Celebrating Scholarly Success at the Humanities Symposium

By Shaya Silberstein

On May 4, selected students from the School of Humanities gathered with family, friends and faculty to present projects they've worked on during the academic year, the majority being senior projects.

Leah Springer, the event coordinator and an administrative assistant, expressed her satisfaction, stating, “So much work went into it. I feel I did my part, but everyone contributed, and I feel really good about it.”

The event began with an introduction to the symposium in the Humanities Theater, after which attendees broke into different rooms for the presentations. Each student showcased their projects and then took a 15-minute break before the next round of presentations. Each panel ran for about an hour, and the event took place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Caiden Oestreicher, a literature major, presenting her senior project. (Photo by Alex De Cueto)

Domenick Esposito, a senior journalism major with a minor in communication, presented alongside junior Lauren Hagen and senior Sophia Castro-Astor. He shared, “I presented 'Advanced TV [Television] Laboratory: Season 3, Episode 2 of Purchase Presents.' The atmosphere was great. Everyone in the audience was so nice and asked questions. It was really fun to present our work, and I felt proud of what we accomplished.” 

The episode featured various segments, including a student learning basketball and showcasing food spots in White Plains.

Communications Professor Megan Rossman, who moderated the panel and taught the Advanced TV Lab class, remarked, “The students did an excellent job. We also had a packed house; it's always amazing to see people show up early for this event. The students just knocked it out of the park, and the audience was very enthusiastic. It was a warm and exciting end to the school year.”

Another presenter was Andrew Agosto, a double major in psychology and philosophy. He reflected, “I thought it went well; this was the second time I presented it. I had some practice going in and even rehearsed a bit yesterday.”

Agosto's presentation focused on philosopher Martin Heidegger's work and how love is translated into the world. He explained, “I think it's definitely connected. I have a very hippie-dippy perspective on it. I believe love is everywhere—in a simple childhood memory of food or in a casual conversation at the grocery store. That’s an act of compassion and love for someone.” 

Those who presented with their certificates of achievement. (Photo by Megan Rossman)

After all the presentations, attendees reconvened in the lecture hall, where President Milly Peña and the Director of Humanities, Aviva Taubenfeld, presented certificates to those who presented their projects. Students and faculty took a group photo with the certificate, together on the stairs of the Humanities Building, to close out the event.