It is time to replace the Rebel moniker, which was the mascot just a few years ago, at the University of Mississippi with something that unites instead of divides.

Prior to 1936, the university sports teams were known as "The Flood." (https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2015/10/25/before-we-were-the-ole-miss-rebels/) While this petition is about the removal of "Rebels," "The Flood" aligns with the state's most famous and recognizable resource, the Mississippi River.

It is also time to refurbish, or more frankly, rehabilitate, the term of endearment known as "Ole Miss," or cease the use of the nickname.  While perhaps not the original connotation for the university annual according to various reports, the term "the Ol' Miss" has been used to refer to the Mississippi River in regional vernacular language for generations. The replacement of "Ole Miss" with "Ol' Miss" is achievable and, if paired with "The Flood," is a natural.  With a river theme, the athletic mascot may also undergo a makeover to align.  To be clear, the term of endearment will either be rescued through re-contextualization, or lost to the zeitgeist of heightened cultural awareness.

The "Rebels" connection to the army of the Confederacy is not debatable.  "Ole Miss," or "Ol' Miss," is more elastic, including the river reference as well as a turn-of-the-century Memphis train.  The latter is recoverable.  The former is not.