Gifted Education Commons^™

Two (2) Slices Of Baloney, Mercury-Marvin Sunderland

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

A poem titled Two (2) Slices of Baloney by Mercury-Marvin Sunderland in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 159-162.

Fried Egg, Mercury-Marvin Sunderland

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

A poem titled Fried Egg by Mercury-Marvin Sunderland in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 155-158.

The Maiden Of The Lost, Jeneva Grace Midgett

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

A short story titled Maiden of the Lost by Jeneva Grace Midgett in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 152-154.

My Mother's Golem, Amanda Vannierop

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

A poetic short story titled My Mother's Golem with an abstract/artist's statement by Amanda VanNierop in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 150-151.

Abstract/artist's statement

This piece was composed for the 2020 Inspired By Showcase, where it received first place for undergraduate written work. The competition asked students to create a piece of art reflective of the themes in Michael Chabon’s novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

Over time, the Golem has taken on varying symbolism both in and out of Jewish culture. To titular character Joe Kavalier, the Golem represents escape. …

Them Ribbons Were Gold, Lucas Thompson

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

A short story titled Them Ribbons Were Gold by Lucas Thompson in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 142-149.

“In Between The Virgin And The Whore”: Decentering The Cultural Paradigms Of The Virgin Of Guadalupe And La Malinche In Four Writers, Miren Neyra Alcántara

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

A critical essay titled “In Between The Virgin and The Whore”: Decentering the Cultural Paradigms of The Virgin of Guadalupe And La Malinche in Four Writers by Miren Neyra Alcántara in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 130-141.

First paragraph

There are several oppressive cultural paradigms in Mexican culture that try to subject women. These cultural formulations are forged through historical events, in this case the colonization of Mexico. The two of the most important feminine archetypes in Mexico are “The Virgin of Guadalupe” and “La Malinche”. Both effigies of femininity are fundamentally anchored …

Adventures In The Drawing Room: The Ambiguity, Exoticism, And Artifice Of The Bourgeois Parisienne In Alfred Stevens’ The Visit, Piper Prolago

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

A critical essay titled Adventures in the Drawing Room: The Ambiguity, Exoticism, and Artifice of the Bourgeois Parisienne in Alfred Stevens’ The Visit by Piper Prolago in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 123-129.

First paragraph

Alfred Stevens’ The Visit, housed in the Dallas Museum of Art collection, not only encompasses the aesthetics of the bourgeois decorative, fashion, and artistic tastes in 19th century France, but also captures the artifice of European fascination with Asian aesthetics. The Visit depicts two women in a richly decorated interior visually disjointed by a lacquer screen.

Queer Refugee Experience: An Inquiry Into The Studies Of Transnationalism And Its Relationship To The Livelihood Of Syrian Refugees Who Identify As Lgbtq+ And Have Migrated To Turkey, Anne Frances Bennett

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

Critical research titled Queer Refugee Experience: An Inquiry into the Studies of Transnationalism and its Relationship to the Livelihood of Syrian Refugees who Identify as LGBTQ+ and have Migrated to Turkey by Anne Frances Bennett in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 101-122.

First paragraph

This paper will explore the missing elements of the studies of transnationalism by analyzing the vulnerable identities, inclusive exclusions, and states of exception of LGBTQ+, Syrian refugees migrating to Turkey. Since the Syrian Refugee Crisis began, masses of migrants have escaped to Turkey in search of freedom, especially those …

Adolescent Literature & Intersectional Oppression, Zacharia Jefferson Macneal Cross

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

Critical essay titled Adolescent Literature & Intersectional Oppression by Zacharia Jefferson Macneal Cross in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 73-78.

First paragraph

Healing Historical Trauma in The Marrow Thieves

In this essay I examine how Cherrie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves acknowledges and works through the struggles of Native Americans, allowing the characters a way through their seemingly impossible survival and clearing a path to heal their historical trauma. The ability to dream is a key element of this processing of trauma, as well as the very thing that they are hunted for.

