CASE: Fall 2020

Communication Arts Senior Exhibition
Fall 2020 Presentations 

SCHEDULE

Live Presentations via Zoom Webinars
Wednesday, December 2 | 7–8:15 p.m. (EDT)

Watch the Recording ➔

• Rachel Bovee - Church in the Digital Age
• Deepak Bardhan - Human Identity – Emotions and Metaphors in a Frame
• Autumn Sky Roberts - Organizing an Event through COVID-19
• David Bello Jr. - Opening the Curtain
• Mandie Salmon - Mental Health Advocacy

Pre-recorded Presentations

• Matthew Cole - Race for the Crown
• Nolan Colleran - Memes of the People, By the People, For the People:
  The Power of Memes in 21st Century Politics
• Adam Konicki - Alcoholism in a Time of Quarantine
• Matt Lewis - Democratic Socialism in America​
• Elijah Martin - God and Country: Washington's Current Fascination with Christianity
• Christian Nigro - Understanding ADHD
• Courtney Robenolt - Loving Work
• Benjamin Schneider - Seek the Truth: How NASCAR and the Media Mishandled the Talladega Noose Investigation
• Matthew Swanson - The Challenges and Worries of Having an Overwhelming Amount of Options
• Ashley Whalen - Depression Among Us
• Joshua Williams - Avatar: Growth and Peace
• Michelle Ya Xu - App of Apps

CASE: Fall 2020 - Digital Program (PDF)

Human Identity – Emotions and Metaphors in a Frame by Deepak Bardhan

Human Identity relates to self, person, individual: how you are what you are. Yet in our effort to define self-identity, we seem to call upon different kinds of labels based on sex, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic status, nationality, and religion, among others, and their intersections. 

How has society changed our perspective of lifestyle? How are human emotions altered? how have trends altered our ways of being human? Why does a photograph come into play, how is it viewed in the past and will be in the future? Why is it important? In my Project, I will showcase a short documentary with a collection of footage from the past three years, of how a picture is your legacy of safekeeping your identity and emotions. How the world affects you, how you can always come back with a simple tool; a Picture - to your senses of choice with what is wrong or right.

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View Project Presentation ➔ 

Opening the Curtain by David Bello Jr.

According to Oxford Languages, Racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.” Definition alone, the idea of racism comes nowhere near the emotional, traumatic, and dehumanizing effects exhibited by those who have the unfortunate opportunity of experiencing racism first hand. For my final project, I chose to film a documentary-style video via Zoom depicting close friends as they open up about their personal stories of experiencing racism. The hope is to educate people the effects racism has on one’s life and how to identify racist actions moving forward.

View Project Presentation ➔
View Opening the Curtain - Full Video ➔

Church In The Digital Age by Rachel Bovee

The era of digital platforms has flowed into all areas of life including the church. Many churches have come alongside society to incorporate digital elements into their worship and culture. Over the years churches have implemented new mediums and digital platforms including email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with people. How does this evolution of communication affect the church? How can Christians be good stewards of digital platforms? My project will look to explore how digital platforms influence and affect the nature of church. As we study technology we can learn how to be better stewards of new mediums. My project includes a combination of surveys, interviews, and research that will serve as a resource to assist ministry leaders and pastors as they engage with society in a digital age.

View Project Presentation ➔

Church in the Digital Age Pitch Deck (PDF)

Race for the Crown by Matthew Cole

In a world where mental health issues plague our society, obesity rates have climbed up to 42.4% nationwide, and people have lost their way with God – what do we do? This documentary follows the stories of students here at Gordon College and how their personal fitness journeys have helped them address the aforementioned questions and so much more! Take a look at the life-altering experience so many young adults are having when they focus on molding and shaping the bodies that God has given them. My hope is to encourage viewers to realize that physical fitness is not something to be feared nor loathed but something that can serve as a helpful tool in growing physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Memes of the People, By the People, For the People:
The Power of Memes in 21st Century Politics
By Nolan Colleran

Political memes are presently being used as a powerful campaigning strategy, which is only gaining traction. My project explains unfair advantage given to members of the two-party system, the oppression of third parties in the U.S. political process, and my belief that political memes and they’re persuasiveness could help. Through the research that I did, using media criticism, literature review, scholarly research review in my analysis, I was able to provide a clearer understanding of the impact that memes and social media have in the political process.

