Senior Symposium 2018
Senior Symposium 2018
VIDEOS
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Senior Symposium 2018
Slideshows
- Abby Wetherbee "Did you know that about one out of seven hundred babies born in the U.S. are diagnosed with Down Syndrome? Though medical advancements have been made in order to prolong their lives, education, sometimes, treats them as school mascots, rather than people with the capability to succeed. For my senior project, I decided to research and analyze the progression of Down Syndrome since 1980. I chose this topic because I plan to work with special needs patients in the future and want to expand my knowledge on this subject. The main questions I found myself asking at the beginning of this process were: Why is the overall lifespan of a patient diagnosed with Down Syndrome today, expected to be longer than in previous years? And what advancements have been made in the medical field that have improved the life of a person with Down Syndrome? And finally, are we in education prepared for the medical enhancements that prolong their life? "
- Anna Jones - Woodstock American singer-songwriter Richie Havens said “Woodstock was not about sex, drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll. It was about spirituality, about love, about sharing, about helping each other, living in peace and harmony.” Hi! My name is Anna and for my senior project I decided to research the history of Rock and Roll during the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. I primarily focused on the notorious Woodstock Music and Art Festival. Protest music was prominent during this era and I will discuss famous artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. I hope you come join me as I talk about a big part of American history. Rock on!
- Ashton Crick Since the early 1900s there has been a total of 4,743 serial killers who have murdered over 13,000 victims based on research at Radford University. This idea that genetic makeup and environment can impact a person’s development and behavior is the subject of many debates. Scientist, criminologist, and psychologists have been researching serial killers for a long time to discover why they kill and what makes them become killers. The purpose of my research is to determine if serial killers are born or created. Does a person become a serial killer because they are born that way or because they are transformed into a killer by things that happen to them during their lives? This question is centered in the concept of nature (psychology and brain make up) versus nurture (the way you grow up).
- Bennett Eng Hi, my name is Bennett. For my senior research, I studied the brain. More specifically, the effect of stress on the brain, and how the brain reacts. Finding out that our brain has a minimum of 100 trillion neural connections, which by the way is 1000 times the number of stars in our galaxy. Inspired me to find exactly what happens in our own brain when we face daily challenges. If you would like to learn more about how cortisol, and other stress hormones damage your brain, and exactly how your own brain processes stress, please come to my presentation
- Charlotte Hedley Hi, my name is Charlotte. My project and research paper covers adolescent depression, along with its causes, symptoms, effects, and treatments. As a warning, I do speak about certain sensitive topics, so this will be for only high schoolers and up. Beyond just these things, my main question is, “Why is depression so commonly missed?”. As for the answer, you will have to come see my presentation.
- Clarice Kiser The friendly cashier at the store, the girl laughing with her friends on the bus, the average guy headed to the gym. These people all seem happy and healthy, but they could be discreetly suffering from a debilitating eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are around us and unnoticed daily due to the normalization of skipping meals, hidden personal battles, and absurd body ideals in society. Not only can these habits lead to malnutrition and unhealthy weight loss, but they can also have permanent damaging effects on the rest of the body and mind. In America, 3% of the population, 8 million people, have some eating disorder. Any type of self-harm, especially some so easily recognized, prevented, and treated, should not be overlooked.
- Dayton Hasty - autonomous vehicles Autonomous driving has been a topic of discussion since the early twentieth century. The idea has been thrown around in corporate settings for years, but adoption of these systems has been agonizingly slow. When driving, the main sense used is sight, so as long as a modern vehicle has sight from a camera and a neural network formed through machine learning, what is stopping someone from building their own? Is it simply because we as a society are not ready for autonomy on this high of a level, or are we just not ready to deal with the moral implications of fatal faults caused by machine learning?
- Emily Bryant Does anyone know the importance of the date Nov 4. 1979? For those of you that don’t know the date, that's what I will be discussing for my senior paper. The Iran Hostage Crisis and the US ransom/hostage policies. Nov.4 the US embassy was taken, including 50 hostages, by Iranian students. They held the hostages at ransom for the Shah, but until 2015, if an American citizen were to be taken hostage, the United States government and the family could not pay ransom. If families paid ransom, the United States government threatened to prosecute the family and the US government still does not pay ransom. So, what events lead to the embassy attack? and Is the US foreign policy ethically correct?