Controlling Wickedness: The Journey To Penal Reform And The First Prison Systems In New York And Pennsylvania From 1820-1840, Joseph Antonio Flores

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

Critical research titled Controlling Wickedness: The Journey to Penal Reform and the First Prison Systems in New York and Pennsylvania from 1820-1840 by Joseph Antonio Flores in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 79-100.

Abstract

This research examines discipline methods and architectural design in New York and Pennsylvania prisons from 1820 to 1840. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Cesare Beccaria discussed Enlightenment-era punishments. Benjamin Rush and William Bradford framed prison discussions through American ideals. After New York and Pennsylvania replaced most capital punishment with hard labor and solitary confinement, legislatures erected their first prison systems. New …

Racial Consciousness, Uplift, And Justice In Harlem Renaissance Poetry, Alexandria E. Schultz

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

Critical research titled Racial Consciousness, Uplift, and Justice in Harlem Renaissance Poetry by Alexandria E. Schultz in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 53-72.

Abstract

Were you surprised or confused by the recent Black Lives Matter protests? Were some of the arguments for or against the movement hard for you to understand? This essay intends to help readers see, through the lens of poetry, how the current Black experience in America came to be, and what Blacks have been saying and doing about their unequal circumstances for the past 100 years. Throughout the history …

The Effect Of News Format And Personal Relevance On Affect, Sophia R. Morrow, Hannah M. Hood-Johnson, Brianna L. Scandell, Matthew P. Newman, Grace E. Fink

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

Research titled The Effect of News Format and Personal Relevance on Affect by Sophia R. McMorrow, Hannah M. Hood-Johnson, Brianna L. Scandell, Matthew P. Newman, and Grace E. Fink in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 25-52.

Abstract

Considering the ubiquitous news coverage of COVID-19, it is important to examine the relationship between news consumption and affect, an important aspect of mental health. This study examined how news format and personal relevance influence affect. Participants watched 15 minutes of news clips or read their text transcriptions, which had either high personal relevance (e.g. COVID-19 …

Molecular Genetic Modifications In The Human Genome: Racial Discrimination As A Biological Stressor, Nicolette Dobson

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

Research titled Molecular Genetic Modifications in the Human Genome: Racial Discrimination as a Biological Stressor by Nicolette Dobson in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 1-24.

Abstract

Racial discrimination enhances group separation and places individuals into stereotypical categories based on race and other factors (e.g. gender, behavior, etc.). As seen in studies on physiological diseases and psychological disorders, minority groups (e.g. African Americans) face cellular senescence at an increased risk due to health-related comorbidities and prevalent experiences of racism. This review provides an analysis of modifications within the human genome that may lead to …

Honors In Practice, Volume 17 (2021)

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Contents

Editorial Policy, Deadline, and Submission Guidelines

Dedication to Elaine Torda

Editor’s Introduction • Ada Long

Founders Award Acceptance Speech (18 December 2020) • Jeffrey A. Portnoy

Coordinating Multi-Campus Honors Programs and Colleges • Larry R. Andrews

From Program to College: The Vision and Curriculum Evolution of the Virginia Tech Honors College • Stephanie N. Lewis, Anne-Lise K. Velez, Desen S. Ozkan, Raymond C. Thomas, and Kimberly A. Carlson

The Role of Admissions Practices in Diversifying Honors Populations: A Case Study • Andrea Radasanu and Gregory Barker

A View of Health as a Human Right: A Snapshot from an Honors …

Dedication: Elaine Torda

Honors in Practice Online Archive

For all her contributions to the NCHC and to honors and also for steering the Ship of Honors in the Year of Covid, we gratefully dedicate this volume of Honors in Practice to Elaine Torda.

Meditations In An Emergency: Collaborating Online In Narratives Of Illness And Care, Jayda Coons

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This article describes a collaborative writing project involving narratives of health and caregiving. An interdisciplinary seminar titled “Narratives of Illness and Care” examines literary and medical narratives to better understand disease, therapeutic communication, empathy, and the social determinants of health. During the COVID-19 crisis, however, the instructor adapted course structure and curricular assignments to help students make meaningful connections with their immediate circumstance. The author reflects on the significance of the project during a time of global upheaval and suggests changes for future iterations.

