Senior Symposium 2019
The Senior Capstone Project at The Webb School of Bell Buckle
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Chapel - Lennon Ilarde and Cailey Patterson
Why people believe in conspiracy theories
Coral Bleaching and Its Consequences
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Slideshows
- Anthony Culp Anthony Culp Vexillology Look up around you and ask yourself: what do you see? What you are looking at are a wide range of flags, each one representing an entirely different nation of people from the next. My senior project is an exploration of flags. Why do we use them to represent ourselves? Why choose a piece of colorful cloth to be such an important part of our collective identities? Why do flags look the way they do? All these questions (and more) will be poised and answered in my senior project on Vexillology, the study of flags.
- Cailey Patterson Cailey Patterson Coral Bleaching and Its Consequences Coral are perhaps one of the most complex and fascinating species on our planet. Although they cover only 0.2% of the ocean’s floor, coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine life and have been around for over 200 million years. However, in the past 30 years, we have lost 50% of the world’s coral due to massive, global bleaching events caused by climate change. So, if you are wondering why this (show picture of healthy reef) is becoming this (show picture of bleached coral), come see my presentation.
- Jessie Song Jessie Song Crime prediction and data science Catching criminals are important. But it is even better if we could prevent those criminal events to begin with. Data science sounds distant and boring, but it is unimaginable how much advantage it has on crime prediction field. We can predict when, where, how certain crimes might occur, so that police forces are effectively located to aim for no victim. But guess what. You can also be under surveillance by posting certain things online, and what users describe their feelings to be is analyzed to build a crime prediction model. If your favorite genre is criminal film, or if you are interested in learning about how data science is applied in a practical field, this is the perfect senior presentation for you!
- Lennon Ilarde Lennon Ilarde Why people believe in conspiracy theories What if I told you that the moon landing was fake-nothing more than a Hollywood set? That those airplanes’ trails you see in the sky are chemicals sprayed by the government? That fluorescent light bulbs are being required by the government because they make people more obedient? Would you call me craaaaazy? Would you say, “What the h-e-double hockey sticks are you thinking?!?” That’s exactly what I’m trying to answer in my Senior Project. I set out to find what drives people to believe conspiracy theories. Is it to feel special? Is it because they want to feel like they know some big secret?
- Rachel Bernstein Rachel Bernstein Music Therapy Music is everywhere; it surrounds us. We live off of our Spotify and/or Apple Music playlists. Music does more than just go in one ear and out the other though. Music can control our brains, our emotions, and actions, which is where music therapy comes in. Music therapy is the use of music to address the emotional, cognitive, physical, and social needs for a group of people or just individuals. In my presentation, I go over music’s effects on people and how different genres of music can come into play. Music affects all living things, from people to elephants.
- Scarlett Liu String Theory For over a hundred years, scientists have been looking for a theory that can not only explain various observations on photons and other small particles, but also every aspect of the physical world. The string theory by far has the most potential of becoming the law that concludes all patterns of the universe. In this presentation, we will be exploring the fundamentals of the theory, development of it, and its scientific bases. I will be introducing the basic ideas behind string theory and explaining why it is the strongest candidate for what physicists call a theory of everything.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
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Chapel -Tommy Zhuo / Sports analytics Allie Avent / Sexual Abuse in athletics
Library - Ivan Plakasov / Life of the Roman Gladiator Frank Li / Emotional Disposition Sci Lecture Selina Liang / Anarchism Alice Lin / De-extinction and species reintroduction |
Slideshows
- Allie Avent Sexual Abuse in athletics Between 1996 and 2014, Larry Nassar abused over 160 girls within the sport of gymnastics. For my senior research project I decided to look into the sexual abuse that goes on in beginner, intermediate, collegiate, and elite athletics, mostly gymnastics. The problem within this is that sexual abuse in gymnastics happens way more often that the common people think. My research explains how we, as people, can become proactive in learning about cases similar to the Jerry Sandusky and Larry Nassar case and gives entail about what has gone on in the past within sexual athletics, without us knowing.
- Tommy Zhou Sports analytics A sports application was able to successfully predict the score of most of games in the world cup last year. How did they do that? The use of big data is increasingly prevalent in the world of sports. A substantial volume of data is collected and analyzed by algorithms that will predict the next game to be 1.2 to 0.3 goals, and the game would end up being 1 to 0. The analysis of data from the past can help us to predict the future – this is also why gambling companies can design their odds so as to continuously profit from gamblers. Data science is the future of our society – it would be the solution to many environmental issues as well as cancer diagnosis.
