Arts & Entertainment

Stow Student's Art Displayed on SASWMA Billboard

Five area students' billboard designs were selected to be featured around Stow.

The Summit Akron Solid Waste Management Authority continues to challenge students to illustrate to their communities the benefits of recycling and Senior  rose up to that challenge.

"I actually ended up making two [designs] the first time," Bonfiglio said. "I made one that was really positive and upbeat, but when I read more into it I was surprised by the economical factors behind recycling. With the economy scare, I figured a message that would be more impactful would have to do with the benefits of recycling to the economy ... I figured more people would tune into that more than the 'happy, everybody go recycle' message."

This year’s theme encouraged students to highlight one recyclable. Students included an illustration of how recycling that one item benefits their communities. Students with the top three winning designs received cash prizes and were given the opportunity to have their designs plastered up on a billboard in Stow.

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“This year the five winning designs will appear on billboards throughout Summit County during the month of April," stated Yolanda Walker, Executive Director for SASWMA.

Marketing and Education teacher Lisa Mowls said that all-in-all, her class submitted 43 entries to the contest. She also said that Bonfiglio took a different approach than many of her peers.

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"She used black and white, and none of the other kids did that," Mowls said. "She took it as this person walking down an alley, unemployed. If you recycle it helps with things like that. I thought it was cool to see how the kids think of different ways to present something. It's neat to see how their minds work."

One of the biggest benefits that Bonfiglio sees with the billboard is that people from the Stow community drive by it.

"It's cool that the billboard is in Stow because a lot of people in my community see it," Bonfiglio said. "I didn't think people would notice it, but my family has had people come up to them asking about the billboard."

Although design isn't in Bonfiglio's future right now, she's keeping her options open.

"I've always liked art, but I've taken more advanced placement courses so I didn't get to take as many art classes as I did at the beginning of high school," Bonfiglio said. "This kind of opened up a new window of possibility to doing something like that."

Bonfiglio will attend The Ohio State in the fall and, in her words, "this is a nice way to go out."

For more information on recycling in Stow, click here or call 330-374-0383.


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