Graphic Communications shows signs of pride at Homecoming

In keeping with the spirit of Homecoming, Graphic Communications students are shouting from the rooftop of Godfrey Hall – figuratively, that is.

In what has become a Homecoming Week tradition, the College of Business students are tooting their horn with 1,350 square feet of signage adorning the façade of their historic home. The proud major is welcoming any and all Homecoming Day visitors to experience first-hand how graphic communications students earn their stripes.

“The Homecoming banners are a calling card for graphic communications students to show pride for their major and the university,” said Jay Jacobs a lecturer and a faculty advisor to the annual project. “A lot of people don’t know that we are one of the top programs in the country. Metaphorically, it’s a way for us to say we are one of the very important stripes on the Clemson Tiger, and we want our stripe to be noticed.”

Nine colorful banners, each 30 feet long and five feet wide, will adorn the front of Godfrey, which overlooks Bowman Field. The banners work off the “Under an Orange-Colored Sky” Homecoming theme. The banners have imagery depicting the Clemson experience, including student life, academics and, of course, graphic communications.

Nearly 100 graphic communications students had a hand in the Homecoming tradition that turns the campus’ third-oldest building into a billboard. Much like a business project, teams of students were tasked with several phases of the undertaking, Jacobs said.

“My Conceptual Packaging class researched the space and the themes, but then two other teams took over. An electronic and social media class took on the creative and social media components of the project,” Jacobs said. “Graduate assistants are producing the banners and members of Gamma Epsilon Tau (GET), the major’s honorary service fraternity are producing tee-shirts, buttons and label graphics, and helping prepare Godfrey for the event.”

Bryanne Trice, a graphic communications graduate student, said the banners are made of a mesh material that ink is applied to by utilizing a wide-format ink jet printer.

“This is a great exercise for design- and production-oriented students to better understand what the business world is like,” said Bryanne, who is helping oversee production of the banners. “There are teams of students all contributing toward a goal of satisfying our customer. In this case it’s the university and alumni. We want a product that will entice them to return for years to come. Business is all about the customer and our Homecoming project is geared toward creating a product worthy of them.”

About 500 to 800 visitors pass through the doors of Godfrey on Homecoming Saturday. On their tour of the labs and classrooms, visitors get a basic understanding of what students in the printing, graphics, packaging and imaging disciplines produce.

“Visitors will print their own Homecoming buttons, pennants and stickers, and they leave with a digital image of their group,” Jacobs said. “As a fund-raising project, graphic communications t-shirts designed and produced by students, can also be purchased.”

“There are only three or four other schools that have graphic communications programs equivalent to Clemson’s,” Jacobs said. “Homecoming is a great time to draw people’s attention to the presence we’ve had here since the ’80s as one of the world’s leading programs. This is a very proud group of students, one that will have a 95 percent employment rate within six months of their graduation.”

 

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