Students in the 2024 class of the O’Neal School’s Signature Scholars Research Program will cap off a two-year, 10,000 word project — yes 10,000 — by presenting their research during a two-day symposium held later this month. This year’s class, directed by Dr. Nicole Camastra (left) includes Rachel Wolff, Caroline Acker, Luke Harper, Tylar Pastre and Audrey Kim. Each student spent their junior and senior years compiling information on a topic of their choice. And yes, they have the receipts.
Couldn’t They Just, Like, Find the Answer on TikTok?
If you have a teenager in your life, you’ve likely heard at least one “fact” that originated in a TikTok video — and we know the boomers in your life are happy to regale you with the latest history “fact” they learned from a Facebook post. But how accurate is the information on social media, and are most social media users able to discern between fact and fiction? Or *shudder* AI?
While a debate about the existence of Helen Keller rages on in video comment sections, students in the O’Neal School’s Signature Scholars Research Program are taking a deep dive into a research project that requires curating a network of sources, compiling an extensive annotated bibliography, and presenting their findings to their peers and instructors.
The program not only allows students to pursue their interests, but teaches skills in writing, researching, networking and — most importantly in today’s digital (mis)information age — the ability to build information literacy. After all, it’s going to be up to the younger generation to attempt to save us from our robot overlords.
Students enrolled in The O’Neal School’s Signature Scholars Research Program will present their research on topics like “The Rhetorics of Retelling: How Ancient Greece Was Transformed into a Tool of Western Hegemony”and “Dulling the Double-Edged Sword of Vaping: E-Cigarettes and the Antithetical Impacts They Exhibit Between Smokers and Non-Smokers.” Just think, the only topic you studied this extensively in high school was the effect of removing the ladder from the pool in your Sims household.
About the O’Neal School’s Signature Scholars Research Program Symposium
Get inspired by presentations from tomorrow’s leaders during the culmination of the program, the two-day Signature Scholars Research Program Symposium. Held at McMurray Library at the O’Neal School’s Bradshaw Hall, the symposium begins at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22 and continues at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. Presentations will be divided between the two evenings.
The event will begin with Wednesday’s keynote address, “F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jazz Age Mass Media,” by Dr. Jennifer Nolan. Jennifer is an associate professor of English at North Carolina State University, where she teaches courses on 20th century American literature and society.
She is a periodical studies scholar whose work has appeared in journals such as “Book History,” “Journal of Modern Periodical Studies,” “F. Scott Fitzgerald Review,” and “American Periodicals.” A certified Gatsby stan, Jennifer is co-editor of “The Complete Magazine Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1921-1924 (2023).”
Presentations will commence following Jennifer’s address, and continue Thursday. Here is the schedule:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22:
- Keynote: Jennifer Nolan, “F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jazz Age Mass Media”
- Caroline Acker: “The Rhetorics of Retelling: How Ancient Greece Was Transformed into a Tool of Western Hegemony”
- Audrey Kim: “Navigating Video Games: The Stereotypes, Perceptions, and Experiences of Girl Gamers”
THURSDAY, MAY 23:
- Luke Harper: “Dulling the Double-Edged Sword of Vaping: E-Cigarettes and the Antithetical Impacts They Exhibit Between Smokers and Non-Smokers”
- Tylar Pastre: “The Science of Justice: the Past, Present, and Future of Forensic Science”
- Rachel Wolff: “U.S. Food Waste: Its Environmental Implications and Adopting France’s Supermarket Waste Law to Increase State Accountability on Grocery Store Practices”
Ready to learn? O’Neal’s Signature Scholars Research Program Symposium is open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Space is limited. To secure a spot, email Tara Logan at tlogan@onealschool.org or call 910-692-6920, ext. 100. The symposium will also be streamed on the school’s YouTube channel.
More on the O’Neal School’s Signature Scholars Research Program
The O’Neal School’s Signature Scholars Research Program is a two-year intensive research study, led by English Department Chair Dr. Nicole Camastra, which launched in 2022. SSRP gives select upperclassmen the opportunity to explore their passion, connect with experts in their field of interest, earn a diploma with distinction, and gain experience that will set them apart from other college applicants.
Students apply for the program at the end of their 10th grade year. Candidates are selected based on academic record, a written essay, letters of recommendation, and a personal interview. Juniors will learn how to gather and analyze information in the Research Methodology and Philosophy class. By the end of the year, students will complete an annotated bibliography with at least 35 sources and a research proposal. As seniors, they will apply their research and write a 10,000 paper on the topic they’ve extensively researched, culminating with a presentation at the symposium.
Dr. Camastra says the program not only teaches students how to research and apply information, but how to talk about it with others. “The presentation component offers invaluable experience for the student … like getting comfortable with different audiences and understanding that not every audience shares your same level of interest on the topic.”
“That’s part of being an academic, a scholar, or just a professional person,” she adds, “learning to talk to different people about a topic in a way that’s relevant and interesting to them.”
Did we mention that it looks pretty good on a college application?
Learn more about the O’Neal School’s Signature Scholars Research Program and other academic offerings here. This article was produced in partnership with the O’Neal School.
