Troy students rack up ADDY awards

Codi ClemmonsStaff Writer Troy University’s Art and Design Department won 16 Awards in the American Advertising Awards Competition this year. Troy University announced the students who were awarded during a ceremony last Thursday. This competition is held every year by the American Advertising Federation, which is the oldest national advertising trade association in the United States. Students are given the opportunity to select the pieces they feel are the best from their portfolios and submit them for the category that coincides with their project. There are more than a dozen different categories students can enter work into such as website design, campaigns, videos and illustrations. After the students select the pieces they feel fit to enter, Troy’s faculty makes the final decision on which ones deserve to compete. The entry fees are provided at no cost to the students. Both the students and faculty in the department were proud to show off their hard work. “On a personal note, I am extremely proud of all of the graphic design students who took part in the competition this year,” said Chris Stagl, an associate professor of graphic design and assistant chair of art and design. “I look forward to us winning more awards in years to come.” Troy University students competed against Alabama State University, Columbus State University and Auburn University at Montgomery. The work entered in this competition represents the exemplary projects of Troy’s students and the work of students from surrounding colleges. “I am humbled by the number of quality creative projects our students have created this past year,” Stagl said. Some of the students were even surprised to see which of their pieces won. “I almost did not include the work that ended up winning, and so I was surprised to see it actually win an award,” said Hannah Keiser, junior graphic design major from Alabaster, Alabama. “The faculty have been really helpful and encouraging,” Keiser said. The students were notified in December if they had a selection submitted and the winners were announced on Thursday, February 25, by Stagl. The students who won silver and gold will advance to regionals where the competition is much stiffer. If students win again, they will then advance to nationals.