The nation's second oldest university, the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia has agreed to change their name. William and Mary has faced growing criticism that the name is offensive, and an "in your face" reminder of Western colonialism. In recent years, they have been under a lot of pressure to change the name in the face of growing political correctness. The university, which bears the name of the husband and wife founders King William III and Queen Mary II of England, was founded in 1693 and was the second college in the American colonies. Proponents of the change say that bearing the name of two English royals who sponsored colonialism is offensive to some.

"English colonialism is morally offensive," claims Donna Colgan, leader of the "Change the Name" movement to change the name. "It brought slavery to North America. It brought with it the persecution of the indigenous Native American people." Colgan went on to say that colonialism "was the cornerstone of British imperialism and conquest, under which so many have suffered."

Although the pressure to change the name started quite a few years ago, it picked up steam when the William and Mary women's basketball team made it to the "Sweet 16" in the NCAA tournament this year. Proponents from "Change the Name" used the bright lights of the basketball tournament as a backdrop for their protests. It ultimately helped to advance their cause.

There still hasn't been any decision made on what the new name will be, but some are pushing for "Virginia W&M". They say that the "W&M" will be a subtle reminder of who founded the college, which could help bridge the gap between proponents and opponents of the name change. The University hasn't ruled out corporate sponsorships. Virginia is home to big corporations such as AOL and Norfolk Southern who may be interested in naming rights.

Some students say that the problem is that all of the good 'Virginia' names are taken, with the existence of Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth, and the University of Virginia. "Virginia is technically a Commonwealth, so calling it Virginia State would just sound stupid," said William and Mary student Arthur Vandelay, who is majoring in Architecture. Apparently Mr. Vandelay had never heard of Virginia State University, just down the road in Petersburg.

Ironically, the movement to change the name of the university has completely eclipsed a similar movement to change the William and Mary mascot. Some say that the current mascot, "The Tribe" is offensive to Native American-Americans. The logo even has two 'Indian' feathers. Proponents of the "Change the Mascot" movement are hoping that they can capitalize on the University's willingness to change their name.

Those favoring the name change feel that this will help make up for 300 years of oppression and the stealing of Native American lands.