Three student graphic designers with the Centennial Student Union were honored for their creative projects as part of the recent annual conference by the Association of College Unions International.
Winners of the annual “Steal This Idea” competition were announced this week after the ACUI’s March virtual conference recognized the best entries among projects completed in 2020. Among this year’s winners were CSU student graphic designers Afure Adah, Kylee Nyholm and Tori Roth.
The competition recognizes professional and student entries in various categories of graphic design and marketing. The “Steal This Idea” showcase offers innovative ideas for other member student unions belonging to the international organization.
This year, all three of the CSU’s 2020 student graphic designers were recognized for their work in two different categories. Afure Adah and Kylee Nyholm placed second place in the student-designed signs and banners category for the creation of a 7-foot tall infographic display highlighting key points of information about the CSU. The two-sided portable display was unveiled during Welcome Week and currently is on the CSU’s main level.
“Afure came up with the design concept and the preliminary layout last spring before she graduated,” said Lenny Koupal, CSU Communications Coordinator. “She handed the project off to Kylee who worked during the summer to add polish and additional original iconic art pieces to the display. It really is a cool display loaded with information and trivia about the CSU.”
Tori Roth placed third for her design of the Student Events Team Spirit Month t-shirt. Sporting the Maverick mascot wearing a facemask, the shirt’s theme “Masks On, Horns Up” expressed Maverick spirit during the pandemic. Her student division entry was judged as part of a special COVID category added for the 2021 conference.
“This is actually a pretty impressive third place finish,” Koupal said. “It wasn’t just one category, but rather all categories of student-designed marketing and promotional materials having a COVID-related theme.”
Along with Adah, who earned her graphic design degree in May 2020, Nyholm graduate with her degree in December 2020. Roth is set to graduate in May 2021, left the CSU last December after earning an off-campus Spring Semester internship.
Koupal said the CSU continually fills student graphic design positions with two graphic designers working throughout the year on as many as 120 projects from the CSU, Student Events Team, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Community Engagement and Leadership.
