The Scholar: December 2012 Edition

The Scholar December 2012 Edition

1 The University of Tennessee at Martin’s University Scholars Organization

Important Dates ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Blake Conrad—The Freshmen’s First Patti’s Trip ................................................................................ 3

Andrew Warner—An Interview with Zachary Ragland .................................................................... 3

Chloe Mullis—Up ’til Dawn ........................................................................................................................... 5

Jeremiah Langley—Honors Guest Speaker, Lynne Cherry ................................................................ 6

Lacey Wilkerson—The Color of Optimism .............................................................................................. 7

Riley Rich—Summer ....................................................................................................................................... 7

Lindsay Feigl—The Legendary Teacher .................................................................................................. 8

Hunter Lindberg—Haikus............................................................................................................................. 9

Junior/Senior Projects

Charles Busby ................................................................................................................................... 10

Eric Staggs .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Chelsea Boyd ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Colton Jones....................................................................................................................................... 12

Kerry Durso ....................................................................................................................................... 13

Erika Pugh .......................................................................................................................................... 14

Chelsea Boyd ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Michael Martin ................................................................................................................................. 15

Table of Contents

Disclaimer: Any views or opinions herein

expressed are not representative of the University Scholars

Organization as a whole

Senior Editors: Photographers:

Riley Rich Katrina Moeller

Hunter Lindberg Laura Miller

The University of Tennessee at Martin’s University Scholars Organization 2


Important Dates

Scholar Events— Fall Semester

All-Nighter: October 19th

Talon Falls, and Patty’s: October 28th

Halloween Party: October 30th

Scholar Trivia Bowl: November 5th-6th

Patty’s & Mammoth Cave: November 10th

Thanksgiving Party: November 15th

Christmas Party: December 3rd

All-Nighter: December 7th

Academic Calendar— Fall Semester

November 12-20 Advising & Early

Registration

November 21-25 Holiday

December 7 Classes end

December 8-14 Final Exams

December 15 Commencement 11 a.m.

For more information, visit:

http://catalog.utm.edu/content.php?

catoid=5&navoid=251#Fall_Semester__2012



The Freshmen’s First Patti’s Trip

Blake Conrad

On Wednesday, October 16, the freshmen Scholars

class took our first trip to Patti’s in Grand Rivers, Kentucky.

This fine eating establishment is held in high regards among

fellow scholars, and after taking the trip and eating the food, I

could completely see why this was such an important and fun

trip.

We started our trip with about an hour and a half ride to

Patti’s, which seemed to take a lot longer than it really did.

Everyone was excited to finally get there and see what all the

buzz was about. When we finally arrived, we were ecstatic to

get in and enjoy some of the wonderful attractions that Patti’s

brings. We all enjoyed the scenery as we made our way to the

main entrance. But one thought was on everyone’s mind: food.

We had a short wait inside but were soon shuffled into a back

room and were given seats. Before long, appetizers and bread

were flying as people raced to fill their hungry stomachs. All

the while, people were talking and laughing, truly enjoying

being together in such a wonderful place.

After a short wait, the main course was brought out and

the feast began. The food was all that everyone had hoped for.

Patti’s had lived up to our expectations. Everything was great,

and the service was very nice. It absolutely made for a

wonderful evening of dining with friends.

Finally, we finished our

meals and made our way out of the

restaurant. We decided to walk

around to the little shops and

attractions to see what they were

like. By far, the best part of the

night was the small zoo in the

back. Most of the animals were out

and about which made it much

more enjoyable. In fact, there was

one particular animal that everyone

seemed to enjoy. Everyone found a

certain angry llama to be

particularly hilarious.

The ride back did not seem to last nearly as

long as the ride there. The trip had brought us all closer

together as a class, so there was plenty of talk amongst

everyone on the way back. Everyone’s bellies were full,

and we were all happy together. There is no doubt in

my mind that every trip we take to Patti’s, be it just our

class or with everyone else in Scholars, will be just as

fun and exciting as this one was.

