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Sign maker’s work will help alumni navigate their way

Larry Beer’s creations direct crowds during some of Miami University’s biggest events

Larry Beer carefully removes the vinyl letters of a parking sign for Miami University's Alumni Weekend on Monday, June 15. Beer said his department has been working non-stop on hundreds of signs for the event since classes let out last month. Staff photo by Ryan Gauthier

Ryan Gauthier Larry Beer carefully removes the vinyl letters of a parking sign for Miami University's Alumni Weekend on Monday, June 15. Beer said his department has been working non-stop on hundreds of signs for the event since classes let out last month. Staff photo by Ryan Gauthier

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By Ryan Gauthier, Staff Writer Updated 2:00 AM Thursday, June 18, 2009

As thousands of Miami graduates make their way into Oxford for the bicentennial celebration of the university’s Alumni Weekend, one man sincerely hopes none of them get lost.

Larry Beer, a master sign crafter with Miami University, has been working fervently for the past several weeks alongside a handful of coworkers to make the hundreds of signs welcoming, informing and steering alumni toward the numerous activities hosted around campus June 18-21.

While most of the signs were created earlier this week, Beer said he planned to put in some extended hours to ensure everything is perfect for the festivities.

“Usually I’m hanging signs right up until the last minute,” Beer said. “But that’s just the way it is. We started working on these right after graduation, but with the amount of signs we’re making, it can be challenging to keep up with the schedule.”

Beer has been making signs for Miami University for almost two decades. He works closely with two university employees to produce a staggering array of signs for Miami’s four campuses year-round, but said the busiest time of the year is undoubtedly early June.

“Alumni Weekend is the biggest event we have,” Beer said. “There’s usually two big ones every year: Alumni Weekend and then the first home football game of the season. Both are pretty hectic, but Alumni Weekend involves more work.”

Beer said close to a half-mile of material has been run through his shop’s inkjet printer since work on Alumni Weekend began. He said no exact numbers have been tracked, but estimates somewhere between 400 and 500 signs were produced for this weekend alone.

Everything from 3-by-5 inch registration cards to 25-foot banners hanging throughout campus made their way through Beer’s shop.

Jennifer Clark, director of marketing and membership for Miami’s Alumni Association, said she can always rely on Beer and company to crank out signs for her, even in painfully tight deadline situations.

“It’s unbelievable the amount of work that goes into making these signs,” Clark said. “He’s still making them furiously, mostly for people like me who get all of their information in a little late.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 523-4139, ext. 86102, or at rgauthier@coxohio.com.

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