2020’s Cyber Senior Showcase

“The beauty of it is that COMM students often work in teams, but the senior project provides students with an individual experience,” said Mike Cannon, the communication department chair.

With the rise of COVID-19, the triannual Senior Showcase transformed to a purely online affair. Instead of setting up a booth, preparing handouts and giving presentations to passersby, students wrote blog posts, prepared video presentations and uploaded all their work to a website.

This is the second semester a remote approach to the Senior Showcase has taken place. Moreover, with fall semester’s remote flexibility to students, a virtual Showcase will likely be the case this upcoming semester too.

Despite Cannon’s remarks on individual experience, this semester’s showcase altered the traditional means of demonstrating each students’ senior projects.

“Having it online didn’t change as much as I thought, in fact it probably made it easier for me,” said Kelsey O’Connor, a senior studying communication. “I didn’t have to worry about standing around for hours, I didn’t have to worry about table handouts and I only had to give my speech once.”

Kelsey introduces young people to banking

O’Connor’s senior project was an interactive course meant to guide young people into financial responsibility through budgeting, opening bank accounts and more.

She worked with non-disclosed clients to make this plan a reality and was pleased with her online presentation. It put her project’s quality at the forefront of the presentation, rather than a speech and small talk.

Mickayeen Farner, a senior studying communication, had a similar experience. His project was a sports commentary website and podcast.

“The showcase itself was fine. It was actually easier for me because I was able to present my project as a website rather than a handout,” Farner said.

Mickayeen was able to present his project in its native format

Both Farner and O’Connor preferred their Senior Showcase’s remote experience over the traditional format. It offered flexibility within their presentation and more time to work on their individual projects.