Cumberland University students Meiska Starner and John Essary both won Silver Awards at the prestigious American Advertising Federation Student ADDY Awards Competition recently, sponsored by the Nashville Advertising Federation.

Starner graduated last spring with a bachelor's in Fine Arts, and Essary is currently enrolled in the new Entertainment Design program at Cumberland. Both were students in the School of Music and the Arts.

The competition was based on works completed during the 2009 calendar year, and Starner and Essary's works will now move on to a regional contest that includes Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. More than 500 works were submitted to the Nashville Advertising Federation for the collegiate competition this year, more than at any other local association within the region.

Starner's "The Turn of the Screw" set won in the category, Elements of Advertising: Illustration. Credits for the entry were for both the student (Starner), the advisor (Lissa Gill) and Cumberland University.

Essary's "The Look" (pictured, at left) won in the category, Elements of Advertising: Digitally Enhanced Photography. Credits for the entry were for the student (Essary), the instructor (Margie Monde) and Cumberland University.

More information about the American Advertising Federation may be found at www.aafnashville.com.