Headlines
Associated Student Body Senate Votes to Remove the State Flag from UM Campus
History was made on the University of Mississippi campus at 9:34 p.m. at the Bryant Hall as the Associated Student Body Senate voted 33-15 (with one abstaining voter) to pass Resolution 15-13 that calls for the removal of the state flag from the university campus.
Although the ASB Senate voted in favor of the resolution, it will not go into effect immediately. The resolution, after being signed by ASB President Rod Bridges, will be sent to the University administration for the Dean of Students Dr. Melinda Sutton, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Dr. Brandi H. LaBanc and Acting Chancellor Dr. Morris Stocks to consider.
If the administration accepts the resolution, the University of Mississippi will join other universities within Mississippi to remove the flag after Alcorn State University, Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State University.
As the co-author of Resolution 15-13, ASB Senator Allen Coon, gave a four-minute summation before the final vote. Below is one quote from his speech provided by the Ole Miss Senate Twitter.
"We have a moral obligation to remove this image from our campus. It has no place on this University's campus."- Senator Coon
— Ole Miss Senate (@OleMissSenate) October 21, 2015
This resolution was amended before it was voted on. ASB Senator Christian Schloegel asked the resolution be amended to show the issue is with the current design of the state flag, not the state flag itself.
The Confederate battle flag emblem on the Mississippi state flag is an issue with many students on campus. The UM Chapter of NAACP, joined by supporters, expressed this sentiment at last Friday’s pro-resolution rally where the Georgia chapter of Klu Klux Klan met them in counter-protest.
Below is the final version of Resolution 15-13.
Also, ASB Senator Andrew Shaw’s resolution 15-12 asking for Ole Miss Athletics’ permission to use one of the Pavilion flagpoles to fly a sports flag supporting Ole Miss athletics teams on their gamedays unanimously passed the same night.
This article has been corrected to remove the Mississippi State University from the list of universities that took down the state flag before October 2015.
Callie Daniels Bryant is the senior managing editor at HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | 2:30 PM ABC |
Carol shields
October 20, 2015 at 11:35 pm
This just sucks
Cliff
October 21, 2015 at 12:38 am
I don’t know anything about slavery, except from what I’ve seen on movies and tv shows and wouldn’t want anybody to be a slave but I’m from Mississippi and our state flag and the confederate flag is a symbol for me that I have from the South and proud of it. Quit rehashing the past! Live for the now! How is changing a flag gonna change the past!
Anonymous
October 21, 2015 at 2:37 am
Of course changing a flag isn’t going to change the past, but it will change the future in that we’re making progress towards a more cohesive society. No one by any means is telling you not to take pride in the flag, but that flag will simply no longer be represented by this university, due to the interpretations that the flag has developed over time.
Debby
October 21, 2015 at 6:33 am
This is a shame that these students have no pride nor love for ALL the history of this great state. We cannot erase history but they need to let it go and live now. There are many Mississippians who respect this flag and our history. This is a racial card, once again.
Lee
October 21, 2015 at 8:23 am
Sounds like a bunch of whining complaining carpet baggers have taken over Ole Miss. Shame on them.
Andrea
October 21, 2015 at 8:39 am
Removing symbols from anything will not make any difference. PEOPLE have to change. I am so sick of hearing something like this every time I turn around. The only thing that all this is going to accomplish is making people so mad that you find yourselves having a rebellion that you never dreamed about in your worst nightmares. So get the “f” over it already.
Anonymous
October 21, 2015 at 9:02 am
First Colonel Reb now the flag….really??? When is it going to end? It is all about HERITAGE NOT HATE!!!! You can remove all the flags you want but the bottom line is it will NOT change until the mindset of the people change.
