After submitting 17 design entries, the marketing team at Cal State San Bernardino’s Santos Manuel Student Union walked away with seven awards, including one first place prize, at this year’s “Steal This Idea” regional competition hosted by the Association of College Unions International.

Entries were submitted by both professional and student staff members across six of the competition’s 13 categories. CSUSB’s seven winners were:

  • First Place: One/Two Color Poster, Professional Staff, Kimberly-Anne Anacleto;
  • Second Place: Logos/Brand Identity, Student Staff, Karli Maxfield and Sara Escoto;
  • Second Place: One/Two Color Poster, Student Staff, Alexis Nwaekeke;
  • Third Place: One/Two Color Poster, Professional Staff, Kimberly-Anne Anacleto;
  • Third Place: Promotional Campaign, Professional Staff, Kimberly-Anne Anacleto;
  • Third Place: Four-Color Poster, Student Staff, Alexis Nwaekeke; and
  • Third Place: Promotional Campaign, Student Staff, Joss Jovari.

“This competition is made up of so many other great universities, it’s a big deal,” said Anacleto, a professional graphic designer on staff at SMSU and a CSUSB alumna (B.A., graphic design and marketing, 2015).

“We are up against UC schools and schools like Otis College of Art and Design,' she said. 'People don’t usually consider CSUSB a design school, but these awards are just a small example of the great work Cal State San Bernardino can produce. Not only can we place, but we can top other designs.”

ACUI’s annual “Steal This Idea” competition seeks the year’s best marketing and promotional ideas throughout the region and presents them at ACUI’s regional conference.

This event provides an excellent opportunity to both show off the talent of the region’s staff and student graphic designers, as well as share ideas for other campuses to “steal” (respectfully, of course).

Awards are given at the regional conference to both students and staff designers with the strongest pieces in each category.

“This award comes at a great time, when I’m just about to start my career, so it’s great that I can put this on my resume,” said Karli Maxfied, a graphic design student who graduated Dec. 10. “I also feel it reaffirms my decision to choose graphic design as a career, especially as I face the daunting task of looking for my first job.”

This year, ACUI’s Region 1 division accepted a total of 266 entries for the “Steal This Idea” competition. This represents 11 universities in the ACUI Region 1 division, which covers Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Australia and the Territory of Guam.

Certain winning pieces will be submitted for ACUI’s national “Steal This Idea” competition, and winners will be announced prior to ACUI’s 97th Annual Conference in Philadelphia, March 19-23, 2017.

About ACUI Founded in 1914, ACUI is a nonprofit educational organization that brings together college union and student activities professionals from hundreds of schools in seven countries. Its members work on urban and rural campuses, in two-year and four-year institutions, and at large and small schools. They are students and administrators whose mission is to build campus community.

About CSUSB

Set in the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, CSUSB is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in inland Southern California. Founded in 1965, CSUSB serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,500 students annually.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.