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The University of Nebraska-Lincoln revealed the new student T-shirt at an unveiling ceremony Thursday.
About 50 to 60 students showed up to the Nebraska Union Plaza to see the shirt. During the ceremony, David Painter, a junior engineering major and chairman of THE SHIRT 2009, the committee that chose the final designs students voted on, gave a quick speech. He also introduced Kristin McCoun, a sophomore graphic design major and designer of the winning T-shirt.
This ceremony was part of a process that helped make this year's T-shirt design more student-run.
"In years past, the Athletic Department has designed the T-shirt itself," Painter wrote in an e-mail.
This year, a design contest was held in February, and about 45 students participated. Out of those designs, three were picked and voted on during the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska election in March.
The winning design was then submitted to the Athletic Department and Adidas, whom the university has a licensing agreement with.
McCoun's father helped create the idea for the shirt when she called and asked him for ideas, she wrote in an e-mail.
"I don't know how he came up with it, but he said ‘Bonafide Husker' right away," she said.
This saying became the front of the T-shirt.
McCoun said she wanted to know what a "Bonafide Husker" was and came up with quirky definitions that went on the back of the shirt.
"When thinking up ideas for the definition, I kept in mind that I wanted the shirt to be something people would laugh at but also say ‘Yeah, that's totally true,'" she said.
McCoun said her dry and sarcastic sense of humor also helped her decide on the definitions.
The ceremony and design contest have never been done in the past, and Painter said he hopes they continue.
The T-shirts cost $10, and $5 from every one sold will fund the ASUN program NU on Wheels. The rest of the money raised will cover any costs of keeping THE SHIRT program going, Painter said.
Painter said the goal for this year is to have more T-shirt sales so more funding can be provided to the NU on Wheels program. With additional funding, the program may be able to have more vehicles available.
"We want to be able to service more people at a time," he said.
Student government is committed to 475-RIDE as well as plan B services for students who find themselves stranded, said Megan Collins, a senior business administration major and ASUN president, at a recent ASUN meeting.
Painter said the T-shirt has a great design, and the committee has had a lot of success so far.
"We have a huge football community, and ideally that's who we want to market this to," Collins said.
The T-shirt will be sold at the Nebraska Bookstore, Husker Apparel and the University Bookstore.
"I know THE SHIRT will be something that Husker Nation will want to wear," Painter said.
kimbuckley@dailynebraskan.com
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