November 20, 2000

11:03 AM

Beaver College has changedits name to the more dignified Arcadia University, after bearing the brunt of countless jokes and having their websites blocked by filtering software. I guess they made the announcement during a surprise student pajama party only to give the late night talk shows one last punchline.
posted by ewagoner (9 comments total)

The decision was announced just after midnight at a surprise pajama party for students, who were rounded up from residence halls with less than an hour's notice.

"Late Night Pajama Party at Beaver College"!!! Get down!

posted by dcehr at 11:16 AM on November 20, 2000

Wow Arcadia! Wasn't that a Duran Duran side project?
posted by riffola at 11:17 AM on November 20, 2000

They could have just changed the name to "Belvoir College", and given it the same pronunciation as Belvoir Castle, which is in the amusing location of... Rutland.
posted by holgate at 11:28 AM on November 20, 2000

The official college website explains it all in Flash.

It serendipitously coincided with the need to rename the college as a university anyway, due to increased use of graduate programs and, well, not being located in Beaver, PA anymore. Not that that last bothered them for decades ...
posted by dhartung at 8:13 PM on November 20, 2000

I say we start popularizing the word "arcadia" to refer to a part of the female anatomy
posted by SilentSalamander at 8:15 PM on November 20, 2000

Actually SilentSalamander....we could create a whole new type of protest mechanism using the internet and popular culture...

Pick some dastardly person or corporation, and then start a campaign to turn their trademarked names into Vulgar expressions.
posted by th3ph17 at 10:55 PM on November 20, 2000

Thank god there are still places to go for single-entendre college clothing.
posted by plinth at 11:31 AM on November 21, 2000

th3ph17:
Pick some dastardly person or corporation, and then start a campaign to turn their trademarked names into Vulgar expressions.

Isn't this already happening? "Nike", "Starbucks", "Walmart", "McDonalds" - all brand names that, when used to describe a person's buying habits, imply something nasty about that person.

SilentSalamander:
I say we start popularizing the word "arcadia" to refer to a part of the female anatomy

Given the history of "Arcadia" as a term referring to a picturesque, bucolic paradise, anyone whose sexual preferences include women should find the term suitably evocative...

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 2:42 PM on November 21, 2000

As a devotee of Duran Duran who lives well within commuting distance of the newly-monikered school, I might have to take some classes for the helluvit. Hmm.
posted by Dreama at 7:42 PM on November 22, 2000