Chris Christie vs. William Brown & University Name Changes

A few days ago New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, was hosting a town hall conference when a 34 year old law student, William Brown, stepped to the mic and proceeded to get into an argument with Governor Christie regarding the proposed Rutgers University name change to Rutgers Camden-Rowan. William Brown was against the name change (and so am I). This exchange reminded me of three ridiculous New York University name changes that have occurred during my lifetime. 

Someone should have cried foul when the Stony Brook University Patriots changed their name to the Stony Brook University Seawolves. The change was made because Patriots, which referred to fighters in the Continental Army of the American Revolutionary War, was not inclusive enough. Those in charge of political correctness at Stony Brook at the time figured the name change was necessary since Patriots didn't include minorities and women, even though there were 5,000 black fighters and women spies, including a woman spy right in Stony Brook's backyard, East Setauket, who would put certain garments on her clothesline to inform the Continental troops where the British troops were located. Perhaps the PC Police at Stony Brook don't know their history or they may have been overly concerned with the number of white male troops in the Continental Army. Nevertheless, this name change is one of the most ridiculous examples of political correctness I can think of and what makes it even more egregious is that the name they replaced Patriots with was Seawolves, a mythical made up animal so as to not offend real animals, as if they could even get offended. 

Another example of ridiculous political correctness at a New York University is when the St. John's Redmen changed their name to the St. John's Red Storm. Redmen was OF COURSE offensive to Native Americans even though the name refers to the St. John's teams' uniform colors (and always has). Maybe the PC Police at St. John's knew the history of the name and didn't want to offend colors, I wouldn't be shocked. The made up Red Storm was the clear choice because if they picked anything that was real that would naturally be offensive and not honorary. 

The final absurd name change is when the Hofstra Flying Dutchmen name was changed to the Hofstra Pride. Apparently the Dutch were incensed about the name and forced the University to change it (no, not really). The University was founded by the Dutch thus the name Hofstra Flying Dutchmen. This name is not even conceivably offensive. The name was changed to the Hofstra Pride, the feeling, ignoring the college's heritage and the fact that pride is the downfall of man. Pride now means a group of lions which at least isn't ridiculous, but still doesn't connect the college with its founding.

The three examples I just listed above are far more unreasonable then what William Brown is arguing against now, but not much was made of those changes.