Ten Tech students presented research at the Tennessee Collegiate Honors Conference at Austin Peay State University on Feb. 14. One hundred participants represented 11 Tennessee schools.The conference provides honors students the opportunity to present issues they find important or display research while meeting honors students from across the state. This year’s theme was “Service through Honors.” Six sessions focused on that topic.
“I was impressed by some of the innovative ways that programs have integrated service learning into their honors courses,” Rita Barnes, interim director of honors, said. “I’m inspired to do more with service in our courses, as we have with our service learning honors colloquium this semester.”
Two groups from Tech presented videos created for last fall’s honors colloquium on the presidential election. Based on class discussions and studies, the videos looked in-depth at the role of American third parties and how the media and parody can affect perceptions of candidates.
“The honors conference is both important and entertaining,” Josh Martin, a sophomore, said. “We’re given the chance to see others’ hard work over a wide range of topics through presentations of different formats.” Martin presented his paper “Silent Voices” which focused on issues of religion and gender roles in colonized Nigeria, based on the novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie.
Other topics presented by Tech students included the Armenian genocide, media law, analysis of Flann O’Brien’s character Mrs. Furriskey, and Tech’s consideration of residential colleges.
Honors students are now preparing for the national conference this October in Washington, D.C.
