Annual "Let Your Voice Be Heard!" Poster Competition

We are excited to showcase the winners and the full gallery of posters from the 15th Annual "Let Your Voice Be Heard!" History of Graphic Design and American Democracy Project Poster Competition & Exhibition, created by junior and senior graphic design students in Karrie Simpson Voth’s “History of Graphic Design” class. Check out the photo captions for commentary on their designs —and the issues—from each designer. To learn more about FHSU's award-winning graphic design program, visit https://fhsu.edu/artanddesign/

These posters are part of a project that is done each year to shed light on political and social issues that are happening in our state, country, and world. Its purpose is to create a component of civic engagement in our curriculum, as well as to use the students' design talents to express their own opinions while implementing historical styles of design. Opinions and statements made as part of this class assignment do not reflect the opinions of Fort Hays State University.

To join the conversation and view full concepts on all entries, view our Facebook gallery here.

View our feature in Tiger Media Network:

‘Let Your Voice Be Heard!’ Poster competition highlights student beliefs, second-generation winner

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1 ^st Place Award

Designer: Paige Polifka-Denson

Style: Contemporary

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“Go Ahead, Take a Piece”: *INTERACTIVE POSTER “Boys will be boys.”

It is that mentality that allows for dehumanizing comments towards women to go unpunished. Women are worth more than their bodies and the value they offer sexually. Relationships can only remain healthy with mutual respect; this includes all genders and sexualities. The young individuals who provided these quotes deserve better treatment than what they were given. More so, the young girls who lived through these interactions deserve more than the grooming tactics used to violate them. It is time for a change in the way young women are treated. It is time for boys to grow up and for men to start acting like men. Once all of the pieces are stripped away, a shocking fact appears (left photo). * Each piece of paper making up the dress (photos on right) have statements said to girls such as: "If you loved me you would..." "You're just a tease." "You're only good for sex." People are encouraged to remove a strip that contains a statement they have heard or said. The backs contain two websites to seek help: one for those who have heard the comments and one for those who have said those comments.

2 ^nd Place Award

Designer: Avery Jones

Style: Digital Revolution

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“Old MacDonald had a Farm”

Farmer suicide awareness is not talked about enough. As someone who comes from a long line of generational farmers, this topic is very important to me. The stress on a farmer is much greater than anyone could possibly imagine. They dedicate all their time, energy, and money to something that could be destroyed in seconds. Whether that be by a fire, weather, pests, or just a bad crop. It is truly the gamble of their life. With all of that stress along with the ever-looming potential of failure, most farmers' mental health falls to the wayside and can ultimately lead to suicide.

3 ^rd Place Award

Designer: Lauryn Becker

Style: Conceptual Image

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“The Cost of Freedom”

When conflict arises overseas, the United States is always the first one to go and try to solve the problems of the world rather than solving our own first. To me, it feels like we’re playing a game with our soldiers, similar to hangman. We send troops in to pay the price of a problem that usually has nothing to do with our country. In 17 years alone, we allowed over 53,000 soldiers to die in battles overseas that we fought for other countries. We say “no man left behind” so why is it always our own when it comes to battles we shouldn’t be involved in?

4 ^thPlace Award

Designer: MaKenna Hammond

Style: Swiss

“Is this the Only Choice?”

This past summer, Roe V. Wade was overturned. With the ruling, a woman’s right to choose was taken away. The options women are left with are limited. Ultimately, this ruling will end up killing more women in the end. But, what choice do we have left when the options are gone?

*The woman symbol hangs off the edge of the printed poster (which is depicted as such).

5 ^th Place Award

Designer: Ian Will

Style: Conceptual Image

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“All Work and No Play”

Poverty is becoming the norm in America, and single mothers are one of the most impoverished demographics in the country. With women already making less than their male counterparts, having to raise a child on their own comes with a hefty price tag, one that often cannot be paid on today’s minimum wage. Raising this wage could save countless families and quickly change millions of lives for the better.

6 ^th Place Award and Students’ Choice Award (chosen by students in the class)

Designer: Riley Tinder

Style: Dadaism

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“Our Kids Remain the Targets” (interactive poster)

While school shootings continue to happen in our country, the argument continues to focus on gun rights. Today’s society seems to be too busy trying to win the fight rather than focusing on what's right in front of them—innocent children dying and losing out on a whole lifetime just because many people in our country are worrying about themselves. How can we continue to argue about rights when the ones who have the gun pointed at them have none?

*The closed poster (top photo) appears as the outside of a building. It opens in the middle to the interior of a school with the children depicted as targets.

Honorable Mention Award

Designer: MaKenna Hammond

Style: Conceptual Image

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“They Never Came Home”

Firearms have become the leading cause of death for children in the United States. Much of the contribution is school shootings. Yet, the United States has yet to do anything about current gun laws. How many more kids don’t get to come home from school for our country and our government to finally make a change?

Honorable Mention Award

Designer: Ian Will

Style: Russian Constructivism

ian.will_russianconstructivism.png

“Your Body, His Choice”

Conservatives and other pro-life opinions often use the Bible as a tool to justify the violation of women’s rights as they campaign to outlaw abortions across the country. Despite this, America was founded with the idea of being inclusive and impartial to any religion, so it’s paradoxical that lawmakers and officials would try to insert religious considerations into our government for the sole purpose of controlling women’s bodies while simultaneously endangering them.

Honorable Mention Award

Designer: Brandon Karlin

Style: Conceptual Image

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“One in Ten is One Too Many”

771 million people in the world live without clean water. That’s nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide. Or, twice the population of the United States. The majority live in isolated rural areas and spend hours every day walking to collect water for their family which often carries diseases that can make everyone sick and can cause death.

“Do It for Real” Award (awarded to the student who goes above and beyond to make their poster using analog techniques)

Designer: Travis Wierman

Style: Conceptual Image

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“Two-Party Tumor”

Most Americans feel as though they are not as accurately represented as they would like to be by politicians, or wish there were more options to choose from. Currently, the two-party system only continues dividing Americans. The two-party system is outdated and is doing no favors for American politics or the American people. It’s time to get rid of the two-party tumor.