Dear Editor,
Andrew Soper’s article “Ole Miss has become the University of Nowhere” has made a lasting impression on me and many individuals in the Ole Miss family. I am glad to see his leadership in bringing Ole Miss forward and into reconciliation with its adored traditions. He has the support of many, and I look forward to the university working with him to make Ole Miss a place of excellence and high academic standing.
Political correctness is destroying our country and our beloved Ole Miss. We do not get the respect we once did with our mascot, school spirit, deeply-rooted traditions and campus way of life. We get scoffed at for our teddy bear mascot and daycare-style leadership policies. Uncertainty is prevalent among individuals as to what our mascot really is. When you see Colonel Reb being warmly greeted by crowds of people at sports events then a repugnant teddy bear on the field vying for one clap of approval, it can be confusing, too.
The disastrous policy of the 2014 Action Plan is crippling our university. As a recent graduate of the “modern and diverse Ole Miss,” this policy is not receiving positive reactions from the community. When I mention where I graduate from, I get fussed at constantly for my alma mater “bending the knee to political correctness.” Previous chancellors have opened the door for strife and division on this campus. The work of many university officials has served as a catalyst for this campus climate. They did nothing more than stroll the campus and insult us by telling us that our own traditions are too offensive. I, along with many, are demanding a severance from these new policies and a return to the Ole Miss we all know and love.
Stewart Parks is a 2016 graduate of Ole Miss.
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