Kate Eklin '08, Dustin McMahon '08, Mita Sharma '08 and Latif Nasser '08 were chosen to present their theses and fellowship work at the event. These students' work best exemplified dedication to the diversity of the student body and a commitment to further academic scholarship at the College, according to Meghan Feely '08, the President's intern.
The breadth of work represented by the presenting students included "The Hottentot Venus: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Sara Baartman" by McMahon and "Effects of Exercise as a Therapeutic Approach for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" by Sharma. The speakers described their motivations and the research process behind their theses and offered advice for students considering writing a thesis.
College President James Wright opened the event with comments on the pride he feels for Dartmouth students when refelcting on the four years since the Class of 2008 matriculated.
"We remember our hopes for you when you came here," he said. "And we delight in just how powerfully you have fulfilled those hopes."
Latif Nasser '08, a senior fellow who spoke at the gala, is writing a play about Einstein as a recent college graduate facing the struggle between pursuing physics and interviewing for a job at an insurance company. Nasser described the thesis writers' desire to get their ideas out to the community.
"After listening for four years, we want to say something," Nasser said. "We're obsessed with saying something that hasn't been said before ... to say something fresh and remarkable about the field we know best. The only advice I can give to all students is to keep being obsessed -- simultaneously to keep listening to the conversation and adding to it."
Kate Eklin '08 combined her passion for Latin America and government by researching the Conditional Cash Transfer programs. Eklin said writing a thesis has taught her how to propose ideas instead of just criticize them.
"We're all so trained to criticize and critique and talk about what we should have or shouldn't have done," Eklin said. "When it comes down to thinking of something on your own, trying to think of something new and trying to study something that no one else has done before, it's impossibly difficult."
Mita Sharma '08 closed the student presentations with remarks on her studies about the effects of exercise on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Sharma said her thesis required much more independence and self-discipline than previous academic assignments.
The event also allowed non-seniors to gain insight into the process of thesis writing, according to Feely.
"[Another] purpose is to inspire undergraduates to engage themselves in similar academic endeavors for the future," Feely said in an interview.
Damaris Walker '09, who hopes to write a senior thesis on the Black Church, said it is important for students to learn about opportunities for thesis writing.
"One of the blessings and curses of Dartmouth is that it moves so fast," Walker said. "By the time students realize the opportunities and programs, it's too late."
Assistant Dean of First-Year Students John Pfister said that the event was important to show underclassmen the "end of the pathway."
"It's what you do in graduate school. To have that experience in a very sympathetic place, a place where people tolerate mistakes and allow time to show you the right way to go," Pfister said.
The Academic Gala has been held annually since 1997 and is sponsored by the President's Office.