“What’s Happening?” Freshmen News Reports

“Great ideas often receive violent

opposition from mediocre minds. “

-Albert Einstein

An Interview with Zachary Ragland

Andrew Warner

I chose to interview one of the sophomore scholars for

this edition of the scholar. Zachary Ragland is spending

this semester on a travel study in Alaska. Going to

Alaska is something that he has wanted to do for some

time now. Though he is still in the United States, it is a

culture shock going from the flat landscape of

Tennessee to the frigid temperatures of Arctic. He is in

the land of sub-zero temperatures, Ice Road Truckers,

and Sarah Palin. Yet, despite all of the nuisances of the

fiftieth state, he is genuinely enjoying himself. Perhaps

there will be other scholars to follow in his footsteps

and experience a semester abroad.

How does your travel study to Alaska help your

major/project?

To begin with, I want to give a disclaimer that I

have always wanted to go to Alaska, and I have only

just found a way to make it seem major related. In all

honesty this semester will probably hurt me more than



it will help me with my major and project. However, the life experiences that I will gain will make it more than

worth it to me. I enjoy traveling and meeting new people. It has always fascinated me how people from different

parts of the country interact with each other and view life in general.

My schedule is fairly simple; I am only taking 15 credits. My classes are Animal Physiology, Introduction

to Fisheries, Religions of the World, Communications, Rock Climbing, and Ultimate Frisbee. The fisheries class

will not transfer, but we do not have many fisheries in Tennessee, so I took it more to learn than get credit. The

religions of the world may transfer, but I’m not too sure or worried about it, as I also took it for the knowledge

value. If I was to get technical, I only have two classes that are actually major related. As for my project, I

honestly do not have a clue as to what I will be doing, so my time in Alaska may or may not be beneficial.

Who are the people that you hang out with? Are they other exchange students?

There are quite a few national and international exchange students here in

Fairbanks. University of Alaska at Fairbanks is a huge melting pot of different

cultures. I have talked to people from Japan, Norway, Germany, Sweden, England,

Canada, Native Alaskans, not to mention people from all over the "lower 48" from

Florida to Washington and everywhere in between. I know there are people from

other countries and backgrounds here, but I have not had too much communication

with them. One of the people I hang out with the most is a native Alaskan. She is

three-eighths Aleut and Athabasca. She says she is the whitest native in Alaska, and

it is true as far as I can tell, though she is far from the stereotypical native woman.

She is a commercial fisherman, catching nearly 14,000 pounds of fish last summer,

which is how she pays for school. Another friend is from Texas, but he has lived in

the "village" for most of his life and is more native than most natives. As for my

non-native friends, I hang out with a Marine, an exchange student from Minnesota,

one from England, and other random people.

What do you do for fun?

Well, for fun it is about the same as in Martin. If you want to have fun, you have to make your own fun. I

am very rarely bored. Mostly I just hang out with people. I've taken a lot of hikes around campus and Ester

Dome. Last weekend I went to see The Wizard of Oz put on by the acting group in Fairbanks, and next weekend I

am going to Chena Hot Springs. I've heard great things about it. I go contra dancing (combination of square

dancing and line dancing) every couple of weekends because a bunch of people from the Minnesota group go.

Since I do not drive, if I want to go off campus, I can either take the mac buses or catch a ride with someone. A

couple of weeks ago I spent about 8 hours over 3 different nights outside looking at the Northern lights. I cannot

describe how beautiful they are. Seeing them made this entire endeavor worth it.

Are there any particular differences between Alaska and the UT Martin area?

Interesting differences between Alaska and the South? There certainly are. The first is the sun. Back home

it starts in the east, rises, goes almost overhead, and then sets in the west. Here the sun comes up, never really

leaves the horizon, and then goes back down. The days when I first got up here were about 17 hours long, but now

they’re closer to 9 hours and are getting shorter every day. Another difference is the temperature. It is 15 degrees

outside right now. Next week the temperature isn't supposed to rise above 10 degrees for a couple days. That

sounds really cold (and it is), but it is a different kind of cold. I thought I would be in a permanent state of cold up

here, but you get used to it really quickly.



