Leslie Brooks – HSS 298 Research in the Humanities
Instructor: Chuck Baker

I’ve always had an interest in the way in which various societies manifest themselves in the literary fiction of numerous cultures. This exhibition of societal and cultural norms through the written word is something that we can see throughout history, even within the scope of contemporary literature. This semester, I’ve had the privilege of working with Professor Chuck Baker within a Creative Inquiry course. We’ve explored the nuances of how global perceptions, social problems, and literary genres interrelate through primary and secondary research.

After some preliminary exploration, I’ve narrowed my academic research to the literary genre of magical realism. Through this course, I have researched how this literary genre has transformed across generations and time. From the early boom of Latin writers in the genre, such as Gabriel García Márquez, I’ve discovered some startling inadequacies for magical realism to serve as a mode of narration for contemporary South America literary authors.

Throughout the semester, I will be presenting my research at an assortment of local and regional research symposiums. More importantly, I hope to gain experience in both a field I am passionate about and a better understanding of what will be required of me as an educator at a post-secondary institution.

End of semester post for Leslie Brooks – HSS 298

As I reflect on the academic journey that I took with Professor Chuck Baker this past semester, I am humbled at the opportunities this experience has afforded me. Creative Inquiry gave me a taste of the research that I may be required to complete later on in my academic and professional career. I cannot even begin to articulate how this class has helped me transform myself as a writer, speaker, and as a student. I know going forward that I am capable of competitive academic research in whatever capacity my subsequent professors require of me.

Throughout the semester, I was able to explore a literary genre that I was already intensely curious about. I had the opportunity to challenge my preconceptions and assumptions about a different culture and grew on both a scholarly and personal level because of it.

 

Rebecca Poore – Bio 299 Research in the Biological Sciences
Instructor: Brad Caldwell

My name is Rebecca Poore and I am a creative inquiry student researching in the area of Forensic Anthropology. I will be learning the skills to identify the age, sex, and ancestry of a person by their skeletal remains. I have been interested in bones since I had an Anatomy class in high school I just couldn’t figure out which direction I wanted to go in. After doing this creative inquiry, I will either be going into Radiology or an area of Anthropology. I am excited and anxious to look and learn more about skeletal remains and what they can tell me about a person.