Yes it seems they are serious. You have captured one of the meanings of Speculum quite well. But why only half the article. Surely you could have copy/pasted the rest of the wikipedia article. I have pasted below to save you the trouble.
Ear specula resemble a funnel, and come in a variety of sizes.
Nasal specula have two relatively flat blades with handle. The instrument is hinged so that when the handles are squeezed together the blades spread laterally, allowing examination.
All specula were formerly made of metal, and sterilized after use. However, many, especially those used in Emergency Departments and Doctor's offices, are now made of plastic, and are sterile, disposable, single-use items. Those used in surgical suites are still commonly made of metal.
Vaginal and anal specula are also sometimes used as sex toys.[citation needed]
Contrary to some previously-held opinions, the speculum does not cause damage to the vaginal opening, as many gynecological teachers will attest. In very few states in the United States, vaginal specula are illegal for personal use, but since there was a popular cervical self-examination component to the second-wave feminist movement, many states are either much more lenient or have completely relinquished restrictions on speculum use. However, distributors still face specific guidelines about which specula may or may not be sold.
But why stop there when we could look at all the other meanings that Speculum has.
Speculum metal is a very hard white alloy of four parts copper to one part tin, or according to other sources, 67% copper and 33% tin; some compositions contained 1–2% of arsenic. Composition with 45% tin has more resistance to tarnishing.
It was used by some early telescope makers. For instance, Lord Rosse in 1845 used the alloy for the 72-inch mirror of his "Leviathan of Parsonstown" telescope. The metal has the unfortunate property of tarnishing rapidly, requiring constant re-polishing that can easily disfigure a telescope mirror.
Use of speculum metals for mirrors declined after 1859, when Leon Foucault published his results on silvered glass parabolical mirrors.
Then there is this;
The speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the inner remiges of some birds.
Examples of the colour(s) of the speculum in a number of ducks are:
* Common Teal: Iridescent green.
* Green-winged Teal: Iridescent green.
* Blue-winged Teal: Iridescent blue.
* Pacific Black Duck: Iridescent green, edged light buff.
* Mallard: Iridescent purple-blue with white edges.
* American Black Duck: Iridescent purple-blue (not edged white).
* Northern Pintail: Iridescent greenish black, edged white at back and orange in front.
* Gadwall: Small and white, but only obvious in male
* Yellow-billed Duck: Iridescent green or blue, bordered white.
Bright wing speculums are also known from a number of other birds; among them are several parrots from the genus Amazona with red or orange speculums.
And this;
Speculum is a quarterly journal published by the Medieval Academy of America. According to JSTOR, is is the oldest journal devoted exclusively to the Middle Ages, having been published since 1926. The four annual issues are published in January, April, July, and October.
The journal's primary focus is on articles about the time period from 500-1500 in Western Europe, but articles have also appeared on related subjects such as Byzantine, Hebrew, Arabic, and Slavic studies.
But wait, there is more:
The medieval genre of speculum literature, popular from the twelfth through the sixteenth centuries, was inspired by the urge to encompass encyclopedic knowledge within a single work. The modern equivalent is a summary survey, in the sense of a survey article in a scholarly journal that summarizes a field of research. The speculum image, of the mirror that reflects far and wide, was drawn from the magical mirror that was supposed to belong among the treasures of legendary Prester John somewhere in the East. Through it every province could be seen. In the genre "Speculum of Princes", the prince's realms were surveyed and his duties laid out. Other specula offered mirrors of history, of doctrine or morals,
A number of medieval book titles include the word speculum:
* Speculum alchimiae, the "Mirror of Alchemy", written by Roger Bacon.
* Speculum astronomiae, written by Albertus Magnus.
* Speculum ecclesiae, the "Mirror of the Church", written by Edmund Rich.
* Speculum historiale, part of Speculum Maius the "Great Mirror" written by Vincent of Beauvais.
* Speculum Humanae Salvationis, the "Mirror of human salvation", written c. 1309-24, perhaps by Ludolph of Saxony.
* Speculum judiciale, or Speculum iuris, the "Mirror for Judges", written by Guillaume Durand.
* Speculum meditantis, the "Mirror of Meditations", written by John Gower.
* Speculum perfectionis, written by Brother Leo.
* Speculum stultorum, the "Mirror of Fools" written by Nigel de Longchamps
* Speculum regale, the "Mirror of Kings", which contains instructions for a young prince.
In English mirror appears in, among many other works, the Myrrour of the Worlde (1490), one of the first illustrated books printed in English, by William Caxton (a translation of "L'image du Monde", an overview of the sciences), the perennially-republished A Mirror for Magistrates (1559), and The Miroir or Glasse of the Synneful Soul, a manuscript translation from the French by the young Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Similarly, the journal Speculum, published by the Medieval Academy of America, covers every aspect of the medieval world.
Surely by now, that must be it. If you have made it this far you have done well. As those looking closely may have noticed, there is something of a theme running through the last definition. And to look into this, one is required to venture beyond wikipedia.
speculum
Main Entry:
spec·u·lum
Pronunciation:
\ˈspe-kyə-ləm\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural spec·u·la
Etymology:
Middle English, from Latin, mirror, from specere
Date:
15th century
Taken from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
And so I leave you with what is surely the most relevant meaning for Macquarie and it's new student paper. A mirror, of sorts, to reflect and look at the university as a whole.
After all this, if someone would like to post a coherent argument as to why the name is a bad choice, I would be happy to hear it. It is sad to see such arguments as 'Are they fucking serious' and 'It is offensive' used when so much more could be said about it. I fail to see what is offensive. If medical instruments are so offensive, god help anyone who actually has to have a medical procedure.