The people are different. The biggest and saddest difference is no one has a southern accent. I really

miss it; it's one of those things you don't notice until it's gone. The people up here are friendly to an extent.

The best way I can explain it is by making a comparison. In Martin we only have vanilla ice cream with a

little chocolate and sherbet thrown in just so we can say it isn't all vanilla. Here in UAF there is vanilla,

chocolate, rocky road, moose tracks, cosmopolitan, sherbet, banana split, blueberry, strawberry, frozen native

berry, confused berry, I-don’t-know-what-you-are berry, and a few other flavors that I can't accurately

describe. That is the best way that I can describe the people up here. It is really diverse and has expanded

my personal bubble and opened my eyes to the differences not only in culture, but everything.

What are you taking away from the trip?

The most important thing that I am taking from this trip so far is how big the world really is. In

Martin, it is easy to feel excluded and forget about the rest of the people around the world. People are so

intense about everything they do up here, it is a little contagious. It has really been a life-changing

experience, and I hope the changes that I have tried to make in myself and on this campus will be long lasting

changes. People say that Alaska can steal a person, and I have to say it is true. I love this place, and until I

get home I won't know if it is the people up here or the land itself that I love. Either way, I will be returning

to Alaska eventually. This trip for me is a chance to find out who I truly am and continue to grow physically,

mentally, and spiritually.

Zachary Ragland is a sophomore Scholar with a major in Animal Science. He aspires to become a

veterinarian. Zach will be flying back to the “lower 48” on December 16th of this year.

Up ‘til Dawn

Chloe Mullis

There are many activities and community service opportunities at UT Martin. One service

that I took part in and enjoyed was Up ‘til Dawn. This event was held on October 9th in the Student

Rec Center. Up ‘til Dawn is an event that encourages students to bring as many addresses as they can

to send letters, asking for donations to help children who are patients at St. Jude Children’s Research

Hospital. At our event, we were handed a stack of letters and

envelopes to fill out, and then we sat down at a table with other

students. The students were asked to fill out the letter with their

information, sign it, and address the envelope. There were also door

prize drawings and minute-to-win-it games. The minute-to-win-it

games were short, competitive games to add a little entertainment to

addressing envelopes. There were also party jumpers in the back of

the gym for people to take a break and have some fun.

The theme for this year’s event was “Save the Day the Saint

Jude Way.” The t-shirts had a Batman symbol on them, representing

the superhero-themed motto. An incentive for people to write as many letters as possible was a neat t-

shirt for students who wrote fifty or more. This encouraged people to write more letters, bringing in

more donations, and helping St. Jude even more. Although there was an incentive, the true reason so

many people were there was the same: they wanted to come together for the cause. Personally, this

event made me feel like I was a part of something greater than myself, and I was helping children

who are struggling every day. Being selfless is an important part of life, and I am glad that UT Martin

took part in this opportunity to help the children of St. Jude.



“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go

outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature

and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that

God wishes to see people happy amidst the simple beauty of nature. ...I

firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” - Anne Frank

Honors Guest Speaker, Lynne Cherry

Jeremiah Langley

On the night of October 2, 2012, award winning children’s book author and filmmaker Lynne

Cherry came to give a talk entitled Conservation & Inspiration: Science, Books and Films in Watkins

Auditorium at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Among the audience members were Education

majors, teachers, budding authors, and environmentalists.

As a child, Lynne Cherry was always outdoors watching nature’s creatures, birds being among

her favorites. One day, while watching her cat stalk birds, Lynne discovered that, because her cat was

still, the birds couldn’t see him. Soon, she also found that if she too “…stayed as still as a statue, I

[Lynne] would be invisible to the birds….” In being so still, she would find goldfinches and other birds

flying so close to her face that she could feel the edges of their wings flutter against her skin. This

inspired then eight-year-old Lynne to write and illustrate what would become one of her first children’s

books: Archie, Follow Me.

