University of Mount Olive unveils its new logo to students
By Josh Ellerbrock
Published in News on March 21, 2014 1:46 PM
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The new University of Mount Olive logo
The building chords of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" gave a dramatic opening to the unveiling of a new modern logo for the recently renamed University of Mount Olive.
The crowd stood and clapped when the curtains were pulled off the displays. Students, most who had come to eat lunch, started chanting "U-M-O" as they first saw the new institutional logo, a green shield retaining Mount Olive College's symbols of the cross and the lamp revamped for a sleeker, more modern look.
"We wanted a new look that represented the continuing growth and development of Mount Olive, but we also wanted to preserve those symbols that our founders felt represented our mission, vision and values," UMO President Dr. Philip Kerstetter said.
The students also approved. After the ceremony, students were grabbing free T-shirts with the new logos before leaving the cafeteria of the Lois K. Murphy Regional Center.
"I like that it's different. It's simple and fresh," UMO student Jack Frampton said.
Mount Olive College officially became the University of Mount Olive at the beginning of 2014 after the university's board of directors approved the change.
Kerstetter considered the name change when the institution started offering a graduate program in business. The move to university from college also reflects the institution's growing complexity as it continues to expand and diversify, he said.
But the change wasn't just Kerstetter's idea. A survey sent out to faculty, staff, alumni and students received 1,700 responses, and the overwhelming majority wanted the upgrade from college to university.
But the name change doesn't mean that the principles that the college was founded on are changing, Kerstetter said. "When changing our name, we wanted to make sure that our guiding vision and our guiding principles would stay the same."
The new logo reflects that with the lamp (a symbol for education) and the cross (a symbol for Christianity) being retained from the university's last institutional logo design in 1992.
The athletic logo also retains many of the same elements from its earlier design.
"I can still see that it's MOC. The logo still has the Trojan helmet, but it's like an evolution," student Sarah Roberts said.
"We are excited about the new athletics logo. It conveys our pride in our athletics program through a strong, attractive and flexible design," Athletics Director Jeff Eisen said.
TWG Plus, based in Matthews, was chosen to create the new institutional logo, and Jordan Sain with Hoke Signs & Graphic Designs, out of Lincolnton, updated the athletic logo.
With the designs finished and announced, UMO will be updating its logo on the institution's advertising and branding products. The more simple paper products -- like letterheads and business cards -- will be changed first. In roughly a month, some of the university's signage will be redesigned and replaced.
Other traces of "Mount Olive College" on campus will be slowly replaced through phases in order to spread out the expense of changing the institution's branding.
As for existing memorabilia, an archivist with the university is looking at what can be done to preserve some items, Kerstetter said. Other items may be given away or sold through silent auction. Alumni can choose to keep their own "MOC" memorabilia.
If alumni wish to change their degrees from Mount Olive College to University of Mount Olive, they may do so for a fee, Kerstetter said, though he doubts that many alumni will take the institution up on the offer.
Kerstetter said that alumni have been very positive about the name change and that compared to other name changes he has seen at other colleges, the university's change saw minimal push-back.
"This is an exciting time in the life of the University of Mount Olive, and all of us who are connected with this institution look forward to the future. We will continue to transform this institution, and we will continue to serve our students, our founding church and our communities," Kerstetter said.