Missouri State University junior Desiree Daos blends vintage charm with timeless campus architecture in her 2024 Be a Bear t-shirt design. 

“When I was brainstorming I had the idea of using the text as a frame and incorporating images or drawings within it,” Daos said.

Drawing inspiration from the classic “greetings from” postcards, Daos’ design is meant to reflect the culture of MSU and what it means to “Be a Bear.”

“For me, the phrase ‘Be a Bear’ is about being a part of a community,” Daos adds. “That’s what I was trying to highlight with my design.”

“Postcards themselves symbolize connection and community – staying in touch with someone despite the distance between them,” Daos said. “Being able to make connections no matter where you are.”

Daos shares that her design is welcoming to prospective students while also serving as a reminder to current students and alumni of where they come from.

“With these postcards specifically, they were used to highlight the place where they were from, showing off the landscape and architecture, in order to get people to visit.”

The crux of Daos’ design revolves around the “Bear,” serving as a central element with “be a” mimicking the iconic “greetings from” format. To infuse a personal touch, she chose to include images of Missouri State’s iconic architecture such as Carrington Hall, Hammons Fountain and the Jane A. Meyer Carillon. 

The result positions the university as a destination campus and homebase for Bears everywhere.

Daos completed her design as part of a Visual Communication course. She expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in design and an emphasis in graphic design. 

About the 2024 Be a Bear T-Shirt Contest

Voting for the 2024 Be a Bear T-shirt contest has now closed. London Richards was voted as the winner for the contest. Desiree Daos’ design was the runner up.

The shirt was released for sale at the MSU Birthday Party, on Wednesday, March 20. You can also find them at the MSU Bookstore through the summer until Homecoming this fall.

Proceeds benefit the Be A Bear Scholarship Fund, which offers scholarships to potential Bears planning to attend Missouri State.