The Blacksheep Online | Out With the New, Bring Back the Old

Out With the New, Bring Back the Old

February 8, 2010 - 9:30 am | Posted by: Jessica

SpartyLogo "Don't fix what isn't broken." Hey, clichés are clichés for a reason, and sometimes just the right thing to say. Your weekend booty call? Don't fix! The ATM that spits out an extra hundred dollars every time you withdrawal? Don't fix! The famous Michigan State University Spartan head logo? Hello... don't fix! While us students have the classic Spartan head adorned on all of our hoodies, T-shirts, hats and, well, everything, we have come to love and respect the logo that reminds us why we love being a Spartan - because we look flippin' sweet.

The new logo, to debut in April of this year, is a slight alteration of what we have now. The helmet face is tweaked a tad in the front and the back, and the lines on the helmet are now filled in to a solid block of color. Although this seems like minor changes, the overall look of the new logo just doesn't sit right for most MSU students. "Ridiculously ugly", "looks like an aardvark under a rainbow", "looks like poo", "looks like Jay Leno" and "yuck!" are just a few of the broad comments being made about the logo.

"The new logo is evil looking," Brittany McInnis, communications senior, said, "it seems so unfriendly and not MSU at all."

Some say that Michigan State has been in an on-going battle of an "identity crisis", changing their symbol back and forth from the simple block "S" to the more creative Spartan head. But how is the new logo going to be a revolutionary change when the majority of the student body is so adamantly against it? Are we just adding in another logo to our myriad of other logos? The primary reason for the change to the classic Spartan head is in an effort to completely re-brand the Michigan State name, giving us a tougher reputation. But come on, we are already Spartans. Can we really get any more badass? With thousands of students joining various Facebook groups and fan pages not supporting the new logo, the future success of the logo is looking rocky. But it's easy to hate on something we don't know - for our future Spartans, they are going to be accustomed to the more aggressive-looking logo and laugh at our old, timid looking Spartan. Change is hard, and eventually we may all embrace it. After all, "the grass is always greener on the other side."

"I understand why alum are mad, but I understand why the administration changed the logo. It's suppose to make us look a little tougher and I think it works," Lynsey Tomak, an advertising senior, said. "Even though change is always hard at first, I think the logo is going to be beneficial for the university."

Nike's connection with the logo fully explains why all of the administration is behind the change. Albeit, having the world-famous corporation behind our name makes us that much more credible but, on the same note, is having a company that has near-slave labor mass producing its products something we really want tied to our university? Our beloved Tom Izzo is all for the new logo, calling it "brilliant" and calling out alum who are anti-the new logo. Of course Izzo is all for the new logo - more money for our beloved basketball team. However, having Izzo's support behind the logo is the catalyst of acceptance for some MSU students and may just be reason enough.

Izzone member and sports fanatic Geordan Bernard, a senior economics major, said "If Izzo gives it the okay, than it's good enough for me. Just as long as Durrell Summers keeps making three pointers, than I don't give a shit."

Alas, not everyone is in an uproar about the new logo. After all, "it's what's on the inside that counts." Michigan State is still going to be Michigan State no matter what design is stamped on us. The tradition of athletic awesomeness, the beautiful people that walk around campus, the epic parties, oh yeah, and our education system isn't too shabby either. Maybe some are too focused on what's on the outside and should remain true themselves to keep our excellent traditions alive, and to bring character to our new logo. Which, by the way, isn't going anywhere no matter how much everyone is bitching about it.

An anonymous alum said, "It looks cooler, for one. It makes people buy new MSU gear, for two. But I'm an alum so the university doesn't care about me anymore."

But that's a whole other can of worms.