Most work-study athletes in the Sports Information Department do
no more than shuffle papers and answer phones, but senior Tony
Golston took his job to a whole new level last summer.
Golston, a top hurdler on UCLA’s track team, designed many
of this year’s media guide covers for various UCLA sports,
such as soccer, golf and most notably men’s basketball. He
started out doing only secretarial work, but that soon changed once
Assistant Sports Information Director Liza David discovered
Golston’s knack for Photoshop.
“We hired Tony just to do office stuff, but he ended up
doing much more than that,” David said. “He was
actually teaching us how to do things. We definitely got a lot more
than what we anticipated. He’s the best hire we’ve ever
had.”
Golston began working with Photoshop without any training only a
few years ago as a hobby. He caught on quickly and in no time
became an expert.
“I’m pretty keen with computers,” Golston
said. “I used to just sit in my room and design my own
desktop wallpapers. Now, I’m getting into Web
design.”
Golston’s wealth of electronic design knowledge became a
great asset to the Sports Information Department. Normally, the
Sports Information directors design and put together the media
guide covers, but Golston saved them large chunks of time.
“I designed almost all the covers last year, and
it”˜s a really big burden,” David said.
“He’s been able to free up a lot of time for
us.”
The change is not only in who designed the covers, but how they
appear. For example, as David pointed out, last year’s cross
country media guide cover was rather dull, consisting only of a
white backdrop with a photo of the team. In sharp contrast, this
year’s guide is much more aesthetically pleasing and
incorporates many different layers of runners in action with Royce
Hall as a back drop.
“I could never do anything like this,” David
said.
Golston’s best work may have been on the men’s
basketball covers, which took him a month to complete. And as with
any good artist, Golston left a personalized mark on his creation:
On the back cover of the basketball guide, there is a picture of
Wooden Court with Golston’s picture subtly implanted on the
Jumbotron.
“It was my way of leaving my mark after working there for
the summer,” Golston said. “I knew the basketball media
guide is popular, so I did it there. … Everybody in the office
laughed and thought it was cool.”
Though it may seem like an easygoing job, Golston is very
serious about his media design duties.
“I love it,” Golston said. “It was such a joy
to come in to work everyday. I’d even put in a little bit of
extra work outside of the office. I’d do research to find out
what I could do the next day, see what new tricks I could put
in.”
According to David, Golston even went so far as to purchase
guides and manuals to teach himself even more about the craft.
“Tony’s been very dedicated,” David said.
“He’s always learning new techniques. He even went out
and bought some Photoshop books.”
Golston has learned a great deal working in the Sports
Information Department, so much that he is now planning to pursue a
career in graphic design, starting as early as this summer.
“Next summer, I’d like to come back and work for the
Sport Information Department,” Golston said. “I would
just work in graphic design.”
And from the looks of it, they wouldn’t mind having him
around for another summer.
“We’d take him in a heartbeat,” David
said.