By: Peyton Zamarelli '22

SCHOLAR Day is Mount Union’s student celebration honoring their latest academic research and findings. Students and faculty set aside an entire day to learn from students on our campus who have completed outstanding research projects. This event is celebrated by our students, faculty, staff, and administrators, alumni, and the greater community. SCHOLAR Day was held on Tuesday, April 20. student’s presentations at SCHOLAR Day fall into two categories: formal and poster presentations. Some of the formal and poster presentations created by students have been showcased below.

Formal Presentations

Allison Cipalla, Nina Jackson, Isabel Knapp, Abby Brock, Sarah Galehouse, Beth Cooney, and Haylie LeMar are all students within the psychology or human development disciplines. They presented “The Relationship between Social Media and Mental Health since the COVID-19 Pandemic” this past SCHOLAR Day. In this presentation, the students surveyed a group of individuals who actively use social media to research the effects on their mental and physical health since the pandemic began. They found that overall, the surveyors mental health, feelings of loneliness, and body dissatisfaction worsened the more they used social media. Additionally, it was found that socials channels such as Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook were the most popular amongst surveyors. Lastly, surveyors felt their relationship with social media had a greater negative impact on them since the pandemic began. The students offered several solutions to these issues such as decreasing social media use as well as being mindful of your feelings and emotions while using social media platforms.  

Anna Zumbar, a student in the history and Spanish degree programs, presented “Nationalism as a Survival Tactic in Poland and Hungary.” Zumbar’s presentation included a comparative analysis of various national movements within Europe, their policies and rhetoric, and their implications for the European Union.

Samuel Atkinson, Mark Soehnlen, Brittany McCauley, and Nathan Bower-Malone are all mechanical engineering students who presented the “Raider Rocket Capstone.” For this presentation, students created an inexpensive system to launch rockets made from two- liter bottles. First, the students found the calculations to predict flight behavior and create dimensions for the contraption. The rocket consists of PVC piping mounted to a wooden base, nose cone, and parachute to slow the rocket’s descent back to ground level. This initiative was to incorporate elements of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while also serving as a recruitment tool for perspective students through engineering summer camps and outreach programs.

Samuel Fronsman and Mackenzie Wiley are integrated media students who presented “Dealing with Abuse Through Film.” This presentation consisted of the creation of a film from both students that focused on the reality of abuse. Before production, the students had to research, write, and edit the script to the film. Then, they had to organize props, set, characters, and filming. What the students found most substantial in their research and production was that many current films over dramatize trauma, thus depicting abuse in an unrealistic light. The student’s main goal was to showcase the reality of abuse in its most transparent and bare form while also educating the viewers. The students both completed their films and accomplished educating their viewers on the realities of abuse through drinking and driving as well as domestic abuse.

Various other students participated in the SCHOLAR Day poster fair that was located in the Peterson Fieldhouse.