Contact: Kay Fike Jones
Mississippi State University art students captured more than 50 awards--including four of the top five--in regional design competition.
MSU won more awards and had more entries accepted for the 1999 Annual 7th District American Advertising Federation STAR Competition than any of the other competitors.
The STAR (Student Talent Advertising Recognition) program is an annual competition recognizing the top design students in a five-state region. This year's challenge in Birmingham drew some 350 entries from six universities.
Andy Beachum of Tupelo won the Best Concept Award; Rodney Finley of Meridian, Best Design Award; Michael McDaniel of Hazlehurst, Best of Show Award; and Ricky Turner of Olive Branch, Best Copywriting Award. Beachum also won two Gold Awards and a Citation of Excellence; Finley, a Gold Award; McDaniel, a Gold Award and a Citation of Excellence; and Turner, two Gold Awards.
In addition to the top honors, MSU art students won 51 other awards in the Gold, Silver and Citation of Excellence categories.