Opposing views?

mkat · Post by **mkat** » March 3, 2005, 10:53 am

Are there a lot of people on campus who don't like the SMS name change?? It seems as if I'm the only one....anyone?

the_red_chimp · Post by **the_red_chimp** » March 4, 2005, 12:13 am

mkat wrote:Are there a lot of people on campus who don't like the SMS name change?? It seems as if I'm the only one....anyone?

So far your main argument is "I don't want to have to remember MSU as opposed to SMS." Good one.

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » March 4, 2005, 1:01 am

I can't remember what school I go to! Where am I?!

If only it had remained SMSU.....

tiffybird24 · Post by **tiffybird24** » March 4, 2005, 5:57 am

I'm with you mkat. i liked smsu. i chose to go to smsu not msu. i really doubt it will get us all that much more money in the long run. and there are so many other state colleges people could choose. plus MSU is already taken by Michigan State University.

mkat · Post by **mkat** » March 4, 2005, 10:37 am

thank you tiffybird. I never gave you an argument so I don't think its fair to say that that is my only point. I just don't think that the name change is necessary, especially since we're not getting any funding for it and now we cannot even start any doctorate programs that MU has claims on. MSU is so general. I liked and chose SMS because it set us apart and no one else has that name. I'm not going to be confused about where I go to school now that its MSU and what it's called. Please, I'm not ignorant. Besides, I haven't heard a great argument about why the name change is so fabulous.

tiffybird24 · Post by **tiffybird24** » March 4, 2005, 1:11 pm

you know, i had no idea about the doctorate program thing. i'm thinking that there are going to be a lot of small unforseen problems that are going to reveal theirself as it goes along, that being the beginning of them. i'm still sticking next to my first argument. SMSU has many programs that are very widely known and now there is going to be some confusion for sometime making it known as MSU's great programs, and even still they could get confused with Michigan State University. in the long run i see this as hurting us more than anything.

solid_dave · Post by **solid_dave** » March 4, 2005, 8:10 pm

I'm not aware of any programs we have that are known... Our Masters CIS program WAS one of the best, then most of funding got yoinked out of it. I'm not so worried about who gets confused, I'm more worried about someone seeing "Southwest Missouri State University" on a resume somewhere in Chicago, or Phoenix, or LA, and saying... what kinda po dunked crappy as regional college is that?

I'm in college for a resume builder, and Missouri State University has much more impact, and I think we've got the curriculum to match the name.

Know one outside of our sports confrences know who we are... that I know of... maybe a few handball players.... oh, one time we made Elite Eight in Men's hoops... and the Girls B-Ball is pretty awesome... but as far as awesome acedemic programs...that are regonized by any other institution as... well awesome....

anyone?

I'm at a loss...

rchif0 · Post by **rchif0** » March 4, 2005, 8:34 pm

Oh Jesus Christ. Michigan State? Seriously. How about Iowa State (ISU) and Illinois State (ISU) and Idaho State (ISU). Maybe Alabama State (ASU) and Arkansas State (ASU) and Arizona State (ASU). Do I need to keep going? Those all seem to be functioning universities as far as I know. SMS was not that well known to begin with, I lived 3 hours away and didn't know jack shit about it until I was invited her with the PSA program. About the doctorate thing, we weren't going to create doctorate programs in the first place because the school supporting one would take up 90% of our current budget. It is not that hard to say "HEY GUYS MSU USED TO BE KNOWN AS SMS!" We're not the first school in the country to change names, and we won't be the last, yet I don't here about any apocolypses going down because of it either. And MSU isn't a damn name, it's an acronym. As stated above, other universities seem to survive with the acronym. Michigan State did okay with Mississippi State did okay with Montana State did okay with Minnesota State, and I think Missouri State will fit right in there and not flounder down the shitter. If the circumstances concerning the amendment this year had such political negatives that would come with them, why did it pass about 4-to-1?

Post by **Paco103** » March 4, 2005, 10:19 pm

rchif0 wrote:If the circumstances concerning the amendment this year had such political negatives that would come with them, why did it pass about 4-to-1?

Because eventually people just get sick of hearing about it and say "Fine, do what you want. I don't care anymore." That's pretty much where I stand on it.

Seriously though, any program that's worthy of being known will be known no matter what the name is. You think anyone would know what Juliard was if it wasn't worthy of being known? What about MIT. . . Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That sounds like a cheesy little tech school, but anyone in the computer/electrical fields knows about those guys - and most of us would give anything to be part of them.

The name isn't what got them there. I happen to know the Cartography department here is known pretty well here. We've even got some California residents that come here for that. I honestly couldn't tell you what we are known for - the only thing I know anything about is the CSC department - and I know we're doing okay with that. The name will not change the quality of people coming out of this school - and THAT is what gets a school known.

How about Florida State? I don't hear much bragging about them as a state university - unless you want a good party.