Jason
October 21, 2015 at 9:07 am
Haha you are asking them to get the “F” over. Why can’t you? But you are right; removing symbols will not make any difference. That is why we should accept flags in public places with offensive symbols. I want to know what you would do if a flag has the Black Panther symbol and in the middle of your PUBLIC university. Let me know when the rebellion begins! Cheers!
e j
October 21, 2015 at 9:14 am
that Coon boy said at the meeting that donors who do not agree with him “can keep their money” OK I will
Very Frustrated Student
October 21, 2015 at 9:47 am
Dear alumni complaining about the flag being removed:
SHUT UP. First off, you don’t run this institution like you think you do. Secondly, those of us who are actually CURRENT STUDENTS here get to make our own decisions about OUR school, whether you like it or not. Thirdly, the Civil War ended 150 years ago, it’s time to move on from these lame outdated confederate traditions. Fourthly, if you stop donating to the university over this, you’re pretty much scum. It’s like a few years ago, when some alumni stopped donating to the band because they weren’t allowed to play “From Dixie With Love” anymore, even though the only reason the song was removed from the band repertoire is because of YOU stubborn drunken fans who refused to stop chanting “the south will rise again” after being asked repeatedly to do so. If you stop donating to the university over a stupid flag, you are proving that you care more about a lame outdated tradition than the well-being of our university, and if that’s how you feel, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Rant over.
Hal
October 21, 2015 at 9:49 am
get ready because the confederate soldier monument will be next.
Hal
October 21, 2015 at 9:55 am
The COON BOY should transfer to Columbia university and be with the other nutty liberals. He’s probably a journalism major.
John
October 21, 2015 at 10:13 am
Get the hell out of our state.
Very Frustrated Student
October 21, 2015 at 10:48 am
You rednecks are pathetic.
Rob
October 21, 2015 at 10:50 am
Get the hell away from our University
Lisa Nichols
October 21, 2015 at 11:07 am
Who are these “representatives” to try and decide if OUR STATE FLAG should or should not be flown?? Pitiful excuse for students that this is the most important issue they have to concern themselves with. The corner of OUR flag that the state of Mississippi has VOTED to keep! Get a life. Smdh
Very Frustrated Student
October 21, 2015 at 11:22 am
Rob, is it not YOUR university, it is OUR university. Our as in THE STUDENTS. This is a place to learn, first and foremost. I’m sick of a bunch of alumni and fans thinking their opinions should come before the students. We’re here to LEARN.
e j
October 21, 2015 at 11:40 am
students…it is not your University, nor is it the alumni, and donors University, It is the state of Mississippi’s University and the state flag should be displayed.
If you would like a new state flag, I encourage you to work toward that end. And please, do not be blinded by your own perceived self importance. The alumni and boosters were here long before you got here, and will be here long after you flunk out.
Reb Fan
October 21, 2015 at 12:54 pm
This is the University of Mississippi and the State flag should fly at Ole Miss. These students do not respect the people of the State who voted by 65% to support the State flag. Maybe alumni and fans should stop supporting the university finacially, if this is how the students fell about our state and its heritage.
Sandy
October 21, 2015 at 2:17 pm
The south lost. Lose the flag. That’s how it works.
Mar
October 21, 2015 at 3:12 pm
This is the University of Mississippi….meaning it is a state owned school and as such should have the flag of the State of Mississippi flying over it. If you don’t like the flag then jump on the band wagon with those who want to make a change to the flag….but don’t ask the university to remove it just because you don’t like it!!! Follow proper protocol and act like the grown up college student you think you are!! And yes it is MY university because not only did I graduate from it….my tax dollars help pay for you to go to school there!!!
ej
October 21, 2015 at 4:07 pm
To all those students who think that their opinion is all that matters, consider this please. Mr. Vitter will be in town this weekend, and his first major event is a reception for alumni and major donors. Guess he just does not realize how important the students and A S B are………well, maybe he does.
ab
October 21, 2015 at 5:21 pm
Get over it
Anonymous
October 21, 2015 at 5:22 pm
Dont nobody want to see that funky ass flag
ej
October 21, 2015 at 6:32 pm
English major??
