Our friends Downtown with the massive inferiority complex and pockets full of taxpayer money want to change their name from "Metro State." What to do, what to do?
After they tried to poach DU's identity with the moniker "Denver State University," the Colorado Legislature firmly told them, "Not on our watch."
Unbelievably, Metro's brain trust went back to the drawing board & came back with three of the most stupid names in US higher education history; Denver Metropolitan State University, Denver State Metropolitan University or Metropolitan Denver State University.
Here's the dealio. Either stick with "Metro State" or come up with something original. DU may be taking the lead on opposing the name change, but rumor has it that CU & CSU are quietly working behind the scenes to scuttle Metro's name change as well.
20 comments:
Somehow, I don't see the University of Colorado fighting on behalf of a private school when they didn't even oppose Mesa State University from becoming Colorado Mesa University in the past year.
Supposedly CU & CSU are opposed to Metro branding itself as a "university." DU is opposed to Metro using the word "Denver."
If Metro had renamed itself DSU 15 years ago, its doubtful that anybody would have noticed and anybody would of cared.
But we live in a new world where branding, trademarks and image are everything.
There is a fundamental problem here that is not mentioned. Metro State is not a valid university. The title university carries a distinct "cachet" that Metro doesn't have. It means multi colleges with advanced degrees including P.H.D. awards. Metro is one level up from a junior college.
They are over reaching--one bridge too far.
They do indeed serve an important educational function. Many borderline students ,either academically or financially can get a start at Metro and get a good basic education. They should strive to improve this mission instead of trying to become something that is beyond their credentials.
The situation is very simple.
If you name your local coffee shop StarChucks or your restaurant Kentucky's Best Chicken you are going to get sued by Starbucks or KFC.
As Cartman says, "I don't make the rules, I just think them up and write them down."
University of Denver
Alma Mater
Come let's join in song together
Shout the glad refrain:
Our beloved Alma Mater
Praise we once again.
Colorado's sons and daughters
E'er to her be true.
She's the pride of Colorado
Hail to Denver U.
Can't wait to see that short bus riding, lil mouth breather cctig come up with some snappy comment....
Chick-Fil-A has filed suit against a guy using the phrase "eat more kale". I believe they have been successful in many prior cases getting people to drop whatever "eat more...." phrase they were using.
So "Eat more tiger" is out?
Shame we couldn't get the local upholstery or pizza company to take our side... haha.
DU should just claim intellectual property rights to the word "Denver" or at least "The Denver Capital of Denver."
All kidding aside, it's already called Metropolitan State College of DENVER... just change it to university and quit ya grippin'.
Metro State will just say its Main Street while DU is Wall Street in public hearings.
I see Metro being heavily involved in any decisions that DU has to make from here on out.
They will point out all of the subsidies that DU receives at the expense of Colorado taxpayers.
DU chose the wrong fight.
Metro supporters have come on this Blog for months making wild statements and NONE of them have come to pass.
Why?
Because they clearly don't understand branding, politics, trademark infringement and common sense. The Colorado Legislature is not going to allow Metro to walk into a lawsuit that may cost taxpayer time and money.
There is a simple solution out there which is to either keep the current name or go in an entirely new direction. Keeping "Metro" and adding "Denver" & "University" doesn't appear to be in the cards.
Why are there so many fascists at DU?
Facists? Hardly.
It's very simple.
We have a 145 year old brand at DU that we spent a lot of time, money pride and energy to build.
We don't need Metro trying to dilute us further by using the city name up front. People already confuse DU with UCD locally and with CU Boulder when out of state. Who needs more confusion with a third Denver brand?
Let them build their own brand without the city name up front.
We will fight Metro as much as needed and we will prevail. There is a lot of DU connected money behind the legislature, and the last thing Metro needs is a long lawsuit.
DU can't buy out everyone on the State Legislature.
Besides, the more the voters in Colorado hear about the news. They will see its a massive overstep by DU. A private university deciding the fate of a public university is fascism no matter how you paint it.
Metro will also paint DU as Wall Street, which is true. All they would have to do is compare the demographics of each school.
What has DU done to the Denver metro area community? Nothing.
"A private university deciding the fate of a public university is fascism no matter how you paint it." This is one of the ignorant comments that I have read in a while. Seriously, at least read an article on fascism before you make idiotic comments about how a university trying to protect its brand = fascism. If the word fascism doesn't fit what you're trying to say, stop typing...think real hard for a minute...and come up with a BETTER word. You can be better than Glenn Beck---I know you can!
When you use business terms to defend a private university, business terms can be used against them. Fascism is the synergy of business and government.
In this case, the University of Denver (private) is using their influence (money) in the Colorado State Legislature (public) to have their preferred outcome.
850 KOA just called out DU on this issue tonight, you know they're on the wrong side.
This is a DU blog by and for die hard DU fans, so you can expect us to defend our school against anything that would threaten our school's ability to compete.
All colleges and universities use legislative lobbying, power and leverage when and where they can - that's part of the American system of government, and it's not Facism at all.
I lost revaltives to real facism in Germany, so using that word to describe DU's name lobbying effort is truly offensive to everybody who knows what real facism is.
And too 6:45 who thinks DU has nothing for the community, you should look a little harder. DU is a very big enonomic and social asset in the Denver community. It employs thousands of local people, keeps many local businesses flourishing, provides high level, talented graduates to the local economy from all over the world, and entertains hundreds of thousands of people through sports and arts programming. DU also serves thousands of area children through educational programs, camps, scholarships, high school graduations and even an on-campus elementary school.
DU's professional schools in social work, law, psychology, business and education are critical to Denver's community.
The DU community also volunteers thousands of hours to local needs.
DU has been here as long as there has been a Denver, and our impact on this community is deep.
DU's net economic impact to the community is in the billions. DU has spent over $400 million in construction projects since 1997.
A vast majority of DU's students come from out of state and when they pay almost $50,000 a year in tuition & housing that money stays in Colorado.
When parents & alums fly in for a weekend that money stays in Colorado.
Metro could easily call itself Mile High State University and everyone would know that means Denver. They could also save the taxpayers money and keep their original name.
University of Denver is still legally named Colorado Seminary, hypocrite.
While the original "Colorado Seminary" name is still officially used for some contractual purposes, The University of Denver has been our official external name since 1880. We have 130+ years under that brand name.
We're not hypocrites.
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