See how a student helped bring a wild change to AU's campus store
Angela Stephan’s idea to rename the campus store became a reality. (photo courtesy of Angela Stephan)
By Rakiyah Lenon and Brionna Law | Editor in chief and staff writer
Angela Stephan, a senior communication major at Augusta University, had a big hand in coming up with the renaming and rebranding of AU’s Roar Store, formerly called the JagStore.
Stephan came up with the idea last semester when Taylor Lamb, director of Marketing & Career Services, came to Assistant Professor Carrie Reif-Stice’s Integrated Strategic Communication class to talk about his career at and work for AU. When the floor opened up for questions, Stephan said that is when she suggested the new name.
“He asked, ‘if you could change the name, what would it be?’ And I thought, since we’re Jaguars, we need something that makes us powerful, proud, and the first thing that came to my mind was ‘roar,’ like the Roar Store,” Stephan said.
Lamb said the idea came from executive leadership to revamp the store, considering it’s one of the central areas of campus activity. He mentioned that Stephan’s suggestions were considered and implemented.
“I was speaking to a PR class, and a student, Angela, had mentioned, ‘What if y’all renamed the store something like the Roar Store?” Lamb said. “I was like, ‘That’s a great idea.’”
Along with a name change, Stephan also suggested a design change to update the store.
“To me the store, at the time, looked like an abandoned urgent care like you see in scary movies—the lights and the colors and stuff inside,” Stephan said. “So, I suggested that too. I suggested a bunch of stuff in the class when he was there.”
Those changes came and were on full display at the relaunch party on Feb. 1. AU’s athletic teams, AU Police and other campus organizations were present to celebrate the event.
“We wanted to revamp it and add some brand new colors and some graphic installations,” said Lamb. “You’ll see a new look inside the store.”
Dale Hartenburg, the assistant vice president for campus services, said the change was highly welcomed.
“The last time it had been updated was 2012,” he said. “We partnered with Communications and Marketing, and they came in and they helped us put the graphics on the wall and make it look more like a campus store that you would walk into on any college campus.”
As the store has also went through the transition of having students order textbooks online, Hartenburg said the timing was right to rebrand.
“It felt like it’d be good to relaunch the store,” he said.
Stephan learned later that her suggestions were actually taken when she ran into Lamb during a volleyball game at AU.
“It may have been like August or September that he was a guest in our class and then later, I think maybe it was November, I bumped into him at the volleyball game, and he said that they’re gonna use the name I suggested, that they’re gonna be changing and rebranding,” Stephan said.
At the relaunch, Lamb said that supporting the campus store supports the AU community.
“Supporting this supports the university,” he said. “Buying a simple piece of Jag swag or some merchandise there, you’re a walking advertisement for the university.”
Stephan said that she felt happy about the news, as well as grateful to the communication department.
“It shows that our communication department and our professors have given us the tools and the opportunity to meet people,” Stephan said. “Dr. Carrie brought him as a guest; therefore, I was able to suggest, and therefore it happened, so it’s like a chain of events and, I know this from my experience, all our professors in the communication department are very supportive of our creativity.”
Stephan is also happy that she has left her mark on the school that will remain even after she graduates.
Stephan said, “It was exciting because although I might graduate soon, hopefully in summer ’23, I’m leaving something behind.”
Below is a series of photos from the relaunch of AU’s campus store earlier this month. (photos by Rakiyah Lenon)
Contact Rakiyah Lenon at rlenon@augusta.edu and Brionna Law at brilaw@augusta.edu.
