Every spring, Siena scholars from all academic areas gather together at the annual Academic Celebration for scholarly discussion, award presentations and honor society inductions. This day-long event honors all of the hard work and dedication our Saints have put into the academic opportunities they have embraced.
The day of celebration begins with a presentation session in the Sarazen Student Union where all students are invited to showcase their research and final projects.
Marlena Mareno ’18, spent the afternoon presenting her final research from the political science, “Politics of Clothing” course, taught by Laurie Naranch, Ph.D. Titled, “A Right for All or a Right for Some: An Analysis of a “Fair Jury” and the Implication of Prison Garb,” posed the question of why those presumed to be innocent until proven guilty are subject to prison garb while standing in a trial judged by their peers. Her research showed that having defendants appear in prison garb impacts trials in an unfair manner, whether consciously or subconsciously.
“I am a political science major, so I’ve always been interested in politics,” said Mareno. “But, the topic of politics in clothing really sparked my interest because it was something I’d never thought of before. Delving into all the different topics that we did in class really made me realize that clothing is a huge part of politics throughout history as well as today.”
The “Politics of Clothing” was one of the first courses to utilize Siena’s new Digital Scholarship Center. The Center, which was dedicated January 25, includes an active learning classroom, monitors, a state-of-the-art projection system, and digitization equipment and management systems.
“We visited the Center twice to get the feel for all the new equipment and then we went on two other occasions where we actually got to work with the technicians and librarians on the equipment. It shows the importance of up and coming technology in academia. You’re not thinking that you’re going to be learning these technical skills as a political science major, but it was really helpful in framing our classroom discussions,” said Mareno.
Senior English major Emily Heald ’17, explored something near and dear for her academic research- first generation college students. As a first-generation college student herself, Heald knows the struggles that these students face. But, she believes that too often it is those struggles that are the focus and there is not enough emphasis on their experiences of strength and the unique assets they bring to the table. Her research used ethnographic field techniques to capture stories of strength and challenge both in and outside the classroom and highlight the experiences of first generation college students at Siena College
Her project, titled “Two Sides to Every Story: An Ethnographic Analysis of Experiences of Strength and Challenge Within the First Generation College Student Experience At Siena College,” was advised by English professor Todd Snyder, Ph.D., also a first generation college student himself.
Outside of the classroom, Heald gives back to college-bound students through Siena’s Office of Academic Community Engagement as a Bonner Program Recruitment Coordinator. In this role Heald works with applicants and candidates for Siena’s Bonner Service Leaders program. She also participates as a student representative on Siena’s Diversity Action Committee.
The annual Academic Celebration brings together scholars in science, business and liberal arts to showcase the wide variety of academic opportunities available to Siena Saints, and their passion to pursue it.
