Honors Program Students Present Research Papers at the Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference

SUNY Orange Honors program students Jakob Baumgartner and Christine Staley recently represented the College by offering research presentations at the annual Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference held in Philadelphia, Pa.

The two students applied, and were accepted, to deliver research presentations at the three-day conference of honors students from two- and four-year colleges and universities.

The Northeast Regional Honors Council (NRHC) is an organization of students, faculty, and administrators from more than 200 colleges and universities dedicated to the encouragement and support of undergraduate honors learning. It provides members with opportunities for the exchange of information, ideas, and assistance through its annual conference, its newsletter, and its scholarships.

Baumgartner’s presentation was entitled “Communities in Conflict? The Ethics of Photography of Refugees and Other Vulnerable Groups,” which examined the dynamic ethical confabulation that takes place within the photography process, involving the conflicts between the goals of the photographer, the subject, and the viewer.

Staley’s roundtable discussion, “Films That Make Us: How LGBTQ+ Films Create Positive Change For Queer People,” focused on how motion pictures alter and shape not only how queer people view themselves but how society as a whole views LGBTQ+ people.

In addition, Baumgartner’s photograph, “Difference,” was included in the conference’s art show.

Baumgartner is a West Point resident who will graduate this month with an associate’s degree in engineering science, while Staley of Monroe, will graduate with a liberal arts degree. Ethan Brown of Walden also attended the conference.

The SUNY Orange Honors Program is coordinated by SUNY Orange English professor Elaine Torda.