The dust has settled at Dixie College now that the controversial Confederate flag has been replaced by a new design. The new flag is expected to be raised over the community college campus in the next 60 days.
"I like it," said Scott Lovell, the past president of the alumni association who originally opposed changing the flag."I still feel it was unfortunate," Lovell said of the flag controversy that had the campus and the city of St. George buzzing for many months.
"It has created some fairly divisive feelings in the community. But the new flag was a really good compromise. I've heard positive comments to the tune of, `If we had to have a new flag, this one is a really good replacement,' " Lovell said.
Robert Slack, a history and political science professor who called for replacing the old flag, also is happy.
"It is supported by those who wanted a new flag and those who didn't," Slack said. "I think the main feeling now is that even though the earlier flag possibly had not been intended in any racist way, we're happy that that possibility has disappeared with the new flag."
The Confederate flag was scrapped after some students and faculty charged it was racially insensitive for Dixie College to keep using a symbol many associate with slavery and racism.
However, many alumni said the flag merely represented school tradition and they objected to what they saw as political correctness run amok.
The school's Board of Trustees in January chose the new design, which was created by sixth-grader Ryan Whitehead on his computer.
The new flag is somewhat similar to the old one. It features a red background, two diagonal blue stripes with stars and the word "Dixie."
Mark Petersen, director of the school's department of public relations, said school officials now are choosing flag sizes, fabric and prices and will seek bids from two flag manufacturing companies.
The finished product is expected to be ready in May, but might be available as early as mid-April, in time for Dixie's traditional "D-week" celebration.