As we head into the second day of the SMC Undergraduate Research Colloquium, here’s a look at Day One, which saw the first round of presentations challenging attendees to examine the world from new perspectives and open their eyes to new fields of study.
“We have a medley of research to see here today,” said Francesco Morriello, Assistant Professor of Book and Media Studies, in his introduction.
With this year’s large number of applicants, the Colloquium grew to a two-day event with multiple delivery formats including presentations, lightning talks, and poster presentations.
“We had applicants from all years of study representing all St. Michael’s programs and programs across the larger U of T community, which makes sense given St. Michael’s students are taking courses everywhere. I was particularly pleased to see students from all years of study apply. For younger students this is about joining an academic community and meeting people and for upper-year students, it’s a chance to show off their work and hone their skills,” said Chief Librarian of the John M. Kelly Library, James Roussain.
“Ultimately students are in it for all sorts of reasons, and I’m excited by that,” he said.
The colloquium began with two rounds of presentations by students from a range of disciplines including human biology, book and media studies, and economics.
“I’ve always been drawn to media studies and I’m in my third year of economics. I was looking for something that could like bridge the two,” says Taarini Saharan, who presented on ‘Understanding the Biz of Showbiz’, which argued that art has been diminished for economic gain. By examining her family members’ Netflix suggestions for what to watch next, she determined that greater market segmentation could be used to create better content while generating profits.
“Participating today was a little bit beyond my comfort zone, as I needed to face my fear of public speaking. Also, I’ve never independently conducted a research process. I’ve always done it with a group or under the supervision of a professor. I did it for the first time and accomplished a goal of mine,” she said.
Emma Ward’s presentation, ‘Etched in Time: The Lasting Impacts of the Phonograph in Irish-American Immigrant Communities’ examined how the record player has influenced today’s perceptions of Irish culture.
Afterwards, some participants exhibited their research through posters and spoke directly with attendees.
“My topic is bioethics-based and asks the question between withdrawing and withholding life-sustaining treatment from patients. The reason I was drawn to present on this was because I’m trying to speak out more about this issue,” says Farifta Rahman on her presentation titled ‘Death Either Way?- Withdrawal vs Withholding Treatment’.
All attendees are invited to vote in the “People’s Choice Award.” The winning presentation or poster will receive a $150 gift card to the campus bookstore.
The colloquium, taking place on the main floor of the Kelly Library, wraps up today, with event scheduled between 1:10 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.