- Erin Parsons - Monoclonal Antibodies Approximately 12.4 percent of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2012-2014 data. There are currently hundreds of treatment options available depending on your stage of cancer, age, and overall health. However, the use of monoclonal antibodies, also known as “Targeted Therapy”, has been growing in popularity due to its successes in treating both localized and metastasized cancers. Monoclonal antibodies are essential clones of human antibodies that utilize the body’s natural immune response to target, inhibit growth, and ultimately destroy cancer cells. When chemotherapy drugs are attached to monoclonal antibodies it forms a highly specific and powerful “weapon” known as an immunotoxin, which could potentially be the new face of cancer treatment.
- Ethan C Can you imagine hauling 18,000 pounds on an old ox or horse, luckily you don’t have too with the creation of the truck. For my senior research project I decided to dive into the evolution of trucks and how they have changed the work space we operate in. From Henry Ford’s Model T to muscle trucks we have today. I will discuss the efficiency, economics, and evolution of the engines and vehicles known today. Trucks are more than a modern convenience, they are a necessity in the industry, from the small pickups to the massive semis. Every truck counts and has its on purpose, and in this presentation we will cover all these topics.
- Ethan Hedding / Kenton " Many of you know the line, “Give me liberty or give me death!” by Patrick Henry. It’s a classic line advocating for democracy, and free speech against the tyrannical British. Patrick also said, “We are descended from a people whose government was founded on liberty; our glorious forefathers of Great Britain made liberty the foundation of everything. That country is become a great, mighty, and splendid nation; not because their government is strong and energetic, but, sir, because liberty is its direct end and foundation.” So come to my presentation to see how the Brits are taking their liberty back. "
- Gregory Kilpatrick - Greco-Roman influence The Greco-Roman still has a major influence in America. The word Greco-Roman refers to the ancient greeks and the roman empire. During the early period of American history, the greco-roman culture was really only for the well educated in latin or greek since those were the languages of the empires. However, after the freedom of the slaves the drive for this culture flourished. Thus created the need for the translation of greek and roman cultures. The common greek and roman myths were translated to english so that they newly freed slaves and others would be able to read the myths.
- Hannah Jenkins - Unit 731 World War II scarred every nation that was involved. The holocaust is one of the most recognizable events during this time; millions of Jewish citizens were used in human experiments and perished painfully for Germany’s own gain. However, on the other side of the world, a Japanese concentration camp, a Japanese Auschwitz if you will, experimented on humans in the name of the Japanese Imperial Army. Unit 731 committed unthinkable atrocities that were granted immunity by the United States after the war concluded. Attend my presentation to become aware of the vile actions the Japanese took against humanity. Thank you.
- Hannah Melson - Autism Spectrum Disorders As people, we are quick to judge others based on their looks, disorders, and other characteristics that they have. When it comes to people with Autism they are treated differently in school, day-to-day life activities, and in the real world. People with Autism are treated different even though they are just like everyone else. They still do not get the same opportunities as those who do not have the disorder in the activities they want to participate in. Come help me raise awareness for Autism as it is important that those who have the disorder get the recognition they deserve.
- Henry Zhao Twenty-first century is destined to be the century of miracles. With the booming development of technology, our ardent passion of seeking scientific excellence is finally being rewarded with realistic applications. With earnest endeavor and unremitting pursuit, we have overcome so many obstacles and achieved so much in modern science, especially in the areas of biological engineering. In future, we will be able to artificially editing human genome with CRISPR technology to avoid inherited diseases and prevent genetic disorders. However, such power given by advanced technology also blurs the boundary of ethics and morality. Being able to manipulate the things that define who we are is not only enchanting, but also, on the other hand, terrifying. With CRISPR technology and biological engineering, will humanity and identity in the modern world be redefined? How real is the Brave New World?
- Isaac Williams - white collar prisoners If I ask you to think about state prison, what do you think of? Most of us would imagine barbed wire fences around a complex guarded by men with high powered rifles to make sure murderers and rapists do not escape. Now what if I say, “Think of a federal prison?” You may think that this place would have much more security and contain even more violent offenders, or you may think of a country club that someone cannot leave. My presentation will answer your question, as well as if these prisons are truly effective in rehabilitating white collar criminals, or if it is a waste of taxpayer money.
- Jessica Turner - animal abuse "Philosopher Theodor W. Adorno once said, “Auschwitz begins wherever someone looks at a slaughterhouse and thinks: they’re only animals” (Adorno). So one might ask, why should society care about animals and whether or not they are abused? Well, other than the obvious answer, society should examine animal abuse and treat it as a pertinent issue because of the possibility of a link between the psychology of animal abusers and the psychology of violent people. The question I am analyzing is the link between the mind of those who abuse animals and those who abuse people."
