Mount Royal Cougars unveil new logo
The new brand “will change the face of campus, literally and figuratively”
By Dan Khavkin, Sports Editor
“Change was inevitable, an evolution was inevitable and today this change just feels right. The new identity of the Cougars builds a renewed sense of pride
across campus,” said Mount Royal University president David Docherty early afternoon on August 25. When MRU launched its new brand and opened a new chapter for the university.
The press conference held on mainstreet was a launch of a new Cougar brand that had a heavy
![](http://thereflector.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Cougars-300x300.jpg)
Mount Royal’s official new logo, it is the second emblem change since joining the CIS six years ago. Photo by: MRU Cougars
emphasis on uniting the MRU community not only in regards with athletics, but also with the community around it.
Cougar brand is indeed a beacon around Calgary and with the new badge, more memories will be created and cherished under a new logo. More people will be proud to present their experience with MRU to other people, both alumni and current students.
“This goal with the new brand is to take the pursuit of excellence and commodity and build it into sports teams bottling it up, shaking it around a bit and share it all with you.” Docherty adds.
The new brand will create a lasting impact for the future, as Western Canada’s youngest school will now have a fresh new look that will catch the eyes of future opponents for the years to come, especially those close to home in respects to the University of Calgary Dinos.
Vice-President of Student Advancement Paul Rossmann stated: “We are the Cougars. Everyone who was part of our community and everyone who has invested in the success of Mount Royal University are welcomed and encouraged to embrace the Cougars spirit. It may has its roots in athletics but it has tremendous power to unify our campus.”
“The new logo is strong, versatile and uniquely identifiable. The head on Cougar is determined and focused while the MRU lettering evokes the strong and forward-looking institution.” Rossmann detailed at the conclusion of his speech.
Vice-President of Student Life and Campus Affairs Steve Fitterer, who himself was a former student athlete at the University of Victoria, understands the impact the new logo as a chain reaction across campus. Which, Docherty insisted isn’t only “on campus, when you wear Cougar gear out in the community, its like a beacon.”
Fitterer poked at the Cougars biggest rival who dwells just up Crowchild Trail; jokingly stating, “Just thinking of our friends up the road, we are often pretty close competition in athletics but now that I see us with our new logo, that battle isn’t even close. I anticipate them being very jealous of us looking far better than their funny looking…Dino”.
We can all agree our fire looking Cougar looks fresher and more stylish compared to our counterparts old and tattered Dino who might need another extinction so they too can remodel themselves.
This is MRU’s sixth year as a university and first logo change in athletics since the switch into Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS).
Third-year men’s soccer skipper Ryan Gyaki believes the logo make a difference across campus from the athletics perspective stating, “I think the most exciting part for everyone is that the Cougar is inclusive to MRU so it ties everyone in as a group from my point as a coach.”
Women’s Volleyball coach Sandra Lam has been involved with Cougar athletics for 19 years believes it was the right time for a change.
“I do think that things change and you want to stay up to date, it’s my second logo change but it gets better and better, more modern and it’s all about relating to the community. That’s what the whole rebranding does for the MRU community.”
Men’s soccer had the blessing of rocking the new Cougar colors in their opening weekend two weeks before school kicked off. From word heard across the athletics office, the buzz is still there as coaches and their student-athletes are prepared to show off their new colors, already winning on the playing field by looking better than the opposition.
Let’s have confidence that with stylish new looks comes even greater success and accomplishments for Cougar athletics on behalf of both present and future Mount Royal Cougars.