Utah student government votes in favor of changing fight song lyrics

Utah's student government voted in favor of "strongly encouraging" the school to make changes to the controversial wording in the school's fight song, "Utah Man," on Tuesday, Lindsay Whitehurst of the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The two phrases in question - "I am a Utah man" and "our coeds are the fairest" - are considered by some to be sexist and racist. Possible replacements include "I am a Utah fan" and "our students are the brightest."

Results of the vote will be sent to school president David Pershing, who will make the final decision. If approved, the changes could happen as soon as the fall semester.

"I don't want to get rid of tradition, I love tradition, I just want a more inclusive tradition," student body president Sam Ortiz said. "I'm incredibly happy that our student leaders stepped up and made a difficult decision."

The song, which was written in 1904, is "symbolic of other issues our campus is facing," Ortiz added.