2008 Woodie Awards
Why are we taking the U out of UNT?
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My mom, an NT alumna, asked me why are we taking the University out of North Texas, after all of the pamphlets, fliers, letters of recruitment that boasts of NT’s gradual change from a normal college to North Texas State then North Texas State University and now University of North Texas. You would think that we would have more merchandise with the complete wording University of North Texas.
We even have a university day dedicated to NT’s progress. I am not denying that there is some merchandise with the word “university” on it, but not nearly enough. There needs to be more. Well, I already hear it now, “Well, the campus newspaper is called the NT Daily so don’t be a hypocrite.
” Well guess what, when the school changed names, our paper’s name stayed the same. But as far as trying to pass off a shirt to someone in San Antonio, who does not know of NT, they would say “isn’t North Texas the Dallas area?” They think it’s a region.
Something needs to be on the shirt to clarify NT is a school– as a matter of fact, a university.
Then someone is going to say, “Well Tiesa, UT is called Texas sometimes so what’s the difference?” It seems like half of Texas either goes to that school or are alumni.
UT has a top-ranked program in the nation in just about everything. We have changed our name so many times and people across Texas need to know we are a full-fledged university.
Maybe if the shirt is intended for relatives (for example NT mom shirts) had some type of logo or mascot (whatever it is this week), it would illustrate the point that NT is a school and not just a region.
When my parents lived in San Antonio they would watch the news with my siblings and when the north Texas area had bad weather, my brother would say immediately “Mom and Dad, Tiesa’s school is on TV.
” Quite the opposite, but the point is that this is a common mistake to make especially from people who are unfamiliar with the area.
I was out with friends and someone asked us what schools we went to and one friend said Baylor, the other TLU, and I said North Texas.
He looked at me and said “Oh, North Texas State?” I said, “No, the University of North Texas.”
I had to explain that we had evolved into a “university,” and my little introduction lasted longer then he or I intended.
NT, let’s put more emphasis on “university” and then try to shorten our name. Let’s start by putting “university” back on the shirts (or at least somewhere).
