While students brace for finals, some have chosen to go the extra mile and create academic projects for CMU’s annual Student Showcase.

The showcase will take place Friday, May 2, and will highlight the work of undergraduate students at CMU and WCCC. The work being shown involves high levels of creativity, innovation, research, discovery, and entrepreneurship.

“It’s a chance for students to see the breadth of what people study here at CMU,” Theatre Department Head and Faculty Planning Committee member Tim Pinnow said concerning Student Showcase.The showcase will last two hours, beginning at 2:30 and ending with an awards presentation in the University Center at 5 p.m. During that time, presentations will be scattered across campus in Wubben Science, the University Center, Dominguez Hall, Moss Performing Arts Center, and even a few outside on Delta Field.

There are 485 students participating in this year’s showcase. The presentations began as research projects with faculty members, class projects or summarizations of student internships. Some of the presentations started out with students simply having an idea and being encouraged by faculty members to join the showcase.

Pinnow says that the application and selection process is largely student-oriented, and Carol Futhey, Vice President of Academic Affairs said no one is denied from participating.

Aside from highlighting all the hard work that is put into the presentations, Student Showcase also allows students the opportunity to gain practical experience in presenting ideas orally, much like they would at any national conference in their field of study. They also have the opportunity to get feedback from professionals in the different industries who will be reviewing and judging their work.

“The students enjoy speaking to experts in the field who are not necessarily grading them but are interested and engaged with the presentation,” Beverley Lyne, Assistant Professor of Nursing and a member of the planning committee, said.

armcbroo@mavs.coloradomesa.edu