As students walk through the hallways, they are greeted by something new: vibrant photos of student life captured by their peers, framed and showcased on the walls. These snapshots are the result of a creative project born in the Public Relations (PR) media class. Senior Erin Lock led the project, which started at the beginning of Jan. 2024.
“It was a project that [HSE] came to us first with,” Lock said. “They were like, we have a bunch of posters around that are from five years ago. They don’t represent our school anymore. We were hoping to, one, show off our school in a more timely manner, and two, highlight the people behind the camera.”
Each photo is easily identifiable by its blue frame, along with the Southeastern Media Network logo in the bottom left corner. The photographer is credited, along with their graduation class.
“We put their class, so that it dates the photos, so that we [could be] like, ‘Okay, this is from the class of 2025. [We probably] shouldn’t have that [up] when it’s 2030,” Lock said.
Additionally, Lock explains, the project aimed to highlight all aspects of school life. Lock emphasized that the project was not just about showcasing moments, but also about representing a diverse range of student experiences.
“A lot of photos that we end up taking are typically at sports games,” Lock said. “A lot of the publicity is sports related. The goal was to show off more than just sports. We have the senior signing day in the CCA hallway, which are the people on the slide. We have the painting one. Just a lot of different photos kind of all over the place.”
Lock mentioned the photo of Heather Stutz painting, which was taken by junior Abby Kepler. Kepler was ecstatic to see the photo she took publicly displayed.
“I was shocked when I first saw it since I didn’t know where or when it would be hung up,” Kepler said. “It makes me feel proud when I see it, as I was really excited about that photo when I took it.”
This project is expected to live on for years to come. The photos are going to be updated every couple of years by PR to ensure the school hallways do not become dated and students are continuously recognized. Students behind the camera are not the only ones being highlighted either.
“Seeing it [on the wall] makes me feel very accomplished from the work I put into that story and shoot,” Kepler said. “I’m so thrilled and honored to have it be recognized. I’m also so happy that Heather Stutz in the photo is getting her talent recognized in the school.”
