ENMU misleads about mascot change

Guest columnist

link Scot Stinnett

Eastern New Mexico University is considering whether or not to drop the Zias as the mascot of the women’s intercollegiate athletic program.

Not whether or not to keep the name Zias ... whether or not to discontinue it.

Portrayed by the university as a decision of consciousness, “taking a prominent stance on an important societal issue” and carving out “a more unique image” for the university, the real issue is simple.

It’s about fees for all the T-shirts, caps, coffee mugs and fuzzy dice sporting the ENMU logo. It’s about trying to force Wal-Mart to pay a licensing fee to sell the ENMU T-shirts it has sold for years — and to make all the small, local businesses pay as well.

Whether or not the school should change its mascot for women’s teams takes a back seat to students being misled about the reason for the proposed switch.

Created in May 2014, ENMU’s Trademark and Licensing Committee is behind the deception.

The committee learned that corporate partner Learfield Communications could easily license the Greyhound logo, but not the Zia, because of its relationship to the Zia Pueblo, as well as the literally hundreds of businesses and schools — even the state of New Mexico.

Under a deal to license ENMU logos, the proceeds would be split 60 percent to 40 percent with Learfield. ENMU President Steven Gamble signed the agreement on Feb. 3.

Presentations to student-athletes to sell the change were made focusing on the plight of the Zia Pueblo people, not the marketing agreement that helped the committee locate its social conscious.

For good measure, the committee compared to the ongoing debate over the use of the name “Redskins.” Students asked to vote on the issue last week were made aware of the issue in a campus-wide email sent Monday. No public forums, no public discussion or debate. No presentation of alternative options.

Students were told the Student Senate and Faculty Senate had already passed resolutions in support of the change. And they were told that if the regents approved the change on April 24, the change would be made. In other words, the student vote was moot.

Committee member Robert Graham, coordinator of Alumni Affairs, told the school’s student newspaper, “By relinquishing the Zia Sun symbol, we would be taking a prominent stance on an important societal issue.”

Interesting that the use of the name Zias was originally based on the New Mexico state flag.

Graham is not from New Mexico, nor are any of the members of the committee. If they were, they might have learned the pledge to the New Mexico flag: “I salute the flag of the State of New Mexico and the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures.”

ENMU women’s teams have been known as the Zias since 1981. In the post-Title IX days of the 1970s, the ENMU women were called the Greyhoundettes or Houndettes — an uncomfortable adaptation of the men’s mascot.

Carl Richardson, the former head football and golf coach, suggested Zias to give the women’s programs their own identity. It was unique and easily identifiable with the traditions of the state of New Mexico.

If the committee is truly concerned about the plight of the Zia Pueblo, why not cut them in on the deal, which is estimated to bring in $10,000 per year at the most? Or maybe create an annual scholarship for a Zia Pueblo student? Learfield could do the right thing and pitch in on the scholarship.

Even better, the school could continue its 34-year-old tradition of using Zias as its mascot and find another funding source.

Scot Stinnett, publisher of the De Baca County News, is a former ENMU student. Contact him at: [email protected]