By Nemsie Gonzalez

Chief Copy Editor

The end of the year signals one of the most exciting and stressful events of the semester: Independent Study (I.S.) Symposium. 

On Friday, April 26, students were encouraged to attend peers’ presentations in Lowry Center and Andrews/Gault Library throughout the morning and early afternoon. Panels included projects from different majors to give an exciting and thoughtful display of a liberal arts education. Panels included “Inspired by Research Experience,” “Interdisciplinary Adaptations,” “Changing Environments,” “Humans & the Environment,” “The Business of Communication,” “Gender & Empowerment” and many more. While I.S. topics varied, one thing became very clear: Wooster students are deeply invested in doing what has never been done before. From niche and under-researched topics like eating disorders in bisexual individuals to creating new research methods by looking at quantum dots to analyze pollen carryover, from potentially finding a third segment in the CAZV genome in an understudied sequence, to analyzing collective narcissism in tandem with sharing conspiracy theories, all of the panels were so engaging that the only problem was trying to decide which ones to attend! Many students found themselves running between Lowry and APEX to support their favorite seniors in the culmination of a year’s worth of work. Ava Caizzo ’26 said she enjoyed the presentations. “I like feeling like I’m in a Ted Talk,” she said. 

Panels weren’t the only way seniors were encouraged to share their I.S projects. Seniors could choose to create a formal presentation, a poster — to be displayed at the afternoon poster session — or both. 

Seniors explained a variety of reasons for the choices they made. Abby Thomson ’24, who chose the presentation format, said, “A presentation made the most sense in terms of how to deliver my research in the easiest-to-understand way.” 

Carrie Buckwalter ’24 made a poster presentation because she liked the friendly nature of the session. “I just wanted to talk to people in a less formal setting,” she said. “The experience was great, I love my project and I loved sharing it!” 

Students experienced the benefit of having so many of their friends in one spot during the poster session. “It was cool to hear people talk about their work and show it in a way easier for a non-expert to understand,” Maddie Vietch ’26 said. 

Other students attended the poster sessions to support their friends. Evan Laudenslager ’27 said, “I went to support some of my teammates on the men’s lacrosse team who were presenting their posters at the Symposium.”

Symposium pushes us to reflect on our time at Wooster and encourages underclassmen to look ahead at their own future I.S. projects. For that reason, I.S. presentations often conclude with how the next researcher could expand on their research. 

During the “Sexuality: Past, Present, & Future” panel, Christa Craven, professor of anthropology and women’s, gender & sexuality studies and the program chair of women’s gender & sexuality studies, asked the group what surprised them most about the experience. Presenters discussed the differences in research styles and decisions on language. They concluded by talking about how I.S. pushed them out of their comfort zone in how they did their research and engaged with the world. 

 “The major highlight for me was answering questions,” Colin Curnow ’24 said. “It was very rewarding to be able to grapple with difficult questions from curious people and gratifying to see people take interest in the project I have worked on for quite a while. Honestly, I had no struggles. I loved my I.S., and I loved presenting it.” 

As we move towards graduation, let’s celebrate our seniors and recount how wonderful it has been to watch them succeed and thrive!