CHAPTER 5-SUMMER RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2023 (A REFLECTIVE NARRATIVE)
08-15-2023
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST WILL CONTAIN CONTENT DISCUSSING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS THAT COULD TRIGGER SOME READERS. IF YOU FEEL THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE FOR YOU, I RECOMMEND NOT READING THE FIRST SECTION OF THIS POST ("A SUMMARY OF THE 2022-2023").
A SUMMARY OF THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
Reflecting on my third year at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC), I dealt with severe depression, anxiety, and burnout for several reasons. Some factors include advocating for equitable changes in one of our academic departments with some classmates, officially withdrawing from the UWEC Choral Department, and dealing with my mental health negatively decreasing due to non-academic conflicts to the point where I had suicidal ideations. As a college student, I try to be the best person I can be academically and emotionally. However, I am not a robot but a human being. Life will come with many ups and many downs. Sometimes you will be happy when you get the scholarship you worked hard for since starting your executive internship. You are sometimes defeated because your grades do not reflect the hours you invested in your classes. We do not grow emotionally and mentally when we do not learn from the lowest points of our existence.
In terms of professionalism, you need to have honesty and well-valued ethics. I can relate this information to research as the Institutional Review Board (IRB) requires researchers to take their courses to ensure we produce ethical studies. You are more likely to have groundwork with flaws compared to perfect ones from start to finish. When you do the IRB training, you will see that they will require you to have high-quality content for research. Yet, you will also understand that the IRB values integrity over perfectionism.
HAVING GROWTH WHILE BEING PRODUCTIVE
In the summer of 2023, I made it my goal to have some redemption for my academics. I decided to take ten college credits to graduate in the spring of 2024. While taking summer classes, I worked at my summer job while making progress on my McNair research with my advisor, Dr. Jeffrey Goodman. Having an exceptional connection with Dr. Goodman helps me with my mental health. We always had occasional meetings to discuss where we were at for our studies.
Additionally, we adjust our meeting schedules when we have academic conflicts. Clear communication with Dr. Goodman allowed me to focus on my summer educational sessions. One of the classes I took this summer is titled "Fundamentals of Speech." In this course, I learned various techniques to analyze public speaking and how to modify elements to improve my dialogue. Below is the video elevator pitch I did for my summer research institute (SRI) at UWEC. I also attached closed captioning if you need to see the physical words.
After finishing "Fundamentals of Speech," here is the feedback I would give my past self. First off, my eye contact needs to be better. Eye contact makes a significant difference on various occasions when presenting a discussion. Specifically, it is easy to forget proper body language in monologue settings. That is one of the benefits of recording yourself; you gain awareness of improving your body posture. Another critique I have of my past self is I was reading every word of the document. Ensuring you get all essential information is excellent when giving a speech. However, as I mentioned, you lose connection to your audience when you do not give them proper attention. In "Fundaments of Speech," I learned a technique called extemporaneous speaking. Extemporaneous speaking is when you write down the main points you want to remember when presenting. Many public speakers use this method for a natural and meaningful conversation with their audience. Additionally, you have exceptional eye contact when using extemporaneous speaking as you resist the urge to look at the sheet of paper for most of the session.
THE 2023 SRI McNAIR RESEARCH FORUM
The 2023 SRI McNair Research Forum was the first event where I presented my research. I did not know what to expect from my presentation. For those unaware, I centered my academic investigation on how protest music impacts Americans' racial attitudes, knowledge, and emotions. My 2023 SRI McNair Research Forum audience comprises my fellow UWEC McNair scholars. Considering I had yet to display my exploration at previous conference events, I needed to figure out how many details I needed to add for my audience. Additionally, I am still working on fine-tuning the structure of my research with my McNair advisor, so I had to invest more time in ensuring I had a professional reception for my congregational viewers.
TITLE COVER FOR EVBAYEKHA, D. E. (2023, August 11-14). PROTEST MUSIC: IMPACTS ON RACIAL ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, AND EMOTIONS. [Paper presentation]. UWEC McNair Summer Research Forum, online.
Fortunately, I have an outstanding McNair advisor and supportive McNair directors giving me the resources I need to ensure my presentation had no problems. After presenting, I observed and provided feedback to my other UWEC McNair colleagues' online displays. It is worth noting that the 2023 SRI McNair Research Forum was the first time many of us presented our academic research. This event allowed us to be honest about how we can improve for future conferences. The general comments we gave each other were about improving our body language, adjusting the length and sizes of our text, and pacing ourselves when we spoke about our expositions. It is also worth noting to be easy on us, McNair Scholars. We are still college students figuring out how to understand the professional world. As I mentioned, we are human beings who will not be perfect every day. When we value growth over perfection, we remember why we got into research.