CALGARY – Millions of years ago, the sub-tropical landscape around Calgary thundered with the heavy footsteps of ferocious reptiles competing for territorial domination. These days, students, faculty and staff at the University of Calgary channel that same fierce and single-minded drive for leadership – on the courts, fields, lanes, ice and waves of interuniversity sport and in the pursuit of new knowledge and innovation for society at large.
This morning, Dru Marshall, provost and vice-president (academic) at the university, unveiled a refreshed look for the Dinos – including a wardrobe makeover for Rex, the Dinos mascot – and invited the entire university community to embrace the updated identity as a rallying point for campus spirit. The timing of the evolution ties directly into the day's second announcement: an extensive new partnership that will see the Dinos outfitted exclusively in Nike gear.
“Our Eyes High strategic direction has us on track to become one of Canada's top five research universities by 2016, where research and innovative teaching go hand in hand, and where we fully engage the communities we both serve and lead,” said Marshall. “Our commitment extends beyond the important work we do in our labs and classrooms: it also involves creating an unforgettable student experience and building one cohesive university family. The updated Dinos spirit mark should serve as a touch point for us all, whether we channel our drive for leadership through interuniversity sport or through the pursuit of new knowledge and innovation for society at large.”
The campus community agreed that Rex needed a fresh look (the previous Dinos logo was last updated in the 1990s). Extensive consultations with the student body, alumni, faculty and staff in fall 2012 revealed a collective desire to boost its 'fierceness' factor while making the entire identity system simpler and more flexible in how it is used across campus. The updated identity proudly incorporates the university's red and gold colours and features a ferocious-looking Tyrannosaurus Rex ready to pounce from behind the Dinos name.
The opportunity to implement the refresh comes without significant expense as it ties into other projects already underway on campus, including the scheduled resurfacing of the Jack Simpson Gymnasium floor and a new partnership involving Dinos-branded apparel. All consultation, design and production work on the refreshed identity was completed by in-house staff at no additional cost.
View the new look at godinos.com or visit the Campus Bookstore to find merchandise bearing the refreshed Dinos identity.
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