In today’s social media-obsessed world, everyone has the ability to advocate his or her opinion from the safety of a computer screen. I myself play a part in the realm of social media by writing this opinionated article. As audiences expand through digital networks, issues are garnering more attention than ever before. Since the announcement of the Charleston University Act on February 6th, the College of Charleston community has become obsessed with advocating against this bill, especially through social media. I applaud my campus for its participation in local politics; however, I seem to be the only one who will admit that I support the creation of Charleston University.
As expressed by students and faculty, the most prominent complaint about the proposed bill is the possible name change of the College of Charleston to Charleston University George Street Campus. To many, the college’s name represents the identity of the institution. We take pride in our college’s liberal arts education, and also the tradition and history of our city of Charleston. Many fear that the resulting loss of identity would devastate the alumni community and discourage prospective students.
In my opinion, for a student body so obsessed about conserving tradition, we seem to attend a college that lacks it. Other than the summer graduation and the ring ceremony, the College of Charleston lacks rituals that unite the community. The lack of unity among our student body becomes evident during any sporting event. Our homecoming basketball game could not even fill up the arena. We seem to derive our tradition mainly from the history of our city. Excluding the actual campus, our Charleston-rooted traditions fail to distinguish our community from that of any other in the city.
I do believe that this fear for the loss of the college’s identity derives from the shallow attachment to its name. Down to it, the Charleston University George Street Campus just sounds lame. The College of Charleston is phonetically pleasing. And more importantly to students and alumni, it sounds more prestigious. In addition, people have a natural tendency to avoid change. Southern culture values tradition arguably more than anywhere else in the country. Thus, it is unsurprising that the College of Charleston community has expressed such discontent with the evolution of our institution, fearing that the merge would defame its name.
While I love my college and agree that it should not lose its name, I have personally experienced comments about my institution that we’re anything but prestigious. Whether or not we want to acknowledge it, our college is not known for academia. I have been questioned in interviews about my college’s reputation, as it is known for lackluster academics. Personally, I have had some amazing professors that have inspired me to strive to reach my academic potential. However, the overall student body does not hold a similar opinion. I believe the College of Charleston would become a more prestigious institution with this act. As we all know, the world emphasizes STEM programs now more than ever before. After joining forces through a Charleston University, the College of Charleston’s reputation would benefit from the dual emphasis on a liberal arts education and medical research.
I propose an amendment the Charleston University Act. I support the merging of the College of Charleston, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital Authority into the Charleston University. However, I see no reason to change the names of the separate institutions. I propose an overarching consortium called the Charleston University that is comprised of the College of Charleston, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital Authority. This merge would maintain the identity of each institution while satisfying the political and economic desires of our representatives. This consortium would establish a larger alumni network between the three institutions, and no one will have to throw away their CofC or MUSC paraphernalia. Yes, there will be logistical complications with merging into one Charleston University. However, we should not let temporary hurdles hinder advancement. The progression of this act will require hard work and compromise, but the end result seems promising. The rest of the world is developing and advancing, why are we afraid of progress? Our community has made it clear that we want to keep the “College” in Charleston, but there are alternative solutions for maintaining our identity other than opposing this innovative bill entirely.