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Apathy is only part of the problem, contends Marston, who thinks it's disingenuous that a group claiming to be all about young people is dominated by folks in their thirties and beyond.

"It's a matter of legitimacy," he argues. "What if the National Organization for Women were led by a bunch of men? How does it advance the cause of getting decision-makers to take young people seriously if the people most often called on to talk to the media and elected officials on behalf of Metropolis are not so young? People of all ages can help Metropolis achieve its mission. And yes, Metropolis' mission benefits people of all ages. But young people should be leading the charge. The definition of young has been stretched thin, and with it, the organization's focus."

Reid seems unconcerned, equating the organization's efforts to replenish its youthful stock to niche projects like cleaning up a cluttered stretch of pavement in McRee Town. "We're membership-driven," she says. "Unless someone is willing to take [new-member recruiting] on, it's not going to get done."

Ajay Zutshi, who recently resigned his dual posts of fundraising and Walk chairman, points to a sharp decline in Walk participation -- long considered the group's most effective recruiting tool -- as a symptom of Metropolis' struggles and a sign that the group needs to reconsider its relevance and mission.

"Back in the early days of the Walk, more than 100 people would come out, easy," says Zutshi, a 32-year-old Harvard graduate who moved here ten years ago to teach at St. Louis Country Day School. "Nowadays we usually average 30 or 40 people. I don't think that's a slam on Metropolis, but five years ago hanging out downtown was novel. Nowadays you don't have to go on the Walk, because Washington Avenue and South Grand have higher profiles.

"Metropolis is less exciting now -- it's no longer the new kid on the block," Zutshi adds. "But it's pretty fucking hard to stay hip and exciting."

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