- Jones Allison - 4th amendment Since Terry v. Ohio’s landmark decision in favor of police in a warrantless search case, American courts have sided more and more with police officers in cases of random searches. These searches, are often conducted on the basis of nothing other than standing out in a landscape. These random searches have been proven to promote racial profiling, distrust of police, and (if you hadn’t noticed) increasing tensions between the police and the public. As Rodney King style police brutality becomes more common, we as a people need to ask ourselves if what’s happening here is legal. How does the 4th amendment affect us in our day to day lives?
- Kelty Shroyer - Musical Scales Almost all Western music that we listen to on a day-to-day basis is based on two musical scales—major and minor—even though thousands of scales are possible based on the twelve notes that comprise an octave and hundreds of these possible scales have been used throughout history. But what is the basis of these scales? Why is it that, with literally endless combinations of musical notes, nearly every scale ever devised uses the same twelve? My research explores historical and archaeological records to find the underlying factors that led to the geneses of the musical scales of the world and its cultures.
- Lexi Sullens The United Nation declares “Women make up more than two-thirds of the world's 796 million illiterate people.” Women are denied their basic right of education because of gender roles that inflict great inequality across the globe. The lack of women’s education only prohibits women’s decision-making and prosperity. Men are less likely to contract disease and encounter violence because they are more educated throughout the world. However, education for women is a necessity because, as my research proves, education for both genders enhances economic growth globally. Finally, providing a girl with a education means that she is healthier, economically powerful, and poised to be a leader.
- Lucas Weismann - Conversion Therapy "Queer is an umbrella term sometimes used to refer to the entire LGBTQIA+ community. Conversion therapy is any practice seeking to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, including cognitive behavior therapy, forced prayer, aversion therapy (meaning induced nausea and vomiting), electric shock therapy, and others. These practices have proven to cause depression, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, shame, social withdrawal, and suicidality to its victims, just to name a few. Though physical abuses are largely prohibited by the law, currently only 27% of queer minors in our country live with laws that protect them from these devastating practices. "
- Lucy Mitchell "Liver transplants come in many different shapes and sizes. There are nine major diseases that put patients on the transplant list, three of which are a form of hepatitis, and criteria for each disease must be met before a patient is listed. Did you know you could donate your liver to an end-stage liver patient? The right lobe of your liver can be taken out to give to a transplant patient and both parts will regenerate allowing both the patients to live. Transplant recipients must deal with the transplant for the rest of their life due to the amount of medication they must take and their increased risk for things such as high blood pressure and diabetes. "
- Maddy Ellis "One of the most morally flawed, shameful, and clandestine acts of the American government was project MKULTRA. This decades-long experiment conducted by the CIA, US Army, and Ivy League researchers involved the psychological torture, manipulation, and drugging of unwitting civilians in the name of scientific research to ”control minds”. The more I learned about project MKULTRA, the more horrific it got. However, this does not mean the public should be unaware of what atrocities occurred under Supreme Court clearance. Among the countless victims, are the Unabomber and CIA agent Olsen who committed suicide. I hope to spread awareness about MKULTRA and condemn its actions as our government has yet to do."
- Maranda Gant - Bi-Polar disorder Every year, 42.5 million adults in the Us are diagnosed with some type of mental illness. Many individuals and families are negatively affected by the stigmas surrounding the label of “Mentally ill” which ranges anywhere from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia. Negative views of mental illness often conjure fear, distrust and anger from those living or working alongside the mentally abnormal, stemming from misinformation. However, in the age range of 12-29 they are having a very different problem. While Mental abnormality fosters mistrust in older generations, a shift is taking place in younger generations of embracing to the point of romanticizing it.
- Margaret Jones - twin telepathy In the words of Robert Barr, a pioneer in twin telepathy, “No one can tell, when two people walk closely together, what unconscious communication one mind may have with another”. Hi! My name is Margaret and if you don’t already know, I am a twin. People often ask if my twin sister and I share the same thoughts at the same time without having to communicate. This raises the question: do twins actually have a telepathic connection as well as a genetic connection? This has lead me to investigate twin relationships, genetic and telepathic for my senior project. I hope to uncover the mystery of this underrated phenomena.
- Maya Krajeck The civil war ended on June 2, 1865. Despite that being over a century ago, Americans still seem to struggle over the issues relating to it. The confederate flag is a common sight in the South, and it has sparked extreme controversy. I look back in history and at modern opinions to try and discern the meaning behind the controversial flag
- Mia Harris - origins of prejudice “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.” (Maya Angelou) What factors in a person’s daily life affect how they form prejudice? I wanted to study prejudice on a psychological level to learn more about an issue that is so prevalent in our society. Most people in America of other ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations outside of what is commonly accepted have claimed to have faced prejudice at some point in their lives. As a diverse community at Webb it is important for us to be informed on this issue.
