- Pre-Secondary Educ Certifictn and Mathematics
- Class of 2017
- South Windsor, CT
Eastern Student Kara Noble of South Windsor Presents Research Poster at CREATE Conference
2016 May 3
More than 250 talented students at Eastern Connecticut State University presented research and creative work at the university's second annual CREATE conference this past April. CREATE stands for Celebrating Research Excellence and Artistic Talent at Eastern, and is the university's premier, academic year-end showcase. At the culminating event, students of all majors presented professional posters, live music, dance performances, artwork, photography, documentaries and panel discussions.
Kara Noble '17 of South Windsor, who majors in Mathematics, presented a research poster at the event. Noble's presentation, co-presented alongside three other classmates, was titled "How Effective are Gun Control Laws?"
"Are the gun control laws in America effective at protection for people and protection from people? How can we reconcile the two sides? How do America's gun control laws compare to the rest of the world?" asked the students in a joint statement. "During this election year, now more than ever, gun control laws are a significant controversy in our society. People sometimes take a stance on this issue without really examining both sides and learning about the subject. Students need to research the issue to decide if anything needs to change and if the laws protect the citizens. Our cross?curricular project consists of roughly twenty separate lessons that revolve around gun control for grades 10, 11 and 12, throughout the disciplines. The content areas of mathematics, global history, United States history, and literature all contain important information that students can use to support a particular side, even if that side does not necessarily coincide with the students' actual feelings about gun control. In mathematics, statistics and trends which examine gun violence and prevalence in our society will be discussed."
Remarking on the variety of presentations, Professor Dickson Cunningham, conference co-chair, said, "CREATE encapsulates the essence of the liberal arts in one afternoon. It is an intellectual smorgasbord."
Speaking to the value of CREATE, Eastern President Elsa Nunez said, "It takes a very strong and dedicated student to produce this quality of work, and it's important for other students to see this output." Praising the faculty, she added, "It takes a committed and skillful mentor to guide students to the work that is on display. Mentorship is such an integral part of undergraduate research."
During the one-day conference, the Student Center crawled with artistic and scholarly activity. Students in professional attire addressed their peers, faculty and family. In the cafe, ensembles performed; in the theatre, student-produced documentaries were shown; in the Betty R. Tipton Room, aisles of posters depicting scientific research were displayed; across the hall, a gallery-worth of paintings lined the walls; and on the ground floor, panel discussions and oral presentations about the humanities took place.
In celebration of students' exemplary research, experiential learning and creative activity, CREATE serves to reinforce high-impact practices such as mentored research; increases the number of students presenting their work in a professional forum; raises public awareness of Eastern's liberal arts mission and student accomplishments; and contributes to the intellectual richness of the campus community.