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Alcoholism in a Time of Quarantine by Adam Konicki

This campaign takes a real look into the problem of alcoholism during quarantine. During the Covid-19 pandemic many people were confined to their homes and because of this alcohol sales and consumption rose. Heavy alcohol consumption can lead to or worsen mental health problems such as anxiety. This is something many people are already facing due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. I hope this campaign informs people about the facts of alcoholism and how to get involved in making a difference. My goal is to give others the knowledge to create change in the battle against alcohol addiction. 

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View Project Website ➔

Democratic Socialism in America by Matt Lewis

My Senior Project is a research project that goes into the career of the congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The main idea is to try and see what she has done for this country, for better or worse, and is still doing. This mainly solves the problem of what politics can often look like and how one person can create an influence on people and the country as a whole. I will mainly be using articles, videos, and a documentary about her to give an overview of her life before politics up until the present. I think anyone who is really invested in politics would be interested in this project.

View Project Presentation ➔

Final Project Paper (PDF)

God and Country: Washington’s Current Fascination with Christianity​
by Elijah Martin

As a Christian, navigating today’s political landscape can be tricky. It becomes especially hard when political leaders publicly invoke Christian rhetoric as part of their platforms and beliefs. In this case, it is vital for the Christian to discern between this kind of rhetoric that seeks to further the Kingdom of God from that which seeks to elevate and bring power to human leaders. This critical essay intends to examine the use of Christian rhetoric in politics, focusing on that of the current presidential administration. By doing so, it is my hope that the reader can be all the more attentive to when political-Christian rhetoric reveals conflict with Christian values.

View final presentation ➔

Final Project Paper (PDF)

Understanding ADHD by Christian Nigro

In today’s world, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is grossly misunderstood. Many who do not suffer from the condition view it through the lens of media-influenced skepticism, and lack a sufficient understanding of the circumstances surrounding those who are afflicted with it. This project seeks to inform  on the true nature of, convey the experiences of, and contribute to the repair of the misconceptions surrounding ADHD.

Loving Work by Courtney Robenolt

Many people, including myself, find it challenging to walk in our Christian faith in all areas of our lives. We spend a large portion of our time, as adults, at work. This project investigates the question; in a world that appears to be more secular than sacred, how can we live out our faith in our workplace? By creating conversation with professionals, observing real-life examples, and diving into the Word of God, this project will present a unique perspective on how anyone can incorporate their faith into their work. In this expository short film, discover what it means for you to live, work, and share the love of Christ.

Organizing an Event through COVID-19 by Autumn Sky Roberts

My time at Gordon did not originally begin in the Communication Arts department. I came to Gordon as an eager Education student. Looking ahead, I had finished two years of my education major and was struggling to find that it was not the path that I thought I had cut out for myself. I panicked and knew that if I wanted a change, I had to act fast. This is where I found the Communication Arts major. This new community has welcomed me and made me feel confident again in my college career. For my capstone project, I have helped plan an event through my internship at Agassiz Village, a nonprofit organization and summer camp for underprivileged youth. Through the time of COVID, our company faced challenges that required some extra effort in venue hunting, funding and fundraising for our annual event. I will be sharing victories as well as the challenges faced in preparation for planning an event during the time of COVID-19.