- Frank Li Some people get mad easily and some people are just always calm since people have different ability to control emotions. However, the ability to control emotions might be genetic, which means it’s an ability that you have when you are born with. Do you want to know why female are more emotional than men do? Do you want to know why someone gets mad easily? If you do, come to my speech.
- Ivan Plakasov A captivating part of history, the life of a Roman gladiator is obscure and misunderstood by many people today. Popular opinion might say that gladiators are slaves who were coerced to fight to the death. However, it is wrong. Many gladiators were not slaves but freemen who fought for money, fame, and prosperous life. Come to my presentation and you will learn more about gladiator’s history, their luxury way of life, and their cruel fights against both animals and each other illustrating different astonishing techniques and types of battles. By the way, did you know that there was an emperor who fought as a gladiator?
- Selina Liang Anarchism Are you an anarchist? Chances are you have already heard something about who anarchists are and what they are supposed to believe, and chances are almost everything you have heard is nonsense. Many people seem to think that anarchists are proponents of violence, chaos, and destruction. In reality, anarchists are simply people who believe human beings are capable of behaving in a reasonable fashion without having to be forced to. It is really a very simple notion. After a brief introduction of anarchism, I will discuss what a modern anarchist community looks like and how to actually live as an anarchist.
- Alice Lin De-extinction and species reintroduction Is extinction really forever? Living in the sixth mass extinction, we are losing about 150-200 species each day. With the expanding genetic technology and the genetic information, we might have the power to resurrect extinct species. However, creating a single organism does not mean bringing back an entire species. The difficulty of cloning even a single organism is followed by challenges such as reintroducing species to natural habitats and ethical dilemmas regarding genetic engineering. Ultimately, would genetic editing help in reducing the rate of extinction or even revert extinction? Come to my presentation and learn more about de-extinction and reintroduction of species.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
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Chapel Madeline Boyanton and Ella WimberleyLibrary Noel Kim and Emmanuel Oñate Sci Lecture Medusa Qu and JJ Thephavong |
Slideshows
- Ella Wimberley Childhood Obesity I chose my topic because during the summer I work at a day camp where kids come and spend the day while their parents work, and I notice that the children prefer to have candy and a soda for snack compared to water and fruit. Many people do not know that 1 in 5 school aged children are obese in the United States. That means that 61 students at Webb are potentially obese. My senior research paper is about the epidemic and prevalence of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. Children in America and all over the world have become more sedentary and their diets include more high fructose corn syrup than other things.
- Madeline Boyanton The Real Effects of Child Abuse The brain of a child during its’ developmental years is the most adept the human brain is throughout our entire lives. This is not only how children learn the basics, such as walking and talking, but also how their personalities begin to take form. Because children are so influenced by the environment around them, traumatic life experiences can have a much more profound effect on the child than most of us would think. My presentation focuses on how different types of child abuse affects these children as they grow up, and how they are at a disadvantage in their adult lives. Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, and therefore should be given the best possible chance at becoming a productive member in society.
- Noel Kim Selfish Gene We have believed that we are the prime controllers of our body and everything we are doing is done by our will. However, a renowned biological scientist named Richard Dawkins has published a book that explains that we are not the prime controller of our body but it is genes that do it. This theory is named Selfish Gene. Gene’s will to survive throughout generations to generations influence our bodies to act in favor of themselves and support their survivals. If you want to know more about Selfish Gene theory, come to see my senior presentation. Thank you.
- Emmanuel Oñate Cartel Since the drug war started there have been over half a million deaths in Mexico and the murder rates are not decreasing, and at this point, the drug market might as well be in the trillions of dollars since it started.The Mexican border is only a thousand miles from were we are right now and every year hundreds of thousands of pounds are crossed including this very moment right now. Once you realize that in 2017 nearly 30,000 people died and we barely heard a word about it is a problem, because not only is it affecting the lives of Mexican families on Mexico side of the border but also on the American side of the border.
- Medusa Qu Studying Tarot using Semiology Do you believe that a deck of cards, made by paper and ink, can prognosticate your future? Tarot is commonly used as an Occultism tool to predict the future, and are often related to magic and supernatural. Whether you believe it or not, Tarot is the combination of human art and history, and remain popular among its long history. This speech will study and observer Tarot in Semiology, Occultism, Literature, Psychology, and Artistic way to reveal the secrets hidden behind Tarot cards.
