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ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) -- Dixie State College trustees voted to retire the school's Rebel nickname and mascot symbol because they are associated with Old South stereotypes invoking slavery and the rebel Confederacy.
It was a formality -- Dixie State had already adopted a new Red Storm nickname and bull mascot in February.
It also was a close vote. The board voted 5-4 Friday to retire the old symbols.
The switch came over the objection of hundreds of students and alumni.
Many locals insist the Rebel image hailed from nothing more than efforts by Mormon settlers to grow cotton in southern Utah.
Others said that nuance would be lost on people outside of Utah.
Dixie State College made the switch as it seeks an affiliation with the image-conscious University of Utah.
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Information from: The Spectrum
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
