And the ADDY goes to …

Valeria Henderson | THE RIDER 

The 2021 American Advertising Federation-Rio Grande Valley’s ADDY awards ceremony was held virtually earlier this month, with 44 UTRGV students winning gold, silver and bronze awards.  

Kimberly Selber, president of the Valley chapter and chair of the ADDY awards, said the ADDYs is a three-tiered competition with advancing levels. 

“If you win a gold award at the local chapter, then you are automatically forwarded to the district competition,” said Selber, a communication associate professor at UTRGV. “If you receive silver or bronze, you can choose to pay to have your awards forwarded.”  

The associate professor said the Rio Grande Valley competes against Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas at the district level. 

“We make up what is called District 10,” Selber said. “If you win a gold award at District 10, you are automatically forwarded to the national competition. So, that is why they call it a three-tiered competition. And this year, for the first-time, bronze awards are eligible to be self-forwarded.”  

UTRGV submitted 113 entries from 57 students. They represented the Art Department and Pulse magazine.

Steven Hughes, editor-in-chief of Pulse and the rest of the magazine staff received an honorable mention in the Online/Interactive category. 

“I am very grateful for the amount of ADDYs that [Pulse] did win associated with my graphics editor and my graphics designer and photographer,” Hughes said. “[The team] worked really hard this time, production year, doing a lot more illustrations, a lot more drawing than in the previous year that we worked together. So, I am really proud of all the work they did. And it shows by them winning ADDYs, from gold, silver and bronze and a couple of honorable mentions.” 

Pulse faculty adviser Aje-Ori Agbese congratulated the magazine staff for its multiple awards and explained that the students submit work from the print and online versions of the publication.

“[The award is] given to the people who wrote the story, the person who created the graphics.” Agbese said. “Or, if it’s something that everybody had a say in, for example, you know a story is not only the work of the writer. It is also the work of the editor. It’s also the work of the editor-in-chief, and so on and so forth. So, in cases like that, we enter it as a team.” 

She said she is thankful for the team’s efforts.

“I think they’ve been working really hard, and I appreciate all their effort,” Agbese said. “And it has not been easy this last year with the pandemic, but the team and the team before that … because the ADDYs are actually the work of two teams. The set that left the magazine in the Spring of 2020 and the set that is there right now. So, it is not just the collaboration effort of one team. … And so, I appreciate all their efforts. I appreciate their creativity, and I definitely appreciate the support we’ve received from the university and the office of Student Media.” 

Graphic design senior Laura Segura described the feeling of winning an ADDY award. 

“Oh, it felt great, felt like all my work throughout the year 2020,” Segura said. “Iit felt like I finally accomplished something.”  

She won several ADDY awards.

 “I won the Gold Student ADDY for Magazine Advertisement called ‘Bring a Gift Home,’” Segura said. “I won another Gold for Poster Design for ‘How Confident Are You.’ I won Gold for ‘Integrated Brand Identity Campaign’ for ‘Texas BBQ Events.’ Logo Design, another Gold ‘BBQ Event Logo,’ and also the ‘Best of Students Identity System’ for ‘BBQ Events.’” 

Pulse graphic designer Michel Flores Tavizón won a Gold ADDY for the Pulse 005 Cover, a Silver ADDY for Website Ad and a Bronze ADDY for Raid Q&A, among others.

To view a complete list of winners, visit https://addys-aaf-rgv.squarespace.com.