October 2007
This Side of Paradise
As part of my chosen academic track here at Canisius, I am required to write a senior thesis on the topic of my choice. Although this is a long process, with an ultimate goal of producing a final paper of at least 35 pages in length by semester’s end, it is also great opportunity for each individual to really go in depth into something that genuinely interests him or her. If you’re reading this and freaking out about having to write such a lengthy study, don’t worry – only students who choose to do so actually write a thesis.
With that being said, you may be asking yourself, why would anyone do that if he or she didn’t have to? For one, it’s a challenge, and I love challenges. Secondly, it’s genuinely interesting: In the course of writing my thesis, which is on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of myth, I have found that the author used to live only a few miles from the Canisius campus, and have actually gotten to flip through his personal copy of The Great Gatsby – complete with handwritten corrections and notes he made himself! (For an English major, this is about equivalent to an average garage band kid getting to play Kurt Cobain’s guitar.) Thirdly, if you are planning to go on to graduate school, getting such research experience under your belt not only looks great on a resume, but also genuinely develops skills that you will be tapping into in the near future.
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| At Princeton: Buildings near the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library at Princeton University, where original Fitzgerald and Salinger documents are held. |
While most students that write a thesis can get all their research done right at Canisius, one of my friends and I decided to take advantage of a travel grant to go to Princeton University to look at some primary sources that are only available there. It worked out perfectly because we both needed to go to the same place despite having different topics (she is writing on Catcher in the Rye, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations) and, thanks to the grant, we got to go for free! As I am seriously considering Princeton for future grad work, this was a great way to take a little break from everything with a road trip, get some valuable research done, and to visit the campus of a school I am considering for my future.
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| At the Head of the Genesee: Bridge and banner for regatta held in Rochester, NY |
It worked out that on the same weekend, my Crew team and I had a regatta in Rochester, which is about an hour’s drive east of Buffalo. After spending the morning racing against other such prestigious schools as Brown, Harvard, and UPenn, it seemed perfectly appropriate to pay an actual visit to the campus of one of their fellow Ivies.
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| Crossing the Finish Line: (From left to right) Liana Spencer ’08, Me, Kelli Gardner ’08, Carrie Burke ’08, and Lindsey Ohmit ’08. |
After a day spent on the water rowing with some of my best friends, I was able to take an awesome road trip that entailed driving to a historical location via highways that twisted through the beautiful Autumn-colored peaks of the Pocono’s mountains – really, in one weekend, what more could a girl ask for?
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| Up Close and Personal: Canisius’ Women’s Varsity 4 on land between our morning head race and our afternoon sprint. (From left to right) Me, Kelli Gardner ’08, Lindsey Ohmit ’08, Liana Spencer ’08, Carrie Burke ’08, and our coach, Micaela Shapiro-Shellaby. |
Rachel's September 2007 Journal
Rachel's August 2007 Journal
Rachel's July 2007 Journal
Rachel's June 2007 Journal