- JJ Thephavong I’m JJ Thephavong and I did my senior research on finding the origins of dentistry. According to orthodontic historian Dr. Bernhard Wolf Weinberger, dentistry is the “department of medical science and art which is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the teeth...” I researched this topic because in the future, I would like to be an orthodontist, and with the research, I’ll be explaining how ancient dentistry created the foundation to modern-day dentistry.
Friday, April 5, 2019
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Chapel - AJ Clarke and Gwyneth Seagroves Library - Kane Edwards and Sana Alsalman Sci Lecture - Caroline Wetherbee and Laura Kate Yancey |
Slideshows
- AJ Clarke "Innovative or simply unmindful? Abuse is very prevalent around the world. There are various types of abuse known, which includes physical, emotional/verbal, psychological, cultural, sexual, and financial abuse. In fact, there is one kind of abuse that is not very pronounced. This would be the abuse of the disabled. As we all know there are more than 43 million disabled Americans in today’s society. As individuals, we hold a firm belief that the disabled are ‘well taken cared of.’ I consider this to be a false statement as there are more disabled individuals being overlooked because of the judgemental assumptions being made about what they can, and cannot achieve. Should we continue to allow this kind of abuse to go ‘unrecognized, unprosecuted, and unpunished’?
- Gwyneth Segroves Coco Chanel’s influence on the world’s fashion Fashion has always been a huge part of society since the beginning. Designers have invented their own unique pieces, but most have used Coco Chanel’s most influential pieces. Coco Chanel was known for revolutionizing women’s fashion to be less feminine, stylish, and comfortable. The 20th century was filled with fashion statements that have changed women’s fashion from then to now. Can you think of how many times you see females in pants? A lot, and we can thank Coco Chanel for equality in the fashion industry. Come out to the chapel to learn more about how Chanel reconstructed women’s fashion. Thanks!
- Sana Alsalman September 11, 2001 I trust the United States government to make decisions that will keep me safe and secure. Many people trust the United States government every day as well. On September 11, 2001, the United States government betrayed its citizens by allowing one of the worst attacks in history to occur on United States soil. My family moved from Iraq when I was five due to the so-called “War on Terror.” The War on Terror, also known as the Global War on Terrorism, is an international military campaign that was launched by the United States government after the September 11 attacks against the United States. Who did the attacks on September 11, 2001? Was there a motive behind the attacks or could it all have been for financial gain?
- Kane Edwards Genetic Strength As people, genes are the most important aspect to determine our similarities and differences. Hello, my name is Kane. For the longest time, I have been curious about why some people are genetically stronger than others. Environmental factors, such as illness and sickness, and different approaches to genetics can cause some people to grow up with different levels of strength. Additionally, age and gender play significant roles in determining genetic strength. Why does illness matter in terms of strength? What is the purpose of age in strength genes? In order to find out, tune into the Library to help me uncover the secrets behind genetic strength.
- Caroline Wetherbee The Battle of Pelesium: Animals in Ancient Egypt Have you ever heard of land being conquered without a fight? In 525 BC the Persians did just that. The Battle of Pelesium was a battle won against the Egyptians using unique battle tactics. Their greatest weapon wasn’t swords or cannons, it was animals. During my senior research project I found out why the Egyptians surrendered their land without a fight to save the lives of animals. Come and hear about Cambyses the II’s cunningness and how animals impacted the lives of Ancient Egyptians.
- Laura Kate Yancey Charles Manson's Cult and Murders In August 1969, several murders took place in Beverly Hills that were conducted by the followers of a man named Charles Manson. Manson was a leader of a cult where life consisted of sex and hallucinogenic drugs. He believed he was Jesus Christ and he was fascinated with the idea of becoming a rock star and starting a race war with the help of the Beatles White Album. When Mansons rock star dreams didn't come true, he wanted to seek revenge and sent some of his cult followers on a killing spree throughout Beverly Hills. If you want to learn more about this notorious criminal and how he was able to brainwash dozens of people into becoming murderers, then come to my presentation.
