UCAB seeks new image

Although the retirement of former Vice President for Student Affairs Sam Sadler may have been painful for students, it probably wasn’t intended to leave a scab — but that’s what could have happened, had UCAB taken the easy route in renaming itself the Sadler Center Activities Board. In light of the University Center’s new name, UCAB desires to undergo a name change as well. As SCAB doesn’t quite promote the image UCAB strives for, the board plans to redesign the organization’s name and logo.

General Board member Kelly Bodie ’10 initially supported SCAB as the new title, but changed her mind upon further consideration of the later consequences. “At first, I actually found the name SCAB amusing. I thought it would be memorable and fun, definitely something that would stick in people’s minds,” she said. “Long-term though, I can see how it might be problematic with getting new people to join or bands to sign on and such.”
Thomas Milteer ’09, director of public relations for UCAB, said the group decided to take advantage of this opportunity “to reinvent ourselves as more hip and professional.”

UCAB set aside money last semester for this fall’s budget to hire a professional graphic designer to create a new logo to replace the current logo, a yellow taxicab. The executive board discussed the pros and cons of a name change via e-mail over the summer. It was decided to seize the opportunity for an image makeover in August. The executive board also determined to extend the invitation to the entire student body for new ideas and suggestions.

“I’m excited for the campus-wide search,” said Bodie, ’11. I’ve already overheard students talking about it around campus. This way we’ll get a ton more options.”

Milteer believes the philosophy of UCAB can be applied to the name search. “We’re for students, by students,” he said. “We serve the students, as our main mission is to bring high-quality events.”

UCAB has held its current title since its creation after the construction in the 1990s.

“They had the rooms, so they needed an organization to fill them,” Milteer said. Many universities have similar activity boards with similar names — UVA’s Student Activities Board and CNU’s Campus Activities Board are two examples. UCAB is looking for something unique to the College, while promoting the hip and professional image described by Milteer.

Students will have the opportunity to submit ideas until Oct. 8 via e-mail to ucabnamechange@gmail.com.

There is a Facebook event entitled “UCAB is Changing its Name!” to facilitate discussion and brainstorming.

The early deadline is intended to give UCAB time to organize before the spring release.

“There’s a big gap to get work done, redesign, rebrain,” Milteer said.

After collecting all the submissions, UCAB’s executive board will sort through the suggestions and select the top three choices. Those three will then be presented to the general board of UCAB, as well as to college alumni, to be reviewed for comments. The executive board will then consider the feedback and make a final choice, unveiling its selection in the spring.

The new name and logo will appear this spring on t-shirts, banners, the spring Student Activities calendar, the website and in the UCAB office located in the Campus Center. And while the possibilities for a new name and logo are endless, one thing is for sure: It won’t be SCAB.

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