Pennsylvania College of Technology students used Lycoming County Big Read's featured novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Harper Lee, as their muse for book jacket designs that both fill course requirements and adorn area Big Read venues. The students were rewarded for the efforts on March 26 at Borders bookstore in the Lycoming Mall.
Ten students enrolled in the college's Graphic Design: Point of Purchase course used elements from the book including pocket watches, swings, the scales of justice and mockingbirds to design the book jackets.
In the course, taught by Gary R. DiPalma, instructor of graphic design, students design advertising to be used at the point where a purchase is made, including such projects as book jackets, beverage labels and in-store signage. Students are asked to both employ creativity and consider production demands.
The winning entry, chosen by Penn College graphic design and advertising art faculty, was designed by Katie Q. Kochenderfer, of Millerstown. Earning second-place honors was Brian J. Peters, of Hazleton. Both students are juniors pursuing bachelor's degrees in the graphic design major.
First- and second-place winners received prizes of $200 and $100, and each of the students in the class received a $15 Borders gift card. Prizes were provided by Borders, one of the partners in the community-wide Big Read project.
Following the winners' announcement, Penn College students Briana M. Woodland; Erin M. and Valerie A. LaCerra; Nickolas A. Falvo; and Christopher M. Fleming, with the band One Step Back, performed original music.
The book jacket design contest is just one of the many activities intended to engage the community in the Lycoming County Big Read, which aims to engage all ages in literary reading. The local initiative is one of 72 Big Read projects around the nation, all funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about the project and to view all 10 book jacket designs, visit the Lycoming County Big Read's Web site .