From Aristotle to antibiotics, the 10th annual Undergraduate Conference on Tuesday drew together various threads of undergraduate study in over 150 presentations.

“Today we’re celebrating this vibrant intellectual community,” said Provost and Dean of Faculty Lori Bettison-Varga to students at a dinner for presenters. “This community cherishes inquisitiveness. As I sat in the sessions today, listened to music, read and discussed posters with students and colleagues, my enthusiasm for Whitman was reaffirmed.”

Classes were cancelled and four sessions of presentation panels were scheduled throughout the day, in addition to a poster session. Midday, students were treated to a complimentary hamburger lunch and music from Whitman’s Jazz Ensemble.

Many commented on the high number of attendees in comparison to past conferences.
“It seemed like a large amount of students were attending talks,” said senior Suzanne Zitzer, who gave a presentation about her German thesis and moderated a panel. “I attended more than I ever had in the past.”

Senior Kim Trinh, who gave two presentations, agreed. “I feel like there were more people going this year. They’re taking this opportunity to support classmates and hear what they’re researching, writing and thinking about.”

“From what I understand, people from the surrounding community: not just the Whitman community: were impressed with [the] professionalism and the level of scholarship achieved,” Bettison-Varga said.

Several panels addressed aspects of the Walla Walla community, from a presentation on the KKK to the impact of the wine industry on the town.

While the experience could be daunting, presenters were largely positive about their talks.
“I was shaking a bit, but I want to be a professor, so the ability to communicate to a large audience is important,” Trinh said.

Presentations lasted 12 minutes and were followed by a short period of questions from the audience.

“People asked questions and were actually interested in topics,” said senior Rose Jackson.
“It was the first real conference I’ve been a part of,” said first-year Dawn Angus, who presented a Core paper regarding “Job: A Lesson in the Integrity of Selfless Faith.”

“I felt like presenting would be a positive learning experience, especially if I decide to participate in future conferences at Whitman or elsewhere,” she added.

Allison Solanki, a senior who presented a poster on “Fabrication of Stretchable Silicon Sensors and Devices,” drew from summer research experience at Stanford University and said that while different from other conferences she has attended, the Undergraduate Conference provides a unique opportunity for cross-disciplinary learning.

“It is a fascinating experience to explain your work to someone outside of your field at a level that is easily understood, which is important as a scientist,” she said.

“There was no grouping, which was unusual,” added Solanki, who displayed her poster next to a sociological examination of the role of family in Disney films. “It was kind of cool in a way to get variety and difference, but on the other hand, it wasn’t quite cohesive.”

Other creative groupings amused and confused presenters, including Trinh, whose discussion of Chinese-American identity in two novels was paired with presentations on the 2008 Olympics and the effect of globalization on soccer.

Some praised the groupings. “As a whole, the organization of the individual panels created a dialogue between presenters, regardless of whether they were analyzing the same texts,” Angus said. “The questions of professors especially helped to facilitate consideration of the connections between presentations.”

“I tried to make sure that the audience and presenters knew what to expect and would have a pleasant experience,” Zitzer said of her role as moderator. “I see it as a very self-affirming experience and one which the audience members also gain a lot from.”

“I’ve been engaged in promoting undergraduate research nationally, and today was another example of why that’s such a valuable pedagogical technique for colleges like Whitman,” Bettison-Varga said.

“I’m already thinking about what I might like to present on in the future,” Angus said.