Ole Miss Trying to end 'South Will Rise Again' Chant
Ah, the south. Ole Miss has shortened its school fight song, From Dixie With Love, to discourage students from chanting 'The South Will Rise Again' during a portion of the song:
Dan Jones, who became Ole Miss chancellor in July, said he asked the school's band director, David Wilson, to modify the song to support the efforts of the Associated Student Body. He said he has received complaints from alumni that the slogan is offensive.
"The fact is, the phrase 'The South Will Rise Again' is not part of our tradition or spirit, and it is inconsistent with the university's values and what Ole Miss stands for — a great public university with a focus on the future," Jones said in a phone interview Thursday from the campus in Oxford.
Even opponents are not fighting the decision too hard:
Brian Ferguson, 26, head of the Colonel Reb Foundation, said he views the university actions as an attempt to silence students.
"I think it's a big to-do about nothing. There were very few people other than the students who knew to say it," said Ferguson, whose organization works to preserve traditions at Ole Miss. But Ferguson agreed that the chant really isn't a tradition.
"If the students get fired up and upset enough about it, they're going to continue to say it. Our biggest fear is that that's going to lead them to eliminate 'From Dixie With Love,' altogether."
If it's not a tradition, what's the big deal? The school would prefer it's students not chant something synonymous to many people with slavery and hatred during sporting events. People absolutely have the right to continue saying it (and looking like idiots), but the school is certainly within its rights to ask the band to shorten the song and cut out the part that leads to the chant.
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