Research and projects fill Gorton Quad
A high-energy exhibition showcasing the variety, shared experiences and scholastic development at City College exploded in a barrage of song, dance and creativity.
The event, the 8th Annual Student Project and Research Symposium, was held on May 2 in Gorton quad and orchestrated by a committee of City directors and professors.
New to this year’s symposium was the inclusion of the cosmetology department, which presented a fashion showcase about the history of cosmetology.
Also present were numerous student created posters and presentations depicting informative research projects with topics ranging from civil rights and liberties to the life cycle of water. The students who researched and created these projects were selected from the classroom in subjects such as economics, english, biology and many others.
Whether presenting topics tied to their heritage, like communications and speech pathology student Marco Batani’s poster “Border Education,” or out of interest in the topic, such as economics student Barry Cabistan’s presentation “Smoke Signals: A Signal for Change for Natives in Film,” the myriad displays went a long way to exemplify the versatility and prowess of City’s curriculum.
Also represented was the art department. Their corner of the quad displayed student-created masks, pottery and drawings of all types.
Center quad was the biggest draw to the exhibition. It was here where the many performances were conducted throughout the event. Included was a martial arts display helmed by professor Jim Colbert, a fully choreographed dance routine performed by professor Ruby Wilson and her Zumba class, the aforementioned cosmetology fashion show, and a poetry-reading presentation entitled “Spoken Word.”
Rafael Alvarez, the MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) program director and lead organizer for the event, highlighted the mission and purpose of the symposium.
“To bring the learning outside the classroom and share it with the community, and to provide the presenters the opportunity to engage the community and share what they learned,” said Alvarez. “To expose City College.”
Heidi Bunkowske, public information officer and member of the organizing committee, concurred with Alavarez, referring to City as “a smorgasbord of things to learn about.” She and Alvarez were excited about the continued success of the event over the years and enjoyed the feedback they were receiving from the students in attendance, particularly from those who were acquainted with the variety of everything offered at City through their time at the symposium.
Such was the sentiment expressed by Nancy Rico, a cosmetology student and participant who said spends most of her time at City closeted away in the V-building’s cosmetology department. Rico said she was introduced to various groups and activities she didn’t know about before coming to the event.
Bunkowske additionally commented on Alvarez’s commitment to the project, saying “he brings (the symposium) to life and it wouldn’t be possible without him.” She jokingly added that immediately following the close of this, the eighth event, he’ll likely get straight to work on the ninth.