Zach Hampton
October 21, 2015 at 10:15 pm
Dear ASB,
This is not about a flag or even about a symbol but rather the attempt to completely erase history; simply because of a few pretending to be offended. If this were truly about something as simple as a flag, more discussion and intellectual debate would have been held. This was not the case. This is because these people want to feel important. They want to be the ones who marched with Dr. King. They want to feel like they made a positive difference. In truth their “achievements” drive a deeper divide between peoples and brew a bitter animosity. If racism does exist, it is through their perpetuation of tensions which do not, in reality, exist. Based on the logic employed in this rash, childish, and reactionary decision it can be extrapolated that the American Flag which has been a symbol of hate and oppression for over 200 years must be removed. The constitution is void and must be burned because those who wrote it had slaves. People of opposing views should be silenced because they are uneducated racists. Where is the line drawn? More importantly, what gives a few people the right to decide when that line should be drawn? You cannot arbitrarily decide that this year a flag is too much for you to handle. What about next year? Will YOUR hate be satiated yet? Yes YOUR hate. The only truly racist people and actions that exist are those who declare things as racist. It is not the people who fly the flag who have a problem but rather the people who look at the flag and think it a symbol of bitter racism. If a symbol offends you that deeply, this is likely an indication of mental illness. However, if the argument is legitimized and we assume that some people are offended by the flag because it symbolizes racism, then the only way to truly remove that stigma is to no longer give that symbol power. Without the power of fear the symbol is meaningless and, thus (if it were only flown as a symbol of evil and racism), it would no longer be flown. By removing an icon many people hold dear will deepen hatreds not promote healing. It may increase violent behavior not create a cohesive society. You cannot tell people how to think and doing so is nothing short of evil and tyrannical. It is the easy way out. It is the coward’s way out. You don’t look brave or intelligent. You are not special. If you wanted to be brave and strong then stand for something, don’t bend to those who want to control you. NO ONE is actually offended by the flag. They may say so for some air time but no one truly cares. However, removing it, people DO care about that. Think critically, it is a skill this generation severely lacks.
P.S. You are a publicly funded university. This means you receive money from the state. You have, in effect, stated that state funding is not good enough for you as the flag is the symbol of the state. Furthermore, if you are not from this state, you should not have voted on the issue at all.
HG
October 21, 2015 at 10:18 pm
The student Senate is a total embarrassment to the State, the University, and the alumni! I bet the Student Senate elections were rigged in some way to get these people elected. Sounds like the work of Dr. Jones!
My Thoughts
October 21, 2015 at 11:33 pm
For me it’s as simple as this.
It doesn’t matter WHAT the state flag is. It could be Skull and Crossbones or Raindows and ponies.
But as long as it is the official state flag of Mississippi it SHOULD fly over the campus of The University of MISSISSIPPI.
Want to change that try to bring it to a vote again and watch the MAJORITY of people vote to keep it the same AGAIN.
HG
October 22, 2015 at 12:14 pm
What do they want to fly in the State flags place, the Bolshevick flag! It would be a perfect fit for the ASB!
Jon
October 22, 2015 at 2:57 pm
WOW. I am trying to picture what some of these posters look like. It isn’t hard. I am sure there are plenty who graduated pre 1975 and many who never graduated from much at all.
I like economics. I studied accounting and finance while at the university. The “great” state of mississippi is among the poorest in the nation. We have very high poverty levels and need economic progress. There are large corporations who refuse to do business in the state due to the flag. I believe that the state can’t host major golf tournaments from the PGA, NCAA tourny or a bowl game due to the issue of a damn corner of a flag. If it means growing the GDP of Mississippi .01% then you CHANGE the damn flag. The world is constantly changing. Always has, always will. Get over it.
I get that grandpa supported the flag. However, Grandpa and “daddy” lived in a different time. A time that may have been great for whites, but held back the black population. Why do you want to keep a symbol that constantly reminds them that they once were and to some still are second class citizens. History belongs in museums. You don’t forget but you move on. Today I believe we have a class problem and not a race problem, but I won’t get into that. However, WTF is wrong with you Hal. Calling a smart ambitious young man “Coon Boy”. I don’t care if you disagree with him. You are an insecure person with a lot of issues.
JON
Anonymous
October 22, 2015 at 8:56 pm
What’s next? Will there be a rainbow flag flying?
mb
October 22, 2015 at 11:01 pm
I hope there comes a day when Political Correctness is not so trendy. Just because you remove a flag, it won’t change the mindset of those with prejudices. If you take away America’s guns, ti won’t stop the people who want to inflict harm from inflicting it.
native
October 26, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Seems to me the nickname rebel no longer represents who ole miss is . Conformist or weakling seems better suited.