The Stentorian Newspaper

Tag: stem

  • Why You Should Consider Joining RHum

    By Marcellus Day, Stentorian Staff Writer

    While many seniors are thinking of college admission, many juniors are thinking of a different type of admission: the one for research. A common question asked is should one do RSci or Research in the Humanities (RHum)? The answer is why not both, and furthermore, why not RHum? 

    Earlier this year, Teresa Fang ‘25 wrote an astonishing article where she emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary academics and practice. This couldn’t be more true; the limits of research are never confined to just one field. 

    If one wishes to be an effective academic, one should be well versed in all their curiosity–including ones that are not traditionally considered “useful”, which is in quotes as when one says not useful they usually mean not profitable. As Fang points out, the tools humanities arm you with go beyond your humanities research and into effectively communicating, critically thinking and questioning. So, then why not research the humanities?

    The common answer to this is that it’s not “useful,” but useful is not used in the sense of profit but of leverage. So here’s a sense of truth: a college will not accept you purely because you are in impressive, STEM focused academic programs. 

    You can do a hundred RSci programs, and still not be what they are looking for. They are looking for your curiosity. What sparks it and do you follow it? If a humanities question sparks you, follow it, and even if you have no specific question let your interest as a human lead you. The follow-through of something that captivates you, is way more impressive than something you did to put on your resume. RHum is designed to captivate and explore captivation. 

    Additionally, humanities research goes beyond the capabilities of science research. Certainly, there are some questions that are furthered by science, but Humanities doesn’t serve as an add-on to pick up where STEM drops off, it goes where STEM cannot. Humanities concerns itself with questions not necessarily bound by the same restrictions as STEM, not to say that humanities doesn’t come with its own complex restrictions. You are bound by human thought, records, and where you can take yourself. We can take the work of STEM and apply it, as questions of AI usage, or we can take it outside of the science sphere and expand. 

    Make no mistake, however, I am not arguing against the RSci programs; I do hobbyist research in math and believe that you should go where curiosity leads you. I am arguing for your serious consideration of all Research in the Humanities programs, despite the doubts rebuked above. It is an experience that strengthens the heart and skills of a researcher, and if not that is sure is a lot of fun. 

    Here are some of the research opportunities in the Humanities!

    Research Experience in the Humanities, (REXHum)

    Available to all students who have completed AmStud I, this course serves as the introduction to humanities research for all who are interested, even if you have conducted research in the past. Students learn the basic skills of research, and produce a thesis. This course is available to juniors and seniors and is a choice for a prerequisite of RHum.

    Summer Research in the Humanities, (SRIPHum)This program introduces students to research inside and outside of archives, libraries, and the world. A three-week program during the summer, students get the opportunity to travel to diverse museums and research a question of their choice. The student will produce an abstract, that they will get to present to a group of peers, and at the SRIP Showcase. This is a summer experience offered to juniors via application, and can also serve as a prerequisite for RHum alternatively to REXHum.

    Research in the Humanities (RHum)

    This is a course taught in the fall semester surrounding your research. The course aims to encourage students to enhance their reading and writing skills while expanding their knowledge in general topics and their research questions of choice. Students will produce a full research paper and will have the chance to be published in Fifth World, the student humanities research journal of NCSSM. This course is only for seniors who have met the RHum requirements.

    Luckily, for both juniors and seniors, there is still time to apply and do research! I do hope that you consider, apply, and pursue any curiosity of the humanities; it is a worthy pursuit. 

  • Student Researchers Recall Highlights and Memories from SRIP 2024

    Student Researchers Recall Highlights and Memories from SRIP 2024

    From left to right: RBio students Rishi Saroya ’25, Yvonne Shih ’25, Saachi Arun ’25, Ava Cummings ’25, and Anneliese Heyder ’25. Anneliese Heyder

    By Anneliese Heyder, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    For the Research in Science (“RSci”) students, the last day of the Summer Research and Innovation Program (SRIP) has arrived. Students can be seen hanging up their lab coats, cleaning their goggles, and wiping down their workspaces where they’ve spent most of their days. Lab notebooks are out, students hunched over them while furiously scribbling final comments, details, and any data they’ve managed to collect in the last few hours before they head home. 

    For students in the Mentorship program, the last day isn’t for two more weeks. 

    SRIP, NCSSM’s flagship 3-5 week program provides students with one essential component to their research: time. During this period, students are allowed the time–from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day–to dive into their projects. 

    Once that clock hits 5 o’clock though, students are allowed to spend their free time however they wish: maybe walking down Ninth St. for dinner, going to the movie theatre at The Streets at Southpoint, or playing a game of badminton in the ETC courtyard. On the weekends, students can sign up for numerous events: a trip to Falls Lake, Target, or take the bus to the farmer’s markets in downtown Durham. 

    SRIP is comprised of multiple research groups and opportunities. You have the RScis (RBio, RPhys, and RChem) and RHum, RCompSci, REXCompSci, and Entreprenuership, which all occur here on the Durham campus. Mentorship, on the other hand, requires traveling to other colleges or universities and doing research in their labs. Both options have unique opportunities and experiences, allowing you to explore your curiosity and strengthen your research skills. 

    Erin Bienstock ‘25, recounts her daily SRIP routine at the Durham campus.“Students would leave school at 8 [a.m.] and since my mentor is at [North Carolina State University], I would get to the lab a little before 9 a.m.” Bienstock said.  “My schedule was different every day but I spent a lot of time making new fabric designs in [Computer-aided design (CAD), 3D-printing the designs, and testing them in the wet lab. I also researched companies to get quotes for new products we could experiment with.” She would finish her work by 4 p.m. and return to school by 5 p.m.

    RSci days were similar: they were long days in the lab, with students bustling around as they focused on their goals for the day. 

    Jonathan Charleston ‘25 recalls the busy days in the lab during RBio, including “morning sessions,” which involved a group discussion of goals for the day and “Starting out we had our morning sessions which involved getting started for the day, any protocols we need to look over. Then we had our after-lunch sessions, where we did the bulk of our work.” he said, adding that each day was “about 8 hours.”

    Each research project is different; each student has their own goals, deadlines, and struggles. Bienstock’s research is funded by NASA; she explains how she’s formed great connections with other students in the lab. Charleston is focusing onmaking prostate cancer testing more accurate and accessible by using a paper-based assay. These two projects are vastly different, but they allow both students to satiate their curiosity and develop their skills. 

    While everyone is working independently, SRIP allows the bonds between students to grow and evolve. Old friendships are strengthened and new ones are born. SRIP offers a collaborative environment, where students and mentors can offer their insight, opinions, and help to each other to see everyone succeed. 

    Bienstock reiterates this by adding, “This has made it easier for me to speak up and contribute my own ideas to the project.”

    When I asked her about advice for juniors applying to the program she said, “I would tell anyone applying to Mentorship to read research on the subject you think you want to find a mentor in. This will give you a good idea of what your experience might look like and you can write your essays about the papers that really inspired you.”

    “I loved how personalized [research] is.” Charleston said. “My project is very personal to me, and being able to tailor it to exactly what I want to do is probably my favorite part.”