The odd thing to me is this isn't some tradition.
Granted it's been 16 years since they were buffaloed into giving me a degree, but there was no such hand gesture then. There was no hand gesture at all.
Not sure when or where it started. (Of course when you have the stupid 'Scotsman' song with accompanying cow milking hand gestures it's not surprising this is a thing now)
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LOL at Utah State.
The kid who is so offended might want to wonder why signing female anatomy is inherently offensive to him.
This is a good chance for USU to embrace some feminist pride!
σοφῷ ἀνδρὶ Ἑλλὰς πάντα.
-- Flavius Philostratus, Life of Apollonius 1.35.2.
Conversely the U sign that we do hasn't been widely adopted by most sports (yes I know gymnastics has done it for some time) until around 2008 or so I believe, at best not before 2003. I imagine changing our relatively new hand sign would be met with similar resistance.
As for why it might be inherently offensive to him, imagine the reaction if they changed their name to the USU Vaginas. Context is everything.
Isn't the element that makes this "offensive" equal to Oregon's hand sign? Dude is lucky he isn't getting a graduate degree from the Ducks. If anyone should be addressed with this issue, it should be the perverts at the American Sign Language for making their sign for "vagina" so visual.
I remember making the 'U' sign way back in the 80s, and gymnastics have used it off and on since the 60s (according to some people). We only used it at the football games, and frankly I thought it stood for the goal posts, and not the U. Gimme a break, I was about 12 at the time.
Aggie, get over yourself. That sign doesn't really mean what you think it means. The more you call yo end the sign, the more popular it will get.
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See, I don't think it's inherently offensive.
Stupid, yes, but only in the same way it would be stupid to call themselves the USU Noses or Vas Deferens. It's my impression from the article that the sign indicates anatomy, not crude slang (that would be degrading to women). Sure, they could change it because the sign suggests something unintended, but to call the sign offensive is problematic (IMO). Just say it's silly or stupid or ignorant.
At best, the kid is a ninny of a prude.
σοφῷ ἀνδρὶ Ἑλλὰς πάντα.
-- Flavius Philostratus, Life of Apollonius 1.35.2.