2009 Senior Symposium Showcases Scholarship
April 23, 2009
Posted: April 23, 2009
Meet 10 MHC students who participated in the Senior Symposium.
Of the 126 students presenting at Mount Holyoke College’s Senior Symposium April 17, Chelsea McCracken, a film studies major, was the first to take the podium. At 10:15 am, after being introduced by Professor of English Peter Berek, she spoke on "Complications in the Tragic Musical." The presentation offered an overview of her research examining how tragic plotlines were incorporated into the traditional musical form "when disillusioned audiences began to question the simplicity of genre films." McCracken, who is captain of the track team, said her status as the kick-off presenter had come as a surprise. "I'd originally been scheduled for a 5 pm slot but found out that I needed to leave in the afternoon for a two-day track meet. To accommodate that, a new time slot was created--the other presentations start at 10:30 am."
And so, when McCracken began guiding her audience through a close reading of a scene from the musical Pennies from Heaven, the fourth annual Senior Symposium was officially launched. The daylong event--supported by funds from the Richard and Donna Taylor Endowment Fund established by Jean Taylor '66--once again showcased both the academic excellence and far-ranging intellectual pursuits of Mount Holyoke’s graduating class. Seniors from diverse fields in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences shared their independent projects and scholarly research with an audience that included MHC students, faculty, and staff; alumnae; members of the Five Colleges; and students’ family members and friends.
"Our senior symposium truly brings the best of the liberal arts to the fore," said Lois Brown, associate professor of English and director of the Harriet L. and Paul M. Weissman Center for Leadership and the Liberal Arts. "This annual event continues to grow--in terms of the number of students who present and the number of community members and families who attend. It is powerful to have this time to come together and witness the transformative power of learning and critical thinking for our students. It also is powerfully satisfying for us at the Weissman Center to be involved so deeply in this event that reflects our center's commitment to passionate intellectual and creative engagement."
"I love Senior Symposium," said Mya Steadman ′10, pouring a morning cup of coffee in Kendade’s Marion Craig Potter '49 Atrium, which served as a hub throughout the day. Steadman, a chemistry major, has attended the event since her first year on campus. "I'm so impressed that seniors take on these amazing projects in addition to demanding course work and involvement with sports and campus organizations," she explained. "Then they get up in front of everyone to present their work. I can't wait to be in their shoes next year. It's great that Mount Holyoke gives us this opportunity."
Gary Gillis, associate professor of biological sciences, attended both as an advisor of student researchers and a moderator for a science session featuring biological sciences majors Noelle Noyes, Trupti Akella, Lauren Fields, Addison Kemp, and Molly Buermann. "For me, Senior Symposium represents a series of celebrations in which students finally have the opportunity to share with family and friends what they've been working on--and agonizing over--for the last year," Gillis said. "It's also amazing to me to see the evolution of this work into polished, poised presentations. I'm very proud of my students because I know exactly how far they have come."
While Gillis moderated his session, Berek continued as moderator in Kendade 303, where presentations included "The Baroque Aesthetic and the Divided Self" by Sanam Nader; "Love, Sexuality, and Marriage in Shakespeare" by Laura Tallon; and "The Transformative Power of Sport in Women's Lives" by Elissa M. Center. Next door, in Kendade 305 and at the four other presentation locales, the topics were just as diverse, and the audience just as riveted. "Whether I know the students well or am meeting them for the first time, hearing them speak at Senior Symposium reminds me of what Mount Holyoke does best: encouraging students to work independently, with great sophistication, within their major field," Berek commented.
And so it went throughout the day--students enthusiastically presented their projects and fielded questions from standing-room-only audiences, all in 15-minute segments. There was continuous bustle as attendees hurried between locales, and animated conversation as ideas were carried out into the corridors. Tending to the logistical details was a team of 24 student workers who assisted with everything from distributing programs to facilitating audience movement between rooms. "It’s quite an operation. We’ve got continuous coverage, including students who can handle any technical issues that might arise during a presentation," said Janet Lansberry, assistant director of the Weissman Center. Both Lansberry and Patricia Scigliana, administrative assistant for the the Weissman Center, were on duty helping Senior Symposium run smoothly.
At 5:15 pm, the final presentations began: "(In)Equalities of Power: EU, Russia, and the Energy Equation" by Stela R. Nenova; "Development of a Rapid Immunoassay for the Detection of Peanut Antigen" by Kathryne B. Schwartz; "Process in Motion" by Paola M. Di Tolla ; and "Analyzing the Creasing Instability of Surface Attached Hydrogels" by Farhana Momin. Although 122 seniors already had taken the microphone throughout the day, seats remained filled by an engaged and appreciative audience.
Later, at the celebration banquet for all Senior Symposium presenters, along with their advisors and guests, Mount Holyoke President Joanne V. Creighton applauded the participants. "This day is Mount Holyoke at its quintessential best. I am proud of your hard work and high standards."
Meet 10 MHC students who participated in the Senior Symposium.
Related Links:
Weissman Center for Leadership and the Liberal Arts
Permanent link to this story: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/news/stories/5681321
