No Logo

NO LOGO… Squid is still miffed that CSU Monterey Bay picked a squid-snacking otter as a mascot over a squid, so Squid stayed away from the big launch party administrators threw to show off a new logo and branding on April 4, but Squid could tell things were amiss immediately after it was over. Dozens of students took to CSUMB’s Instagram account to decry the new logo and branding and ask why administrators spent money on a new look instead of fixing problems on campus they think need fixing.

One big complaint is that Monte, the otter mascot, was removed from the logo. Another is that it’s boring and “too corporate-looking.” More than one compared the logo, which includes a light blue swoop in the background, to a box of Sensodyne toothpaste, which features a remarkably similar swoop.

The logo also features the name “Cal State Monterey Bay.” Is CSUMB switching to CSMB? Squid’s colleague was told CSUMB was not “easily identifiable beyond our campus borders,” so Cal State Monterey Bay was determined to be “a strong identifier,” and is now a nickname.

A spokesperson said they used non-tuition money from a strategic investment fund and no total figure on spending for the rebrand is yet available. Squid suggests they invest a little more and return Monte to the logo – or better yet, switch to a cephalopod.

BUG BYTES… Squid joined TikTok to see what the fuss was about and wound up addicted to hoarder house cleanup videos. (They gave Squid the courage to donate some old hand-knitted tentacle-warmers.) Among the thousands of stories depicting dance moves, weird recipes and other digital chaff, Squid stumbled upon the Monterey County Mosquito Abatement District’s account, a special district protecting the entire county from skeeter infestation.

Rather than stick to all funny or all serious videos, MCMAD’s stories run the gamut. One tells the story of a mosquito control technician surprised by her supervisor on her rounds. She unsuccessfully tries to convince him to stop for Starbucks. At the end they wind up, where else, Starbucks. Another video set to dramatic music displays helicopters equipped with sprayers on a mission of larvae destruction.

District Manager Ken Klemme tells Squid’s colleague they’ve been using social media for a couple of years as a way to get the word out – one Nextdoor post received 80,000 views. He reminds us that now is the time to dump those buckets and other containers in the backyard before mosquito larvae start hatching. For larger jobs like old pools, their service is free to residents and businesses.

Squid proposes a new dance move, “the skeeter slap,” for MCMAD folks to perform on their rounds. It’s sure to go viral.