The NCAA has announced that “objectionable references to racial, ethnic, or national origin in mascots nicknames or other forms will not be welcome at championships starting Feb. 1. Any team uniforms that show objectionable imagery will have to be altered or changed.” An example is the use of the mascot “Chief Osceola” by the Florida State University Seminoles.

It is assumed by deduction that it is acceptable to the NCAA for these references to be used during regular season play, but not “championship play.”

Some schools are exempted, owing to the fact that they are “not offensive due to other factors.” One of the “other factors” is that a school might have been formed to serve a particular racial group or has a significant percentage of its student body as members of the particular racial group in some way identified with the otherwise offensive nickname. Thus UNC-Pembroke can continue to use the nickname “Braves” since the school’s roots are as an institution founded to educate “American Indians.” (Note to the NCAA — shouldn’t that be “Native Americans”?)

Since the NCAA has gone this far, why not take the next logical step? Our major state schools have as nicknames “Blue Devils,” “Tar Heels,” “Wolfpack” and “Demon Deacons.” One is obviously satanic, the next a verbal caricature of a dark period in our history. The next conjures up an image of bloodthirsty animals destroying everything in their path, but the worst without question is a blatant attempt to inject religion into our institutions of higher education.

I propose that new nicknames be adopted, such as Duke Multiculturists (“Multis instead of “Crazies” follows nicely), UNC Egalitarians, N.C. State Agrarians and Wake Forest Nontheists.

Richard T. White

Pinehurst