By
Aaron Cowman
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Students, community have opportunity to view exhibitions of undergraduate, graduate work
UA students will get the opportunity to strut their stuff - academically speaking, that is - in this year's Student Showcase held today and tomorrow on the UA Mall.
Student Showcase 2000, organized by the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC), gives graduate and undergraduate students the chance to present exhibitions of their finest works in 11 different categories.
"The students really enjoy participating in Showcase because it's their chance to show their works to a lot of people," said Kirsten Price, the director of Student Showcase 2000.
The different areas of the Showcase, now in its eighth year, include agriculture and environmental science, humanities, literature and languages and visual and performing arts.
Jonathon Fadok, an anthropology senior, will present his exhibition, "Monkey Chow: An Analysis of the Howler Monkey Diet." The piece presents the research he gathered on howler monkeys from a trip he took to Nicaragua last year.
"It's going to be interesting because I actually did the research in a foreign country," Fadok said. "I want to show people what primatology (the study of primates) is all about."
A separate panel of judges will evaluate each category. Judging is based on the exhibit's cultural, social, ecological, economic and/or political impact, the implications of research or project and the possible foundation for future research. The judges are comprised of UA faculty members and members of the local community. Some of this year's judges include a superior court judge and a retired engineer.
"It's kind of fun trying to get community members," said Price, a second-year law student.
Winning at the Showcase can lead to bigger things, Price said.
"Winners in the last three years have gone to present in front of the state legislature," she said.
Fadok agreed about the Showcase's benefits for students.
"It's a great opportunity for undergraduates because if you win you get $250," he said.
This is Price's first year as the director of the event, but she participated last year as an assistant. She said that she expects a turnout similar to last year's Showcase.
"It gets a lot of flow," Price said. "There should be a good turnout, but doing a head count is just too difficult."
The exhibition not only benefits individual students but also the whole university. In past years, it has led to improved UA budget allocations and it helps to show off the school to the community, Price said
"The UA is stuck here in the middle of Tucson," she said. "This provides a real chance for people to see the good stuff that goes on campus."
