New Identity in the Making
Latest logo designs narrowed down to two finalists

By Olivia Tattory

The recent signage transformation Rider has undergone has prompted the University to tackle another critical element related to the University’s identity. SGA President Steve Klemchalk introduced the proposed images of Rider’s new logo to students at last week’s Senate meeting.

Nearly 90 percent of student government members voted for the cranberry color filled background version of the year and phrase below the shield.

“Out of 62 students, 55 voted for the cranberry, four voted the white and only three didn’t like it at all,” said Klemchalk.

Rider’s marketing committee consulted with a Manhattan-based firm, C&G Partners, in order to try to capture the perfect image to represent Rider. The committee, made up of 21 individuals, including three students, was formed in November of last year after a resolution was passed by SGA.

This committee will present the images to the Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Nov. 1, in hopes of approval. If approved, C&G Partners will then begin to create the story behind the new symbol and more specifically, what the branches on the tree actually represent.

The branches are slated to represent the four schools that Rider consists of: the College of Business Administration; the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Sciences; the College of Continuing Studies; and Westminster Choir College.

This may be the case, but the logo itself, without a description, may in fact cause confusion among students and even faculty, as it did to Fine Arts Professor Harry Naar.

“I like the design, but I’m not quite sure if I understand what the connection of the tree branches are,” said Naar. “And if that’s the case, they designed it as a secret.”

The shadow of last year’s tree image debate was a clear factor in the production and process of the new logo’s design. The tree, which many students strongly identify with Rider, was taken off some Public Safety vehicles, business cards and the controversial sign on Interstate 95.

This caused confusion among the student body because of beliefs that the tree was a representation of Rider. Jonathan Meer, vice president of University Advancement, and head of the marketing committee, recognized that students felt strongly about keeping the tree and despite some mixed reactions, believed the tree was an integral part of Rider’s identity.

“We wanted to retain what was most important to Rider’s community and create a connection for everyone to relate to,” said Meer.

According to Emanuela Frigerio, one of four principals of C&G Partners, the main signage project eventually progressed and rolled into the overall identity aspect of the University. The firm met with the marketing committee early on in the project in order to hear all comments from alumni, the student body, faculty and staff.

“We wanted to hear which components of Rider’s visual history were important so we could incorporate them,” said Frigerio.

The logo was designed with three main elements in mind. First, the firm concluded that the Rider community felt very strongly about maintaining the tree but that the complexity of the original design did not work.

Second, it was evident the shield was abandoned through Rider’s history and the possibility of reincorporating it was considered. And the last
element was the inclusion of 1865, the date Rider was founded as The Trenton
Business College.

“These were the three elements that were going to be very valuable to Rider’s
identity and the overall feel of the University,” said Frigerio.

The administration hopes to have the logo available for use by faculty and organizations by January 1. The idea of flexibility was incorporated into the design so that the shield and name of the University can be used separately or together, said Vice President of Enrollment Management Jamie O’Hara.

July 1 marks the date that the administration would like to see most of the University’s organizations use the new logo, in hopes that by then, most of the old letterhead and other items will be phased out.

“We set the date for July but are really working toward the transformation to be definite by the beginning of the fall semester,” said O’Hara.

Creating a connection or tradition that students can relate to may not be as easy as designing a new logo. Confusion over the uniformity of colors on campus even carries over to the athletic teams’ colors.

Senior Megan Harry, a business entrepreneurial studies major, noticed how many of the athletic teams’ uniforms display very little of Rider’s signature cranberry color.

“From what I can tell, the uniforms are mostly black, gray and white,” said Harry. “What happened to the cranberry?”

Although Rider’s athletic department works exclusively with Adidas, according to
Athletic Director Don Harnum, the company does not always make the cranberry color and will instead incorporate black, gray and white.

“We’ve tried to synchronize our colors a little more overall,” said Harnum. “It’s just that many companies don’t make the cranberry or maroon colors.”
O
verall, the student body, which is represented by Klemchalk, seems to be happy with the design.

“It stands for the history of Rider and all who are a part of it,” said Klemchalk. “The students, faculty, administration and staff as a whole.”