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Community divided over Washington and Lee University’s name

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s Washington and Lee University says that there are deep divisions over its name as the nation continues to grapple with its racial past.

The school in Lexington said in a statement last week that it received 14,000 responses to a survey it has conducted as it examines issues of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.

The school was named for founding father George Washington and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Lee was a president of the university and is buried in a campus chapel.

The school surveyed students, parents, faculty and alumni. In July, faculty voted to remove Lee’s name and sent a recommendation to the school’s board of trustees.

An ‘influencer’ degree? Colleges bet on content creator major as critics question its value

Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there’s a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens’ entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit nontraditional, career path. And now they can earn a college degree in that very field. Arizona State University recently launched a new bachelor's degree in content creation, offered through its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The curriculum overlaps with that of ASU's mass communication and media studies degree, with the major departure being a slate of specialized electives on podcasting, studio production and on-camera presence. ASU’s announcement was met with swift criticism from many sides — from people who feel content creation is not a legitimate profession to those who question the value of a college degree in launching a social media career.
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