By Annie Steinfelt ’24, staff writer
LVC’s DigiVal club gathers weekly to create onesies for NICU babies at UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg.
Designing and heat-pressing onesies for NICU babies is a project that has been in the works since senior digital communications major and co-president of DigiVal Alyssa Matheus suggested the idea to Dr. Jeff Ritchie, the DMT department chair, about two years ago.
Matheus first came up with and executed this idea for her senior project in high school after having a discussion with one of her teachers about family members that had been in the NICU.
“I did this kind of solo for my senior project,” Matheus said. “I made 300 onesies for The Women and Babies Hospital in Lancaster, and then when I got to college, I was talking to Dr. Ritchie about it and he said he had kids in the NICU as well, so we decided to start it again here.”
Unfortunately, soon after the blank onesies were delivered to campus to be designed, the project had to be put on hold due to the school closing and COVID-19 restrictions being put in place. However, the onesie-creating process is back to operating at full swing now that students have fully returned to campus.
Members of DigiVal, LVC’s club for anyone interested in emerging technology and media, meet on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in the Digital Communications Studio (Lynch 119) to assemble the onesies. This process includes using a vinyl cutter to cut the design into vinyl, tediously peeling away the excess material, laying it out on the onesie and then transferring it using the heat press.
The design that will be printed on the onesies—the words ‘NICU WARRIOR’ with a golden arrow going through the second word—was designed by senior digital communications major, Sofia Pascuzzo.
The club’s goal is to finish and deliver around 250 onesies by the end of this semester and 250 by the end of next semester. The time counts for service hours, so anyone interested in helping is encouraged to email Matheus at aem012@lvc.edu for more information on joining the club or volunteering to help. No prior experience is needed.