Design Responsibility: Freeset Tees

I'm so excited to find out that InterVaristy will be able to use Freeset brand T-shirts for our New Student Outreach this year. Part of being a responsible designer--or a justice-minded producer in any vocation-- is thinking not just about the what your design communicates, but the means of it's production. The small responsibility we have in deciding the materials we use is a opportunity to do business with those who act justly in an unjust world.

Freeset is a T-shirt factory and print-shop that employs women who escaped from sexual exploitation and slavery. Located in Sonagacchi, the largest, most infamous sex district in Kolkata, India, Freeset provides a first paying job to people who, though they are set free, have been abandoned by their families and shunned by society. Freeset is a community that trains, encourages, and fairly compensates these women, giving them a new way to live.

Freeset Employees

We used Freeset's Tees for Urbana 09, but had trouble using them for less foreseeable purposes. They didn't have an American distributor, so we would have to wait 6 months for Tees to ship by boat, and then pay international tariffs that kept being billed months afterward. Good luck telling a chapter of students "we sold out, just wait 6 months" for their start-of-school outreach campaign T-shirts. Its hard to get them to order them without the need for rush shipping sometimes.

This year I asked that we check with Freeset again, and they now have a distributor, a volunteer! Praise God for the people in the unseen roles, the administrative and sometimes thankless jobs, who make the work successful and good business possible. Freeset can be more profitable than ever, and InterVarsity students can be proud to wear their T-shirts, knowing that at least in this small decision, we are being just. Check out Freeset >>

Freeset also changed two of their standard colors to Grey and Navy-- the two colors I happened to spec for our new NSO designs!

The Every Day: Desparate Pleas

While I try to keep donors and prayer partners keyed in to the large projects I do, I rarely report on the day-to-day requests. But little projects come and go as large projects are in different stages. And to the staff I do the little projects for, they are just as important. Here's an example of how I many staff interact with me: a desperate plea from a new staff who's gotten himself in a last-minute graphics tangle (names removed to protect the innocent):

"I have a favor to ask of you.  I tried doing an iron-on t-shirt…ick…no good.  So I am designing online.  Here is the logo I want to use the front of the t-shirt.  It's too small and low res.  It needs to be 16 inches wide.  I need it in a format I can upload to the online design site for the t-shirt printers.  I have no experience, but I'm trying to keep this cheap, as I am not fully funded.  It's a simple design and would take not any time to put together…minutes really.  I used the Garamond font as recommended in the graphic standards.  I need it ASAP."

This request came in on a Saturday, but I happened to be in the office working on something else. So I took half an hour and made him the right files. I know just what a t-shirt vendor would need and I have the programs to create the right kind of file quickly. A staff might be stuck laboring over this type of thing for hours. I'm glad this person contacted me, because many staff don't know twentyonehurndred is available to help. On the other hand, sadly, if every InterVarsity staff asked us for things like this, we'd never have time for the big projects. His response to what I sent: 

Praise God Grete!!!  Thank you so much for your help!!!

I don't know what he'll use his T-Shirt for, but I know I've helped one of our staff closer to a ministry goal, and to better representing InterVarsity. All in a day's work.

Facebook Infographics: funny goes a long way...

We post joke infographics on twentyonehundred's facebook page every week for InterVarsity staff, students, and whoever happens to run across them. Usually they poke fun at InterVarsity culture, college student culture or have fun with Christian trivia. We make ourselves laugh, and it gives the scattered campus staff we serve a chance to know us better (and know that we understand them!). I always contribute ideas, but don't usually design (I've designed 5-6 this year). This week, however, but I was on deck and spent a day designing it.

After it'd been posted, an encouraging word arrived from a staff:

“Congrats. The St Patrick's Day infographic was just shared by a good friend of mine, who happens to be a transgendered atheist. You are officially connecting with the real world. No idea whatsoever how my friend saw the infographic, as I have never mentioned 2100 to her (though she knows I work for InterVarsity).”

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Resolve: Northern Arizona University, two students closer to God

Northern Arizona U. InterVarsity staff Theo walks a student through Resolve.

