| From poetry to photos, senior honors capstones take many forms BY ADRIENNE FRANK
Photo by Jeff Watts
Kate Tatem, SOC, discusses her project “Exposed: The Truth About Being a Teenage Girl.” |
This year, a record-high 269 honors capstone projects crossed Professor Michael Mass’s desk. And while some looked like a traditional 80-page thesis, many didn’t. “There is no average capstone,” said Mass, director of the University Honors Program. “The capstone connotes a culmination of experience—something that integrates students’ work here and reflects their passion—and that can take many forms.” Creativity is encouraged, Mass said, and students don’t disappoint, turning out Web sites, business plans, photographs, music, fashion lines, and even science fiction novels. Some work judged the most interesting or innovative was featured during the annual Honors Capstone Conference on Apr. 18. Twenty-one students gave presentations on topics ranging from Chinese migration patterns to the voting behavior of Catholic congressmen. Colleen McCarthy, SPA, traced her family tree to Ireland, exploring her lineage through poetry, while Daniel Lloyd, a CLEG major, examined the video game censorship movement in his capstone, “Sex, Drugs, and Super Mario.” Lloyd, who began working on his capstone in January, devoted 10 to 20 hours per week to the project. He was attracted to the topic because it encompasses several disciplines, including communications, politics and history. “I saw in this issue . . . many points of view,” he said. “Besides that, there is something very inspiring about working on an issue so related to one of our most dearly held freedoms. While you have to try to stay unbiased when you are working on something like a capstone, you can’t help but be drawn to the plight of people fighting for their right of expression.” Lloyd, who will start law school at the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, said the capstone allowed him to “use all of the skills and tools I gained as an undergraduate . . . “It was very rewarding to be able to go so in depth, and to really become a scholar,” he said. In years past, Mass admitted it was difficult to get students like Lloyd to participate in the conference. “It’s a busy time of year, and the capstones aren’t even due yet, so we’re asking people to present while they’re still working on them,” he said. Since 2004, though, the program has enjoyed a revitalization. “I knew these were terrific students, so I thought it was important to create a professional, academic conference where they could present their work and recognize their advisors,” said Maria Green Cowles, associate director of the University Honors Program. “We want students to be challenged and flourish at AU, and this is one way we do that.” In addition to formalizing the conference, Cowles also drummed up student interest in the event by offering awards for the best capstones. “The quality of work gets stronger every year,” said Cowles. “Looking at the students who presented this year, at least two were really presenting doctoral-level work. Their dedication is amazing.” Thanks to Cowles’s efforts, students are now competing for spots at the conference. In order to accommodate demand—60 students applied to present this year, up from 24 in 2004—organizers asked 20 of the students to prepare posters detailing their work. Conference attendees enjoyed the posters and asked questions of the students during the lunch break. “It’s a lot to squeeze into one day,” said Mass, “but it’s an absolute celebration of scholarship. It’s wonderful to see what these students can accomplish in four years.” |
