Will SMS become Missouri State University?
Nicholas Pittman
Issue date: 2/24/05 Section: News
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The battle for the "Missouri State" name change for SMS is a long-standing fight-and for the general public it all started with a basketball jersey. The basketball teams of the late seventies had some peculiar letter sizes on the front of the jerseys, and the jersey reflected the hopes of the school and angered skeptic opponents.
On the top half were very small letters, spelling out with a magnifying glass the word Southwest. On the bottom half were huge letters, spelling out the not so subtle message MISSOURI STATE. Even an oblivious fan would have noticed it. This was the Missouri State team.
The bill to change Southwest Missouri State University to Missouri State has been on the docket of Missouri legislature and in the minds of the UM system since 1986. The reasons for the name change are simple enough in the eyes of SMS.
During the past decade, Southwest Missouri State in Springfield has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts. It has significantly raised its average ACT score, more than doubled its number of graduate courses, and grown in student population. There is no other directionally named school in the country with as many students as SMS.
That is the fight of Sen. Norma Champion, R-Springfield, and many other proponents of the name change. "We firmly believe that we are a statewide university in every sense of the word, and once we are able to change this name-and drop this southwest designation-that we will be able to attract students from out of state," Champion said.
The conflict over the name change was hard fought in Jefferson City last week. The Senate convened through the night, something that had not been done in at least twenty years, in order to settle the dispute. Every year the bill has another opponent that is able to put it down. This year it was Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Colombia, that led the opposition.
Graham calls the name change "Identity Theft" and led an all night filibuster aimed at ending the debate for one more year. University of Missouri President Elson Floyd and Southwest Missouri State President John Keiser were called at 3:30 a.m. and given an overview of the proposed amendment. With Sen. Graham stalling the bill at the capitol, UM President Floyd had made up his mind. He was going to end the dispute personally.
On the top half were very small letters, spelling out with a magnifying glass the word Southwest. On the bottom half were huge letters, spelling out the not so subtle message MISSOURI STATE. Even an oblivious fan would have noticed it. This was the Missouri State team.
The bill to change Southwest Missouri State University to Missouri State has been on the docket of Missouri legislature and in the minds of the UM system since 1986. The reasons for the name change are simple enough in the eyes of SMS.
During the past decade, Southwest Missouri State in Springfield has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts. It has significantly raised its average ACT score, more than doubled its number of graduate courses, and grown in student population. There is no other directionally named school in the country with as many students as SMS.
That is the fight of Sen. Norma Champion, R-Springfield, and many other proponents of the name change. "We firmly believe that we are a statewide university in every sense of the word, and once we are able to change this name-and drop this southwest designation-that we will be able to attract students from out of state," Champion said.
The conflict over the name change was hard fought in Jefferson City last week. The Senate convened through the night, something that had not been done in at least twenty years, in order to settle the dispute. Every year the bill has another opponent that is able to put it down. This year it was Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Colombia, that led the opposition.
Graham calls the name change "Identity Theft" and led an all night filibuster aimed at ending the debate for one more year. University of Missouri President Elson Floyd and Southwest Missouri State President John Keiser were called at 3:30 a.m. and given an overview of the proposed amendment. With Sen. Graham stalling the bill at the capitol, UM President Floyd had made up his mind. He was going to end the dispute personally.