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Monday, April 8, 2019Chapel - Henry Moore |
Slideshows
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
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Chapel - Alex Reavis and Carol Zhou Library - Cole Connelly and Stefania Morozova Sci Lecture - Brandon Azar and Kayla Taylor |
Slideshows
- Alex Reavis Ultralight backpacking, a movement that has made a resurgence in the past years, involves traversing the wilderness with a backpack that is as light as possible. When combined with long-distance trails like the Appalachian trail, extremists emerge that hike for thousands of miles with a backpack that weighs less than 10 pounds. For my senior project, I researched not only the equipment and planning that goes into one of these Through Hikes, but also the intense “trail culture” that develops among the hikers on the most popular trails like the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the John Muir Trail, and the Colorado Trail.
- Carol Zhou Economic sanctions are financial penalties issued against a state using trade barriers, tariffs, and financial transaction restrictions and prove to be an effective diplomacy tactic to either strengthen connections between countries or coerce certain actions of another country. These create an economic struggle for other countries that drive poor citizens to desperate means, spurring on the black market. Driving poor citizens to procure and transport illegal products which can include exotic food ingredients, child slaves, organs, and drugs. This presentation will create connections between political motives, business, and desperation of the ordinary people.
- Cole Connely For my senior presentation, I will talk about college athletes and whether or not they should be paid. This is a very controversial topic at this time because of all the hard work and time spent on their sport which is like a full-time job for these athletes. You must truly love the sport you are playing to be willing to sacrifice all the time and work you must give in order to play. Is a scholarship acting as enough payment for these student-athletes? If you want to find out come to my presentation.
- Stefania Morozova Psychopathy - https://youtu.be/YHdG6ocFInQ Hello, have you ever walked by someone and wondered if they are okay? I’ve asked myself that question numerous times and this is why I researched on the mind of a psychopath. Come to my presentation to learn their key features and their motives, so you can detect one for yourself. Be warned they are much better at faking their sanity than us, many are successful business leaders or even pastors.There is 1 psychopath per 200 people, your friend or even you could be one of them. Let’s find out.
- Kayla Taylor Stress is a common issue in adolescents but it is often overlooked by adults. My senior research paper is about the ongoing health issues caused by stress and brings awareness to adolescents living with stress. There are many things that cause stress including homework and tests. When going through stress, there can be lack of sleep and the immune system could shut down inviting sicknesses into the body. It is very important to learn how to cope with stress for if you don’t it could cause long term health issues to appear when you get older. Come see me in the science lecture room on April 10th to learn more about the effects and ways to cope with stress.
- Brandon Azar My project is on the history and the de-evolution of muscle cars. This project is set on the basis of how history changed the way muscle cars were built and the way they perform nowadays. It begins with how these cars were started and based off of and shows the struggles these companies have had keeping up with the times. If you like cars or have an interest in American muscle cars come to my presentation to learn a little bit more about these beasts than what meets the eye.
Thursday, April 11, 2012
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Chapel - Spoony Sizemore and Nile Archer Library - Elijah Foutch and Yang Zhong Sci Lecture - Richard Ebri and Jin Nettles |
Slideshows
- Nile Archer Did you know that, according to FIFA financial documents reviewed by The New York Times, the 2018 World Cup in Moscow generated over $6 billion in revenue? The sport of soccer has been a world leader compared to other sports as it has generated an interest worldwide which puts it ahead of all generic sports of our time. “It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the world's most popular sport.” My research paper is based around the sport’s impactful presence in the world, the financial aspect around the game and how this powerhouse industry came about over time.
- Spoony Sizemore My name is Spoony Sizemore. My senior project compares and concerns the similarities between multiple ancient religions ranging from ancient Norse and ancient Amazonian mythology to Christianity and Zoroastrianism. As I discuss these matters, I allude to the perspectives and arguments of different scholars like Jordan Peterson and Sir James Frazier. I hope to enlighten the minds of others and illustrate the commonalities that their religions may share with other religions. This endeavor questions the stability and foundation behind some of the world’s major beliefs and theologies, and in turn, the reasoning behind our purpose in life. Thank you.
- Yang Zhong Do you ever question the purpose of learning topics that you believe are irrelevant to your future’s success? Do you like standardized tests and do you believe that they are wrong? My senior research is about why the education system is not working and how other countries have created successful systems. The education system that we are currently using is destroying creativity and autonomy for students and leading into industrialized education. I have done research on how the standardized tests are not the correct way to measure someone’s intelligence. If you want to hear about why our school system is wrong, then you should come to my presentation with Elijah on the 11th of April in the Library.