Having already written several successful books, Cherry decided to write a children’s book

about the history of the restoration of the Nashua River in Massachusetts.

While conducting her research about the river for her book, she said that she

“accidentally” earned her Master’s degree from Yale University. Upon

finishing her research, and earning a M.A. in history, she was able to write

her Reading Rainbow Featured Book, A River Ran Wild: An Environmental

History.

One of her most recent works (of which she was a co-author), How

We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids

Explore Global Warming, inspired many children world-wide, from Russia to

Germany to the United States, to do whatever they could to help the

environment and stop global climate change. Upon learning about what these

children had done, she made several short films all entitled Young Voices for

the Planet. With the help of the National Geographic Society, these films

will be available, along with lesson plans based on them, to educators

worldwide.



“Creative Outlet” Sophomore Creative Pieces

The Color of Optimism

Lacey Wilkerson

If optimism was clear like a child’s drawing of a sunny day, then I’d have nothing else to write

about. If it was a flawless, shimmering shade of gold that twinkled in a fool’s eye, then who among us

could say they possessed it? Maybe optimism is blue like a river cutting through stone or the twinkling

in a newborn’s eye. It could be green like the individual blades of grass that form the behemoth of a

meadow’s floor. Many say it’s yellow like a daffodil blooming in the early spring, but who can yield

optimism so pure? Surely not me or anyone else that goes through the trials of living.

In contrast, perhaps optimism is stained red by the loss and despondency that we optimists

overcome. Even more, optimism could be a displeasing shade of brown like the muck one wades

through before they may truly grasp said emotion. It could even be a dark and cloying shade of purple, a

bruise on the pride of those who seek optimism but are not able to find it. Yet it hardly seems just to

label a beautiful thing like optimism with such a pitiful shade. Who could possibly be optimistic if the

color of it was this dismal and discouraging?

This is what leads me to say that optimism must be

gray. Yes, gray. What is gray but a mixture of the lightest and

the darkest of colors? They need to be placed together to form

the balance required to truly perceive optimism at its finest.

Without black, white is nothing but hope without action. It is an

absence. Without white, black can not reflect anything it

encounters. Together they make a shade that can correspond

and enhance any color under the sun.

Riley Rich

Summer

I breathe in, And Out

Delaying the inevitable, desiring only to be absent

Closing my eyes, I lull myself into denial

Open, but there it is

Closed

A box, undeniable in its formality

Its dense pressure

Is there anything within? They tell me there is

But there is nothing in the box



Was there ever?

The vague sorrow says there was

My father, sobbing next to me, desperately desired it

Stiff with grief, my grandmother knew for certain

We three, so alike in nature

He and I, similarly bewildered

She, isolated in miserable clarity

But I? I alone am skeptical

And that is what haunts me

The Legendary Teacher

Lindsey Feigl

The bell rang signaling the start of my favorite class, Gifted. Next to me, my friend Carrie started

her daily jabbering about all the drama going on in our fifth grade class. My focus slowly drifted away

and the dull roar of the class faded. I found myself staring blankly over Carrie’s right shoulder at our

teacher. Mrs. Hilgeman was organizing some papers at her desk, finishing up the lesson for the day. My

gaze drifted toward the front of the room when something caught my attention. Big white letters streaked

across the normally blank chalkboard reading, “Welcome Mr. Cerutti!”

I turned back to Carrie and asked, “Who’s Mr. Cerutti?” cutting her off mid-sentence. She gave

me her infamous “you’ve got to be kidding me” glare. “That’s who I’ve been talking about this whole

time! Haven’t you been paying any attention? He’s the middle school Gifted teacher. My sister says he’s

the best teacher she’s ever had.”

