NCAA - Eastern Mennonite University

Eastern Mennonite U. Unveils New Athletics Logo

New Look Lion For Royals

By Andy Mendlowitz,
Daily News-Record

Eastern Mennonite U.

Larry Martin looked at the Quaker, and then at the cardinal, then peered over to the lion.

"I’m happy to see him laid to rest," Martin, the EMU athletic director, said of the lion Friday.

Martin was peeking at an Old Dominion Athletic Conference media guide, which displayed the 14 members’ logos.

For the 2004-05 media guide, EMU will get a new image. The Royals are trading in their non-menacing lion’s head with a bushy mane for a streamlined, meaner-looking mascot with a muscular body.

"Quite honestly, looking at that page, I don’t see anybody that’s any nicer on there," Martin said, imagining next year’s guide. "Of course, I’m a little prejudiced."

Although EMU has a new line of apparel available, Martin said the decision wasn’t mainly to make money.

It also wasn’t to make EMU stand out in a community with two other colleges – James Madison University and Bridgewater College.

So why did the Royals make the move?

"We thought we needed a cleaner, fresher, more current-type logo," Martin said. "You want to get a family feel and a recognition factor, so the cleaner you could keep it and the more recognizable it is, the better off you are. We want people to get used to seeing this guy so when they see it they say, ‘Ooh EMU.’"

Martin said a style manual with parameters of how the logo will be placed on uniforms is in the works.

Consider it an extreme logo makeover.

Traditionally, the lion has not always been the dominant brand at EMU. Although the gym floor has a lion emblazoned on it – and the school has a lion mascot called Herm – some sports don’t have a lion on their warm-ups or uniforms.

Women’s basketball player Laura Ludholtz said a friend once asked her what a Royal was.

"You think Bridgewater, you think Eagles," Ludholtz said. "You think EMU Royals, you don’t think lions. You have to explain.

"You think bulldog for JMU. I think EMU deserves one. Why not? We’re a college too."

Martin said the idea started simply enough two years ago when Patti Helton, the former president of student life, suggested that Martin think about changing the logo.

Martin asked professional designer – and friend – Rick Pallansch of Severn, Md., to draw up ideas.

Students also were allowed to submit their own designs, but a committee of campus administrators and students opted for Pallansch’s logo.

No market study was done.

"Our volume of retail is insignificant. We did not do that being a Division III school with a small population," Martin said.

The new design was pitted against the old logo in a campus-wide vote. The new lion won by a wide margin.

The process cost $1,500, which was provided by the Loyal Royals, EMU’s athletic booster club.

"It came out great," Martin said. "It didn’t cost my operating budget anything. I got a logo that I’m happy with. I got a logo that people are happy with. And I got another thing off my plate."

The booster club was happy to provide dough from its general fund.

"It’s a great move to update the logo," club president John Bomberger said. "It looks positive, it looks professional. It looks like the Lion King."

In the grand scheme of things, a logo is not as important as, say, providing test tubes for professors or basketball rims for the teams.

"For me, it’s a little, subtle change," EMU men’s soccer coach Roger Mast said. "I personally think it’s not a huge deal to me, but it’s kind nice to have a new look, that sort of thing.

"Our mascot is probably not going to make a difference whether we win or lose, but it dresses up some apparel."

But it might have another impact. The more psychological effect that goes along with being a lion rather than a mouse.

"All the little things add up to a big thing when you’re trying to make your athletic program successful," men’s basketball coach Kirby Dean said. "A new logo in itself is not a big deal, but I think it’s one of many things that can take us in a positive direction.

"It’s easy to take little things like that for granted. That’s why it’s encouraging to me."

The change got a thumbs-up from at least one athlete.

"I think it makes it more fun," Ludholtz said. "Everybody loves Herm, our mascot, so I think doing this will actually help out with school spirit."

This article was taken from www.emu.edu.  All rights reserved.