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UMW Student Paper Gets a Name Change

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The school newspaper at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia is changing its name over concerns that the original name propagated violence, Campus Reform reported.

The student-run newspaper, which serves as the record of campus events since 1922, is changing its name from The Bullet to The Blue & Gray Press.

"The editorial board felt that the paper's name, which alludes to ammunition for an artillery weapon, propagated violence and did not honor our school's history in a sensitive manner," the press release provided to Campus Reform states. "The board intends to remain faithful to the history our university stands upon, and we continue to honor this history both in a respectful and meaningful way."

Alice Thoet, editor-in-chief of The Blue & Gray Press, told Campus Reform that in addition to concerns over the original name carrying violent connotations, the editorial board also felt the title was outdated and was more representative of the Fredericksburg, Va., community ties to the Civil War and not the school.

The city was the site of five major battles during the Civil War with several other battles fought nearby.

"In this day and age, no one really cares about the Civil War. We wanted something that was updated," Thoet said.

They chose to rename the student newspaper The Blue & Gray Press because the name is representative of the school colors which "better reflects the school and student body."

"We want our students to be more involved and more intrigued by what's in our paper since essentially it's all about them," Thoet said.

Students at the University of Mary Washington changing the name of the publication in during the Vietnam War in 1971 because they weren't enthusiastic about "the name of the paper alluding to an artillery weapon," Fredericksburg.com reported.

The school's journalism department must give final approval since it primarily funds the paper.

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