In the spring of 2018, I attended Concordia University, Nebraska’s Academic and Research Symposium. The purpose of this Symposium is to, “showcase undergraduate scholarship, science, and research in a relaxed, interdisciplinary setting. Any student involved in scholarship outside of the classroom is encouraged to give a poster or oral presentation at this event” (“CUNE Academic and Research Symposium,” n.d.). Participating in the Symposium offers students, “practical experience in giving presentations in a professional but relaxed setting. It will also be a fun social event where students can learn about other scholarly activities happening on campus. There will also be refreshments and feedback from judges” (“CUNE Academic and Research Symposium,” n.d.).
Not only did I attend this Academic and Research Symposium, but I also gave an oral presentation during it. My presentation was about the hometowns of Major League Baseball Players. Its purpose was to show where professional baseball players are from by mapping their hometowns on ArcGIS online. My research showed an influx of players into America from central American countries and an influx of players from countries like Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Japan. This presentation showed that the sport of Baseball is not just an American pastime.
Most of my time during this Symposium was spent looking at poster presentations or attending other oral presentations. Three main presentations captured my experience at the Symposium. First, Kelby Feddern did a presentation on the spatial analysis of collegiate shotgun schools. The purpose was to show what regions of the United States are more populated with collegiate shotgun teams. Second, Tyler Ehresman did a presentation on the factors determining golf scoring averages. Third, Emma Heidorn did a presentation on cleaning up the Great Lakes by using Excel spreadsheets. These presentations and all the other things I participated in were fantastic, and they made this experience memorable.
References:
CUNE Academic and Research Symposium. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2020, from http://wp.cune.edu/symposium/