View Project Presentation ➔

Organizing an Event through COVID-19 (PDF)

Mental Health Advocacy by Mandie Salmon

Social Media Campaign

In our society, people often speak of the importance of mental health, yet if we ever dare to utter that we are facing issues that may cause us to lose our sanity; we are automatically labeled as weak, crazy or the like. My project will focus on bringing awareness to mental health issues, such as: anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, and negative thinking. I will do this through a social media campaign. I want people to know that it is okay to seek help when faced with these issues and feel comfortable enough to talk about them without feeling stigmatized.

We are in a world crisis and now more than ever, people need to feel supported when they are faced with issues concerning the mind. I’ve learned that communication is a powerful tool through which our voices can be heard. Words are more powerful than we think them to be, they can shape social worlds and effect changes in society.

View Project Presentation ➔
Instagram link for Traverse virtual event ➔
As I Am Ministry Instagram Page ➔

Seek the Truth: How NASCAR and the Media Mishandled the Talladega Noose Investigation
By Benjamin Schneider

For my Senior Seminar project, I chose to use generative media criticism to examine how the noose investigation in Bubba Wallace’s NASCAR garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway was handled this past summer. I wanted to really take a close look and examine how the entire situation was handled, why this misunderstanding got so out of hand, and who virtually nobody in media or communications got this story totally right. This project analyzes the events that led up to the incident, how both mainstream and alternative media covered the story, and the failure to accurately report on the story proved detrimental to NASCAR, the credibility of the media, and, through no fault of his own, the public reputation of Wallace himself.

View Project Presentation ➔
 

Final Project Paper (PDF)

The Challenges and Worries of Having an Overwhelming Amount of Options 
by Matthew Swanson

Decisions, decisions, decisions. How do we decide when there are thousands of options to choose from? With the rise of technology and online businesses, advertisements are everywhere on our screens. This article examines the issue of self-doubt, feeling lost and uncertainty with too many options. Whether it is buying a new car, apartment, or job searching, we often find ourselves overwhelmed and researching for countless hours. It also describes three ways that can help reduce that stress and the problem of overthinking, hoping to make more satisfying decisions. All contributing towards the topic of mental health/lifestyle in modern day society.  

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View Project Website ➔

Depression Among Us by Ashley Whalen

Depression and anxiety have become increasingly prevalent in today’s college students, with many stating these mental health issues are their biggest barriers to doing well in school.  With depression affecting more and more young adults, it’s important for schools to provide adequate resources for their students and for students to take advantage of the support available to them. I hope to use my creative project: an infographic on depression in college, as a place where students can continue to learn about common factors of depression in college and where to get help. Mental health should be more normalized and should be talked about more freely and comfortably. By combining graphic design and one of the most common mental illnesses I hope to reduce the stigma by helping educate others.

View Project Presentation ➔

Depression Among Us (PDF)

Avatar: Growth and Peace by Joshua Williams

What was your favorite cartoon growing up? The age of 7-14 is a period of exponential cognitive, social, and emotional growth for all kids. So, the media we take in will impact that developmental period, media like cartoons. Cartoons are an excellent form of media that provides entertainment, laughs, and narratives to be enjoyed by all ages. Although, is that all cartoons have to offer? A simple time filler? No, the popular Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar the Last Airbender is one that impacted many children during its time on air from 2005-2008. In this short film documentary, we catch up with those kids who are now grown up into young adults and discuss the impact and effect Avatar had on their insight on relationships, war, peace, and conflict. 

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App of Apps by Michelle Ya Xu

For the people in the digital age, relationships can be built digitally. Indeed, many people find it’s easier to start a relationship online than in-person. According to the Pew Research Center, “62% of online daters believe relationships where people first met through a dating site or app are just as successful as those that began in person.” When people looking for partners or friends online, shared religious backgrounds are very important. For my project, I designed a mock-up dating/socializing app: App of Apps, targeted at Christian college students. Different from other Christian dating apps, it breaks the seriousness while adds more functions for spiritual connections. Users could choose to sign up through Christian colleges/universities. Overall, I hope this platform could be a safe and fun space for people to find peers with the same passions without leaving their rooms.

View Final Presentation ➔

View Final Project ➔