When many students had to write papers or solve problems for homework, students in Dr. John Mellon’s classes got to enter a contest.
After being approached by the Service Learning and Alumni and Donor Relations offices, Mellon posed a challenge to his service learning sales and marketing classes.Each class was to create a slogan for the faculty alumni brunch on the Sunday before Homecoming weekend.
“We said this is great. Service learning is meant to go outside the classroom even though we didn’t go very far,” said Mellon associate professor of business.
The alumni association invited faculty and alumni alike to homecoming brunch to see old friends and hear the winning slogan.
“I thought this was wonderful. It’s service learning and it’s for the university,” said Mellon.
Mellon received over 100 submissions for the contest. The alumni association then created a panel and chose the winners.
“They get exposed to the real world,” said Mellon.
Junior business administration major DeAnna Darling created the winning slogan. Her “Office Hours,” slogan won over the judges to take the prize. Darling received a leather-bound notebook for her efforts.
“It feels great to win and have the thing you created picked.”
The winning slogan will not just be used for one brunch- it will be used into the future.
“I think it was a great way to combine the two departments of students and faculty to create something for the school,” said Darling.
When the committee reviewed all submissions, they realized that many of the slogans were good but just didn’t quite fit for the brunch that they had in mind.
“The alumni association though these are great- let’s give them honorable mentions because we can use them for something else besides the brunch,” said Mellon.
Honorable mention winners were Josh Shanker with his “Homecoming Weekend: two days to bring the past into the present,” slogan. Kevin Foy offered “Annual Cougar Catch Up.” Benito Carnacho submitted his slogan “Win and Dine from Past Good times,” and Ny-asia Owens created the “A building with four walls and tomorrow inside,” slogan.
All honorable mention slogans will be used at various alumni association events.
Darling, who is specializing in marketing, feels this contest was an opportunity to help build her portfolio.
“It’s great to have something to show people who you actually created,” she said. “It was great to gain real life experience while helping the university at the same time.”
Mellon is happy his classes were able to assist MU not just with this event but for events to come.
“With all of the slogans they received I think they are set for at least a year or so,” said Mellon.