By Zorian Edwards, staff writer
On April 16, seniors in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education (CASE) presented their capstone projects. All other students had no classes to attend the presentations, catch up on work, or rest if they chose.
This day used to be called the Academic Festival and was a key day in the Daemen calendar.
“There was always a huge poster presentation event in the gym and regular presentations from departments throughout the day.” Associate Professor and Chair of the English Department, Dr. Hamish Dalley said. “A lot of students and community members would be on campus, and you could pick up coffee from multiple different spots all over campus. Just so much coffee.”
Instead of senior capstone presentations, the education department had its Future Educator Symposium located in the Alumni Lounge from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
“I did not do this project for my capstone, but rather for my class on Inclusive Education for Students with Moderate/Severe Disabilities (SED364),” sophomore childhood and special education major Victoria Tom said. “My project aimed to look at Visual Activity Schedules and how they benefit people with disabilities throughout their day, both in school and at home.”
The English department had two presentations: Sarai Skerritt’s “Reclaiming the Narrative: The Struggle of “Black” in Education” and McKenzie Duncan’s “How to Amend the Canon.” The students chose these topics at the end of their junior year and have continuously worked on them throughout their senior year.
“I am very pleased with how the event went. I was nervous to present my thesis at first — but I think Sarai and I aced it,” senior professional English and rhetoric major, McKenzie Duncan said. “When I was planning my presentation, I wanted to begin with a story about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion in 1945. It was the first all-black women’s battalion in the US military during World War II. The story exemplifies the black excellence that goes unnoticed. Like the 6888th battalion, Hurston and Morrison’s Black excellence has gone unnoticed.”
The History and Political Science department had their presentations from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in RIC 101. The Psychology Department also had an all day presentation located in the Yurtchuk Lobby, visitors were encouraged to visit tables where seniors were presenting their Capstone projects.
“It is a chance for our senior students, who are in the research sequence, to demonstrate the independent project that they came up with and worked with faculty advisor, and it’s their chance to demonstrate all the work that they’ve done, all the results that they’ve collected, and basically their mastering achievement in that research,” Dr. Caitlyn Montross, assistant professor of chemistry said.
The natural science department had its poster presentations from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge. Eleven students presented their senior research projects in a poster presentation format, with presentations ranging in topic from computational chemistry to wound healing to road salt studies.
“It is a really great experience to see how excited they are about it,” Montross said.
The art department had an all-day presentation located in the Visual and Performing Arts Gallery, visitors were encouraged to visit and admire student artwork.
Similar to the art department, the animation department had an all-day showcase shown on a TV outside of the Alumni Lounge, the showcase featured the seniors’ progress on their films. Rather than a formal presentation, animations were played out on screens around the rooms for visitors to go around and watch.
“It was a step forward, I am glad that what used to be the Academic Festival has been revived,” Associate Professor, Animation & Program Director Mike Jones said. “Work harder, be better, and create an amazing capstone. I’m looking forward to next year.”