Lehigh Seal Update
So, in my last entry I talked about how the University seal is depicted erroneously by the bookstore in their products. So, I decided to send an email to the General Manager of the bookstore. Below is my email, their response, and their response interpreted. I guess I need to find out who is on the Lehigh end of the liscensing since it's apparent that Barnes and Noble College doesn't care.
My email:
As an avid Lehigh enthusiast I was disheartened to discover recently thatthe memorabilia and paraphernalia the bookstore sells depicts the university seal with an error. Surrounding the official seal is 65 stars, likely representing the year Lehigh University was founded (1865). However, items sold in the bookstore depict the seal with more than this. For
example, the lapel pin http://lehigh.bkstore.com/bkstore/content?st=00217&m=0303&p=34156&c=28, and
brass paperweight http://lehigh.bkstore.com/bkstore/content?st=00217&m=0303&p=34159&c=28 contain well more than 65 stars, and the engraved chairs contain 70 stars (by my counting). My assumption is that the significance of the stars was not understood by the manufacturers when they designed the products. However, I feel that if the bookstore sells items containing the seal then it should be depicted correctly out of reverence.
Regards,
Michael Kowalski '05, '06G
mek5@lehigh.edu
Their Response:
Hi! You are correct in stating that the official seal is surrounded by 65 stars. Please note that all bookstore products are approved by Lehigh's licensing police and by an outside agency called SMA or Strategic Marketing Alliance. For aesthetic reasons and sometimes for manufacturing limitations exceptions need to be made by vendors with University approval.
I thank you for your email and I want to assure you that we do strive to carry "correct products" whenever possible. All our vendors have to sign codes of conduct and are required to adhere to all Lehigh policies and procedures and can only deviate from a standard with Lehigh's permission. If any product "sneaks" through without Lehigh approval they are sent back to the vendor.
Their Response Interpreted:
We don't really care about your school's history. We're just in it for the money. Ching! Ching!
My email:
As an avid Lehigh enthusiast I was disheartened to discover recently thatthe memorabilia and paraphernalia the bookstore sells depicts the university seal with an error. Surrounding the official seal is 65 stars, likely representing the year Lehigh University was founded (1865). However, items sold in the bookstore depict the seal with more than this. For
example, the lapel pin http://lehigh.bkstore.com/bkstore/content?st=00217&m=0303&p=34156&c=28, and
brass paperweight http://lehigh.bkstore.com/bkstore/content?st=00217&m=0303&p=34159&c=28 contain well more than 65 stars, and the engraved chairs contain 70 stars (by my counting). My assumption is that the significance of the stars was not understood by the manufacturers when they designed the products. However, I feel that if the bookstore sells items containing the seal then it should be depicted correctly out of reverence.
Regards,
Michael Kowalski '05, '06G
mek5@lehigh.edu
Their Response:
Hi! You are correct in stating that the official seal is surrounded by 65 stars. Please note that all bookstore products are approved by Lehigh's licensing police and by an outside agency called SMA or Strategic Marketing Alliance. For aesthetic reasons and sometimes for manufacturing limitations exceptions need to be made by vendors with University approval.
I thank you for your email and I want to assure you that we do strive to carry "correct products" whenever possible. All our vendors have to sign codes of conduct and are required to adhere to all Lehigh policies and procedures and can only deviate from a standard with Lehigh's permission. If any product "sneaks" through without Lehigh approval they are sent back to the vendor.
Their Response Interpreted:
We don't really care about your school's history. We're just in it for the money. Ching! Ching!