Embedded Files
Students highlighted in gold elected to share their research in the virtual symposium format.
Those not highlighted in gold contain the originally submitted abstracts.
To see more information on each project, please click on student names.
Chareena Crawford
The First Years Last Forever: How High-Quality Early Childhood Education Closes the Gap
Michael Kamen, Education
The social justice issue of closing the achievement gap has been discussed for decades in the field of education. There are learning disparities and opportunity disparities that exist between Caucasian children and other races and ethnicities. However the greatest disparity is found between African American boys and Caucasian children. African American boys, of all classes, find themselves at a place where the odds are persistently against their success. This research explores specific ways in which access to high-quality early childhood education for African American boys will assist in narrowing the achievement gap. These programs for African American boys have been successful (Barnett, year). Successes include economic gains for society, greater economic development, more livable communities, and a contribution to stronger families. This Capstone presentation is in the form of an ethnodrama reporting on my research. It is an original performance that dramatizes the findings. I chose to perform the ethnodrama to share the lived experiences of this social injustice, and communicate emotional as well as a data-based understanding of why the first years last forever.
Everett, Ryan
Ryan Everett
An Ol' Limestone Trail
Romi Burks, Biology
Most Texans consider the Hill Country region the most beautiful region of Texas. What most Texans don’t understand are its ecological threats.
In “An Ol’ Limestone Trail” my lyrics line up with some issues that may come to harm the Texas Hill Country region such as tree die-offs, unhealthy ecological competition spurring from various non-native, invasive species, and negative human interaction. My song tells a tale of a lonely man who has grown up in the area and has seen the area slowly but surely lose its strength and power due to the ultimate works of human interaction. The lyrics leave the audience with a message to apply a conscious effort to respecting not only the Hill Country, but all areas that they interact with.
As I play the song on my acoustic guitar, the PowerPoint also provides a visual with Hill Country photographs and the lyrics to drive the point of the song further for the audience. I will also provide two, 10x8” paintings that viewers may come up and observe after my performance. I only need a stool, a microphone with a stand, two small stands for my paintings, and a projection screen for the PowerPoint.
Oliver, Simon
Simon Oliver
“I’m not a Seagull, I’m an Actress”: Chekhov’s the Seagull and the Early Feminist Movement
Kerry Bechtal, Theatre
The late 1800's were a time of political upheaval across the world, and in this turbulent century, the feminist movement found its first real footing in many Euro-centric cultures. Many artists were directly impacted by this movement; for example, the realistic playwright Henrik Ibsen is most known for his play A Doll’s House, a work considered revolutionary for its portrayal of the institution of marriage. However, another famous playwright in the tradition of realism, Anton Chekhov, was also influenced by the movement. While the works of Anton Chekhov primarily focus on the inaction of the wealthy, and the rise of the middle class to power, one might posit that the budding feminist movement is addressed in his body of work. Within the Seagull, the character of Nina presents one of the only female characters in nineteenth century realistic drama to unambiguously lose her virginity, without being devalued as a character as a result. This, in conjunction with personal letters written by Chekhov detailing his criticisms of two very different productions of the Seagull, suggests that Nina was a character of high thematic importance. Through careful examination of both the history of nineteenth century Russian feminism, the writings of Chekhov himself, as well as scholarly interpretations of his works, one can determine that Nina was written in accordance with feminist ideals of the time period.
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