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H A W A I I _ S P O R T S
Notebook
Saturday, August 5, 2000
Mail Box
The great UH logo
debate continues
New UH logo still on people's minds
When I first saw the new design, I never thought about the University of Hawaii. Rather, the first thing that came to my mind was the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team's logo.The so-called jagged edges look more like a "razorback/diamondback" southwestern look than a kapa design. I think someone could've come up with a more distinctive and Hawaiian logo.
UH should've held a design contest open only to the kama'aina to see who could come up with the most creative and attractive design that would best represent the university. The new "H" certainly doesn't make the cut.
Elbert Doles
San Francisco, CA
I just have to say how disappointed I am with all this new logo stuff at the University of Hawaii. When my husband told me that the name changed from Rainbow Warriors to Warriors due to all the references mentioned to the word "rainbow" (especially on the mainland) I couldn't believe it. Even though I am not a graduate of the University of Hawaii, it played a major role in my goal to achieve what I wanted in life.
The very fact that I am originally from Hawaii, born and raised, doesn't erase the aloha spirit I feel that is in my being. I think anybody that is from Hawaii and now living on the mainland understands what I am saying. The rainbow symbolized Hawaii as one of the most diverse places in the world. It is as positive a symbol as you can get. It represented to me all people of different ethnic backgrounds and from all walks of life. And now it is gone due to the feelings of a few who want to make a more "narrow" statement at UH. You guys just don't get it, do you?
I know I will always keep the rainbow symbol in spirit and I will pass it on to my kids. Hawaii is not perfect, no place is, but it will always have that certain aloha that no one can take away from me.
Linda Finer
Petaluma, Calif.
I have three words for the new UH logo: I Love it!
Stephanie Jicha
Via the Internet
It's not the image switch that bothers me, but rather, the reasons given. It seems that the collective mind of UH just became a lot narrower.
Jennifer Weuve
Boston
UH nickname should be Tiger Sharks
The University of Hawaii logo and mascot were probably due for a change. Rainbows seem a little wussie to guys who like to bang their heads together. But the new "H" is fairly ugly and generic, looking more Aztec or Native American than Hawaiian kapa.If they wanted a fearsome and powerful aumakua rooted in Hawaiian symbolism, they should have named the football team the Hawaii Tiger Sharks. To me, staring into the face of an approaching tiger shark is the stuff of nightmares. Now that's a vision to make your opponents tremble.
They could have made a large tiger shark in the style of a Chinese dragon and had a pep squad "swim" it around the field while the band played the theme to "Jaws." And a tiger shark circling the letter H would look great on helmets and T-shirts.
Gary F. Anderson
Waimanalo
Why weren't local graphic designers hired?
The UH athletic department replaced an absolutely beautiful logo with some symbol out of a bad dream. I don't see any representation of Hawaii in the H except a bunch of jagged lines that make you dizzy if you stare too long.To add insult to injury, the UH paid $35,000 to an out-of-state graphic designer for the job, when any local graphic designer could have created a better logo for under $1,000 or even for free, just for the publicity.
Why wasn't world-famous graphic designer Clarence Lee asked to create the logo? Better yet, there could have been a competition open to all Hawaii residents. Then university students could have voted for the winner.
Something is suspicious about how fast the logo was changed without any feedback from the public or students. This is just one of a comedy of errors that has plagued the UH athletic department.
Many of the most important decisions made at the university are not made with intelligence and practicality, but are decided by politics and decision-makers helping out their friends. Unfortunately, this is also how our government is run.
Colin Kau
Nondescript logo is affront to Hawaii
Now that we have a new logo for our Rainbow Warriors, we look just like any college or university in the country. Nowhere in this logo is anything Hawaiian being depicted.The familiar chant, "Go 'Bows," will fall silent to a new generation of hypocrites, wanting both world peace and an aggressive logo.
Craig Watanabe
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