Spring Break
Wilson scholars present enlightening findings
Issue date: 4/26/07
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On Friday, April 20, Research Fellows from the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences were chosen to present at the Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellowship Poster Session.
The program provides funding for undergraduates from the arts and sciences to have the financial resources necessary for conducting their own research on a topic of choice.
Fellows are chosen after submitting a proposal with their application of admission to Hopkins or at the end of freshman year. Freshmen receive $10,000, and sophomores receive $7,500 to spend on traveling, equipment or any other research costs during their time at Hopkins.
As seniors, students present their final projects to the public. James Zwerneman, Theiline Gborkorquellie and James Harlow were picked for humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, respectively.
The stories of immigration
"I didn't want to write a political novel," said James Zwerneman, a Writing Seminars major, of his novel on Mexican immigration. "I didn't want it to be a propaganda story; I wanted it to be a personal story."
In order to shape his novel, Zwerneman spoke to hundreds of people. The Woodrow Wilson Scholarship financed his travels. He visited Mexico City and Veracruz to speak with people on border patrol, pick apples in work camps, interview one of the biggest immigrant lawyers in Washington and stay in refugee houses for those caught attempting to cross the border.
Although he was satisfied with the quality and quantity of research he did, he wished he could have made a documentary of his experiences. "I had to keep a lot of the stories confidential because there were so many illegal things happening," Zwerneman said. He admits that sometimes he did not tell the Fellowship exactly what he was doing with the grant because they might not have supported him. "Even if it all isn't said, it'll be reflected in my work," Zwerneman said.
Once his research was completed, he spent all of junior year writing about 400 pages and edited his novel the summer before his senior year. His senior year has been spent sending his work out for comments and he hopes to publish aster this summer. The working title of Zwerneman's book is Temo, the last name of the main character. The word "temo" has a duel significance. It means "I fear" in Spanish, and Temo was the name of one of the last Mexican Revolutionaries before he was assassinated by Cortés.
The program provides funding for undergraduates from the arts and sciences to have the financial resources necessary for conducting their own research on a topic of choice.
Fellows are chosen after submitting a proposal with their application of admission to Hopkins or at the end of freshman year. Freshmen receive $10,000, and sophomores receive $7,500 to spend on traveling, equipment or any other research costs during their time at Hopkins.
As seniors, students present their final projects to the public. James Zwerneman, Theiline Gborkorquellie and James Harlow were picked for humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, respectively.
The stories of immigration
"I didn't want to write a political novel," said James Zwerneman, a Writing Seminars major, of his novel on Mexican immigration. "I didn't want it to be a propaganda story; I wanted it to be a personal story."
In order to shape his novel, Zwerneman spoke to hundreds of people. The Woodrow Wilson Scholarship financed his travels. He visited Mexico City and Veracruz to speak with people on border patrol, pick apples in work camps, interview one of the biggest immigrant lawyers in Washington and stay in refugee houses for those caught attempting to cross the border.
Although he was satisfied with the quality and quantity of research he did, he wished he could have made a documentary of his experiences. "I had to keep a lot of the stories confidential because there were so many illegal things happening," Zwerneman said. He admits that sometimes he did not tell the Fellowship exactly what he was doing with the grant because they might not have supported him. "Even if it all isn't said, it'll be reflected in my work," Zwerneman said.
Once his research was completed, he spent all of junior year writing about 400 pages and edited his novel the summer before his senior year. His senior year has been spent sending his work out for comments and he hopes to publish aster this summer. The working title of Zwerneman's book is Temo, the last name of the main character. The word "temo" has a duel significance. It means "I fear" in Spanish, and Temo was the name of one of the last Mexican Revolutionaries before he was assassinated by Cortés.
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david avruch
posted 5/10/07 @ 10:52 AM EST
Zwerneman rules! Viva Temo!
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