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Show OPINION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3 1 , 2005 DIXIE SU (iDlilO CHjJttnr Dear Students, This past summer, Dixie State College completed installation of a brand new synthetic turf field at Hansen Stadium. The cost of the field was , approximately $650,000, which was raised entirely through private donations. This new facility is both an investment in the college and the community, and it has been a tremendous asset to both thus far. This field will ultimately save the college hundreds of thousands of dollars in water and mamtenance expenses that were inherent in the old grass field. Like any investment, this investment has to be protected. Not long after Hansen Stadium reopened for public use after the construction phase last summer, instances of misuse who respect and use the properly. This will have t ticular toll on those who the track for fitness cent poses, and we sincerely this. The College does m the resources, however, stantly monitor the facii make sure people areni destroying it. Please also recognize Hansen Stadium was bi marily with funds that c come from the tax base Taxpayers have contribi very little to the facility I facility will contmue to p open to those commumt college entities that have mally scheduled it befor for specific games and e and even abuse of the field began to surface. People were climbing the fence after hours. We were finding garbage, including plastic bottles on the field, that people had carelessly left behind. In August, signs were posted warning that if the posted rules could not be followed, the facility would be closed to general use. Nme months later, were still experiencing the same problems. The field will soon be ruined if we dont take action. On that note, its with regret that I inform the students of Dixie State College that Hansen Stadium, including the track, will be closed to general use effective Saturday, May 21. Its unfortunate that the unruliness of a few has to spoil it for everyone because there are many Bob Huddleston, former State College president Its who we are BY STANTON Dixie Sun ROSEMAN Hooray for mascots. Finally, we have an official mascot for the school. Or is it that Dixie state College now has a mascot to shield off any potential racist accusation anyone in the entire United States can think up. DSC will turn 100 years old in six short years. Why is there a sudden identity crisis on what Dixie represents? Time for a history lesson. Dixie State College first began in 1911 as St George Stake Academy with Dixie Academy as its nickname. No, it's not called Dixie because the school or the community is racist. The South (Georgia, Mississippi, etc ) is known as Dixie and made cotton. There was a shortage of cotton during the Civil War, which resulted in St. George being the cliperfect mate in the area for growing cotton and manufacturing cloth. Simply put, it is known us Utahs Dixie because it is in Southern semi-tropic- Utah. The United States South Dixie. Southern Utah Utah's Dixie, get it? Most early Mormon settlers in the area were white families The community is predominately white. Does that make the area racist? No. Unless you define racism as places with a large percentage of one race, Africa and China are no more rampant with racism than St. George. Our mascot is now a Rebel. Its not a bird; its not a hawk. We are the Dixie State College Rebels. As long as the students and alumni stay true to what this school stands for, we will always be the Rebels. Intramural As politically correct buffoons move to officials the area and others begin working at this great institution, they worry what others outside this area will think. Soon, our mascot is mangled; the college flag is removed from campus; and the colors red and gray become red, white and blue (how patriotic). Nothing can ever be 100 percent agreed upon. We need to stop trying to please everyone we think we might offend. Now, I am in support of having a mascot at the games. I am not askmg for yet another vote on what the Soccer Oct. 19 l p.tn. needed for all sports! 3 on 3 Basketball Oct. 19 mascot should be. It was unfair a human mascot was not an option. If a hawk was selected as the poster child for the Rebels, so be it. But we are still the Rebels. Make no mistake about that. It is just my hope that before anything else is changed or ripped away from this school, the students, faculty, staff and I . 1:15 p.m. i' i . ! t &&& 'ih n alumni are consulted. L 1 1 t 'ft |