Best of CASE District V Award
 

Institution: Miami University

Title of entry: Visions of ornaments danced in his head

About this entry: In fall 2024, our social media coordinator noticed a Facebook discussion among alumni eagerly anticipating the reveal of Miami University’s newest limited-edition ornament and wondering how they might find older ones. One participant mentioned that he had tracked down every ornament ever produced. Recognizing a potential story, I contacted the alumnus, Cullen Chadwick, about participating in communications for the next year.

The goal of the story was to share with our alumni audience, 113,581 subscribers to the university’s monthly digital newsletter, the release of the 2025 holiday ornament through a “super fan” whose dedication reflects the emotional connection many alumni feel toward Miami traditions.

Through interviews, I discovered Cullen’s deep love not only for the ornaments but also for Christmas itself. To capture that spirit, I structured the profile around the classic holiday poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas”), using its familiar rhythm and imagery as a narrative framework for his collecting journey.

The resulting story celebrated alumni enthusiasm for a uniquely Miami tradition and highlighted how shared rituals help sustain lifelong connections to the university. Of the 18 stories published on the Exposure web platform in 2025, this profile was the third most popular article. Only the university’s commencements and family weekend, two large-scale events, received more enjoyment clicks.