12th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium gives students venue to present their work

GOSHEN, Ind. – The 12th annual Goshen College Undergraduate Research Symposium will be hosted in Goshen College's Newcomer Center on Saturday, March 27 from 1 to 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Students from many departments across campus will present their scholarly papers from classes and professional research they've worked on, including:

Ben Baumgartner (Hesston, Kan.), a sophomore Bible and religion major, will present "In search of well-being: Shari'a and international human rights in Northern Nigeria."

Patricia Hershberger (Aurora, Ore.), a senior nursing major, will present "The health needs of children experiencing obesity in the United States."

Josh Hertzler (Marietta, Pa.), a senior history major, will present "Why camping? The Mennonite Camping Movement and its role in youth ministry."

David B. Horst (Goshen, Ind.), a senior history major, will present "Culture clash on common ground: Potawatomi and Europeans on the Elkhart prairie."

Alyssa Jarvis (Goshen, Ind.), a freshman English and history double major, will present "Transformation of scarred souls: Ngug wa Thiong'o's writing techniques in A Grain of Wheat."

Rachel Lehman (Leola, Pa.), a senior social work major, will present "Whose job is it anyway? An examination and analysis of Goshen's public and private sex education initiatives."

Thomas Leischner (Harrisonburg, Va.), a senior history major, will present "Where have they put our hero? The remembrance of Steve Biko."

Daniel Martin (Salem, Ore.), a sophomore communication major, will present "Gitlow's Revolution."

Susana Martinez (Demotte, Ind.), a senior social work major, will present "Social work with undocumented immigrants."

Caleb Mechem (Decatur, Ill.), a sophomore Bible and religion major will present "Storytelling."

Caleb Miller (Middlebury, Ind.), a senior nursing major, will present "Health issues facing the prison population."

Jeff Moore (Ashland, Ohio), a freshman communication major, will present "The right to disagree: Protecting intellectual minorities."

Daniel Moya (Quito, Ecuador), a senior peace, justice and conflict studies major, will present "Ubuntu and reconciliation: The social, political and spiritual dimensions of the theology of Desmond Tutu."

Georgette Odour (Goshen, Ind.), a senior nursing major, will present "Health care needs for women and children in flood-prone Kano plains, Kenya."

Jacob Schlabach (Saint Paul, Minn.), a senior communication and English double major, will present "Swearing our way to freedom: Linguistic obscenity and broadcast media law."

Anna Showalter (Waynesboro, Pa.), a history and music double major, will present "The Mennonite Young People's Conference Movement 1919-1923: A casualty of church controversy?"

Anna Srof (Goshen, Ind.), a senior nursing major, will present "Mental health and young adults: The college years."

Jessica Steil (Heath, Ohio), a senior social work major, will present "Juvenile sexual offenders: The dynamics in working with youth who sexually offend."

Emily Taylor (South Bend, Ind.), a senior English and history double major, will present "Defining and defying the women's movement: A case study of the Home Economics Department at Goshen College."

Emily Trapp (Canby, Ore.), a sophomore music and public relations double major, will present "Is a picture really worth a thousand words?"

Noah Weaverdyck (Ann Arbor, Mich.), a physics and mathematics double major, will present "A statistical thermodynamic determination of the chemical potential of cholesterol in a lipid bilayer."

Leah Yoder (Salem, Ore.), a senior social work major, will present "Examining factors leading to the Amish community's participation at a local grief center (Ryan's Place)."

Noah Yoder (London, Ohio), a senior art major, will present "The presence of witchcraft in Tanzania as evidenced through recent murders of Tanzanian albinos."

Crystal Zook (Willow Street, Pa.), a peace, justice and conflict studies and history double major, will present "Faith, service, community: A history of the College Mennonite Church Mennonite Women's Group 1908-2010."

The mission of the Goshen College Research Symposium is to acknowledge original undergraduate research, which already plays an essential role in the college's academic program, and to encourage students and faculty to contribute to the larger conversation about knowing and knowledge that sustains the academy. The symposium brings together students and faculty members involved in original research and scholarly activity from all disciplines.

– By Chase Snyder

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.