黑料不打烊

For students in the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program, the honors capstone project can be a challenge to complete. The project typically requires intensive research, writing, professional or creative work over the course of already busy junior and senior years.

The reward is in the chance to discover their research passion and possibly build a foundation for future pursuits. It鈥檚 also a chance for a special recognition of their outstanding efforts.

Each year a faculty committee reviews the projects, and several prizes in various disciplines are awarded to Ren茅e Crown University Honors students for their capstone work. Prize winners receive a $500 award, and honorable mention recipients receive $250.

A top prize鈥攖he Orlin Prize, made possible by honors alumnus David Orlin 鈥�47, for best overall capstone鈥攊s also awarded, with a $1,000 award.

As they review the projects, capstone prize selection committee members often linger over the projects and learn from the students and their work, says Eileen Schell, professor of writing and rhetoric in the and a selection committee member.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough call to select聽one聽capstone project as the winner, as the projects are invariably engaging, well-written, thoughtfully researched and original,鈥� Schell says. 鈥淭he projects demonstrate potential to continue beyond the occasion of the capstone. Some projects are publishable, or will be published聽or released within months or a year or two; some will become the basis of graduate-level work.鈥�

The selection process is intense.

鈥淗onors capstones are judged by creativity; quality of writing, film, photography or performance; or scientific accomplishment, depending on the project and major,鈥� says Ford Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies and Professor of Anthropology Susan Wadley, a selection committee member. 鈥淥nce the capstone decisions are made by the divisional committees, representatives of each division work to choose the Orlin prize, where the need to judge across different kinds presentations鈥攆or example a sung performance versus a biological research project鈥攂ecomes difficult and until we can ultimately find agreement.鈥�

This year鈥檚 top winners, who were announced May 12 at the Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program Convocation, are the following:

Soleil Young 鈥�17 (biology, College of Arts and Sciences, and anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School) was awarded the Orlin Best Capstone Prize and social science prize for her project titled: 鈥淧lease Forget to Floss: Developing an Assay for Identifying Tuberculosis in Dental Calculus from the Smithsonian鈥檚 Huntington Collection (1893-1921).鈥� Her advisors were Associate Professor Shannon Novak and Associate Professor Anthony Garza.

In her abstract, Young, who was also a University Scholar, Remembrance Scholar and College of Arts and Sciences Class Marshal, notes her research into examining new ways of tracking and understanding tuberculosis in the past, utilizing the DNA trapped in calcified dental plaque, or dental calculus. She reports the first-ever successful isolation of ancient tuberculosis DNA from the dental calculus of 13 individuals from the Smithsonian鈥檚 Huntington Collection.

Young was proud of her capstone鈥攁nd happy and relieved to have it completed and turned in after working on it for so long.

鈥淚t was exciting and surprising when they called my name for the social sciences division, and even more surprising and exciting when they called it for the grand prize. I had a very big smile on my face,鈥� Young says. 鈥淚t was also, after the fact, nice to know that other people thought that it was a good project, and to get recognition for all my hard work, and the hard work of everyone who helped me.鈥�

Hasmik Djoulakian 鈥�17 (women鈥檚 and gender studies and citizenship and civic engagement, College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School) was awarded the William Sauers Prize for Best Capstone Project in the Humanities for 鈥淎nalyzing 鈥淢eliha Nuri Hanem,鈥� 鈥淚n the Ruins鈥� and 鈥淢y Soul in Exile鈥� by Zabel Yesayan.鈥� Djoulakian鈥檚 advisor was Associate Professor Himika Bhattacharya.

In her abstract, Djoulakian, a University Scholar and a Coronat Scholar, notes her research 鈥渋s a feminist cultural analysis of the novels, letters and short stories of Zabel Yesayan,鈥� a writer, activist and teacher in the early 20th century during the Armenian Genocide. 鈥淭his project insists not only on telling the history of an invisibilized genocide, but also on telling that history through a critical feminist lens based on the documented observations and creative interventions of a woman who lived during the genocide,鈥� Djoulakian notes.

Djoulakian says working on her capstone was a 鈥渟elf-conscious and reflexive process,鈥� as she thought about choosing a different topic that wasn鈥檛 so connected with how she views herself, her family and lineage. 鈥淚 had so many moments of doubt鈥攚as my writing good enough, was I developing my ideas thoroughly, did it make sense to spend so much of the capstone talking about my methodology?鈥� she says, but in the end, she knew her topic was the right one for her academically and personally.

鈥淲inning the Humanities Prize was a聽meaningful聽moment of affirmation.聽It felt聽not only like a recognition of my work聽but also of聽narratives and stories around the Armenian Genocide, which are typically unrecognized,鈥� Djoulakian says. 鈥淚 would not have been able to produce this capstone without the support of my adviser, reader or any of the other people who helped me, and聽receiving the humanities prize is a testament to how much they supported me.鈥�

Kathryn Ferentchak ’17 (film, ) was awarded the creative category top prize for 鈥溾€極siris: A Short Film.鈥欌€� Her advisor was Assistant Professor Alex Mendez.

According to her abstract, 鈥淥siris鈥� 鈥渋s a narrative short film which emphasizes renewable energy as Earth鈥檚 one Hail Mary, placing the power of science and engineering into the hands of a female protagonist.鈥� Ferentchak directed and produced the film and in her project she notes that an analysis of the film demonstrates how a successful independent film () can move from development to distribution.

鈥淭he Ren茅e Crown Honors Program gave more to me than any single other organization on campus. I would not have been able to accomplish what I did with my senior thesis film without their support,鈥� Ferentchak says. 鈥淭he $500 award for Best Creative Capstone will go a long way to helping me promote 鈥極siris鈥� in the film festival circuit. They frankly invested in me and I will never forget this.鈥�

Jessica Toothaker 鈥�17 (biology, College of Arts and Sciences) received the top prize in the sciences and engineering category for 鈥淥ocyte Development and Ovarian Health in an Estrogen-Deficient Mouse Model and the Implications for Female Infertility.鈥� Her advisor was Professor Melissa Pepling.

