BS: ?Possum College

Subject: ?Possum College
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 05:13 AM

Another offering from my attachment to the bizarre (Have you met the wife?):I offer it with no comment other than the suggestion in the thread title:

Beaver College forced by jokes to change name

TIRED of endless jokes, the board of trustees at the 2,800-student Beaver College in Philadelphia has decided to change its name.

The college president, Bette Landeman, argued that Beaver College "too often elicits ridicule in the form of derogatory remarks pertaining to the rodent, the TV show Leave it to Beaver and the vulgar reference to the female anatomy". College authorities say many students have been put off from applying because of its name. The college was founded in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, in 1853.RtS

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Brendy
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 05:35 AM

They could always re-name it 'Belvoir College'; same pronunciation, different imagery.

B.

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 05:44 AM

Apparently, internet filtering was stopping prospective students accessing its web site from schools!
RtS

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: The Shambles
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 06:08 AM

DAM!

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Brendy
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 10:49 AM

Preserve us creaturs from political correctness in possum colleges.

What next?

B.

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 10:57 AM

I had heard about this on NPR. If those trustees had an ounce of integrity they'd keep the name and lobby not to have beaver, a perfectly good animal, barred from computer screens by virtue of some slang association with a perfectly good body part. If it were Dick College it wouldn't be a problem, wanna bet...

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 01:48 PM

We really do appropriate so many words for things other than their intended usage. In Georgia, there is a fantastic craft fair in a small town named "Gay." So evertime you try to tell people about the "Gay Crafts Fair" it requires an explanation.

Why doesn't Max give them a call since they're in Philly and offer the Mudcat name?

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Callie
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 10:03 PM

Do they offer ears, whiskers or tail electives?

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Wavestar
Date: 15 Jun 00 - 01:00 AM

I remember being infuriatingly stymied when trying to do online research using one of my University's computer's once, on a project doing a search for "Women and Literature"... apparently whatever it found was too risque, but it wouldn't show me ANY results... and the library officials were entirely unsympathetic. *sigh*

-J

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Fiddlin' Big Al
Date: 15 Jun 00 - 02:48 AM

sounds like a job opportunity for Red Green. Major in Duct Tape.

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Jun 00 - 05:49 AM

OH! Now there's a thread to refresh: Duct Tape!

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: rangeroger
Date: 15 Jun 00 - 11:11 PM

Isn't this where I came in?
rr

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: SharonA
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 09:34 AM

Well, as of this month (it happened July 16th), if's official: what was Beaver College (in Glenside, Montgomery County, PA) is now Arcadia University. For more info, the college's website can be accessed under either name: www.beaver edu *OR* www.arcadia.edu ....and there's a category called "Name Change" in a list down the left-hand side of the screen; pointing the cursor at it brings up a sub-list of page titles to its right.

55 percent of the students opposed the name change; 25 percent favored it. Question is: will the change relieve the 800 alumni who requested new diplomas from jokes about the name, or will 'Arcadia' become a new euphemism?

This "issue" has been in the local (Philadelphia area) news off and on for years now; I've heard some pretty lewd and inflammatory remarks about it on local radio talk shows and so forth. Oddly, Beaver's decision-makers turned to ancient Greece, with its reputation for (*ahem*) "liberal" sexual behavior, for their new-name inspiration.

Frankly I think the whole name-change thing is silly: there's a Beaver County in western Pennsylvania as well (where the college was founded in 1853 as a small college for women, before it moved), so are they going to change the county's name next?? Are they going to rename the animal, too?!?!? It's political correctness gone wild, and the wildlife is paying the price!!! I'm surprised Greenpeace isn't demonstrating at the college.

(BTW, Mudcat is located on Gay Street. *gasp*)

SharonA

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: SharonA
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 10:09 AM

Sorry; that should have read: "IT'S official"!

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:10 AM

I wondered who was dumb enough to start such a silly thread and discovered it was me! (Damn CRS)
RtS

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:22 AM

Skiff buddy, you've been away from the NYCFTTS too long and you're in obvious need of help. A few weeks of treatment with tiple and noseflute and then go back and resume your administrative duties will set you right.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: mousethief
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 12:00 PM

I was sitting across from a woman in college once, and she was wearing a dress, and no panties, and you could see her arcadia.

Yeah, that could work.

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: SharonA
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 12:14 PM

Actually, "Arcadia" as a new euphemism for (*well, you know*) was Pene Azul's concept! ....At least they didn't take spaw's suggestion and make it Mudcat U, and turn "Mudcat" into a new naughty-bit word! (It isn't one already, is it? *G*)

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 12:58 PM

The BEAVER is a proud and noble animal!

Joe from the Molson "I am Canadian" rants.

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 01:36 PM

That's a fact Jack!!!

The beaver is proud and noble, no doubt about it. I've never met a beaver I didn't like and I don't think you can find any bad beaver anywhere. I know some have various diseases so you should choose carefully, but I certainly can vouch for the fact that there is nothing like a fine beaver. When you come face to face with a beaver you are truly blessed. Very proud and noble as you say.......

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Jim Krause
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 01:56 PM

Yep, Spaw, beaver's a mighty fine animal. The get turned into good Stetson hats, too. Alas, my ol' fedora is about all gone, and I gotta get a new one. Man have the prices gone up in twenty years.
Jim

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: SharonA
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 05:37 PM

How did "beaver" get to be a nickname for *that*, anyway?

I have to wonder: if Beaver College hadn't originally been an all-women's school, would the association between the college and *that* ever have been made?

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Amos
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:42 PM

Well, for that matter, when did people start refusing to call **that** by a direct name? Victorian prurience?

How come no-one forced the screenwriters to rename 'Pussy Galore" in the Goldfinger flick? We better watch out what people come up with in slang from now on, in case they establish unwanted links to words we need. "Index", "vacuum", "lagbolt", "pilothole", "Philips head", "detour", "mother board", "CPU", and "cockpit" come to mind.

A

Subject: Why Beaver fo that??
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:55 PM

Some says, when dey're h'll slicked down, and shiny, dat dey looks like beavers. Me H'I'm from Canada and we got beavers on our nickels. But dey shore don't look like nickels.

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 12:15 AM

We really love euphemisms don't we? As a matter of fact, euphemism is euphemistic isn't it? Why not just say lie?

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: Chip2447
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 01:30 AM

What's next....Ball U?

Subject: RE: BS: ?Possum College
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 08:28 AM

Since Letterman went to Ball State, it's probably safe since it's a source for joke material.

Spaw