Anderson University students from across academic disciplines came together April 26 to showcase their extraordinary talent and creativity.
Showcase was hosted by the Anderson University College of Arts and Sciences and featured students presenting their research in areas that included Christian Studies, Criminal Justice, History, Kinesiology and Music. Showcase consisted of oral presentations and a poster session. The presentations included independent research projects, capstone class experiences and assignments, internship experiences, or presentations about service projects.
Kinesiology major Jonathan Roberts, along with Emily Golden, Emma Deadwyler and Caleb Hunnicut, presented “Factors Affecting Endurance Performance.”
“I think that the opportunity to present our research at Showcase was cool because it gave us a chance to tell others about what we have been working on all semester,” Roberts said. “A research project like this requires a lot of work and I think that Showcase provided an environment that not only challenged us to talk about our work but allowed us to be proud of what we have accomplished.”
Roberts hopes that his team’s study can benefit not only runners at AU, but also fill a void in the current knowledge about these factors.
Claire Grider, a senior history major, presented her research exploring nationalistic feelings among southerners in the Confederacy during the Civil War. While Grider, who is originally from Indiana, admits her topic is a controversial one, her goal was to offer a different perspective from that of mainstream American History studies.
“I’m hoping that my research touches people and they are able to understand it a little more,” Grider said.
“The main thing students get from this event is it gives them experience collecting their ideas and presenting them. They’re able to distill it in a way people can understand, then knowing how to take a big project and give it in a 15-20 minute presentation,” said Dr. Robert Franklin, associate professor of psychology and coordinator of Showcase.
The following is a list of students and the topics they presented:
Christian Studies
Hunter Grace Barlow (Mentor: Dr. Chuck Fuller): “Go for God: Religious Influences of the American Space Race.”
Sydney Himpel (Mentor: Dr. Chuck Fuller): “Thinking Outside the Box: Freeing Modern Christian Apologetics from the Secular Frame.”
Criminal Justice
Elizabeth Ann LaPolt (Mentor: Dr. Michelle Doscher): “Signs of Deception: A Preview of Possible Deception in Sign Language.”
History
Claire Grider (Mentor: Dr. Lindsay Privette): “Confederate Nationalism: Identity as a Reason for War.”
Michaela Newton (Mentor: Dr. Lindsay Privette): “America Phone Home: American Escapist Cinema During the Cold War.”
Kinesiology
Elise Brewster, Lauren Doughty, Olivia Gassman, Mary Stewart Jones and Hannah Young (Mentor: Dr. Heath Burton): “Palmar Temperature and Power Output.”
Emma Dube, Avery Craig, MaryElise Price and Hiram Ayala-Cibrian (Mentor: Dr. Heath Burton): “The Effects of Beta-Alanine Compared to Pre-Workout.”
Emily Golden, Jonathan Roberts, Emma Deadwyler and Caleb Hunnicut (Mentor: Dr. Heath Burton): “Factors Affecting Endurance Performance.”
Liliana Kinder, Jessica Neadow, Mack Burgett and Hope Gullatt (Mentor: Dr. Heath Burton): “Physiological Effects of Music on HR, Cadence and RPE While Running.”
Mason Shelor, Jacob Thomas, Isaac Hammond, Wilson Garand, Colin Belvin and Aaron Cabo (Mentor: Dr. Heath Burton): “Measuring Memory Retention Post-Exercise.”
Georgia Summer, Katie Smith, Sarah Cannon, Lauren Fingar, Kaylee Williams and McKenzie Osborne (Mentor: Dr. Heath Burton): “Altitude and its Effects on Reaction Time.”
Mathematics
Breanne Alexander (Mentor: Dr. David Prager): “Prevention vs. Suppression Spending of Wildfires and How it Affects the Value of Table Rock State Park.”
Jacob Kohns (Mentor: Dr. David Prager): “Building a Championship Team for NCAA Division II Baseball.”
Music
Sarah Velkovich (Mentor: Dr. David Perry): “The Effects of Community Music-Making on Well-Being.”