The door squeaked open and the dull roar of the room turned

silent. A man passed through the doorway dragging his right foot

behind his left like a character from a horror film. His massive

stature, broad shoulders, and curved neck filled the room with an

anxious energy. “That’s him,” Carrie whispered. Panic swept

through me, rattling my knee caps; this immense, broken man was

going to be my teacher next year. He awkwardly made his way

across the room to the front and stood next to Mrs. Hilgeman,

dwarfing her.

“Hello Mrs. Hilgeperson,” said Mr. Cerutti in his aged yet cheerful

voice.

Although his stature was frightening, he looked around the room with eyes of wisdom. He

carefully studied every one of us not in judgment, but rather trying to learn something special about each

individual person. When his intense stare reached me, I immediately looked down at the floor, but the

image of his passionate, bright blue eyes was burned into my memory. They were eyes of intelligence and

experience. It looked as though he had conquered every obstacle any one person could face in a lifetime.



Haikus

Hunter Lindberg

Time happens briefly.

A bit in every moment.

Here so fast and gone.

Dazzling white snow,

The landscape like a canvas.

Brilliant perfection.

The air is thin, crisp.

Looking down upon the world,

Through stories of clouds.

Simplicity is:

Understated, beautiful.

Not the minimum.

What is our impact,

Across all of space and time?

Ripples on a lake.

Still, timeless, and dead.

Deserts on the Moon and Earth,

Are they so different?

Death feeds into life.

Ends begin us all again.

The wheel never stops.

City streets birth filth,

Crime, corruption, and litter.

Return to the past.

I looked up from my feet as I heard Mrs. Hilgeman’s familiar voice, “Everyone, this is Mr. Cerutti.

All of you are going to have the extreme honor of having him as your teacher next year. He’s here today to

tell you about what you’ll be doing next year in his Gifted class and when he’s finished you’ll be able to ask

him any questions you’d like.”

“Thank you,” Mr. Cerutti said with a crooked grin. His eyes lit up like candles in excitement, “Ok,

next year we’ll be reading three books and discussing them in class. There will also be a final test on each

book,” he paused with the class’s uniform “awe” and brushed his short grey hair back from his eyes, “We’ll

also be doing a few projects such as the architecture project, where you’ll design your own house and then

build it out of cardboard.”

An enthusiastic murmur came from my classmates and I as a smile danced at the corners of Mr.

Cerutti’s mouth. “Ok, ok,” Mr. Cerutti said throwing his hands up attempting to quiet his audience.

Suddenly, as if someone had flipped a switch, his lightheartedness turned serious; “Now, it is not my job to

give you all A’s. It is my job to give you my best efforts as a teacher and push you as best I can.” Mr.

Cerutti continued, “In return,” he paused, “I expect the same respect from you. Every day you’re in my

class, I expect you to give me your best effort in learning. Now, if I’m doing my job, you’ll want to push

yourself and you’ll want to succeed in my class, which is what I find to be true with most of my students.

But you have to take it upon yourself and go the extra mile to do well in my class.”

In that moment, I made it my personal goal to not only reach, but exceed his expectations. I wanted to be

the best student I could possibly be for Mr. Cerutti.



“Independent Studies” Junior & Senior Projects

Paradise unseen,

Perfection shown through nature.

Illudes us always.

Man seeks to improve

That which God has made perfect.

Folly at its height.

Below the surface,

Jesus raises up his hands.

We have drowned him there.

Calm, lush meadow, green.

A deer raises its proud head.

Inhales the sweet air.

Put on your shoes now,

It is time to face the day.

Walking to our graves.

Clouds rise from the land.

Make their journey, dissipate.

A geyser’s lament.

The master is space.

And it holds us all in place,

Moves like chess pieces.

