Update to this story.
Via Red Alert:
Political correctness has reared its head at the University of Utah, where the student government voted Tuesday to change the words to the school’s fight song, “Utah Man,” because of what students say are racist, sexist connotations.
The resolution argues “Utah Man,” whose words ring out at football games and commencement ceremonies, “has language and themes that individuals on campus see as problematic and contribute to their feelings of exclusion from participating in campus traditions.”
It goes on to state two phrases that foster a culture of exclusivity and oppression.
a) The Title of the Song – The title “Utah Man” can be viewed as referring only to male members of the campus community.
b) Repetition of “Utah Man” throughout the song – can reasonably be interpreted as reminder of a status given to male students or men as representative of all students, even though many students at the University of Utah do not identify as men or being a man
c) The phrase “Our Co-eds are the fairest” in the Song- this phrase can be reasonably interpreted as objectifying women on campus while also supporting a hierarchy built on complexion and skin tone, privileging a light or “fair” appearance
Members of Associated Students of the University of Utah, the school’s governing body, passed the motion overwhelmingly. The fight song, a beloved tradition at the school, has been sung by students and alumni for more than 100 years.