Senior symposium to showcase theses, projects

Hayley Tsukayama Staff Writer

The Learning and Teaching Center (LTC) will host its second annual senior research symposium on Saturday, April 8 at 1 p.m in Taylor 203. Thirteen students—ranging in concentrations from English to Biology to Italian—will speak for about ten minutes each on their respective senior projects. Writing Specialist and head of the Writing Center Natalie Friedman ’95 said the program started because the LTC often works with students on their theses and projects, and wanted to recognize exceptional senior-level work.

“People work really hard [on their senior projects] and a lot of theses are put in the basement somewhere,” said Tiffany Lee ’06, who will present her English thesis on the effect of psychological disorders on the work of contemporary writers, and how these writers change the general public’s perception of such disorders.

Kathleen Munson ’06, whose Biology project is on the deformation of micro tubules, added that this weekend’s symposium is also an opportunity for her to prepare for her final presentation to her department.

The symposium comes at a time in the College’s history when many departments are opting to make senior projects and theses optional requirements for graduation.

Some departments, such as History, continue to have a mandatory theses, but others—most notably the English Department—have made the thesis or senior project an optional requirement. Other departments, such as the Chinese and Japanese Department, require a thesis only for an honors degree.

The Class of 2006 are the last English majors to have a required thesis, known as the “senior essay” in the English Department. Chair of the English Department Robert DeMaria said in an e-mailed statement that this was a departmental decision made after a debate that began in 2001.
“Senior majors must now take either the thesis or a course numbered in the 380s,” said DeMaria. “For a great many students writing an extended essay, which must be planned, researched, and composed over the course of a semester, is...a kind of capstone to work in the major.

On the other hand, there are some students for whom an additional 300-level course (particularly one focused on a well-defined literary topic) will be more valuable than the senior essay.”
“It is a valuable experience, and in some departments is done very well,” said Friedman of making the senior project a requirement. “But not everyone is cut out for a thesis.”