{"id":14196,"date":"2026-10-01T09:07:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T14:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/?post_type=campus_story&p=14196"},"modified":"2026-10-01T09:07:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T14:07:59","slug":"inspired-by-her-surroundings-uw-la-crosse-students-winning-design-celebrates-eagle-fest-and-an-iconic-local-landmark","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/inspired-by-her-surroundings-uw-la-crosse-students-winning-design-celebrates-eagle-fest-and-an-iconic-local-landmark\/","title":{"rendered":"Inspired by her surroundings: UW-La Crosse student\u2019s winning design celebrates Eagle Fest and an iconic local landmark"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Photo:<\/a>
UWL junior Ellie Baudry created the winning design for the 2026 Eagle Fest Wings of the Year, drawing inspiration from Grandad Bluff and the sense of belonging she has found on campus.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It isn\u2019t hard to find the source of inspiration behind this year\u2019s Eagle Fest Wings of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You just need to look up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UW-La Crosse junior Ellie Baudry incorporated one of the area’s most recognizable landmarks, Grandad Bluff, into her winning design, selected from a pool of student submissions to serve as the logo for the sixth annual Eagle Fest celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s event<\/a> \u2014 featuring food, games, booths, activities and live music \u2014 will run from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the Badger Street Mall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Inspired by Grandad Bluff, Baudry’s Eagle Fest Wings blend photographic realism with the texture of a watercolor painting.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Baudry, the challenge was creating a design that celebrated not only Eagle Fest’s vibrant atmosphere, but also the campus and community that have shaped her college experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love creating meaningful things and finding ways to use my skills to give back to the community that has given me so much to me,\u201d says Baudry, a marketing<\/a> major. \u201cSeeing this design used across campus feels like a really meaningful way to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In approaching the project, Baudry sought to highlight the features of UWL and the broader community that have instilled in her a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUWL has really come to feel like home to me, not only because of its close-knit campus community, but also because of the beauty and peacefulness of the surrounding area,\u201d says Baudry, who has a particular fondness for Grandad Bluff. \u201cIt felt like a natural symbol of both La Crosse and the sense of peace, reflection and connection to the place that has made UWL feel like home to me.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Grandad Bluff as seen from UWL.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the bluff as her focal point, Baudry used Adobe software to create a watercolor-inspired effect, combining the realism of photography with the texture and artistry of painting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She says the project drew on the skills and experience she has developed as a student, through both her courses and her work as a graphic designer for The COVE<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she is accustomed to her designs being used across campus, Baudry says it\u2019s particularly gratifying to see her work featured as part of a beloved campus tradition \u2014 one that has been so meaningful to her own experience as a student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I love most about Eagle Fest is the sense of togetherness it brings to campus,\u201d Baudry says. \u201cIt feels like one big campus block party and celebration. When I came to UWL as a freshman … it gave me a place to make connections, learn more about campus and immediately feel involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have such a strong sense of pride and gratitude for this community, so having my design selected and seeing it used across campus is truly an honor. It is incredibly special to know that something I created will become part of an event that means so much to the UWL community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Written by UW-La Crosse University Marketing & Communications<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/www.uwlax.edu\/news\/posts\/inspired-by-her-surroundings\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It isn\u2019t hard to find the source of inspiration behind this year\u2019s Eagle Fest Wings of the Year. You just need to look up. UW-La Crosse junior Ellie Baudry incorporated one of the area’s most recognizable landmarks, Grandad Bluff, into her winning design, selected from a pool of student submissions to serve as the logo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":14197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[104],"story_category":[147,150],"class_list":["post-14196","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-la-crosse","story_category-community","story_category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/14196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=14196"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=14196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}