I wrotes a Retriever editorial. Let's see if they print it.
-----
As a recent alumnus, I'm writing to commend Chris Cook on his excellent editorial about UMBC's proposed name change. However, since both "Maryland State" and "Maryland Institute of Technology" have problems, as mentioned, I'm officially nominating another alternative, "Poe University." As in, Edgar Allan.

Say it with me. "I go to Poe." Fun to say, easy to spell. Much, hopefully, like UMBC, Edgar Allan Poe is THE famous Baltimorean, a local source of pride with international prestige. Yes, dropping "Baltimore County" keeps us from sounding like a community college, but let's stay proud of Baltimore. Our school already has the academics and the athletic caliber, and we're only getting stronger. What we need is pride and identity. "Maryland State," while better than what we've got, is, frankly, a name from Genericopolis. We're a Baltimore landmark, and trying to separate ourselves from a vibrant, unique, and historical city is a missed opportunity for both communities.

Baltimore is already the home of the Ravens, and its slogan was "The City that Reads." UMBC once housed Hillcrest, a 1920's criminal insane asylum turned frat house turned K-9 training facility. The AOK Library is itself pretty eldritch; if you stay there too long at finals time, you'll go insane. What are those spooky monoliths by the Commons garage? Is somebody bricked up in the Dining Hall? Why is the campus laid out in circles, and do they have mystical properties? While we're at it, let's rename the Administration Building to "Freeman Hrabowski's Dark Tower." Such a scary place, with narrow, menacing windows....

I can see it now: "The Pit and the Provost."

This is a silly tangent, but the campaign is serious. Yes, we are a good school. A smart school. But myth is powerful. Myth is what makes a young kid say, "When I graduate from high school, I want to go there." Myth is the unifying force of nostalgia.

Think about it.