Category: default || By jt3y

I got a message from Mayor Jim Brewster the other day informing me that he finally did get an appointment to meet with Penn State University President Graham Spanier to discuss the impending name change from "Penn State McKeesport" to "Penn State Allegheny."

Brewster also says that Penn State officials told him that they received only two complaints about the name change --- and one of those, presumably, was mine. There have been a lot of letters to the editor of the Daily News, but I don't imagine that the university is counting those.

Consequently, the mayor is encouraging residents to voice their opinion directly to Penn State officials. I think that's an excellent idea, and whether you agree or disagree that "Penn State McKeesport" should change its name, take the time to write and express your viewpoint, too.

My personal hope is that maybe this name change isn't set in stone --- or perhaps it can be tempered in such a way that the name "McKeesport" remains a part of the campus's name. ("Penn State Allegheny at McKeesport"? Hmm. Anyone have another suggestion?)

Someone asked me recently why I dislike the change. Simple: I think the city benefits from having the prestige of a Penn State campus, and I think it's harmful to the city's image to remove its name.

The city should be proud of its past, but more importantly, it needs to have a future --- and if we're going to go around hanging our heads because we're from "McKeesport," then we might as well level the place right now.

Anyway, we don't need to drive a wedge between the city and this important educational resource, and rightly or wrongly, a lot of McKeesporters (past and present) are offended.

Why? Well, read what the chancellor of the Penn State New Kensington campus recently wrote:

We are proud of our New Kensington heritage as we enter as fifth decade of service to the citizens of southwestern Pennsylvania. We have no plans to regionalize our name. There are no discussions, going on now or in the planning stages, at the campus or University Park on a name change for the campus.

We will continue to be known by the city of our birthplace. We are ... "Penn State New Kensington."

Penn State New Kensington is proud of its heritage. It should be. But the statement from PSNK begs the question: Does this mean that certain other campuses embarrassed by theirs?