The night of Thursday, April 29 was momentous for all seniors graduating from FAU; it was the night before the day that their lives will change forever.

For the students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, along with the students in FAU’s school of Architecture, this night signified an even greater accomplishment.

On the 7th and 8th floor of the FAU-BCC Higher Education Building, in the downtown Ft. Lauderdale FAU campus, “Making our Mark” was making history.

It was the name of the groundbreaking design exhibit that brought students studying Graphic Design, Computer Animation, Photography and Ceramics, along with the University’s Architecture program together for the first time at FAU.

Andrew MacPhee, co-organizer of “Making our Mark,” and president of the American Institute of Architecture Students, said that it was the idea of the students to combine all these different forms of graphic design into one show.

“When all these fields come together in one place feeding off each other, it elevates it to a whole new level,” said MacPhee.

Not only did the students have the insight to bring these art forms together, but they also had the initiative to make this show happen.

“This whole event is for students, by students. It’s student run and student organized,” said MacPhee.

AIAS teamed up with FAU’s on-campus design club,”Designers edge” to put on the event. MacPhee, along with the president of “Designer’s Edge” Johanna Bjork, attribute much of the evening’s success to their faculty advisor, Aron Temkin.

Temkin could not have been prouder of these students, he says that the students deserve all the credit for putting the event together. He called the graduating class a “Brilliant inspiration.” He went on to say, “This class makes me optimistic about the future of the profession, knowing the next generation has this kind of interest in making things better.”

The theme for the evening’s event seemed to be jubilation, and it was floating around the exhibit in heavy doses. Later on in the evening MacPhee and Bjork handed out engraved wine glasses in order to show the programs appreciation to those who deserved it. Temkin received a souvenir glass, along with several others who made selfless contributions to the students and the exhibit.

There was a sense of accomplishment on the faces of each student, you could really tell this night meant something to them.

“It’s the culmination of years of hard workm” said MacPhee

“The night before graduation we can give the families an opportunity to see the hard work of the students. And to understand why their children don’t eat three meals a day or call sometimes. This is what we’re doing, this is what they’ve produced. It’s a labor of love,” MacPhee added. Unlike some areas of study, these students were able to put on display that which they had created throughout the years.

The show was set up like a real-deal art exhibit, where each student had their own cubicle, in which they could display all the projects they had created while at FAU. There were computer consoles set up so the animation students could display their projects the way they were intended – animated.

It was interesting to see how different students approached the same project.

One particularly intriguing project that almost all the graphic design students had on display was a six-pack of beer. The students were given an assignment that required them to name and design their own brand of beer bottles, with the stipulation that they needed to be named after an uncommon animal.”Snale Ale,” “Croc Beer,” “Iguana” and “Cucaracha” were some of the beer bottles on display.

The event was also designed for students to put their work on display for possible employers to see. Invitations were sent out to dozens of graphic design companies, printing companies, and other professionals according to graphic design student Suzette Garcia.

Students like Garcia had their resumes on display for anyone who was interested.

“It’s supposed to be a career opportunity,” she said. The night wasn’t about competition for Garcia.

“It’s nice to see everyone else’s work, to compare yourself to other people. To see what’s out there.”

Beginning in the fall, the downtown Ft. Lauderdale campus will become the new, official “Design Campus,” according to the AIAS.