As the academic year concludes, the College of the Holy Cross will host its annual Academic Conference from Wed., April 25 through Sat., April 28. The four-day conference provides students with an opportunity to present the results of their independent work and for the entire community to celebrate the relationship between Holy Cross’ liberal arts curriculum and the learning taking place in varied environments — from Study Abroad to the Worcester community; from research labs and art studios to libraries with original source material.
The programs, projects, poster sessions, and performances presented by students at the conference were developed with the guidance of faculty members. The conference showcases the independence, creativity, and intellectual discipline of students, as well as the role faculty have played as mentors and model teacher-scholars.
“The students presenting this year represent but a fraction of the independent and group-project work of our students,” says Margaret Freije, associate dean of the College. “But in recognizing these projects we celebrate the independence, creativity, and intellectual discipline all our students have developed while at Holy Cross and the role members of the faculty have played as mentors and model teacher-scholars. Every presentation in the conference is the result of its author and faculty advisor’s creativity, hard work, and discipline, and together they provide a fitting conclusion to our academic year.”
Almost 300 Holy Cross students from all classes are involved in the conference this year. Academic Conference 2012 is free and open to the public.
The conference includes works from the arts, social sciences, humanities and natural sciences. Students will present an array of topics including:
- “The ‘Power’ of Declaration: The War Powers Resolution and the 2011 Libyan Intervention,” Joseph Cavanaugh ‘12
- “Case Study in Conflict Economics: Mexican Drug Violence,” Casandra Medeiros ‘12
- “Competing Identities: Experiencing Art in Australia,” Elizabeth Geraghty ‘12
- “Does it Pay to Attend an Elite Liberal Arts College?” Paul Maloney ‘12
- “First Down or First Impression? A Study of the Primary Effect in Football Scenes in Expert Players and Non-Players,” Patrick Lowe ‘12
- “Examining Marie Antoinette: A Comparative Historiography Based Upon Visual Accounts of an Outsider Queen,” Mark Weyland ‘12
- “The Social Significance of Alzheimer’s in Everyday Family Life,” Frances Hamilton ‘12
- “Homer’s Brain: Cognitive Connections between Audiences and Singers of Homeric Epic,” C. Daniel Earley ‘12
As part of the conference, many academic disciplines—including religious studies, Spanish, political science, English, French and German—will hold induction ceremonies for their honor societies. More than 80 students will be inducted.
Other highlights of the conference include:
- On Thursday, April 26, four students from the Sophomore College Honors Seminartitled "Forking Paths: Reading and Imaging Borges" will give special presentations. Team-taught by Isabel Alvarez-Borland, professor of Spanish, and Cristi Rinklin, associate professor of visual arts, the seminar incorporates literary analysis of works by Jorge Luis Borges and studio art portrayals of the Spanish author’s work.
- On Friday, April 27, there will be a Montserrat round-table discussion titled “Pop and Hip-Hop: Is There Such A Thing as Responsible Listening?” led by seven members of the Class of 2015.
- On Sunday, April 28, Danielle Libatique ‘12 (soprano and piano) will be performing her senior recital in Brooks Concert Hall.
The Office of the Vice President and the Dean of the College sponsor the annual academic conference.
Academic Conference Program 2012 [PDF]
