Three lighted signs are improving branding at St. Cloud State in the run-up to two major events: Sesquicentennial and a re-launch of Homecoming.
Installed at Halenbeck Hall and the Miller Center, the signs were acquired through a generous gift by the Alumni Association and the Foundation, two private organizations that support the University.
“The signs are important expressions of Husky pride and set a wonderful tone for guests that visit our campus,” said Ashish Vaidya, interim president.
Mounted on the building, the Miller Center signs feature the St. C logo and the St. Cloud State wordmark. One sign faces south toward Barden Park. The other faces west toward Fifth Avenue. Each sign is more than 33-feet wide.
Jerry Ramirez ’02 leads the Alumni Association, which helped fund the signs.
At Halenbeck, a Husky dog logo hangs over the walkway to the west entry near the gymnasium. The logo is nearly seven-feet wide.
“The SCSU Foundation is thrilled to partner with the Alumni Association in setting the stage with these visually striking expressions of our institutional brand,” said Matt Andrew, vice president of university advancement. “We think they’re an important part in building alumni and community pride.”
The signs were manufactured by Lawrence Sign, St. Paul.
“Huskies everywhere should be proud of their alma mater,” said Robb Walker ’78, CEO of Lawrence Sign. “This is a great step forward in building an exciting and welcoming environment for visitors to campus.”
Events marking the school’s 150th anniversary begin in August and climax on Sept. 15, 2019. Born in 1869 as a teacher-training institution, St. Cloud State now has 200 programs and offers certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorates.
The University will celebrate a re-imagined Homecoming in 2018. Since 2010, the University has engaged students, alumni and friends through multiple Celebrate St. Cloud State events each year. Prior to 2010, the chief rallying point for school pride was Homecoming.
Alumni Association President Jerry Ramirez ’02 was on the association board that started the conversation about having Homecoming again. Homecoming and Sesquicentennial will benefit from the branding and school-pride impact of the signs, he said.
“The Alumni Association hopes to contribute to future projects that show pride in being Huskies,” said Ramirez.
