Pick your Dawg

The results are in, and the trend is clear: the newest UW logos are out of style.

According to a survey conducted by the UW Alumni Association (UWAA), Husky fans prefer the 1995 UW logos to the latest versions.

More than 3,000 UW alumni and students voted for their all-time favorite Husky logo on the UWAA Web site during September. Nearly one-third of all respondents selected a Husky head shown in three-quarter view in front of a "W" as their top choice. The UW used that logo between 1995 and 2001.

The second most-beloved symbol was the alternate logo from that era, which featured the same style of Husky in front of the letters "UW." It garnered 22 percent of the total vote.

The current logos, created during 2001 when the UW signed a contract with Nike under former Athletic Director Barbara Hedges, were not as popular. Of the people surveyed, only about three percent liked the 2001 "W" logo best of the 15 choices, and only about eight percent cared for the 2001 Husky Dawg.

For Liz Heinrich, UWAA member and widow of Husky Hall of Fame quarterback Don Heinrich, the survey confirmed what she's been saying since the 2001 logos were first unveiled: fans hate the "Nike nimrod Dawg."

"It looks like it fell off a steroid jar," Heinrich said. "This dog is under anesthetics. Is it alive or dead?"

Heinrich has led a one-woman campaign against the 2001 logo, protesting to Athletic Director Todd Turner and entreating the help of coaches Lorenzo Romar and Tyrone Willingham.

Many others in the UWAA have also taken issue with the new Dawg's glassy stare -- especially older members, Heinrich said.

"It should have its mouth open, its eyes open, its tongue out," she said. "It looks sedated."

Heinrich said she likes the 1979 Washington logo best, where a fluffy Husky looks straight at viewers from atop a 'W.' Still, she said the 1995 Dawg as a great improvement over the 2001 creation.

"This Dawg looks like a weasel," she said.

Stephanie Guerrero, a 2003 UW graduate, said she never understood why they changed the logo in the first place.

"It looks more commercial," Guerrero said. "It's kind of a concession to Nike, and it's kind of sad."

Heinrich said she and other concerned members of the UWAA have written regularly to Turner to protest the logo change but received no response.

"I feel really crushed to watch this happen," she said. "It's breaking down the tradition of the Northwest and the school."

Not everyone feels the logo needs to change, however.

In the UWAA survey, older participants were less likely to favor the new Dawg than younger ones. While about 11 percent of graduates since 1991 approved of the 2001 Husky, only about six percent of graduates between 1971 and 1990 did. Among graduates before 1970, that number fell to less than four percent.

In contrast, nearly 20 percent of students who took part in the survey liked the new Dawg.

"It's like it got a makeover," said junior Rachel Werth, an employee at Husky Headquarters, a UW apparel shop on Northeast 45th Street. "It gives it a more modern look than the old Husky. I think it looks better."

The UW logo has gone through 14 different makeovers since 1920, when the school mascot changed officially from a Sun Dodger to a Husky.

Some students agree with Heinrich, and feel like this makeover was misguided one.

"It's kind of a wimpy dog," said junior Markus Thomi. "It ought to have bite. I hope they change it."

The athletic department has no plans to change the Husky logo in the near future, said Leslie Wurzberger, assistant athletic director of marketing and promotions.

"The survey got people talking about this again," Wurzberger said. "As far as I know, there's no discussion about changing it soon."

She noted when people get sentimentally attached to a symbol, changing it is rarely welcomed.

Heinrich warned that if the athletic department doesn't revert back to the old logo quickly, it will distance alumni who make substantial financial contributions to the UW.

"Look at the average age of season ticket holders," Heinrich said. "I think it's great that students like the Dawg ... but [the department] is losing a paying crowd."