On Wednesday, April 18, students congregated in the library loggia to present and view projects. These projects had been completed this year by Sinclair honor students with the occasional aid of professors.
The loggia was packed with folks trying to see some of the ideas that sinclair students created. From interpersonal relations, to sports history all the way to chemistry.There was a little something for everyone, demonstrating how people from the same school have such different ideas.
A few projects particularly stood out with active students seeking to garner a crowd. One such demonstration was a very detailed art project from Sarah Baker.
“There is a lot more to know when being an artist then just drawing,” Baker said. “There is a lot of legal paperwork that students must learn, including how to protect their work and how to advertise it.”
The purpose of Baker’s project was to teach future Sinclair art students some things she wished she knew when she started. In this modern age of the internet, it is easy for people to steal your artwork, but with the right precautions it can be prevented.
Baker also spoke a little more on the creative side of art.
Lighting is extremely important. You can have a beautiful art piece that you spent days if not weeks on, but when you advertise it to someone with poor lighting they might pick a less artistic piece with the better lighting.” Baker said.
Just a little tidbit, Baker’s favorite time to photograph something was on slightly cloudy days, where the light is not too yellow but also not too dark.
Another project that really stood out was on Chemistry in our Daily Lives, by one of Sinclair’s many chemistry students. This project focused on some of the chemical equations in everyday life.
This project featured soap, a common household item that some take for granted every day. Even though soap is used every day before doing anything delicate with hands, most people do not know (including myself) how it is made.
As it turns out, soap is made when NAOH (Sodium Hydroxide) or KOH (Potassium Hydroxide) reacts with a fat from a plant or an animal. This process is known as Saponification.
The history of fencing was also a head turner at the Honors Symposium. Students of course know a lot about common sports, such as baseball or soccer, but this table provided an opportunity to talk about something more exotic.
There was a lot to know about fencing too, the speaker informed an audience, all they way from the medieval origins to the status symbol it became to the fast paced modern fencing of today.
For instance, the foil used today in fencing has a long history, coming from the traditional short sword used as a side arm way back in the sixteenth century. It has since evolved first into a blunt training weapon, and now a choice for sport.
What really stuck out about this event was the uniqueness of everyone involved. In a small part of the world comparatively, in a community college fresh different ideas are grown.
It was intimidating at first, how many different ideas there were, but as the speakers eased everyone into their lives, it became clear how much Sinclair has helped the students bring their differences together, to create and build a future.
Jake Conger
Reporter