Piper Hall, BFA candidate/graphic design concentration, worked with the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) to produce a logo commemorating the 20th anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

“Her team’s work from my ART 2564 Graphic Abstraction class was selected to be used,” Lynne Baggett, professor of art/graphic design said. “The design was created in two semesters. The first was teaming up with fellow student Marcus Claudius (pictured) and then when their team was selected, they then hired Piper as an intern!”

The internship was Hall’s first professional experience. “As someone who has never gone through an internship beforehand, let alone knew how one worked, my internship with GOHSEP at LSU has broadened my understanding of what my future may look like, and yet also leaves me looking forward to learning and experiencing more.”

“I chose to study graphic design before knowing how that sort of work field looks like, or what would be expected from me in an office environment. Interning this past semester led me to not only make connections with people, but also get a glimpse at my future expectations.

Interning at GOHSEP was Hall’s first opportunity to gain skills that go beyond the classroom. “Overall, while the internship itself hasn’t taught me skillsets in graphic design in the way that my classes have, I gained knowledge that I find more important in my current stage of life: an understanding of the real world. Furthermore, I grew as an individual thus far from interning due to my previous lack of work experience.”

“I have gained a new confidence in myself as a result of my experience as well, and I’ve come to see that not everything is as scary and stressful as it may seem. I have been lucky enough to have an amazing team of people to work with in creating not only this design, but also others as I continue to work alongside them.

Creating the design for the hurricane anniversary logo was a long process. “Many edits were made throughout, but the concept stayed consistent.”

The design is made up of a magnolia, representing the affected areas of both Louisiana and Mississippi, with a hidden hurricane symbol. “The focus is meant to be the flower, since the goal was to showcase beauty and resilience, rather than the horrors of past endeavors brought by the storms,” Hall said.

“The anniversary should be able to exemplify how far communities have come after twenty years. While it is true that this is a time to reflect on painful memories for many, the strength of community and recovery is what helped people through those twenty years. Magnolias as a flower not only express local beauty, but also show vitality and growth.”

Piper was born in southeast Louisiana in March of 2005, and has been told stories about the hurricanes her entire life.

“I’ve had to grow up hearing numerous stories since I was too young to remember, but I always knew that each year I got older, it was another year since Louisiana changed forever.

“While I can’t share the same pain as others, I can easily say that this project meant quite a lot to me. I hoped to ensure that this design would mean something to people, rather than just another logo.”

“I pride myself in carefully considering details and overall concepts in my art, and this was no exception. Upon conclusion, I walked away from this project happy to say that I feel confident in what I created, and I gained so much as a result of the experience.”

“I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities this project opened up for me, and I look forward to creating more through future internships.”