Nearly every student has faced the wrath of their professors when using certain fonts. Anyone who has taken even a single English class has had the phrase “Times New Roman, font size 12, double-spaced” seared into their brains. But how do people feel about some of the forbidden fonts?
Dr. Berniece Alspach, assistant professor of English, strongly dislikes Calibri, the default font on Microsoft
Word.
“That font drives me bonkers,” Alspach said. “It literally makes me go cross-eyed.”
She is peeved because this font is considered, ironically, the most legible font for people with reading disabilities, and it provides no relief for her weakening eyesight.
However, this is not a universal opinion. Some students have developed a partiality to the standard font and use it frequently in place of Courier New or Times New Roman.
Adrian King, president of CBU’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter, claims that the font has many applications and is highly versatile.
“Calibri is definitely preferable,” King said. “I find it more modern and, even if used frequently, it is simple enough to where it blends in well in design, professional or academic settings.”
Marc Agbayani, senior creative writing major, uses the font simply because it is the most readily available.
“I like using Calibri for taking notes because I conditioned myself to do it that way,” Agbayani said.
Though Agbayani prefers this font, he claims he would likely switch to Times New Roman to write an essay because of its clean and professional look.
Another font that sparks heated discussion is Comic Sans. Agbayani was the font’s only defender, claiming that he was a fan of its fun and bubbly appearance.
Although Agbayani defended it, it has many haters. King said she dislikes Comic Sans.
“I am definitely not a huge fan of Comic Sans,” King said. “It feels very elementary for some reason. Had the typeface been used less frequently, I may be less opposed.”
Though Alspach feels no ill will towards the sans serif font, she argues that it was developed for a particular demographic.
“I think it’s meant to communicate some level of informality,” Alspach said. “So if you’re advertising for a puppet show at the local library, maybe that’s what you would use.”
Alspach displayed guidetogrammar.org, one of the resources she offered her students as support. She believes that students avoided the website because the font looks too childish. She suggested that Palantino Linotype is an excellent alternative that caters to adults while having enough style to decorate an event flyer.
“It’s not Times New Roman, so it doesn’t look like an assignment, but it looks professional and a little bit artistic,” Alspach said. “So there’s a little bit of balance.”
Nobody can seem to agree on either of these fonts. However, whether you like these controversial fonts or not, it is safe to say you will face the consequences if Comic Sans appears on your English paper.
