I was pleased to read in the Daily that the city of Ames has adopted a new logo designed by a local graphic designer, Shelley Countryman, instead of spending money on expensive out-of-state consultants. However, I was struck by the resemblance of the new logo to the emblem of the starship Enterprise in the Star Trek TV series (see illustration):

Some critics might suggest that Ms. Countryman deliberately imitated the Starfleet emblem in order to make our city appear to be a high-tech, futuristic sort of place. I would rather believe that Captain James Kirk, who was a native Iowan, saw the Ames logo while attending an ISU home game in the 23rd century, and recommended it to Starfleet authorities.

John Cunnally

Associate Professor of Art History