Editorial:
Rider struggles with identity crisis

Forget the backhoes, shovels and hard hats. Rider is getting remodeled yet again, but this time, it is just the face that is going under the knife. The administration and a New York consulting company are designing a new logo to represent the University on everything from sweatshirts to diplomas. In the meantime, pardon the mess. The initial poor planning of this logo falls squarely on the shoulders of the administration. Last year, transforming the identity of Rider started a student uproar ­— a completely avoidable fiasco. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and remember just how we have reached this crossroad.

In the eyes of an experienced consulting firm, perhaps, a tree was not the most salable entity of Rider’s old logo. Does that mean tradition was sacrificed for the chance to make another buck? After all, it seems like only yesterday when the elm tree represented the roots of Rider and the seeds of tradition.

But the administration unilaterally pressed ahead with the design of a new logo. One would think such a critical decision deserved input from students, faculty and the entire campus community. Yet the administration failed initially to grasp the magnitude of this decision. Axing the tree from the Rider logo without so much as consulting students or faculty seemed like an everyday decision for the administration. However, students protested and strongly suggested the tree be brought back. Rightfully, an apology was issued from the administration and the process to devise a revised proposal to capture the essence of Rider got under way.

It was none too soon. For months on end, different logos have been on University vehicles and other artifacts. At least six different versions appear on notebooks. But that is all about to change. The tree is back as a mainstay of a new face of Rider. It’s like they say – some things never change.

Aside from this alteration, some University sports teams have thrown their cranberry and white colors mostly by the wayside. Some teams now are wearing only white and black. Adidas, the company supplying shoes and uniforms for our athletes, is not always making the University colors, according to athletic director, Don Harnum. To which we say, “Huh?” Last time we checked, the school colors were still cranberry and white. The unannounced migration to black and white might or might not be a good idea. But it should not have been embarked upon without extensive community-wide discussion, including alumni. If the University wanted another tree embarrassment, it could hardly have picked a more likely way to create one than by changing team colors without telling anyone. The colors belong to all of us.

Through this debacle, let’s hope that the University learns its lesson once and for all. Next time it unveils a big scheme that affects us all, the administration must involve the entire community in the decision process. This does not mean the ultimate decision will be ours. But having a place where we can voice our opinions on matters that affect us is crucial. The inclusion of three students on the marketing committee shaping this new face of Rider was a step in the right direction.