KEEP THE TRADITION: INDIANS AND OTAHKIANS

The current discussion over nicknames and mascots at Southeast Missouri State University is the result of an effort by student government to find ways to get more students interested in athletic events, which are poorly attended to say the least.

In the process, concerns about political correctness -- the men's teams are Indians, and the women's teams are Otahkians -- have crept into the discussion.

With no real complaints about using the references to Native Americans who either were part of the local culture or passed through on a forced migration, a committee has recommended keeping the names, but no Indian-related mascot.

Tradition is a powerful glue that tends to bind current students and faculty with alumni and others who maintain ties with the university. Absent any fuss about the current names, why not leave them alone? And even if someone objected, there would be a strong case for keeping the Indian and Otahkian identities.

All of which leaves the original objective -- finding ways to get more students involved in team spirit -- unresolved. That issue is still worth working on.