Seniors Present Chapel Talks
This month, Academy seniors deliver abbreviated presentations of their senior research projects during Chapel Talks.
In her book, Less Time for Meddling, A History of Salem Academy & College 1772-1866, Frances Griffin writes, “Early in his term as inspector, Abraham Steiner instituted an annual ‘Examination,’ at which each girl, in the presence of an audience, was placed on her mettle to show what she had learned in the classroom.” So, during the summer of 1808, the first public “Examination” was held at Salem Academy, and for more than 200 years there has been an expectation that every graduate would be required to make a scholarly presentation in a public forum. Today we call those presentations “Chapel Talks.”
The talks originate from a research paper (limited to 10 pages) that each senior is asked to submit during the fall semester. The students are allowed to choose their own topic, and it can be virtually anything that interests them. At the beginning of second semester, they shrink their 10-page paper into a one-page, three-minute “talk,” which they deliver before the entire community. They are graded on projection, pacing, professionalism, eye contact, emphasis and the content of their “script.”
This experience is a “rite of passage” for all Academy graduates. Dr. Eileen Cahill, the Academy’s Director of Studies and AP English teacher, describes it in the following way, “Despite the nervousness that accompanies speaking before a group, the girls do enjoy the experience, marvel at their ability to convey a confidence they don’t always feel, and appreciate the chance to share a subject they are passionate about (and that they have worked hard to research) with an audience.”
Some of this year’s presentations include:
Keyla Kolenovic
Developing the Developing
Laura Zhang
The Universe inside a Cup: The Tea Ceremony and Its Cultural Background
Hayley Premo
Culturally Unique Perceptions of Death
Jade Li
From Athens to London: The Olympics and Its Roles
Ivy Webb
The Changing Face of Tattoos
Sierra Collins
The Vicious Training of Olympic Athletes
Bennett Holland
The Woes of Women in World War II
Gracie Holbrook
The Effects of the Ugandan Civil War on the people of Central Africa
Savannah Livengood
The Vegan Diet’s Power to End the World Food Crisis
Rachel Williams
The Effects of Invasive Species on Our Environment
Savannah Livengood
The Vegan Diet’s Power to End the World Food Crisis
Stephanie Puckett
The Expanded Voice of the Average Citizen
Dani Hill
Spousal Relationships: The Middle East and America
Kelly Kim
Water: Easily Accessible, Yet Should Not Be Taken for Granted
Claire Lineberger
The Physical Effects of the Holocaust on Its Victims
Elle Cook
Cell Phones Reduce Face-to-Face Interactions
Kiersten Washle
Constitution of a Hero
Annie Baek
The Smartphone vs. TV Alliances