Charles Busby

Mentor: Dr. Nathan Howard

Tradition, family, and Tommy guns–these are a few characteristics Hollywood has attributed to early

20th century organized crime, and which many have come to associate with the period. But do they give a true

picture? Anytime Hollywood influences people’s perception of history, I become anxious, which is why my

project endeavors to discern how genuinely early 20th century traditional organized crime is portrayed in modern

American popular culture and mass media. Specific areas of interest will include familial relationships, brutality

of crimes, hierarchical structures, and several other potentially distorted concepts and images of what organized

crime really entailed. I will draw from both primary and modern sources and theories describing organized crime

in early 20th century America, including, but not limited to police and FBI records, United States congressional

committee reports, journals, novels, and biographies/autobiographies. Sources for comparison from the popular

culture and mass media may include newspapers, novels, movies, and TV shows.

This semester’s primary goals are to 1) identify distinctive characteristics of traditional organized crime

as found in all/most forms of mass media 2) study both scholarly and popular depictions of traditional organized

crime to form a more complete base knowledge of the subject matter, and 3) learn how to clearly and fairly

compare scholarly and popular portrayals of gangsters. Other important objectives are discovering and delving

into primary source material, i.e. finding a germane archive to visit; gaining an idea of what the experts are still



Eric Staggs

Mentor: Dr. Abigail Shelton

Second Reader: Dr. Phillip Shelton

Characterization and Synthesis of Fluorescent and Phosphorescent Compounds

My research is off to a slow start, but it is quickly picking up. Dr. Shelton and I have

acquired our own lab space. We spent a few meeting times cleaning up after the last inhabitants,

organizing the chemicals and equipment we were able to obtain. We also went over the chemistry

we will be studying. We outlined how we are going to start, the map we hope to follow, and our

destination. I also learned and practiced the procedure for using a nuclear magnetic resonance

(NMR) instrument. Specifically, I learned to obtain a H1NMR. We lost a few meeting times due to

the lack of availability of our desired compounds. They had to be specially ordered, and the

reaction could not proceed without them.

Once the chemicals we needed arrived, we began

work on our first reaction. We are conducting this

experiment in order to help me become more comfortable

working with these types of compounds and in teaching

me what to expect from the various reactions such as our

current reaction of potassium tetrachloroplatinate and 2-

phenyl benzothiazole.

Throughout the semester, my plan is to continue to

gain more confidence in the lab and become more efficient

in my work. As soon as I am able to obtain decent product

yields and am comfortable with the procedure and

chemistry of our experiments, we will begin the

photophysical characterization of the desired compounds.

asking about this period (historiographical research);

and catching up on some good gangster movies I’ve

not been able to watch. My biggest challenge will be

discovering firsthand accounts from gangsters and

their associates, as it is unpropitious to describe one’s

illegal exploits. My mentor and I are both very excited

to evaluate how correct or incorrect popular opinion is

in regards to the reality of traditional organized crime.

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival

value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” - C.S. Lewis



Chelsea Boyd

Mentor: Dr. David Carithers

My intentions for the next two years are to write a novel for my University Scholar’s project. I

intend for it to be a novel that is in the style of a murder-mystery and with a strong undercurrent of

psychology. I am currently planning for the novel to have the main character working to solve a murder

committed by someone with a psychological problem, such as schizophrenia. By having the antagonist

of the novel be afflicted with a psychological disorder, the plot will be intriguing because the main

character will have to go through much more complicated ordeals and trials to solve the murder and

bring the criminal to justice than one would have to when dealing with a mentally sound subject.

Dr. David Carithers is my mentor for my

research project. As of now, I do not have a second

reader, but I plan to have a second reader that is a

psychology professor. Dr. Carithers and I are working to

develop my skills in writing using a writer’s journal. I

am currently writing in the journal on a daily basis to

help develop the main character and story line as fully as

possible and to help keep track of possible ideas for the

plot. The purpose of my writer’s journal is to help me

develop my characters, imagery, and plot while allowing

my progress to be monitored by Dr. Carithers. At this

point in the semester, Dr. Carithers and I have been

working to make sure my main character is dynamic

enough to make the plot and storyline more realistic,

Colton Jones

Mentor: Dr. Wes Totten Plant Growth Regulators

My University Scholars project involves research on 'Tifway' Bermudagrass Growth Regulation

in Golf Course Roughs. The research is conducted on campus at the University of Tennessee at Martin

at the newly established Rhodes Golf Center behind the Dunagan Alumni Center on Farm Road. Plant

growth regulators, or PGRs, limit gibberellic acid synthesis, which in turn limits cell division and

elongation, preventing vertical growth. This project will be a joint effort with two PGA Agronomists:

