Posters and prizes: Looking back on the 21st annual Steinmetz Symposium

Union College held the 21st Steinmetz Symposium to showcase students’ creative and scholastic research achievements on May 13 and 14.

According to Director of Undergraduate Research Kristin Fox, upwards of 450 students participate in the exposition annually. Throughout the day on Friday, there were oral presentations and poster sessions. The presentations were for students who have completed research theses or scholars projects, as well as participated in summer and other research opportunities.

Fox declared the “many interesting presentations” to be a success.

Sarah O’Connor ‘11 added that the presenters in her English Honors theses session “had fun giving the [oral presentations].” In particular, the question and answer session provided the opportunity to address the “interesting connections between [the research projects].”

Later that afternoon, the Nott was “standing room only” for the dance performances by the Union College Dance Team, Bhangra, the Ballroom Dance Club and other dance department members. The evening “was capped off with an outstanding performance,” as Fox describes, with the camerata singers and the Union College Jazz Ensemble.

Prize Day was held on Saturday, May 14 to acknowledge a range of scholastic, service and leadership achievements within the Union community. The recipient of the 2011 Frank Bailey Cup for outstanding service to the college was Clancy Slack ‘11 and the 2011 Josephine Daggett award winner for superior character was Mike Clarke ‘11. Slack ’“helped Union submit its first Campus Climate index and [has] been interning in the admissions office this last year looking at ways to better recruit LGBT students.” Slack is also co-founder of the Iris Theme House and the Union Chapter of FaceAIDS, and he has served on a variety of other councils at the college including IFC and Golub House.  Slack “was very surprised” to receive the award, recognizing the “progress” as “definitely a team effort.”

 

 

 

Clarke began The Building up Ghana program in which he raised funds and collected supplies in order to build a library and a music and art center for a small primary school in Ghana. For Clarke, winning the Daggett prize was “an emotional experience.” Clarke is grateful for the support he found from the Union professors and administrators, “no matter how outrageous or impossible” his dream.