- Morgan Williams Approximately 1 in 5 people have a mental illness. (NAMI) Those with mental illnesses face many issues, but the most pressing is being imprisoned instead of being placed into an institution to receive proper care. This is an important issue, because it leads to overcrowding in prisons and lack of sufficient treatment for the ones who need it most. Many institutions are no longer funded by the local and federal government, which leads to imprisonment being one of the only options. Digging deeper into this issue raises awareness for many aspects that often goes unnoticed, and it exemplifies how poorly the mentally ill are incorporated into our society.
- Seungmin Lee - Dark Energy Think of an atom. We consider atoms the smallest unit, but in fact, we could be seen extremely small when compared to the whole universe. There are so many things left to discover it. To illustrate how minute humans are, Earth revolve around one of the 100 billion stars of Milky Way multiplied by the roughly estimated 10 trillion galaxies. What is more, these enormous amount of stars take up only 0.1 percent of the universe. However, the other spaces are empty and the 73 percent of the vacant universe are of Dark Energy with missing mass and gravity, which is known to accelerate the expansion of the universe. Come and watch my senior project to discover this cosmological mystery.
- Sofia Kovacevic - Architecture The job of an architect extends much further than simply designing a building. They have the ability to impact a person's mood, behavior, health and well being, through their design choices, styles and mediums. Scientists have studied how the human brain reacts to its specific surroundings for many years. Architects can now use this information to understand how both our man made and natural surroundings are utilized, manipulated and improved to better people’s quality of life and promoting a sense of enjoyment in the places that we spend the most time in.
- Soniya Patel - Opioid Crisis In 2017, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a “health emergency” in the United States. Opioids are prescribed to patients with chronic pain, and if used incorrectly, these medications impose serious effects to the body such as addiction and even death. Common opioid drugs include: fentanyl, hydrocodone, and perhaps, the most “familiar”: oxycodone. Oxycodone is the opioid drug in OxyContin, which was engineered by the Sackler family. The Sackler family’s gross negligence of the proper distribution of OxyContin has increased the opioid crisis throughout the years. Come find out how the opioid crisis has affected America and made the Sacklers a multi-billion dollar family.
- Sydney Dupree Stem Cell research is one of the most important and ethically questionable fields in modern medicine. My presentation will teach you what a stem cell is, why they are important, all the possible uses, and the large ethical issues behind this research. You will be able to understand a science that may save your life in the future. My presentation is March 14th and I would be glad to have you all at my presentation. Thank You.
- Thomas Webb "Good morning, my name is T. Webb, and with a last name like mine I’ve been asked too many times if I am related to Sawney, and I never really knew, so I always just said no...and yes to a few middle schoolers. After four years of this I finally got fed up enough to write an eight page paper about it. To find out the truth I did extensive research into my family history, and also did a DNA test to see where in the world my family originated. I did this using Ancestry and old family records. So, if you would like to know if I really am related to Sawney as well as some famous historical figures, come check out my presentaion."
- Will Ledbetter -Extraterrestrial Life "According to the Air and Space Smithsonian website and the Drake Equation, “For our own Milky Way galaxy, the odds of being the only technologically advanced civilization are 1 in 60 billion. Thus, it’s very likely that other intelligent, technologically advanced species evolved before us.” My Research presentation is about the likelihood of other life in the universe, whether it be intelligent or not, and what the church thinks about alien life, because even though I am a Christian, i believe there is life out there somewhere. If you want to hear about how aliens, intelligent or not, are most likely real, then come see my presentation."
- Wilson Fennel "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a well known genetic trait that affects a small percentage of people in the world. There is surprisingly little data about ADHD and makes it harder to accurately diagnose people with it. Although society depicts it as a learning disability, there are many studies that explain how ADHD is actually an evolutionary trait. Since ADHD is believed to be an evolutionary trait, there must to be some benefits to it. That is why I am here to tell you that ADHD is not a disability, but rather more beneficial than what today’s society believes."
- Yoon Lee Music and Emotion "Hello, my name is Yoon. My topic is about the relationship between emotion and music. Everyone experienced a goosebump before while listening to certain music, but what does it really mean to us? Some research states that the emotion that we feel while listening to awe-inspiring music has the same brain activity as when we feel sad. Human has many emotions to everything, and there just seems like there are a lot of emotions related to music specifically. The empathy that we feel to the music might be to the performer, the composer, or even the scene that we can picture while listening to the music. Even Though human emotion and mind are like the box of pandora, there are many interesting things that we can figure out. My research is all about that anyone are welcome to my presentation. Please visit! Thank you. "
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