Capstone Colloquium was an awesome evening as the
Class of 2004 presented topics such as the following: Should we be able
to download music off the Internet? (Chris H.) Are our actions and activities
being monitored 24/7? (Sinead G.) Should we date online? (Ryan M.) Should
we legalize euthanasia? (Rose W.) Does television affect the way U.S.
citizens' vote? (Lisa K.). On February 23, the 2004 Scholars presented
their research projects on a topic related to the impact of technology
on our world. Some issues presented at the Capstone Colloquium included:
The Changing Face of Aids by Kristen H., Code Red: National Security's
Greatest Threat by Adam L., Is Technology the Future of Art? by Ana
W., and The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Solution by Michelle K. These diverse
topics show the many different interests and concerns of the Scholars
class of 2004. The eventful night was filled with jitters and excitement
as the Scholars were waiting to present their final research. The evening
began with a welcome by Dr. Mary Furgol, food, and social mingling.
The poster presentations followed and helped to set the tone for the
evening. They were given by scholars Rachel G., Kristie S., Quesia S.,
Hana C., Tony G., and Konstantin G. Konstantin presented Minding the
Technology which discussed the interaction between the human mind and
technology. He stated enthusiastically, "The colloquium generated a
lot of discussion and questions from the attendees." He really enjoyed
the colloquium and thought that the overall experience as a scholar
has been dream-like. One subject of particular interest was Scholar
Chris L.'s presentation on how technology is affecting research. His
presentation took a look at the usage of the internet as a research
tool and the benefits and costs of that. Other interesting topics that
raised many questions from the audience included: Maria T.'s research
on the truth about sweet corn syrup, Victor O.'s presentation on developing
automotive technologies, Sarah M.'s research on genetically modified
food, and Kseniya Y.'s speech on the biology of affection. Nick L. also
gave an entertaining presentation on Special Effects of Movies. Freshmen
Scholar James C., found the ADHD research by Bao V. interesting. He
stated, "I found the presentation on ADHD medication particularly interesting
because it hit close to home. It brought me up to date on the latest
research. Watching the sophomore class made me excited about doing the
Capstone Colloquium next year." Freshmen Scholar Estefanía M. said energetically,
"The presentations were wonderful and I am so proud of their accomplishments
and I wish them the best of luck next year." The majority of the attendees
were family, friends, parents, alumni, deans, and prospective scholars.
Special guests included some of the scholars' most valued high school
teachers who were recognized that evening with gifts.
