Frivolous question about the Glorious Block M
Sort of a silly question on Football Eve, but part of the fun of being at a new school is learning about its traditions. And the longer this question goes unanswered, the more obsessive I get about it.
So it's readily apparent to me that the brass block "M" on the Diag:
doesn't really look that much like the ubiquitous block "M" logo. Apparently this isn't obvious to everyone.* (I've always been good at recognizing typefaces/fonts and bad at recognizing human faces, which is not a very beneficial trade.)
It just surprises me that as for such revered school symbols, both the brass one and the ubiquitous one, no one but me seems to mention the fact that they don't match. So.... which came first?
*For example, a colleague in my program who had spent her undergraduate years at U-M had no idea what I was talking about.
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:35 PM ^
predates a whole mess of stuff, including the standardized "Block M", I believe.
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:39 PM ^
I still don't understand why they made the "M" more subtle. It used to be encased in a big colored block, making the avoidance of stepping on it much easier. Now the "M" is encased in a block that matches all of the walkway around it. If a student isn't paying proper attention, he could easily step on it inadvertantly. With the old block, everyone avoided the whole block that encased the "M". Now that the block matches those around it, is it only necessary to avoid the "M" itself?
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:41 PM ^
to drive you insane. ANYWHERE you step on campus will screw you for your first Blue Book now.
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:43 PM ^
The rest of us already took our first Blue Book exam and can step on it whenever we feel like it.
September 4th, 2010 at 12:23 AM ^
I decided to leave nothing to chance, and didn't step on the thing until a month after I graduated... Yeah, I know.
September 4th, 2010 at 1:20 AM ^
After I took my first blue book, I walked into the Diag and deliberately walked straight at the Block M and said "Ha, take that." and stepped on it. As I stepped on it, I slipped on some water that was on it and almost did a face plant in the middle of a packed Diag. Needless to say, I never doubted the M again.
September 4th, 2010 at 12:52 AM ^
I refuse to step on it out of respect for the M
September 4th, 2010 at 1:13 AM ^
Stepped on it before my first blue book. Got an A on it. :)
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:42 PM ^
MGoBlog has become wikipedia
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/year-creation-block-m
Which links to this site:
http://bentley.umich.edu/research/um/
Looks like Blaze is right, the block M existed for a while, but it wasn't standardized probably until much later. This M is pretty close (IMO):
September 4th, 2010 at 12:53 AM ^
If you notice, it was donated by the Class of 1953. It's a student-initiated gift, not an officially-designed symbol.
Super-nitpick: it's usually just called "the M."
September 4th, 2010 at 1:26 AM ^
Come to think of it, the reason I called the brass one a block "M" was because that was the way it was described to me on an informal campus tour last spring. So perhaps I'm inferring a correspondence where none was originally intended.
I've always loved Michigan's "M" (the ubiquitous, non-split one), and especially how it naturally anchors such elegantly classic field markings -- neither pretentiously plain like ND's nor gaudy like Tennessee's. Maybe I should have applied to the School of Art and Design instead given the amount of time I spend thinking about this stuff.
Can't wait to experience my first game later today.
September 4th, 2010 at 5:37 AM ^
On behalf of me and all the die-hard Wolverines around the world who will not be able to attend the game in person, yell your heart out with the other hundred thousand Michigan fans. Forever, GO BLUE!
September 5th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^
Just... wow. Hopefully I'll write a very-low-content diary about it. :)
September 3rd, 2010 at 11:05 PM ^
. . . has tamed all fonts.
September 3rd, 2010 at 11:53 PM ^
I seem to recall several years ago listening to an interview with somebody from the Michigan athetic department who was talking about how Cliff Keen and some of the other administrators sat down and drew up some of the modern logos on a kitchen table back in the '60s. Evidently this was before sports marketing became the big business it is now, and they wanted to sell shirts and hats to raise money.
September 4th, 2010 at 12:16 AM ^
I believe that was Don Canham.
September 4th, 2010 at 12:25 AM ^
My grandfather and my grandfathers friend (who I still hunt with) share this story.
One night, after my Grandpa was getting hammered while at University of Michigan Law School, his friend (the hunting buddy of mine) walked in. My grandfather who had gone to state was putting a Michigan State flag in a mason jar. He went out and dug a hole underneath where the block M on the Diag was to be laid, and put it there and covered it up.
Believe what you want, but they even have the date of the Block M being put down correctly 50 some years later.
September 4th, 2010 at 12:33 AM ^
The way I understand it, Don Canham drew up the first "block M" on his kitchen table. He was visionary to see the potential in the marketing of Michigan Football
I'm not sure when the Brass M was placed in the Diag...just don't step on that thing before your first bluebook.
Edit: Nice work class of 1953. Never noticed that when I stepped on that thing with pride every time i walked past it after bluebook #1