Reader: Metro State's $95,000 payment for a new name hardly unprecedented

The revelation, from a Kyle Garratt post, that Metro State spent six years and $95,000 to choose a new name only one word different from the old one didn't come as a shock to one reader. She offers another example of how much a word can cost...

By Michael Roberts

April 20, 2012

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The revelation, from a Kyle Garratt post, that Metro State spent six years and $95,000 to choose a new name only one word different from the old one didn't come as a shock to one reader.

She offers another example of how much a word can cost.

Nessa Speirs writes:

Eh, University of Colorado at Denver paid a linguist $80,000 to tell them to take out the word "at." Sounds like it's a bit par for the course....

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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