Honestly - I really don't care what the name is one way or the other. It's just a name.

However, waiting until someone makes an argument to make a rebuttal might be more effective. mkat never made a point - he merely stated he preferred SMSU over MSU as a name.

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » March 5, 2005, 2:14 am

SMSU has one of the best graphic design programs in the country. Print magazine did a story on it a few years ago. See, SMSU got a bunch of Eastern European hotshots to come to our school and build a top class program from the ground up. And how many people in this area really know about it? Not many.

If you suck as a graphic designer, you won't get work regardless of your school's name. The name SMSU was never going to get you a job. If you won some big contest in Print magazine and put it on your resume, your school could be called Fat Margaret's House of Flapjacks, and you'll still have a good shot at getting a good job. In any art or design program, you have a few standout students, and the rest are schmoes. I doubt the name change is going to hurt the outstanding achievers of any program. Those who suck will still suck.

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » March 5, 2005, 2:18 am

In the end, I think Missouri State University is still going to be better for the school, the City of Springfield, and students. And when I get my degrees that prominently display the words, "Missouri State University", I'm gonna smile.

Post by **Paco103** » March 5, 2005, 4:19 pm

Frank Castle wrote:If you suck as a graphic designer, you won't get work regardless of your school's name. The name SMSU was never going to get you a job. If you won some big contest in Print magazine and put it on your resume, your school could be called Fat Margaret's House of Flapjacks, and you'll still have a good shot at getting a good job. In any art or design program, you have a few standout students, and the rest are schmoes. I doubt the name change is going to hurt the outstanding achievers of any program. Those who suck will still suck.

That is true for any program. Nobody that's figured out how to type in "www.bearnotes.com" and login is going to forget what school they go to when the name is changed. Some people don't like the change, some do, that doesn't mean the people that don't are morons.

The name will not affect the quality of this school, certainly not in OUR generation. And with the coincidence of the name change and the new president - nobody will ever be able to tell which one is causing the improvement if it happens.

The name hasn't helped plenty of other schools. I've never heard of Idaho State University, but that doesn't mean they're a bad school. I have heard of Florida State University - but that doesn't mean they're a good school. A school will earn it's reputation. It is not given based on it's name (except perhaps in the case of "Fat Margaret's House of Flapjacks" - but that's an extreme case)

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » March 6, 2005, 12:54 am

Fat Margaret makes lousy meatloaf.

dernhelm_003 · Post by **dernhelm_003** » March 8, 2005, 10:19 pm

I love SMS, but I hate being clumped with SEMO as a regional university. When I look at all the reasons (just look at our enrollment) for changing the name (we're not getting any $ out of it--MU has insured that in the bill), I wanted the state recognition for the school. MU has a big head.

rkl464s · Post by **rkl464s** » April 4, 2005, 9:14 pm

I know this is like a month after the last discussion on this subject, but I don't check this much. I had some stuff I wanted to say though.

mkat wrote: I liked and chose SMS because it set us apart and no one else has that name.

First off, we used to be called Southwest Missouri State University, which was shortened to SMSU. From there it was then shortened to SMS which is used mainly for sports. We are not the only SMSU in this country. I went to google and typed in SMSU, after going through many pages, I found at least one more school which is refered to as SMSU: Southwest Minnesota State University. Therefore, our name, was NOT, completely unique.

dernhelm_003 wrote: I love SMS, but I hate being clumped with SEMO as a regional university. When I look at all the reasons (just look at our enrollment).

I totally agree with this. We once were a regional school, but we no longer are. We have students enrolled at our school from EVERY county in the state, as well as almost all the states in the country and numerous countries. That alone is enough to prove that we are long past due a name which rids us of our regional location.

Most of all, MSU is just a name, and like many have said before, its not the school you went to, its what you learned at that school, and what you can bring to the field in which you studied. Hell any of us could go to OTC (Ozarks Technical College) and get a specialized degree in something and get a top notch job in that field, or we can go to Yale Law School, graduate, yet never practice law, because we can't pass the exam.

Frank Castle wrote: In the end, I think Missouri State University is still going to be better for the school, the City of Springfield, and students. And when I get my degrees that prominently display the words, "Missouri State University", I'm gonna smile.

I will be right there smiling with you!

Congratulations students, staff, and facutly of Missouri State University, we have arrived. It is now up to us to prove to this state, and country that we are not just a regional university, but we are a state university where the students are highly educated in every field.

Post by **Paco103** » April 4, 2005, 10:04 pm

First let's learn to spell succeeded in the Granite Plaque's we place for memorials!

solid_dave · Post by **solid_dave** » April 5, 2005, 4:50 pm

I agree with paco

BearNotes

Opposing views?

What do you think of the name change?

Opposing views?

Re: Opposing views?

SMS forever, but MSU is better (hopefully)

GO MSU