This year, Classics @ Brown held our fifth annual Button Badge Competition!  We asked undergraduate students to create a design that they felt represented Classics at Brown University.  Each year, the chosen image will be printed on button badges as a fun way to show appreciation for the department and identify their fellow classmates. Wangdrak Dorji (class of 2024) created this year’s winning design. Wangdrak received a $250 gift card to the Brown University Bookstore. 

Below is the design inspiration Wangdrak submitted with his image:

"The inspiration for the hand came from mudras which are symbolic hand gestures or seals that are commonly observed in Hindu and Buddhist art, religious practices, yoga, and meditation. Mudras are a non-verbal mode of communication and self-expression, consisting of hand gestures and finger postures. They are used to evoke in the mind ideas symbolizing divine powers or the deities themselves. The word "mudra" comes from the Sanskrit language and means "gesture" or "seal". This particular hand gesture closely resembles the left hand gesture of Mañjuśrī who is the bodhisattva personifying supreme wisdom. The hand holds a laurel wreath which in Ancient Rome, was worn on the head as a symbol of triumph which the Romans adopted from Greek culture. The outermost circle is a Greek meander design, also known as the Greek key, which is a symbol of infinity and unity. Overall, this design effectively communicates the diversity and richness of intellectual knowledge and cultural heritage from multiple traditions. It is my sincere hope that such profound knowledge will be preserved and appreciated for generations to come."

Congratulations to Wangdrak!