Preparing For An Honors Capstone: Interdisciplinary Methods And Ethics In A Research Methods Course, Lauren Collins, Kylla Benes, Krista Manley

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Teaching interdisciplinary research methods to honors students across disciplines is complex. A pre-capstone seminar, The Art of Inquiry, centers ethical considerations within and beyond individual research interests, helping junior and senior students of all majors prepare for ethical, scholarly projects.

Learning In Teams During A Pandemic, Aaron D. Cobb

Honors in Practice Online Archive

As the COVID-19 crisis disrupts students’ sense of community and appreciation for in-person instruction, the author presents a pedagogical experiment involving several collaborative, team-based learning strategies to engage all learners, regardless of location. Students in a sophomore-level required seminar are tasked with various team-based assignments, including notetaking, critical essays, interviews, and reflective writing exercises. Outcomes suggest a framework for the creative use of teams and out-of-classroom collaboration, even in challenging contexts where disruption and displacement complicate both teaching and learning. Curricular objectives are described, and student feedback is summarized.

“Movies, Tv Shows, And Memes . . . Oh My!”: An Honors Education Through Popular Culture And Critical Pedagogy, Evan W. Faidley

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Entertainment media and popular culture often overdramatize the college experience. An honors colloquium engages students in scholarly research and discourse involving thematic elements of academic life in popular culture. An interdisciplinary approach to race, class, the professoriate, Greek life, and foreign experience is espoused. Through a lens of critical social theory, students deconstruct misinformed “stories most often told” to reconstruct more cogent understandings of college life and student experience. With a curriculum designed to advance social justice through equitizing education and amending cultural perceptions, this colloquium helps develop self-motivated, self-regulated, and engaged learners.

Editor’S Introduction, Ada Long

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This journal of the plague year has attracted a record number of submissions, creating the thickest volume of Honors in Practice since its inception in 2005. The inclusion of essays in response to a Call for Papers about COVID- 19 is no doubt responsible for some of this torrent of submissions, but research essays have also come in at a greater rate than before, not to mention the “Brief Ideas about What Works in Honors.” As you will see, the essays on the pandemic’s effects on honors mostly make the best of a fraught and frustrating year for honors administrators, …

Creativity In The Age Of Covid: Honors Comes “Home”, Ilene D. Lieberman

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This essay explores the conceptual and practical implications of an honors forum relating to artful expression and the phenomenon of sequester in place (SIP). As monthly general education offerings for first-year students, Honors Forums feature an array of thematic events associated with the freshman cohort. Noting challenges relating to remote instruction, social distancing, and general anxiety as well as the consequent effects on the typical first-year experience, the author, an art historian, presents a novel response to COVID constraints through communal, creative expression. A visual and textual curriculum helps bring students together, mitigate pandemic-related anxieties, and introduce the honors living-learning …

Developing And Encouraging The First-Year Undergraduate Researcher, Stacia Kock, Jennifer F. Nyland

Honors in Practice Online Archive

A simulated conference in first-year curriculum reinforces undergraduate research as beneficial to both honors and campus communities while fostering scholarly development and campus engagement among honors freshmen during the coronavirus crisis.

Forming Oral History Researchers: Diversifying And Innovating Honors Experiential Learning Across Campus, Myrriah Gómez, Anna M. Nogar

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This article presents a transdisciplinary, cross-campus collaboration among honors and non-honors students in the field of humanities. Trained in oral history methodologies and integrated as IRB-certified researchers into an ongoing (2018–present) project, a cohort of students (n = 34) participate in place-based, community-engaged learning and research involving Hispanic New Mexicans, known as Nuevomexicanas/os. Drawing on the tenets of experiential learning as a mode of honors discourse, the authors describe how this challenging ethnographic project serves to bring a diverse group of learners together while deepening interpersonal, intercultural, and interdisciplinary connections. Results indicate that students benefit from working with more diverse …

Close Reading Responses: A Streamlined Approach To Teaching Critical-Thinking Writing In Honors, Katie Quirk

