STUDENT Learning Center." That would be a fine compromise.

What the R&B failed to report on is that another of the Board of Regents' considerations is whether one of the East Campus dorms will be renamed after a hard-line racist and segregationist, Gov. Ernest Vandiver. This is not one of those borderline issues, like the state flag--if the building is renamed, it would be an out-and-out expression of support for Vandiver's policies.

Funny--didn't the university's PR unit just come out crowing about how diverse the Freshman class is? The sheer hypocrisy of the move is astounding, but not unexpected from Adams and his cabal.

John Knox says, "The new name implies either that the old SLC is now off-limits to anyone not named Zell B. Miller, or else the entire place is now devoted entirely to learning *about* Zell B. Miller. . . . I wish cantankerous ol' Zell would pipe up and say, 'Let's call it the Zell B. Miller STUDENT Learning Center.'"

Yeah, and only people named Sanford can play football in the stadium? Only people named Brumby can live in that dorm. But with your suggested compromise, we'll all think that only Miller's own students can use the SLC. We're all very slow-witted and confused easily by these complicated matters. Thanks for pointing that out, Knox.

This seems vaguely analogous to USC's naming of their new fitness center in veneration to one of the most racist senators of our time- Strom Thurmond... Either way, the University can change the name to the Big Bird Learning Center, but the de facto name will remain the SLC, at least for the next decade... Who's ever going to call it the ZBMLC or ZLC?

Wow are we really upset that they might name something after Zell Miller, Earnest Vandiver or Strom Thurmond? Come on. By that logic we can't name anything after Washington or Jefferson. Should we pull their names off our money, our cities, our streets, or our buildings because they owned slaves? Times change, thoughts change. Just because people of different times and generations held different beliefs from the prevailing views of today does not mean that the were not great men and leaders. The naming controversies are ridiculous.

I know; lets name it Miller-Jackson International Learning Center.

Let's call it the Talmadge-Maddox Learning Center.

Students will continue to call it SLC, regardless of the name change...what a waste of time, energy, and state funds.