Hartwell bell tower burned out

This is really an issue?

Ediotrial Cartoon By T.J. Cordes, STAFF CARTOONIST

Over the last few months there have been a lot of changes at our college. Most recently, the school’s logo was changed, as was the very name of the school. SUNY Brockport is now known as the College at Brockport State University of New York.

Phew! What a mouthful! Congratulations, you now attend the longest named college in the SUNY system.

Our new logo is a green and yellow shield with a torch and the year 1835 on it. We understand that is symbolizes knowledge, but we find ourselves asking, what was wrong with the old logo?

We like that Hartwell Hall’s bell tower was on the old logo. It represented an important part of the college. After all, Hartwell is the oldest and most historic building on campus, besides the Alumni House. The new logo is almost cartoon-like, and is now less personal. And why a generic torch? We feel that the old logo better represented the college.
Is the college having an identity crisis? The Faculty Office Building (F.O.B.) was changed to the Albert W. Brown building two years ago. Now the logo has changed. What’s next? The elimination of the albino squirrels?

We appreciate that the college interviewed students, faculty and staff about their opinions and preferences concerning the logo. However, only about 90 interviews were conducted — there are more than 8,000 students, undergraduate and graduate, at the College at Brockport. We think maybe more people should have been interviewed, and more opinions should have been sought out.

We also think the change could have been advertised better. Many students wouldn’t even have known about the change had it not affected the Brockport Web site and the computers on campus. It was a good idea to put the options for the new logo in the Union, since that is where many students frequent, especially commuters and off-campus students, but how many of all the students knew they were there?

It’s great that the college is trying to raise our reputation in the community, while distinguishing the college from other schools in the area, but while most other SUNY schools have an academic building as their logo, we now have the Olympic torch. What’s next? Changing the school colors?

The wallpapers of computers all over campus were updated to say the College at Brockport, but the colors are baby blue and white. Not really too much of a hassle, but is this a preview of the next change at the College at Brockport?

The most important question we find ourselves asking is “Why wasn’t the albino squirrel considered for the new logo?” The albino squirrel is just as important to our college as the Hartwell bell tower. The albino squirrel is practically a celebrity on campus. He’s infamous. He’s a superstar. He’s right up there with Brangelina and Ellsworth. A logo with the albino squirrel would really set us apart. Perhaps the college will consider changing our school mascot to the albino squirrel in efforts to completely set us apart from any and all colleges.

Kudos to the college for trying to modernize its image and revamp the old look, but the torch truly does not have much to do with the college at all. The logo and name change will take some getting used to, but ultimately will help the college gain the respect and recognition it deserves. The College at Brockport deserves acknowledgment and appreciation. The new logo does give the school an updated, more modern look, and is just one more way for Brockport stand out from the rest.