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This study presents a scaffold approach to building critical academic writing skills among honors students. Faced with limited instructional time, a reading-intensive curriculum, and students in need of rigorous writing instruction, a scaffold model was developed to include a series of condensed writing assignments called “Close Reading Responses.” Coupled with rubrics and guided peer review, these assignments allow for repetitive critical practice at various stages along a trajectory toward the final paper. Results indicate that this incremental, explicit form of writing instruction allows students to hone critical-thinking skills in a condensed manner without demanding that they produce (and instructors read) …

“One Singular Sensation”: Integrating Personal Narratives Into The Honors Classroom, Marc Napolitano, Mimi Killinger

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Contemporary emphases on standardization, specialization, and selectivity in higher education alienate students and teachers from their own creativity, intellectual curiosity, and personal stories. This trend runs counter to the central focus of honors on fostering a diverse, scholarly learning environment. Authors suggest that integrating student personal narratives into honors curricula reinforces its values of multiplicity, inclusivity, and meaningful learning. Using metaphorical reference to the Broadway musical A Chorus Line as a unique lens into the pedagogical benefits of such integration, this essay provides ways of incorporating and sharing personal narratives in the classroom and offers strategies to ensure that all …

A View Of Health As A Human Right: A Snapshot From An Honors Program, Peter Longo, Satoshi Machida, John Falconer

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This study examines implications of a rights-based perspective among honors students through the lens of healthcare. Students (n = 71) surveyed in April 2019 were asked to consider issues relating to health entitlement and government responsibility. Perspectives on local, regional, national, and global access to health care; state and national government fiscal responsibility; and rights-based approaches to health entitlement were elicited. Data indicate a propensity for understanding health as a human right among honors students. Probit regressions show a more inclusive stance on healthcare policy and a general preference toward a universal healthcare system. Acknowledging that innovative curricula can help …

“To Seek A Newer World”: Honors In Virtual Reality, Betsy Greenleaf Yarrison

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Honors education was never intended to be a virtual offering; it takes intimate, three-dimensional, communal, and intellectual interaction among faculty and students to tackle wicked problems. The COVID-19 crisis forced honors educators into an extreme reboot, extracting courses from comfortable working spaces and relocating them to strange new platforms for remote, computer-mediated instruction. For many faculty, the 2020 pandemic introduced online instruction for the first time. Toward this end, many novices were able to brilliantly reimagine and re-engineer their courses while others struggled. In this essay, the author points out that higher education has always adapted new technologies, asserting that …

First-Generation College Student Network, Ashleen Williams, Ainsley Ash

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Authors describe the college’s First-Gen Student Network, a cohort of faculty, students, and practitioners committed to equity, access, and success of firstgeneration learners. Optional biweekly meetings address a range of topics, including financial aid and opportunities for employment.

The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi often prides itself on being the edge of the knife in conversations about equity and access, yet such conversations only work in honors when we commit tangible actions and resources to generate positive outcomes. Over the last couple of years, we have recognized a group that was consistently forgotten in our …

Virtual Honors Forum, Bruce Thompson

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This article describes how one honors leadership team adapted a traditional in-person Forum to a digital platform during the coronavirus crisis. Integrating a variety of asynchronous and synchronous remote technologies created a positive virtual learning experience for honors practitioners and students.

One of the hallmark experiences of honors learning at Frederick Community College (FCC) in Frederick, MD, is participating in the Honors Forum each semester. The Forum is a mini-conference on campus in which students are required to participate whether enrolled in an honors class or attempting to complete an honors contract. There is a registration desk where presenters, faculty …

Modeling Vulnerabilities In The Research Process, Rebecca Summer

Honors in Practice Online Archive

When honors faculty share experiences from their own research, students learn that making mistakes and trying again is an important part of the learning process.

For all our emphasis on independent student inquiry in honors curricula, students get limited examples of the inevitable bumps in the road of advanced research. In our courses, we typically assign published works, which means that the research students read about is complete, polished, and deemed successful by the broader scholarly community. What students do not encounter in these models of successful research are the many uncertainties, missteps, and revisions along the way. Students are …