Humanities Student Spotlight:

Undergraduate Researchers in the Humanities Display Unique Projects

Undergraduate Researchers in the Humanities Display Unique Projects On May 3, more than 125 guests gathered in the Faculty Club to celebrate excellence in scholarship among undergraduates at the 11th Annual College of Humanities Undergraduate Research Colloquium. Over the course of its eleven-year history, the Colloquium has provided an opportunity for humanities students to exhibit their talents, display innovative thinking, and prove their research skills. The 2006 presentations highlighted the growing sophistication of undergraduate research and the value of the full range of research experiences made liberally available to students in the College.

This year, student presenters delivered oral presentations and displayed projects on posters on a variety of topics such as immigration, integration, and discrimination; and cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and social diversity emerged as central themes. Specific issues addressed included the regional and global impact of gender disparity in sub-Saharan Africa; the significance of oral history to understanding conceptions of assimilation related to the Somali immigrant experience in Ohio; and recent social and policy debates concerning the creation of student services and nondiscrimination policies affecting gay and lesbian student populations at U.S. universities. Thesis work encompassed a wide range of disciplinary perspectives like that focused on models of assimilation and integration inferred from the study of the historical migration of Japanese Americans from the internment camps of World War II.

Influences and confluences of "East" and "West" were found in many projects. Through the study of the 17th century translation work of Jesuit missionaries to China, a student in comparative studies argued in her presentation that the act of translation is one of interpretation and re-creation and a negotiation of cultural difference. Another presented findings to explain "Why Eastern Women Matter," enumerating the influences of Byzantine empresses on western "queenship" during the Middle Ages. Guests enjoyed a performance of the Chinese storytelling art of "Shandong Kuaishu," presented by three students who recited "The Hero Wu Song" in the language as a demonstration of the quality of foreign language instruction common in the College and the integrated fashion in which language and the art and culture of performance are taught.

Overall, students presented complex problems in fine brush strokes across the broad geographic, cultural, and historical scope of projects, showcasing their ability to articulate meaning through the study of life experiences.

The Colloquium concluded with introductions of the 2006 College of Humanities scholarships recipients, many of whom plan to utilize scholarship funds to support special projects associated with undergraduate research as well as study abroad