Two UW-Stout students have placed in the top four of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists Concept 2 Consumer Design Competition for students. Ellen Johnson placed second, and Alicia Hinz earned one of two honorable mention awards. The contest drew entries from 71 students across the nation, and winners will have their designs featured on bags made by the Textile Technology Clothing Center in Cary, North Carolina. Students were charged with creating designs for a series of reusable shopping bags with the theme of sustainability. Johnson’s designs were inspired by the book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and are titled Metamorphosis. Hinz created a set of bags based on the colors found in a wheat field called Golden Harvest. In addition to having their designs featured on the reusable bags, both received cash prizes. This is yet another example of the practical creativity projects being done at Stout that lead to student acclaim and something to improve their job outlook. Recent examples include a pizza box, motorcycle, safety pants, touch music program, and chair – contests that give the talented students in various design classes a challenge they might feasibly encounter in the real world. With accolades coming in left and right, Stout is showing why its design programs are among the best in the country.