GCSU brands license plates

     It is not uncommon to see students in Georgia driving around with a license plate declaring their school spirit. Schools such as The University of Georgia and Georgia State University have license plates available to students, alumni and fans. Well, what about us? Following 24 other Georgia colleges, GCSU has recently created a license plate of its own. Available this semester, the plates can be purchased at tables set up around campus for $25. The license plates can be picked up by those who purchased one when they applied for new tags.   The plates can also be purchased when applying for new tags.
President of the Student Government Association, Ryan Greene, explains why it took so long to initiate a GCSU license plate.
     “A few years back there was a campaign, but we had to have at least 500 people commit to buying one before they could actually sell it,” Greene said. “Recently, SGA brought it up to university advancement and university communications, where new plans were made.”
     The idea of a GCSU license plate has clearly grown in popularity in the past three or four years. More than 500 plates have already been sold through the university’s alumni relations.
     The design featured on the plates will consist of a GCSU column on the left and the words “Georgia College & State University” on the bottom. The decision on the design was a compromise between SGA and university advancement. Having a specialty license plate does come with its own costs, though.
     According to Georgia’s Motor Vehicle Division’s (MVD) website, any Georgia license plate other than the standard plate has a $25 manufacturing fee and a $25 annual special tag fee. Also, according to the MVD, on the license plates featuring a school design, it is not a requirement to name the county to which the vehicle is registered.
     The license plate is more than just an accessory for students and alumni, though, it will also encourage prospective students to look into the school. Having the license plate will also be a great opportunity for advertisement by getting GCSU’s name out there.
     “It will be great when students with the license plates are driving around North Georgia or in another state and people there will be exposed to our school,” said Greene. “It is a huge P.R. opportunity.”
     SGA hopes that, through the sale of GCSU license plates, the school will be more well-known and produce more applicants.
     Will the license plates sell as well as other spirit items, though?
     Freshman Courtney Walters said, “I would definitely buy one. I think it is important for our school to be represented as a big, important school in Georgia, because a lot of people see us as being very small, which isn’t the case.”
     Greene feels that the license plates will sell because “the students are buying more and more GCSU paraphernalia.”
Walters and Greene both agree that the license plates will raise the level of GCSU school spirit.
     “It will be cool to be somewhere outside of Milledgeville and to see someone driving around with a GCSU license plate like we see people with (The University of) Georgia plates,” Walters said.
     The license plates will ultimately create a sense of unity and pride for both students and alumni of GCSU.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 1 2008. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry