by Niki Acton '16

More than 30 Knox College students shared their research and creative work at the annual Horizons conference this month. Their projects spanned across disciplines, covering everything from the effect of nature therapy on schizophrenia to an analysis of humor and social taboo among college students.

The Horizons conference, which occurred on April 8, is a demonstration to Knox College's commitment to undergraduate research and creative projects. With more than $350,000 in grants available each year, students have the freedom to pursue independent projects from conception to completion.

The event was sponsored by the Gerald and Carol Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study.

Sophia Croll '16 presented her Honors research, "We are the Place—Worlds We Imagine: The Construction of Historical Narratives through Memorials." A history and German double-major, Croll was interested in the creation of narratives through public spaces, particularly the ways in which architecture and design influence the public's experience of a memorial and perception of a historical event.

"This is the largest piece of research I've ever done," said Croll, who will be interning at the German Historical Institute in Washington D.C. before pursuing graduate school. "It helped me understand how narratives do or do not support systems of power."

Caleb Fridell '16 and Sofie Drummond-Moore '16 completed a full-length film for their Honors project. Fridell is an English Literature major with minors in film studies and philosophy, and Drummond-Moore is a creative writing major with a film studies minor. The two were responsible for every aspect of production, from writing the script to directing and filming scenes.

"When I told my parents I was doing a full-length film, they were like ‘That's insane! Do a short film!'" said Drummond-Moore. "But there's something about coming out of college with a full-length film. We really wanted to achieve that."

Their film, titled Afterimage, explores the relationship between two women as one of them loses her sight. They plan to submit the film to festivals and, eventually, pursue film as their careers.

Both Croll and Fridell are ASSET (Artists, Scholars, Scientists, and Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow) Fellows, through which both of their projects were funded.

Monika Kopec '17 presented her senior research in psychology, "Cognitive Dissonance in Religious and Sexually Active Individuals." Her project, which was funded by the Paul K. and Evalyn Elizabeth Cook Richter Memorial Fund, investigated the relationship between a person's religiosity and their cognitive dissonance.

"This gave me great insight into what a future in research might look like," said Kopec, who is a psychology major. "As well as understanding the nuances when I read empirical literature."

Also the recipient of a Richter Award, English major Becky Hixon '16 presented her Honors research, "The Makings of a Man: Exploring Masculinity in Shakespeare's Second Historical Tetralogy."

Inspired by Visiting Assistant Professor of English Valerie Billing's class on Shakespeare, which is taught with an emphasis on queer theory, Hixon chose to investigate the cultural construction of masculinity in the character of Prince Hal.

Hixon's project has prepared her for next fall, when she will join the Ph.D. in English program at the University of Michigan.

Other Horizons presentations include:

Dy'Anna Augustus '16, Creative Industries in China: Are They Thriving or Surviving?
Kyle Baacke '16, Privacy's Influence on Anxiety and Cognitive Performance
Tim Berner '16, Ancient Athletics and Warfare
Florina Corpodean '16, The Role of Fear in Conditioned Sexual Arousal of College-Aged Women
Gavin Crowell '16, Effect of Nature Therapy in Schizophrenia
Jinglun Ding '17, Creative Underwater Photography
Alec Freytag '16, Through Eyes of Billy Yank: An Examination of Wartime Stress and Coping Mechanisms through the Union Records in Knox College's Ray D. Smith Collection
Michael Gerten '16 & Emily Hastings '16, Knoxcraft: Teaching Introductory Computer Science with Minecraft
Charlie Harned '16, Ideas for Political Reform
Caitlin Hemby '16, Sympathy vs. Empathy in Family Owned Dogs
Shannon Henry '16, Effects of Sodium Chloride on Brassica rapa Growth and Development
Daniel Hong '16, Synthesis and Characterization of Heteroleptic Liquid Crystalline Copper (II) m-totulate Dimer and (2.1) Caprolactam Adducts
Nat Klaung '17, Marking the Difference Between Immanent and Transcendent Aesthetic Experiences
Hansini Krishna '16, Music Impacts Preference?!
Nicholas Liberko '16, Adapting the SOAR Cognitive Architecture
Srichandra Masabathula '16, Financial Asset Trading by Insiders: Mathematical Models for Profit Maximization in Discrete Time
Livia Mexias '16, The Victorian Heroine and the Development of Literary Realism
Brad Musselman '16, Structure Function Relationships of Multinuclear Copper (II) Carboxylate Metallomesogens
Grace Neubauer '16, The Business of Renewable Energy Companies
Kayleigh O'Brien '16, The "Power" of Kanye: An Apollonian and Dionysian Conflict
Coltan Parker '16, Voluntary Exercise and Stress: Priming Amygdalar Endocannabinoid Signaling for Enhanced Extinction
Brandi Pudlo '16, The Effects of Art Therapy and Dance Movement Therapy on Stress in College Students
Carmen Ribaudo '16, I am Grabbing/Fractured/Felt
Jeremy Schmidt '17, Perfectionism and Body Image: The Effect of Idealized Music Videos on Self Perception
Michelle Secunda '16, Is it Okay to Laugh? A Look at Humor and Social Taboo among College Students
Karli Shields '16, The Evolution of Television: Changes in Storytelling across Broadcast Outlets and the Resulting Freedoms and Limitations for the Screenwriters
Ariyana Smith '16, Mapping the Policy Puzzle
Kaylie Stahl '17, A Sock Here ... Garbage There & Domestic Creatures
Alexis Steffen '17, Phosphorous Characterization in a Restored and Managed Tallgrass Prairie using 31 P NMR
Alanna Toomey '16, Self-Regulatory Failure in Introverts Following Social Interaction
Alexander Volkov '16, Hydrosilylation Activity of Iron Complexes Supported by Conjugated α-Diimine Ligands
Catlin Watts '16, Body Gestures and Facial Expressions and Their Facilitation