UMD Student Design Organization uses graphic design to support No-Shave November
Written by Tyler Schendel | Archived Nov. 10, 2020
The University of Minnesota Duluth’s Student Design Organization sold customized No-Shave November buttons last Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Kirby Plaza in order to raise money and awareness for cancer research. The buttons were sold at $3 each, or two buttons for $5, and half of the profits will be donated to cancer research.
SDO President Luke Pelant said that the club is experimenting with different ways to expand its involvement in the campus community this year.
Members of SDO sold custom No-Shave November buttons to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Photo by Tyler Schendel
"Student Design Organization is changed from years past,” Pelant said. “This is the pilot year that we're trying different things, doing more events like this and doing more types of things like giving back and promoting ourselves at the same time.”
SDO is mostly made up of students that are in the design program, but Pelant said that all students are welcome to join. Part of the club’s revamp this year includes a committee for more events and fundraisers that they call “celebratory swag” that is expected to help exhibit the club.
SDO member Catherine Thielen said that the club wants to use these opportunities to showcase what the design school does and how graphic design can be used for fundraising and other fun activities.
“We were trying to find new and inventive ways to table that aren’t necessarily around a holiday but some sort of cultural or social event that people really like to support,” Thielen said. “So that’s what got us to No-Shave November, and we thought that would be a really cool way to raise awareness and money for cancer but also to get out there and make our club more recognizable to the student body.”
Each button sold was designed by members of the UMD design program. Courtesy of Catherine Thielen.
In addition to hosting more fundraisers and events this year, SDO will also partake in the annual Open Studio event at UMD in the Spring semester, hosted by the art and design department. The Open Studio event gives UMD's art and design programs the chance to display various works of art to the greater community.
“We’re trying to create a better face for ourselves and actually be a part of the UMD community as opposed to this third party person,” Thielen said.
The club will donate part of its profits from the No-Shave November button sale to no-shave.org in order to benefit cancer research. If you did not get a chance to purchase a button or donate to cancer research, you still have an opportunity to make a contribution on their website.
Correction made on Nov. 3, 2017: Description of Open Studio was incorrect and has been changed.