Editors' Note: As part of The Star's recent re-design, we called on our designer extraordinaire, Star-staffer Ollie Caillier, to come up with a new logo for the platform. Ollie chose to incorporate the so-called "Star Man" that crops up here and there on signage and other (mostly retro) ASFA materials.
Its origins remain a mystery, but they harken back to the distant past, when only those of advancing years -- such as CW and Film teacher (and alum) Corey Craft -- might be able to recall a little bit about the Star Man's symbolism. Ollie decided to ask Mr. Craft what he thought of the new design, and this lightly edited interview ensued:
Q: So what grade were you when you enrolled in ASFA? What year was this?
CC: I started at ASFA in fall 1999, when I was in 7th grade.
Q: Did the Star Man have any significance to you at the time? Did you even know about its existence? Do you remember the Star Man?
CC: The Star Man was our beloved ASFA logo and was on pretty much every piece of school promotional material, including tote bags and T-shirts. So we definitely all knew about Star Man and adopted it somewhat as the school "mascot."
Q: Did the removal of the Star Man impact you in any way? Did you have any strong feelings towards its discontinuation? Did you even care?
CC: It happened between my graduation from ASFA and my return to ASFA as a faculty member. I can't say I honestly had any strong feelings about it.
Q: Do you think that my new logo reflects the ASFA spirit in any way? Does it honor the original logo’s “legacy?”
CC: Yes! I love the thoughtful addition of a sixth "beam" above the Star Man's head [to reflect all six specialties at ASFA]. And I think other alumni of a certain age will be glad to see it.
Q: On the topic of legacy, what did the Star Man mean to you at that time, and what does it mean to you today?
CC: I can't say that the Star Man itself meant anything to me beyond the shorthand visual representation of a place that meant a great deal to me (and still does). I guess if I wanted to get sentimental about it, I could say that the re-emergence of the Star Man in this context makes me glad, because (1) it's a nod to the school's past at a moment right before the school is poised to make some pretty significant changes, and (2) it has been "reclaimed" by an independent student-run journalism initiative.
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