Senior communication students welcomed their families and members of the community to observe presentations of their senior theses at the Senior Colloquium after a semester of research, writing and preparation.
Twenty-three seniors presented to crowded rooms of D Vickers Hall on Wednesday, April 24 beginning at 5:30 p.m. on topics ranging from the student perception of advertising to popular stereotypes.
Although many students were nervous, others began their presentations with confidence in the research they had conducted and information gathered during the semester.
“I felt confident,” said Damon Cutno, senior electronic media concentration. “I knew my material. I practiced it a couple times that day so I knew the words. I’ve talked in front of people before, so I wasn’t nervous. I know we only had ten minutes to present, so as long as I stayed under ten minutes I knew I would be good.”
Following the presentations by all students enrolled in Communication 498, each student was recognized during a pinning ceremony, highlighting the accomplishment.
Cutno explained the challenge of educating an audience on a 20-page paper in ten minutes and the goals for his presentation.
“Trying to hit all of your points in your paper and in less than ten minutes, it’s almost impossible,” said Cutno. “I wanted my audience to take away that what we see doesn’t have to be accepted. I wanted them to think about what they see.”
Students are now looking forward to graduating and finding jobs and recognize the advantages of the paper and presentation in relation to their career.
“The paper definitely opened my eyes to different things that we see every day, and we don’t know where they come from; we just accept it,” said Cutno. “Coming here definitely made me realize what I wanted to do with myself, and that it’s possible through hard work,  opportunity and technology.”
Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 18 at the University Center. For more information on the Senior Colloquium, contact the Department of Languages and Communication at 985-549-2105.