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All that�s �Gold� does
not shine
�2005 Bonesville.net
The �Gold� is
out at Marquette.
Less than a
week after the school�s board of trustees added fuel to a long-festering
controversy
by selecting Gold as the nickname
for its sports teams, the panel has voided that move and reopened the
issue.
Amid fierce
criticism over the new nickname, the trustees backpedaled Wednesday,
deciding to abandon the short-lived moniker and let students, alumni and
faculty vote on a nickname.
The reversal
came after the school
was flooded with negative feedback
in the past week from students, alumni and fans expressing
dissatisfaction that their voices were not adequately heard in the
decision to change from �Golden Eagles� to Gold.
"Not one of us
ever felt there would be as much reaction as we got," board chairman
John Bergstrom said.
The school,
which has established a �Nickname
Web Site,� will hold a vote via the Internet and allow people to
pick from 10 names, university president Robert Wild said.
The two names
drawing the most support will be the available choices in a subsequent
final vote to determine a name to
be presented to Wild, who will announce it as Marquette�s new athletics
nickname before the school formally leaves Conference USA to become a
member of the Big East Conference on July 1.
The school
changed its nickname from �Warriors� to Golden Eagles in 1994.
Wild said the
10 names on the first ballot won't include the Warriors, the
university's nickname during a period that saw it win the national
championship in 1977 under Hall of Fame coach Al McGuire.
The school said
in a press release that there will also be a write-in option, �presented with the
parameters that votes for Warriors will not be counted, and that all
write-in�s must be consistent with both our Jesuit, Catholic mission and
the Board resolution on Native American imagery.�
The outcry over
the nickname started about a year ago at the school's graduation
ceremonies, when two trustees offered $1 million each to Marquette to
re-adopt the Warriors nickname, which it dropped in favor of the Golden
Eagles because the name and logo offended some American Indian groups.
Some alumni and
students of the Jesuit university couldn't accept the Golden Eagles
nickname. In recent days, it became apparent the Gold nickname might
create even more dissension.
�We have spent the
past week listening. We heard you,� said Bergstrom. �The decision to
change the nickname to Marquette Gold generated a response that we did
not expect from Marquette stakeholders. We regret that we disappointed
them and we want to respond to those concerns. We�ve established a new
process today so that your voices can be heard. It�s transparent, it�s
inclusive and it�s easy.�
Wild said
trustees decided to let people vote because they felt much of the
negative reaction over the Gold nickname arose because they didn't
included others in the decision.
Compiled from
staff, wire and
Marquette Athletics reports.
Danny Whitford contributed to this article.
Copyright 2005. All rights rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Page updated:
02/23/07 11:48 AM
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