A Letter from the Editor

By: Sophia Shaloka

Hi H.S.A Members!

Congratulations on finishing off the Fall 2021 semester! You should all celebrate your efforts in completing a semester of in-person classes after spending over a year taking classes online. I think that it is safe to say that this semester was challenging for all of us, so if you struggled, just know that you are not alone.

During this time of year, when school is put on pause and we celebrate the holiday season, I try to remember how grateful I am for the gifts that life has to offer. This year in particular, I have had extra time to reflect, as I am writing this letter while quarantined in my room. That’s right, and while times have definitely gotten difficult, I am trying to focus on positivity while self-isolating. When I think about it, how fortunate am I to have a place to isolate in the comfort of my home, a loving mother that places meals outside my door, and most importantly, the strength to heal? So often, we focus on everything that is negative in life and fail to recognize all the privilege that surrounds us. In 2022, let us strive to keep a positive mindset and look for beauty in everyday life.

While I encourage you to take the remaining time you have during winter break to stay safe and practice gratitude, I also encourage you to volunteer in your community. What better way to show your gratitude than to give back to others? There are some online service opportunities in this newsletter that you can take advantage of while you are at home that I highly recommend. The H.S.A. Community did an incredible job with community service in the Fall 2021 semester; let’s keep it up next semester!

I hope you all enjoy this edition of H.S.A. Happenings and the rest of your break!

Sincerely,

Sophia Shaloka

Winter Research Corner

By Jocelyn Brown

Hi everyone! I am starting a new segment of HSA Happenings to celebrate the wide array of research completed by Honors students. This month, I wanted to start with two Honors juniors who have worked on research within their departments. Let’s take a look at some testimonials from them.

James Lingman is a junior History major. He writes,

“Undergraduate research may seem like a difficult undertaking reserved for the end of your college career. The reality, however, is far from that. Undergraduate research is a rewarding process that you can take on at any time of college! I worked as an undergraduate research assistant for the summer of 2021, the end of my sophomore year. Under the tutelage of Dr. Éric Fournier, assistant chair of the History Department, I studied documents from late 3rd century North Africa. I specifically focused on key terms and phrases from early Christian texts and authors, such as St. Cyprian, that were cataloged into a running list. After I had completed more than a few documents, I read several texts from the 6th century and specifically looked for those phrases I had already identified. My work looked to connect the writers of the 3rd and 6th centuries through keywords and phrases that had been transplanted from other sources. Ultimately, the research will be used in Dr. Fournier’s upcoming book, which seeks to chronicle trauma and memory in the early Christian North African Church. I intend to continue my research into early Christianity through my HIS 400 capstone course, with the goal to earn a Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) grant for the summer to further my research. I aim to submit my research for peer review by the end of this summer, and I hope to be published in historical journals soon after.”

Annie Defina is a junior Cell and Molecular Biology major. She writes,

Deaths due to cocaine overdose have been increasing since its rise in popularity in 1980, and this number only continues to increase. Around 16,000 Americans die from cocaine overdose every year. Part of this is due to the lack of a good antagonist for cocaine that can be administered to people in the hospital for an overdose. In Dr. Sweet’s lab we are researching parthenolide, a drug that has been mostly used for cancer treatment, as a potential antagonist. We test on mice that we breed and raise in the lab, observing their behavior on mixtures of parthenolide and cocaine, as well as each individually. Some of our mice are only administered saline as a control. As of right now we have found that parthenolide does not affect the normal behavior of the mice, but it does not seem to combat the effects of cocaine in a significant way.”

Next month, we will have the professor-student pairings for the Spring 2022 Research Scholars Program! I will be highlighting their work in the coming months, as well as the work of past Research Scholars.

If you have a research project that you would like me to highlight, then feel free to email me at JB941149@wcupa.edu.

H.S.A. Thanksgiving

By: Holly Liebenberg - 2nd year Marketing Major, Public Relations Coordinator

When you are an incoming Honors College student, you always hear talk of the iconic annual H.S.A Thanksgiving. As a second-year student, I was ecstatic to finally be able to experience Thanksgiving in person this year. It was touching to see how many students came to the event to spend time with their fellow Honors peers. Tables upon tables were full of traditional Thanksgiving food which was all provided by attendees. Sykes Ballroom was beautifully decorated and the cheerful atmosphere truly made the room feel like home.

It also was heartwarming to see so many committees come together to pull off the event. Social Committee planned the logistics, Community Service Committee crafted the decorations, International Outreach Committee invited international students, and many executive leaders were in charge of set-up, serving food, and clean-up.

Overall, attending H.S.A Thanksgiving reminded me of just how grateful I am for the Honors community. This program has aided me in sustaining many lifelong relationships and experiencing new perspectives. I look forward to participating in more Honors College traditions throughout the remainder of my Honors career!