Morden Collegiate announced its new logo this week.

"I think we are really excited to launch this new logo and new look for the school in September," said Principal Marianne Fenn.

Fenn noted the school has purchased some merchandise that the grade nine students will be receiving, and the goal of this is to welcome them to the school.

This whole process started back in May and it all started with asking if they would like to see a logo change or keep it the way it was. In the end the result was that the school would re-brand its logo with a Buffalo underneath the text 'Morden Thunder' (as seen in the picture above)

A number of years ago the RRTVA welding department made a buffalo for the front of the school, which ties in with the new logo.

"Thunder is a hard thing to represent visually. That is why we had a thunder cloud/lightning bolt logo in the past, but the thundering hooves of the Bison kind of fits in with that. We kind of thought about some of the options we would have in the stands to to represents what thunder sounds like, if it was Bison."

Students also brought of the characteristics of Bison as a great way to identify what it means to be member of Morden Collegiate. Some of the characteristics or qualities are strength, traveling as a herd, and protecting the herd.

According to Fenn this was also an opportunity to bring more unity to the school.

"Over the last several years, our school has worked with students, staff, parents and community to build and strengthen school climate and culture, and the appearance of, and pride in our school has been an important part of that," said Fenn. "Morden Collegiate Institute began their new logo process in the 2015/2016 school year as the former logo (thunderbolt/thundercloud) had been in place for 10 years. The school surveyed students, community and staff to test if there was interest in renewing the look of the logo and to see if a change would be something that would support our goals of ensuring school spirit, identity, unity and pride."

Fenn stressed that this logo will take time to implement throughout the school, as it isn't in the budget to replace all of the former logo gear all at once, but would like to see it all in place in the next couple of years.

"You might see it kind of trickle in over the next three or four years," said Fenn. "What we have typically done is have a kind of replacement timeline that is on a continuum for most of the things like a jersey. For instance we would buy new jerseys one year and collect fee's for the next three years and bank a little money. Then that fourth year we would buy a replica set of jerseys for that team.

She noted some of the jerseys or other items with logo's were just bought this last year and could take a few years before they receive this new logo.

Meanwhile, students were happy to have their voices heard when it came to a new logo and really helped picked the one which was chosen.

"I think logo represents us well! Bison are strong and confident animals who work together," said Finley Wheeler, Student Council Sports Representative. "That reminds me of the way our drama troupe, music classes, and sports teams all work together to be successful a MCI."

The old logo on the gym wall