Dr. Bert McCarty at Clemson University and Dr. Scott McElroy at Auburn University. The purpose of

this project is to determine the possibility of minimizing the mowing needs on 'Tifway' Bermudagrass

golf course roughs.

My mentor is Dr. Wes Totten, Professor of Plant Science, and my second reader is Dr.

Barbara Darroch, Lab Coordinator. Research began in the summer of 2012. When I returned to UT

Martin from my summer internship at the beginning of August 2012, I began spraying plant growth

regulator applications on a turf plot that is broken up into four rows of nine – 3m2 sections. This is set up

for four replications of eight different PGR applications plus a control. Three applications were made on

June 25, July 25, and August 24, and height, turf quality, turf injury, seed-head percentage, and weed

count were evaluated weekly after initial treatment (WAIT). Height was rated in centimeters (cm). Turf

quality was rated visually on a scale from one to nine, where one equates to brown turf and nine equates



to dark green, with less than seven being unacceptable. Turf injury

was visually assessed on a scale of 0 to 100% with less than 30%

being unacceptable. Seed-head percentage was visually assessed on

a scale of 0 to 100%. Weed count was calculated by physically

counting and identifying each weed in each plot. Although there

will be two years of research, there should be enough data to

publish and present the findings after the first year. A few of the

possible venues for presentations include the Southern Weed

Science Society in January and McCurdy's Turf Day in February.

Kerry Durso

Mentor: Dr. Julie Hill

Second Reader: Dr. Jessie Thoman

"The Marriage of Music and Literature: A Study of Compositions Based on Literature, Past and Present"

For the University Scholars Senior Project requirement, I am researching the use of literature in

musical compositions throughout history and compiling a set of criteria common to these pieces. I have

commissioned a new musical composition that employs these defined characteristics while also expanding

the body of works available for music performance world-wide involving percussion and literature. I have

contacted Dr. Michael Aukofer, the selected composer for my commission. After having sent many

informational documents and musical files to the composer, I have continued to communicate with Michael

on the progress of the composition process and how aspects of the piece highlight the literary selection, The

Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. I will describe the commission process and all interaction with the composer

within the paper as well. My witty title is drawn from my commission, which unites The Great Divorce with

a musical composition to combine two of my passions, music and literature, into a genre of performance that

will be expanded by this contribution. Here’s an excerpt of my paper thus far:

In the 1150s, the nun Hildegard von Bingen wrote the text and composed the Ordo Virtutum,

pioneering the medieval liturgical drama genre of “morality play”, a term which Oxford Music Dictionary

defines as “sung religious dialogues, ceremonies and plays in Latin”. (Stevens) Von Bingen’s was the first

morality play by more than a century and depicts a human soul that is torn between temptation and salvation.

Anima, the female soul, is persuaded by sixteen women who represent different virtues and a man playing

the devil . . . Since she wrote the text and music herself, the two parts of Hildegard’s finished work melded

into an inseparable whole. As traditional recorder player Andy Anderson described, “The music is sung

monophonic lines for female voices, plus a spoken, or perhaps more accurately shouted part for a man

playing the devil.” Using the text as dialogue between characters enforces the 82 different melodies that

create motifs and themes to mirror and recreate the text. Stringed instruments accompany the female

characters in some chants, but most of the monophonic chant is unsupported, increasing the awe-inspiring



and eerie sound of the vocalists. The chorus very rarely employs heterophony,

creating more than one musical line, but continues to move with the same rhythm.

