The election will let students decide if they wish to have a new mascot or no mascot at all. The option of bringing back the old traditional mascot of Colonel Reb of the past, is not an option.

The University of Mississippi will not revisit the 2003 decision to remove Colonel Reb. The University Administration has decided that Colonel Reb causes perceptions of the Old South, an image of which the administration wishes to distance itself.

In 2003, the University Administration made a command decision to ban Colonel Reb, but no replacement was selected. The election is forcing students to choose between a new mascot or no mascot at all. The students are denied their true voice.

A movement to bring back Colonel Reb has begun. Join the movement, contact the Ole Miss Alumni Association and the University and tell them we want Colonel Reb to return and be the mascot of Ole Miss. Detailed information about this situation and contact information at Ole Miss can be found at www.confederatewave.org/wave/ole-miss-confederate-flag.phtml. Please vote in the poll at the website.