Ohio University changed the design on the student identification cards this year, and students aren’t happy about it.
Members of this year’s freshman class might be easier to spot than in years past.
On the right side of this year’s incoming class’ student ID cards is “it’s y{ }u,” a phrase at the heart of Ohio University’s new marketing campaign.
The logo also appears on other marketing efforts — TV commercials, campus banners and OU’s website homepage, said Renea Morris, executive director of OU communications and marketing.
For years, ID cards featured a picture of Cutler Hall, “the oldest building erected for higher education west of the Alleghenies and north of the Ohio River,” according to OU’s website.
The university is not able to reproduce the old design and all new IDs will have this look. It didn’t cost OU additional money to change the design, Morris said.
Upperclassmen don’t have to replace their existing ID cards, but should they break or lose their original card, the replacement ID card will have the new logo.
Morris said she has received positive feedback from students about the campaign overall, as well as the change to the cards. However, many students said they dislike placing the new campaign on the ID cards and prefer the old design instead.
“I don’t like that people see it and think I’m a freshman,” said Diana Noskova, a senior studying English pre-law, who had to replace her ID after losing it. “The old ones looked so much more traditional.”
Even freshman, who never had an ID card with the old design, don’t seem to care for the switch.
Sam Kunau, a freshman studying business economics and international business, said putting the campaign on ID cards looks “cheesy.”
“I like how it had the beautiful picture of campus,” he said of the old logo, adding that he also didn’t care for the yellow brackets that surround students’ photos.
Kayla Huddleston, a junior studying early childhood education, doesn’t have an ID card with the new logo, and she said she’s being extra careful with her card.
“I don’t want to break (or) lose mine because I don’t want to get the new one,” she said.
@Mariadevito13
md781510@ohio.edu
