Spring Break
All they are is dust in the 'Wind
Sarah Zeeck
Issue date: 6/24/09 Section: Opinion
For two years, it has been debated whether to keep or can the name "Westerwinds" as the name of female athletes at Western. The debate ended abruptly this May, while students were on break, ruling that women's athletics would now become the Lady Leathernecks.
Because other major events also occurred the same day as this decision, the issues were somewhat diminished and/or forgotten completely-President Goldfarb not only announced the finalized name change, but also that he would be retiring in 2011 and that the swimming and diving teams would be drowned from existence.
However, an event this big should not be totally ignored. This change affects the lives of all female athletes and their coaches this fall.
There are many ways to view this situation. Many have argued that by getting rid of the "Westerwinds" name, a history and tradition are lost in the sands of time. Many female athletes don't want to become "Lady Leathernecks."
Several issues should be considered when approaching this topic.
The Westerwinds name has been a longstanding symbol of women's athletics. It's understandable that any woman in sports would want to maintain the same name she had been playing under for the duration of her collegiate athletic career. However, the name "Leathernecks" is more widely known. This isn't necessarily the fault of anyone, but it is a fact. Take that a step further and visit the WIU bookstore. All of the merchandise-from coffee cups to t-shirts to notebooks-has Rocky the Bulldog, or "Leatherneck" stamped on it. Most of the merchandise even says "Leathernecks" and there is very little "Westerwind" memorabilia to be found, if any.
The Bulldog sits outside Hanson Field, in storefront windows, and his paws scamper across campus. There is no storm path for the Westerwinds, no ominous cloud outside any stadium, and no widely known emblem to define what exactly a Westerwind is.
We, as a student body, may know what force is behind a Westerwind. We know the gale-force winds our women bring to tennis courts, softball fields, the track, and elsewhere. We know what our female athletes bring to the table. Other schools and other communities, though, might not have the same understanding of what a Westerwind really is, because they haven't heard of and don't know about them.
Because other major events also occurred the same day as this decision, the issues were somewhat diminished and/or forgotten completely-President Goldfarb not only announced the finalized name change, but also that he would be retiring in 2011 and that the swimming and diving teams would be drowned from existence.
However, an event this big should not be totally ignored. This change affects the lives of all female athletes and their coaches this fall.
There are many ways to view this situation. Many have argued that by getting rid of the "Westerwinds" name, a history and tradition are lost in the sands of time. Many female athletes don't want to become "Lady Leathernecks."
Several issues should be considered when approaching this topic.
The Westerwinds name has been a longstanding symbol of women's athletics. It's understandable that any woman in sports would want to maintain the same name she had been playing under for the duration of her collegiate athletic career. However, the name "Leathernecks" is more widely known. This isn't necessarily the fault of anyone, but it is a fact. Take that a step further and visit the WIU bookstore. All of the merchandise-from coffee cups to t-shirts to notebooks-has Rocky the Bulldog, or "Leatherneck" stamped on it. Most of the merchandise even says "Leathernecks" and there is very little "Westerwind" memorabilia to be found, if any.
The Bulldog sits outside Hanson Field, in storefront windows, and his paws scamper across campus. There is no storm path for the Westerwinds, no ominous cloud outside any stadium, and no widely known emblem to define what exactly a Westerwind is.
We, as a student body, may know what force is behind a Westerwind. We know the gale-force winds our women bring to tennis courts, softball fields, the track, and elsewhere. We know what our female athletes bring to the table. Other schools and other communities, though, might not have the same understanding of what a Westerwind really is, because they haven't heard of and don't know about them.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
empty j
posted 6/28/09 @ 4:47 PM CST
you state that "Many female athletes don't want to become "Lady Leathernecks." However, this change was done with the support of the female athletes. (Continued…)
WESTERN_FAN
posted 6/28/09 @ 5:31 PM CST
I believe that the women's teams will just be called "Leathernecks" and not "Lady Leathernecks".
We don't need to add that word "Lady".
windsswim
posted 7/06/09 @ 12:26 PM CST
Maybe some female athletes supported it because they weren't told of the history of the 'Winds name so they could be proud of what they stood for. They have no logo to represent them. (Continued…)
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