Honors student’s capstone project on display in Park Library
Senior Lucas Sherman has been planning his honors capstone project since he was a freshman. Sherman’s display focuses on coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community and the effect it has on undergraduate students. This display can be found on the third-floor exhibition space across from the writing center in the Park Library.
For the display, Sherman interviewed ten students about the challenges they faced when coming out, what it was like, and who supported them. Sherman found the ten students through advertisements he posted around campus and through faculty members.
The display consists of ten posters each with a combination of quotes from the different interviews. Each poster has a theme, some of which include family support or lack thereof, mental health and what emotions were felt when coming out. The posters have bright colored backgrounds, and some with different pride flags behind the text. Sherman said he set the posters up to start with a more happy and uplifting quote at both ends and in the middle have a more serious message.
“Coming out is a continual process, and you can never be fully out,” the seventh poster said with the asexual pride flag in the background.
“Poster six is my favorite with the lesbian pride flag in the background, I think the whole design turned out good,” Sherman said. “I really like how the light hits it.”
Sherman said he wants students who will not need to come out due to their sexuality to have a better understanding of what it was like for their peers. As well as those who have come out to know they are not alone.
“It took over two hours to set it up so we were there for a while,” Sherman said. “Once it was up and seeing it there I was so excited and super proud.”
The display will be in Park Library until Dec. 9.
Questions about the display can be sent to Lucas Sherman at sherm2l@cmich.edu.
