Brianna Slager, a senior in marketing, created the piece while she interned at the Rec during the summer. Media Production helped with the long process as well as the professional staff at the Rec.
“The idea was 100 percent my boss’ idea for rebranding for the Rec,” said Slager. “He wanted to use my images, collaboration and experience with imagery to help the process.”
Fernando Labra, the assistant director of the Rec and Slager’s boss during the summer, wanted to brand the building and update the Rec for Ferris’ students. The track mural came from something he had seen at different schools on a conference trip and he felt the same idea would bring more pride to Ferris.
“Brianna had a very big part in it all—she worked with the Digital Media Department every day, and that had a huge part in the turn out,” said Labra. “If it were just me, I would have done plain block pictures, but with her help it turned out so much better than that.”
Slager and Labra had been talking about rebranding and ways to make it more Ferris-themed inside the Rec for a while and the mural has helped.
“Besides branding, seeing faces of students who actually go here, and even for perspective students who come here on tours, seeing students who are here and the activities they are already involved in adds a more personal note to the Rec instead of just some building to visit,” said Labra.
Using images of Ferris students and recreating old pictures of current student athletes were main parts of the process.
“I think the piece is unique and it adds character because they are students who actually go here,” said Amber McKeever, a sophomore in pre pharmacy and facility worker at the Rec. “It makes it personable.”
According to Slager, the classes she’s taken at Ferris helped her tremendously with this project. She has background in graphic design, which was helpful with the imagery and layout.
“I really like the outcome and seeing it actually in front of me instead of just on paper takes the piece to another level,” said Labra. “There have already been so many patrons and students who said it looks really cool and that it adds something and is impactful to those who run the track.”
According to Slager, she had a lot of fun working on this project and being able to work with everyone involved.
“I love representing the UREC and everything it has to offer, because I don’t think people realize how many programs that are here and how much the professional staff gives back to the university,” said Slager. “This was such a great way to represent all of that.”
Slager has an interest in helping rebrand not only the Rec, but also anything on campus because it is a passion of hers. She also said giving back to the Rec has been a great blessing for her.
“I hope that people feel pride in what they are representing at Ferris and what Ferris is representing: being a healthy, social Bulldog and giving back,” said Slager.
The mural is located at both ends of the track on the second floor of the Rec.