SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Senate leaders announced they will debate a bill to start a name-change process for Dixie State University in an about-face after student protesters traveled from the southern part of the state to the Capitol in Salt Lake City to make their voices heard.
Guillem Parra, an international student from Spain studying finance, said Wednesday the issue comes down to “opportunity.”
“I truly believe that a university should give a better opportunity to its students. I have a couple of my peers who have really impactful experiences of how their lives have improved because of that opportunity the university has given them,” Parra said.
About 50 students carried signs urging lawmakers to vote on the bill as they gathered in front of the Capitol steps in the biting cold. They joined in chants such as: “The racist name has got to go,” as two counterprotesters carrying signs in support of the name Dixie tried to shout over them.
The dust-up among students, community members, lawmakers and Dixie State University began after the university’s board of trustees voted to change the name, prompted by a study conducted by the Cicero Group that looked into the name’s effect on students, alumni and others.
HB278 would require the university’s trustees, in consultation with the Utah Board of Higher Education, to select and recommend a new name for the four-year institution in St. George.
Members of the community who support keeping the name have alleged the decision to change the name took place without their input.
Senate Budget Vice Chairman Don Ipson, R-St. George, has said he believes more work needs to be done to involve the community.
Student body president Penny Mills described the community’s opposition to the name change as unfair.
“I don’t think it’s fair that the community’s ... opinion and like desire to hold onto history is more important than us kind of moving forward and building what could be history,” Mills said.
“The reason that students go to an institution of higher education is to receive an education and for opportunity, and to continue that throughout their lives. And so if the name of our institution is impacting that and impeding that, then I think it definitely needs to change,” she said.
While she loves the university, Mills said “the name is impacting students.”
Parra agreed.
“I’ve seen how the university has blessed my life, and I don’t want that to stop. I don’t want to have to talk to a possible employer most likely outside of Utah, because here in Utah we understand what the term Dixie means, and have to sit down in an interview and have to defend the name of my university. Which I would do if that were the case, but it’s just not something that you as a student are looking forward to,” Parra said.
He said he “fell in love with St. George” as an exchange student in high school at Snow Canyon. He believed he would get a better education in the U.S. than in Spain, and would return with “something to be proud of.”
“It’s just tough to see this divide, this conflict. It’s not good for anybody. And we just hope that we’re going to resolve this problem in a way that hopefully everybody can become closer again,” Parra said.
Sponsor of HB278, Rep. Kelly Miles, R-Ogden, praised the students for making the more than three-hour trek to make their voices heard.
“Your being here makes a huge difference and being part of the process. This is all about educating and helping our Dixie State University students get good jobs.”
He urged students to get their families and friends to reach out to lawmakers to urge them to debate the bill on the Senate floor.
When asked about the result of his Wednesday discussions with Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and other leaders about the bill, he said: “I don’t think there’s been that commitment yet to hear it. There’s discussion on whether there’s some changes they can live with, and I don’t even know what those changes are. But we are seeing some movement, and so we are going to continue to push to have it heard on the floor.”
“I think we’re all human, all of the senators and the House members. And whenever you see bright, educated people come to you and say, ‘This is important to us,’ especially with the fact that these are students, right, and it impacts our students. So I think it will have a real impact on our colleagues,” he said.
Nationally, the term Dixie has become increasingly problematic as the nation has begun to reckon with racial inequality. In June, the country music group known as the Dixie Chicks changed its name to The Chicks, acknowledging protests during the summer of 2020 led band members to reconsider how that word makes some of their fans feel.
In recent years, the university has taken other steps as concerns were raised over the institution’s name, mascot and Confederate imagery on campus. A statue titled The Rebels, which depicted a horse and two Confederate soldiers, one of whom carried a Confederate battle flag, was removed from campus.
Formerly, the university’s mascot was the Rebel. It was later changed to the Red Storm. In 2016, Dixie State changed its mascot again to Trailblazers with a bison dubbed Brooks after Samuel Brooks, the first student to attend St. George Stake Academy.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
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