MSU, Nike should seek student input before making change
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My initial reaction when I was invited to the Facebook group JUST DON’T — No New Nike-influenced Spartan helmet and saw this new logo was disgust. Of course I went right ahead and accepted the request and invited all my Facebook friends from MSU. But as the days passed and I followed the story and heard everyone put in their two cents about why this logo or that logo is better, I realized something. It’s not the changing of the logo that is so bad, it’s just this new logo. And what’s even worse is the lack of input the university sought out from its students, alumni and fans.
I am proud to be an MSU student. I am proud to be a Spartan. I represent this school everywhere I go, from an interview to just being out wearing an MSU hat or shirt and yelling “Go Green” to another fan. I bleed Green and White. It’s not just me out there; all Spartans have a special tie to this school, and we pride ourselves on having that tie to the university — that’s what makes us Spartans the best fans, as opposed to those Wal-Mart Wolverines. But we are finding ourselves in the dark on this decision about what logo will represent us. What logo we will don as we watch a late season football game in freezing temperatures? What logo opposing teams will be staring at as they keep their eyes down, away from the Izzone, preparing to make a last-second free throw at Breslin Center? This logo change affects us, but no one bothered to ask us, and that is where the mistake was made.
If you are in that Facebook group, too, I think you will notice how many fellow students and fans have submitted their own designed logos to the group, and then you will probably notice how a lot of people seem to like them. We’re not afraid of change, we are just afraid of that ugly thing Nike calls a logo. But why I am not surprised that we can create a better logo? Of course an MSU student is going to be able to design a new or updated Spartans helmet logo better than any Nike employee. This logo isn’t just a project at work. This logo is part of our identity as Spartans. It doesn’t take much to design a tattoo, but it takes a lot to tattoo that design on your body for life. No student is going to design anything they wouldn’t be proud to wear on game day or see emblazoned all around our campus. You should have more faith in your students, alumni and fans, and I sure hope it doesn’t surprise you to find out that your fans can create something much better to represent this school. Don’t sell out to Nike and their branding of college sports. We have the best design team right here. I like to call them Spartans.
Jeff LaPalme
food science junior
Commentary
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Spartan12
(02/02/10 7:08am)Report
Just keep in mind that the last time students and athletes had a say in the logo we ended up with this… http://www.helmethut.com/College/MichState/MIXMSU7373.html …Just saying
Good Article But...
(02/02/10 12:30pm)Report
You haven’t actually seen the new logo. Good link Spartan12, we all think we’re graphic designers, but we’re not.
Jeff LaPalme
(02/02/10 4:12pm)Report
Granted I am no professional, but I have done graphic design for years and logos have always been an interest of mine. My point here though, wasn’t that we should design it, but that input was needed. Everyone who likes the new logo says everyone else is afraid of change, and everyone who dislikes the new logo says the everyone else is killing tradition. But all these people who dislike the new logo, like the idea of updating it to something new, just not this one we have all been looking at, so maybe if there had been any input from students and fans alike, their would not have been this upheaval over the new logo.
RC River
(02/03/10 12:43am)Report
Why just ask students? An alteration of such obvious, overarching significance must certainly be referred to the Academic Council, and should be considered there with all deliberate speed.
AC should be able to form a steering committee by the end of this academic year, tasked with integrating management options on an interstitial basis, and possibly even capable of nominating an ad-hoc interim advisory panel well before the Christmas break.
While it is difficult to forsee all details of that herculean effort, certain areas of pressing interest appear to include trans-Caucasian awareness, semiotic/communicative influences on ungendered species, and resolution of those conflicts inherent in teneral ecdysis. Other, but co-equal, subcommittees will be formed on a host of other topics. A preliminary report ought to be available well before the end of the next decade, subject of course to the inevitable budgetary constraints.