SGA orders college to drop ÎThe Metâ

By Jesse Stephenson
The Metropolitan

Student government members unanimously approved a resolution Sept. 29 ordering all Metro departments to stop using  ãThe Metä in all forms of communication and marketing.

Metroâs student government members sent out copies of the resolution to academic departments and departments funded by student fees Sept. 30.

Student government members said the measure will be as much a test of the administrationâs stance on ãThe Metä as it is a gauge of how seriously the administration takes student opinion on college matters.

ãIf student government, which is the voice of students, has true power on this campus, the departments will quit using ÎThe Met,â ä said Charles Bennett, student governmentâs representative to the Board of Trustees for the State Colleges of Colorado.

Bennett, who wrote the resolution,  said it  will also force Metroâs administration to take a stand on whether use of the nickname is truly optional.

College spokespersons have emphasized that no one is being forced to use the nickname, and there arenât any consequences for not using it.

Metro spokeswoman Sherry Patten said the collegeâs departments have been given two choices concerning use of the collegeâs name.

ãThe direction has been that you pretty much have the option of using the entire name of the college, but if youâre going to use a nickname, we ask that you use ÎThe Met,â Patten said. ãIt has always been a choice.ä
Zav Dadabhoy, director of Student Activities, said Metro administrators requested his department use the new nickname.

ãIt was strongly suggested we use ÎThe Met,â ä Dadabhoy said. ãBut Iâm not sure weâve really used it extensively.ä

The nickname is being used as part of a new image campaign for Metro designed by a local advertising agency. Metroâs letterhead, business cards, bumper stickers and other items bearing the collegeâs name refer to the institution as ãThe Met.ä

Metro diplomas do not use the nickname.

Metro spokeswoman Debbie Thomas said it was chosen to eliminate the perception that Metro is a ãsecond-rateä college.

Bennett said 1,700 of Metroâs 17,000 students have signed a petition denouncing use of ãThe Met.ä