I haven't mentioned Resolve in a while, but it planted a seed (and probably many more) that's bloomed months later. Here's two students' story, as told by staff coach Doug Schaupp:


Melody, a freshman at N. Arizona U., was initially ambivalent about learning to have conversations at our RESOLVE campaign. Theo coaxed her to try for 20 minutes. Doing it together, Melody loved it. She was surprised how smooth and comfortable the conversations flowed. Over the next few days, she not only led all kinds of students through the interactive conversation, but she even passed on the training she received to others who were ready to learn. Melody, a freshman, was experiencing the heart of our ministry, 2 Tim 2:2…"Teach the gospel to trustworthy people who are able to pass the gospel on to others.” (NLT)

Melody saw her friend Tea walking by, and invited her to talk through RESOLVE. Tea was moved by the story of the leper. She was having a “God-moment.” She opened up, “I would like to explore different religions.” Melody invited her to lunch, and asked her about her experiences of church. Tea confided, “No one has ever asked me about myself before.” She was having a second God-moment with Melody. The third “God- moment” came during worship. At our InterVarsity Large Group meeting, she felt God stirring her heart. Melody later sat with her and another friend, and explained what it means to follow Jesus. The pieces came together for Tea. She gave her life to Jesus. Melody had never been a part of someone in this life-changing moment. God has wooed Tea, and his love has won her over. God’s Spirit also touched Melody in a deeper way…she has been transformed through this experience of God working through her. They threw a party for Tea’s non-believer friends, for them to celebrate her new life in Jesus. These friends are intrigued, unknowingly also being wooed by their Heavenly Father. Please pray for them as Tea learns to tell her story of life with God. 

(The Large Group meeting at NAU was recently reviewed by a nationally-followed college ministry blog…see this link for an intriguing outsider's perspective on our ministry.)

Greek Conference: Indy Stories

“...celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Luke 15:32

At Greek Conference Indy our text was The Prodigal Son, but our speakers highlighted both sons- the younger who lived wildly in the distant country and the older who, though he stayed in the father's house, did not understand the father's heart. Both sons shamed and were ashamed of their father, but he came out to meet them both in love and generosity. Many of the students, whether they identified with the rebellious or the grudgingly obedient, ended the conference feeling closer, and committing to living closer, to the father's heart.

While the stats help you see that, it is nothing to having been there. Of the four conferences I have attended, I have never seen the students get so into worship, even dancing and shouting to God! Usually they feel uncomfortable, but the worship leader challenged them, "If you can shout and cheer and dance for your school, or for your [fraternity or sorority] house, than you can do it for God!" And they did!

They weren't just challenged in worship, but in witness. Our speakers, husband and wife team Beau and Kristina Crosetto, stood on stage together and asked students to stand if they wanted to make a decision for Jesus. Beau spoke: "This is like a wedding! Am I going to say to my wife, I'll marry you, but I won't stand up next to you at our wedding? No!" Fifty students stood for one commitment, and half the room, it seemed, stood for the other. He called again both times, waiting for a few more, and they stood. Then friends were told to gather round and bless them.

Our MC declared at sharing time: "If your palms are sweaty you should get up here!" And students did! Many thanked brothers or sisters for dragging them there, many vowed to bring friends next year. Then came even more profound testimonies: public confessions, revelations, and repentance. "I've been lying to everyone I know."  "I've been cutting, harming myself." "I've been furious with God, because my friends died." "I've stayed away from God because I was abused."

"But I'm going to stop," each ended. "because I know now, God loves me."

MORE ON GREEK CONFERENCE
You can watch Beau & Kristina's whole talks on GreekIV's YouTube Channel. (1hr, 30 min)
See more conference photos in the GCXII Facebook Album.

Greek Conference: The Stats

Greek Conference 2012: Indy Photos

Name tags waiting for students. [All designs in photos are my work.]

InterVarsity staff Steve and Annie set up banners.

Bars--serving water-- greeted students entering the conference hall.

The audio visual set up. L to R: Dan (sound), David( lights), me (PPT), Laura (lyrics)
and Steve (video switcher).

 

An epic game of rock, paper, scissors on stage.
MC, and my good friend, Eric Holmer looks on.

Students Kelly and Daniel take a break outside the 'Lead' concentration.

Small group discussion in a concentration.

Students Hannah and Tori hug after standing to make a commitment.

Students from Purdue pose in front of the Greek Conference photo wall.

And showing you how it's meant to be used, it's me and video intern Laura.

Greek Conference: experience video

 This video gives a little taste of what it's like to be there!