A CASE for Growth

In celebration of graduation each department on campus has its own set of traditions. The Biology Department hosts an annual dinner while Recreation, Sport and Wellness students and faculty are prone to a picnic. The Communication Arts Department acknowledges the end with the Communication Arts Senior Exhibit, or CASE. This event is held twice a year (at the end of the fall semester and again in the spring) and is an opportunity for students in the Communication Arts Senior Seminar course to showcase and commemorate their skills in front of a public audience.

Students in Senior Seminar begin the semester by brainstorming a thesis project. The Communication Arts guidelines for a thesis are broader than most—students are given a wide range of freedom to truly make the project their own. Showcases generally include short films, advertising campaigns, and blogs. This year’s CASE highlighted sixteen graduating seniors and their semester’s work. In typical CASE fashion each project was unique and demonstrated the high caliber of talent among the group. The evening was split into three timeframes in accordance with themes found within the thesis projects: Interplay / Image, Responding / Participating, and Discovery / Growth.

Shannon Peterson ’15 braved the stage for the first presentation of the evening. Her project entitled “As One” took the shape of a visual branding and print design campaign for the Boston North Shore chapter of Young Life. Throughout the semester she worked with the Young Life team on both regional and national scales to create four printed pieces for marketing distribution including a parent newsletter, prayer calendar, and informational brochure.

Ethan Kilgore ’15 presented “See Through,” a public service advertising campaign geared towards domestic violence awareness. Initially set on an advertising campaign for a trendy boot company, Kilgore cites his semester-long internship with campus agency Return Design as the motivating factor to change tack and do something good with his work. His presentation included a commercial called “No Excuses” and informational cards directing onlookers to the National Suicide Hotline.

Several short films made an appearance: Davo by Mike Kim ’15, Intelligence Equals Atheism? by Eric Brown ’15, The Box by Mia Barranco ’15, My Woods by Charles Abbott ’15 and WOODS by Kellyn Boyden and Lauren Martin ‘ 15. Each was wrought with sincerity and creativity, showcasing the students’ aesthetics and storytelling ability.

Learn about other students’ thesis projects on the CASE website.

By Rachel Kauffman ’15, Communication Arts