PERSPECTIVES YOU S PEAK

Love the logo It’s a no-go

“Peace out” is an appropriate phrase to use when saying goodbye to Cabrini’s old logo. The old, upside-down peace sign logo is being kicked to the curb because the school has finally decided to modernize its look by hiring a company to revamp the school’s image.

Cabrini’s new image represents the college in a more serious way while still portraying the sense of a small, friendly community. The new logo uses a more elegant and attractive typeface. The letters are also now connected and flow together smoothly, while still staying true to our royal blue school color.

Accompanying the new logo is a new coat of arms that displays different symbols, representing the different values like academic excellence and community service.

Ifeel that the coat of arms is a great addition because it portrays alot about the school in one image. I feel that it is a better representation of the college than aweird peace sign. In addition, the school’s Cavalier mascot is also in the process of being restructured.

Also, the school has unveiled a new motto, “Do something extraordinary.” I feel that the new representation of our college is much needed, as our school is growing in age and in numbers.

As a graphic design major,I also recognize the importance of brand identity.Weare bombarded by images and logos in our everyday life, from TVto billboards and even people’sclothing. The logos that we see influence our opinions, whether we are aware of it or not. Alogo is more than just a simple arrangement of text or a small picture; a logo represents the values, feelings and purpose of a company or business, refined down to a simple graphic representation.

When you think of any successful company, it is almost always accompanied by a wellknown logo. The list can go on and on: McDonalds’“M,” Macintosh’s apple, NBC’s peacock, Budweiser’s crown and even the United States flag. The symbols speak for themselves whether they are alone or accompanied by text. These companies are also many times refining or improving their logos to keep them modern and competitive.

Here at Cabrini, it is important for our school to keep up with other schools. While the new logo might not sway a student into coming here, that person might just take a look at it because the school looks more serious or important because of the logo.

Another important thing to remember is where the logo might show up, such as on future resumes or diplomas. I can say that I feel more comfortable with having the coat of arms on my resume or diploma when I am in an interview with an employer because I feel that if they didn’t know anything about the school they might base their judgment or feelings about the college on the logo.

The new brand identity represents a new look and an important milestone in the college’shistory and further signifies the school’s evolution.

All the hoopla surrounding Cabrini College’s new logo seems just a bit overdone. A jazzy, sequined band and the Cavalier are all well and good on aSt. Patrick’s Day afternoon, but did the unveiling of a bottomheavy, boring insignia even need tohappen?

While the new logo holds more significance in its commitment to service, which, I believe, reflects the core values of the college that we all seem to have forgotten since our matriculations, it seems rather silly to put together this big-to-do for a new picture on t-shirts. So, all in all, the meaning is there, but how necessary was this whole extravaganza?

Sure, we can be modern and cute, because, wow,our letters in “Cabrini” connect, but really, how unified are we? Our core values are out the window at this school. Anew font is not going to change that. Respect towards faculty and peers should be the way to start. Awell-known logo can put a college on the map, but how crucial is it to a real identity? We had our little tree, upside-down peace sign thing, and we were fine. Wehad large class sizes; we had the board of trustees sitting pretty.Relatively,everyone was satisfied, but it’snot like we have our share of problems. So, we have problems, and we complain about them, and “we’re working on it.” So, why create whole new look for more expense and superfluous marketing?

Last time I checked, Ibelieve our property is not exactly up to par in my book. Do we not have an overgrown campus already? Aren’t cars lining every bit of scenic land we have left?

Don’t our incoming classes grow every year? Really, are more students necessary?

Why advertise a school that cannot handle more enrollments?

Give us a few years, and then come to Cabrini. That should be the new motto.

As far as the new motto is concerned, we all do extraordinary things as ordinary people. I actually know some non-Cabrini graduates that do the same. Shocking, isn’t it? So, let’s not come up with something bigger and better; why not just keep what we have?

I say we save our money, probably some of our tuition money, and not hire a bunch of marketing executives, poll groups for over a year and outsource all of this new publicity for a school that doesn’t need any more advertisement.

Plus, all those free t-shirts that Idistributed to my 44 residents in house 2 don’t even sport the crest anyway.There goes some more money down the drain, and the extra shirts we got do not even include the one thing Cabrini was trying to change. However, we do have that fancy, linked text on the front of the shirt. Good thing for that.

The original presentation of the logo by the marketing department shows the crest hanging above the “Cabrini College” text, almost as if they were hanging it out to dry.Maybe if the word “college” was shrunk and the logo was put under the word “Cabrini,” the real rectangular logo could actually become our logo and be sported on the free shirt every Cabrini student should have received on that day of unveiling.

Our future for the college can’tcome until more things are in place, like maybe parking and places to sleep at night for a start. Clearly, the anniversary of 50 graduations will bring enough attention to the school. We should be focusing on short-term goals for now. Stop searching for even more kids to fill non-existent beds in invisible buildings.

Congrats on turning 50, Cabrini College. I know that all you were looking for was a new, unwarranted blue and grey logo on your birthday. Hope you enjoy it.