Toothaker鈥檚 work examined the formation of oocytes (a female cell that develops into an egg) in mice. In her abstract of the research, Toothaker, a University Scholar and a Goldwater Scholar, notes 鈥淭his project uses immunocytochemistry, histological staining, optical and cryostat sectioning, and oocyte morphology analysis to determine when ArKO mice [genetically engineered mice with a certain enzyme] experience oocyte loss, differential folliculogenesis and generation of aberrant follicles in the ovary.鈥�

Patricia Terhune ’17 (television, radio and film and policy studies, College of Arts and Sciences, and Maxwell School) was awarded the top prize for best capstone project in professional programs for 鈥淟earning and Laughing: 鈥楲ast Week Tonight with John Oliver鈥� as Educational Entertainment.鈥� Her advisor was Assistant Professor Charisse Corsbie-Massay.

In her abstract, Terhune, a Coronat Scholar and a Remembrance Scholar, states 鈥淭his paper uses three main segments of the current HBO show 鈥楲ast Week Tonight with John Oliver鈥� (LWT) as a case study for how this show, as a news parody program, attempts to achieve the goals of education and goals of entertainment by analyzing the patterns in the way content is presented.鈥�

鈥淲inning a capstone prize validated the countless hours I put into my research of 鈥楲ast Week Tonight with John Oliver鈥� (LWT) as educational entertainment, as well as the overall聽study of political satire as a pedagogical tool. It was empowering to know that the committee found my research important and well-done,鈥� Terhune says.

鈥淚聽want to be making聽socially conscious聽comedy聽that helps people learn and laugh, so it was incredibly helpful for my own development to research and analyze how LWT does it. Additionally, the prize money helped me afford to enroll in comedy classes in Chicago so I can continue to hone my skills,鈥� Terhune says.

Alexis Rinck 鈥�17 (political science and sociology, Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences) was awarded the Civic Engagement Career Achievement Award. She was selected for the award for her work in civic engagement, beginning as an intern with the New York Public Interest Research Group at 黑料不打烊 her freshman year. During her sophomore year, Rinck started a Democracy Matters chapter and organized three events: Mindful Music, Prison Industrial Complex and a dirty money environmental panel.

Rinck, a Remembrance Scholar, went on to organize Jammin鈥� for Justice, a social justice-themed concert that had over 200 attendees, during her junior year. Committee members noted that she has been a mentor and inspiration to many on campus during her years here. Her work in civic engagement and activism has led her to pursue a master鈥檚 in public administration focusing on social welfare policy at the University of Washington.

鈥淭his award means the world to me. Coming to 黑料不打烊 all the way from San Francisco, I was eager to find my place,鈥� Rinck says. 鈥淚 struggled at first, like so many, but became deeply involved with activism in NYPIRG, which launched me into starting my own chapter of Democracy Matters on campus. Following the election of Donald Trump, me and an amazing group of feminists and comrades organized together to put together the Sanctuary Campus Walkout, the Rally for Refugees, and the Women鈥檚 Strike Rally.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to have the work I have done be recognized, but I did not do it to be recognized. To me, civic engagement was not a requirement or a means for recognition, but rather a lifestyle,鈥� Rinck says 鈥淎s an activist and organizer, your life is all about civic engagement, whether you realize it or not. To win this award sends a message to activists; the work we do is real and it matters.鈥�

Those who received honorable mentions are the following:

Creative

Evangeline Soileau 鈥�17, a University Scholar, (), 鈥淒inner Parti,鈥� Advisor, Assistant Professor Amber Bartosh

Emma Ettinger 鈥�17, a University Scholar, (drama and stage management, College of Visual and Performing Arts), 鈥淎nd the Women Cried: Voices from Shakespeare鈥檚 History Plays,鈥� Advisor, Associate Professor Celia Madeoy

Humanities

Emily O鈥橦ara 鈥�17 (English and textual studies and political science, College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School), 鈥淐ontested Spaces: Spatial Discourses and the Struggle for Power in the Early Modern English Empire,鈥� Advisor, Associate Professor Patty Roylance

Farrell Brenner 鈥�17, a University Scholar, Remembrance Scholar and Coronat Scholar, (women鈥檚 and gender studies and citizenship and civic engagement, College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School), 鈥淭he Aryan- and Polish-Passing Women and Girl Couriers of the Jewish Resistance Movements in Nazi-Occupied Poland,鈥� Advisor: Associate Professor Carol Fadda-Conrey

Social Science

Rachel Brown-Weinstock 鈥�17, senior class marshal, a University Scholar, a Coronat Scholar and a Remembrance Scholar, (sociology, citizenship and civic engagement and policy studies, College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School), 鈥淔acebook, Factories, and Frames: A Sociocultural Explanation of Community Attachment Resilience in a Deindustrialized City,鈥� Advisor, Assistant Professor Becky Schewe

Science and Engineering

Jos茅 Marrero Rosado 鈥�17, a Remembrance Scholar, (biochemistry and anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School), 鈥淒etermining the toxicity of PTE and PXE, two chemicals from Onondaga Lake,鈥� Advisor, Associate Professor Kate Lewis

Faculty members say students always appreciate the award recognition, but the students often note how the greatest reward was in the challenging process to get there

鈥淢any students speak about the life their projects will have beyond the Honors Program; they have built a foundation for future work,鈥� Schell says. 鈥淭hese students are also inspired, motivated and guided by dedicated faculty mentors who have invested hours in reading drafts and guiding the work.鈥