Anima’s part is sung solely. When the virtues speak as a group, one leads with the

first line of the text, the others joining on the second. The first time instruments

play simultaneously with the singers is after the Devil speaks for the first time, to

counter the Devil’s speech. The Virtues sing over top of a unison note from the

strings, crying out to Innocence, one of the 16 virtues. This is because Innocence

has been lost from Anima, the soul,

when she realizes she is not perfect and

cannot live up to the “dress” of divinity

that she desires to wear. The Virtues

tell Innocence to mourn the loss of the

soul’s want to know God. The Devil

then destroys the serenity left behind

the women’s lines with his coarse,

shouted verse.

This piece was first notated in chant notation in an

illuminated manuscript at the monastery, shown here.

Erika Pugh

My Scholars project is on the education level and attitudes towards Biomedical Ethics. While

conducting an article search, I came across a report entitled “Bioethics: Awareness, attitudes and opinions

among University students and Faculty/Researchers.” This was the first time that I have found an article so

similar to my topic. I became even more excited when I realized the study was conducted in Pakistan. Here is

a study quite similar to my own, conducted in an entirely different culture, with different values and beliefs. In

my survey, I am presenting participants with four case studies that have different primary subjects. The

subjects include the following: full disclosure, stem cell research, the practices of pharmaceutical companies,

and informed consent. One of the survey questions assesses how important the participant feels the topic is.

After analyzing the data, I will be able to compare the values of individuals in the United States to those in

Pakistan.

The Pakistan study found that cloning, abortion, and organ

donation are considered the most important topics in bioethics. The

researchers believe that this is due to reasons of the “glamour

attached to the technology, moral connotations and the hype created

by media respectively”. The study also concluded that educated youth

generally have a more positive attitude toward science and

technology and how it affects people’s lives.

It is quite possible that my findings will be similar. My

hypothesis is that individuals possessing higher levels of education

will be more open to the direction science is taking and will be more

likely to side with the researcher/science in the presented case studies.

I hope that the government and other institutions can use the findings

of this research to develop more applicable laws based on what the public feels is important.



Michael Martin

My project, which has only the vaguest of working titles at the moment, has had its share of ups and

downs. This has culminated in an entirely new project, beginning the summer before my senior year. I was

lucky enough to have Dr. Pershell sign on at the end of the Spring semester of 2012, and under her guidance

we created a lengthy to-do list for the summer. In order to fit four semesters of work into one year, it quickly

became apparent that the summer had to be utilized. The goal I set out to accomplish during the summer was

to compete roughly one and a half semesters worth of work. I accomplished roughly one semester’s worth. In

order to make up ground, we have worked to set very specific deadlines for this semester, which I have been

regularly meeting.

On a much more interesting note, I will fill you in on some details of my project. Similarly, I am sure,

to the majority of those reading this, I have been lucky to receive enough scholarships to avoid taking out stu-

dent loans. However, I have witnessed friends and acquaintances of mine take out superfluously large loans

which are then spent on leisure and luxury. Being keenly interested in personal finance, I was curious to see if

there were any loopholes or situations in which a particularly disciplined college student might be able to turn

a profit via investing said superfluously large loans. While the system has several safeguards to stop such a

scheme, there are several scenarios such that success can be ascertained. How much profit? To whom do these

methods apply? For those wonderful tidbits and more you will have to wait for the final write up of the project.

I feel that my project has two levels of significance. One level is the academic fun of abusing a little

math to theoretically earn some “free” money, the whole idea reeks of rebellious nerd fun. On the other hand,

there is the possibility that some lucky (or if we have some terrible catastrophic economic melt-down,

unlucky) freshman happens across my project in the future when it is on display in the scholar study. What if

someone trusts my math and follows my plan? While not applicable to all candidates, my project in particular

holds the potential of being utilized by future students to help them succeed financially. Rather than giving

some abstract insight into a random problem, I am trying to offer something of practical use.

“Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of

imagination.” - Oscar Wilde

The Scholar: December 2012 Edition

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Transcript of The Scholar: December 2012 Edition