By Myles Goldman
The University kicked-off the 2012-2013 academic year by unveiling a new logo for the University Sunday night in front of a packed crowd in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom. The new logo comes after two years of a 75 person committee working to update the University logo that had not been changed since 2002.
An estimated crowd of more than 150 students crowded into the Grand Ballroom to sample free food ranging from ice cream to burritos from local vendors and watch the "virtual" unveiling. The crowd was much larger than the University expected and many students were either standing in the back of the room or sitting on the floor between the two sections of seats. Vice President for External Relations, Lorraine Voles, also mentioned during her address to the crowd that other students were still out in the hallway of the third floor outside of the room because there was not enough room to let them in.
While speaking to the crowd, Student Association President Ashwin Narla noted the student attendance.
"We got a lot more people than expected but we were able to manage," Narla said.
The new image of the University's namesake is the one from the statue in University Yard sculpted by Jean-Antoine Houdan.
The other major change President Steven Knapp told the crowd was going from a Serif to San Serif font. The result is the lines between words in the University's name have been eliminated. Chuckles could be heard from the crowd as Knapp described the change.
University administrators speaking at the event said the updating of the logo was necessary to project a sharper image to the world as the University enters it's third century of existence in 2021. Additionally, administrators said the old image did not translate very well in web and other new technological platforms.
Still, many students seemed frustrated about the money the University spent on the project. Mumbles from students could be heard during parts of the presentation.
Student Association President Ashwin Narla responded to student concerns.
"Cost is a huge issue," Narla said. "We're going to advocate to make progress on fees and student life issues this year. The rebranding is only one part [of how the University spends money]. Let's see if we can work with them to spend money in other areas," he added.
As part of the launch of the new logo, the University began a new marketing campaign focused on several new phrases. Additionally, GW students are encouraged to share their stories about how they have contributed to the University. A video truck was outside the Marvin Center during the event and students lined-up to appear on camera and tell about their time at GW.
In conjunction with the new logo, the University changed the entire appearance of its website.
