Showcasing First-Year Research at 2022 CAFÉ Symposium
A student presents at the 2022 CAFÉ Symposium (Photo courtesy of Richelle Lamarr)
By Heather Wirick, Contributing Writer
On February 9, Gettysburg College hosted their seventh annual Celebration of First Year Engagement (CAFÉ) Symposium in the College Union Building ballroom. CAFÉ was developed in 2016 as a way to highlight the research conducted by students in their respective First-Year Seminars. Presentations at the event were nomination based; faculty mentors selected students with engaging First-Year Seminar projects to present their work at CAFÉ.
Throughout the semester, nominees collaborated with their mentors and the Musselman Library staff to engage in research and create a presentation. At the start of the spring semester, nominated students had opportunities to participate in courses on project poster creation with Health Sciences Professor Josef Brandauer and Thia Anyaoku ’23.
Throughout the event, students stood by their research posters, ready to answer questions, chat with event attendees interested in their studies, and speak on their experiences throughout their research processes.
Emily Walsh ’25 and Fabio Lo ’25 presented their joint project from their First-Year Seminar “But is it Crazy Enough?” Having done extensive research on the ability of animals, including apes, parrots, gorillas, and dolphins, to communicate following a predetermined idea of cohesive English, Walsh noted that the experience was both intense and fun.
“I am happy to have gotten the experience. I highly recommend other first-years get involved. Learning how to research is very useful and will be helpful in other projects,” said Walsh.
Lo echoed Walsh’s sentiments: “Poster presentation is something that helps synthesize and explain research in a more digestible way to people. A lot of people do great projects but are unable to spread this to larger audiences.”
Both students were mentees of Professor Eric Remy, whom they praised throughout the process.
“Professor Remy helped by letting us run ideas by him, and with his willingness to answer questions about our study,” said Walsh.
The variety of explored topics and manner of presentation is a testament to the diverse interests of the Class of 2025. From contemplating Shakespeare and the legitimacy of his authorship to the development of at-home pollination kits, students lived up to the symposium’s goals of “presenting great work” and hosting a “successful launch into undergraduate research and creative activity.”
Indeed, the CAFÉ Symposium was a great demonstration of the class’s research abilities, creativity, and passions, with ingenuity that will continue to thrive at Gettysburg in following years.