- Elijah Foutch Hello, my name is Elijah Foutch and the topic chose for my research paper is concussions but more specifically concussions related to football and what we can do to prevent them and other head injuries. It is estimated that between 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions happen every year in the United States and 47 percent of these happen while playing football. So if you want to know what equipment needs to be improved and what possible new rules may be enforced in the new future come to Yang and my presentation in the library.
- Jin Nettles Pokémon, the phenomenon that has sold over 300 million game copies, and shipped over 21.5 billion cards. Do you want to know about the success and controversy of Pokémon Go, one of the highest grossing mobile games to date? Or would you like to know some of the history behind the games and how they relate to real life? Maybe even just some interesting facts about the games themselves. If you would like to learn more about the world of Pokémon, from the actual games to its creation and how it intercepts reality, then come to my Senior presentation in the science lecture hall Wednesday.
- Richard Ebri People, a ball, and two goal posts. That’s all it takes to play soccer. That’s all it takes to unite a country. With over 450 ethnic languages, 196 million people, and 36 states, it is safe to say Nigeria is a divided country. Soccer brings all of those things together. Being introduced in the country in the early 1900s, soccer has greatly evolved and has become a symbol of national pride for Nigerians everywhere.
Friday, April 12, 2019
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Chapel - Brooke Williams and Jonathan Nam Library - Ollie Hutchens and Thomas Simmons Sci Lecture - Annie Zhou and Collin King |
Slideshows
- Collin King Throughout the past 100 years the United States, along with the rest of the world experienced the rise and fall of Communism. From the October Revolution of 1917, to America’s Red Scare in the 50s, much of the history that directly affects us today took place alongside the development of Communism. However even today individuals struggle with questions like, “what actually is Communism?”, “why is it so controversial?”, and “should we be afraid of it?”. I will answer these questions and address other concerns regarding this controversial topic during my Senior research presentation, and shed light on the subject of Communism.
- Brooke Williams Most people do not have a Liam Neeson as a father to track them down if they are captured and sold into human trafficking like in the movie, Taken. Despite the happy ending of the first Taken movie, this movie highlights the second-fastest growing criminal enterprise in our country: human trafficking. Every two minutes a child is bought or sold for sex, but this is not simply a problem for our country, it is a problem for our state and the counties we live in. More specifically, Bedford and Coffee Counties are tied for the third most instances of human trafficking in the state. Come to my presentation to learn more about being Taken in Tennessee
- Oliver Hutchens Humanity often works under a firm understanding of what we can and can’t do. We see the limitations in front of us, and accept that we can’t control everything, which is nice, since we don’t really need to worry about what’s beyond our domain that way. Sadly, we have to do that now. CRISPR cas9 gene editing has essentially given humans full command over genetics. Now that we have this technology that lets us play God, we must ask the question: where do we stop? If you want to learn about the thin line between ideals and eugenics and the potential to wreak havoc on the minds of children designed by their parents, then come to my Senior presentation on the Ethics of CRISPR.
- Thomas Simmons Quantum computing is the new frontier for computing and is important to understand so that we know how it will affect our future. Quantum computers may have as big an impact as the first home computers in the nineteen seventies. Quantum computing is a new technological advancement that, if implemented properly, will impact our foreseeable future. I personally chose this topic because I want to go into the field of computing and its beneficial to know where my field is headed. Quantum computers are still being developed so there is no telling what our future has in store for them and the effect they will have on humanity and our society as a whole.
- Jonathan Nam The oil Rich country of Sudan has been plagued with a bloody civil war for over a decade. A mass exodus of the South Sudanese people has occurred alongside a huge humanitarian crisis with reported genocide, withheld aid, and widespread famine. The people of South Sudan have suffered over a senseless war fueled by greed on the power to control the country’s vast oil resources. The UN has intervened but not to the level to which would ensure stability. My research paper dives into what seems to be a recurring event in undeveloped African nations and what we have to due to improve and save the lives of generations of people.
- Annie Zhou What happens at the end of history? According to Francis Fukuyama, a political scientist and former strategist of the US Department of State, not only do events still occur at the end of history, we are actually living in that moment right now. In my project, I will be presenting and evaluating Fukuyama’s “End of History” theory, where he claims that the Western liberal democracy may be the endpoint of sociocultural evolution and the final form of human government. How was Fukuyama influenced by philosophers like Karl Marx and Friedrich Hegel, and why does his theory raise controversies today? Find out in my presentation.