Dathan Trevino 
EDINBURG – Some students on the “UTRGV Students” Facebook group are expressing discontent
after the university’s announcement of its 2024 Holiday Card contest winner today, alleging the use
of AI by the first-place winner.
UTRGV Vice President of Marketing and Communications Patrick Gonzales issued the following
statement to KVAQ-TV:
“The university appreciates the feedback we’ve received regarding this year’s Holiday Card
Contest. The contest guidelines, as outlined on our Holiday Card Contest website, allowed the use
of AI as a tool to assist in submissions, provided students contributed their own unique and
original elements. The winning submissions adhered to these guidelines.
That said, we understand the concerns expressed by members of our campus community and
recognize the importance of ensuring fairness and equity in future competitions. In response, we
will reevaluate and update the contest rules to address the evolving role of AI in artistic creation.
This will help ensure that the contest continues to celebrate and highlight the diverse creativity and
talent of our students.
We remain committed to fostering an environment that values originality and provides equal
opportunities for all participants.”
A Facebook group member Reina RG commented on the winning holiday cards stating, “It is
disappointing for all those artists who took hours trying to draw the perfect image for their card.
Even using digital art is also challenging. There are skills behind this.”
Another commenter, Mirthala A Cabrera posted, “It’s like a slap in the face for those who genuinely
took the time to do something for this school […]”.
To view the Holiday Card Contest winners, visit the website.
What were the “unique and original elements?”