By Olivia Martin | Photo Editor
Baylor, if you are listening, please upgrade your graphic design program!
As a senior photojournalism major, I have loved my time thus far in the journalism department, and I really don’t have any complaints — other than the Castellaw Communications Center needing a makeover, but we can talk about that another time. When I was a sophomore, I decided to add a corporate communications minor. It’s a great minor and compliments my journalism major quite nicely. However, if Baylor’s graphic design program was upgraded, I would switch in a heartbeat.
The first problem is that the graphic design program goes through the Department of Art and History. That means that, technically, you have to be a studio art major with an emphasis in graphic design in order to be a “graphic design major.” Although it makes sense to take some art classes as a graphic design major, Baylor is big enough to have a graphic design program that doesn’t go through another small department.
The second problem is that it is nearly impossible to be a graphic design minor and actually take graphic design classes because of reason No. 1. Even as a “graphic design minor,” you are required to take multiple studio art classes that are not related to graphic design. For example, you have to take figure drawing before being able to get into any graphic design classes. Also, it is not guaranteed that you will be able to get into any graphic design classes as a non-major, and you may simply end up with a studio art minor that has nothing to do with graphic design.
As a journalism major, I have taken one digital design class — Media Design — and it was one of my favorite classes of all. It was my one and only 8 a.m. class, and, believe it or not, I never slept through it because I loved it so much. It sadly happened to be during our COVID-19 semester, so I had to teach myself a lot of the material at home, which was hard. However, I learned so much about graphic design and media design, and it is incredibly sad that there are no other classes like that one that are available to me.
Baylor has so much potential to have a booming graphic design program, and it makes me sad to think of all the people I know who are dying to take more graphic design classes but simply won’t ever have the chance to do so in college. There are loads of talented, creative students here, and I truly believe that if Baylor stepped it up a little, the university would be known not only for star athletes and successful business students but also for stellar creatives who took graphic design to the next level.
