UNLV’s Rebel Yell newspaper to change name following Confederacy controversy

The editor of UNLV’s student-run Rebel Yell says the newspaper’s name needs to be changed. She said it’s racist and advocates institutionalized racism with its ties to confederate history.

The name has been changed from The Rebel Yell to other names a few times since the newspaper started in 1955. The student paper was also known as The Yell and The Yelling Rebel but was changed back to The Rebel Yell in 1992.

The publication officially will change its name by spring 2017, regardless of whether the school has any plans to change its mascot, the Rebel Yell reported.

“We would like to be on the right side of history and we challenge the institution we cover and respect to follow suit,” Rebel Yell Editor-in-Chief Rene McCullough said in a published piece explaining the name change.

“I think they’re taking the right stride to change because their taking the first steps in the rebranding of the institution.” said Breana Goodall-Fleming, a UNLV integrated marketing communications student. Whether the Hey Reb mascot changes will be interesting to see, she said.

McCullough wrote, “Changing the mascot is a separate issue. It depends on student and faculty interest, loss of brand recognition and the cost of changing all existing memorabilia to name a few. Yes, changing the mascot will cost a lot of money and mean rebuilding brand value. But not changing our mascot will come at a high cost as well — the cost of subtle segregation.”

McCullough said the paper is soliciting reader opinions to help select a new name. Whether students approve or not, the name will change, she said.

The idea of changing The Rebel Yell’s name gained traction after a comment made by Sen. Harry Reid in June, amid concerns over symbols of the Confederacy, in which he suggested the school should “reconsider the ‘Rebels’ nickname” due to its ties to a time when UNLV identified itself with the South.

McCullough, as editor-in-chief, has the power to make this change. However, the editorial staff agreed.

“Administrators did not force a name change — they support it,” she said. “We are a diverse school with a diverse staff, we don’t want to advocate for institutional racism.”

The Rebel Yell “is a racist title,” McCullough said. “It’s a proper noun that represents a confederate battle war cry.”

Juan Cuellar, a UNLV Education graduate student, said the name change “was long overdue and necessary for students of color. To be reminded on a daily basis is problematic. The name change doesn’t mean racism is going away and everything will be peaches and cream, but it’s an important step.”

UNLV President Len Jessup requested a full report from the school’s chief diversity officer, Rainier Spencer, detailing any ties to the Confederacy that the Rebels nickname and UNLV’s Hey Reb! mascot held and if either needed to be changed.

Over five months, Spencer pored through school records and interviewed students, employees and community leaders to compile a 60-page analysis of his findings. Based on his results, outlined in a study titled “Report on UNLV Rebels Nickname and Hey Reb! Mascot,” Spencer concluded that neither UNLV’s Rebels nickname nor its mascot have any ties to the Confederacy.

McCullough said that Spencer made a presentation to the advisory board in support of the paper name change. The consensus at the paper is mixed in regards to the name change.

Besides Spencer’s report, the Council on Equity and Opportunity set up an online survey to help gauge the community’s feelings on the school’s mascot.

The results of the survey, which collected 4,605 responses and are available through UNLV’s website, concluded the majority of respondents do not find Hey Reb! to be offensive.

What are people saying about the name change?

Contact Raven Jackson at rjackson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter @ravenmjackson Contact Caitlin Lilly at clilly@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @caitielilly