First Year Showcase of Spring 2024

Classes like First Year Seminar (FYS 178), Academic Writing and Critical Inquiry, and Humanities help first-year students adjust to the college classroom and begin the foundations of their humanities education at UNC Asheville.

The First Year Showcase is a celebration of first-year student work completed as part of those classes. Below is a selection of their amazing work.

Visit the First Year Showcase website view the full gallery and learn more.

Several students took inspiration from various creation myths and stories throughout history.

Susan Hudson created a watercolor collage using magazine and origami to depict the Cherokee creation myth (pictured as the cover photo). Hudson said she was struck by the way Cherokee's creation story conveyed their relationship to the the natural world.

The is so much that we can learn from the indigenous people of this land," Hudson said. "Especially taking a look at this story with its themes of valuing and connection to nature, collaboration, and sacrifice."

Josiah Szobody and his younger brother Ezra reimagined the Nigerian story "Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky" using legos and stop motion animation.

"It allowed me to understand the story better and hopefully communicated the story to others in an enjoyable way," Szobody said.

"Since I began studying here at UNC Asheville, I have been waiting for an opportunity to research and present the stories of sapphic figures over the centuries," said Lia Sierra.

After reading "Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works" for class, Sierra researched and wrote a paper about Sapphic figures from history including Sappho herself, Hildegard of Bingen, Benedetta Carlini, and Julie d'Aubigny.

Read the full paper here to learn more about each of these historical women.

Logan Bradburn researched the meaning associated with the appearance of birds in the Bible, including doves, goldfinches and peacocks.

Bradburn created a piece of art which showcases the different birds around an image of Mary and Jesus.

Goldfinches, pictured to the left of Mary and on her lap, are commonly depicted holding a spike in its beak, Bradburn said, believed to be taken from Jesus' crown of thorns and representing Christ's passion.

Learn the significance of other birds by viewing the full presentation here.

Lauren Principato pulled inspiration from her love of the ocean and surfing for her research project. Pulling information from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration and the Coral Reef Alliance, among others, she created an advocacy piece explaining the importance of protecting coral reef ecosystems.

"This stood out for me because for seven years I have lived in a small beach where improper waste management and agricultural runoff has polluted the ocean," Principato said.

Learn about ways you can contribute to efforts to protect coral reefs by viewing the full advocacy piece here.

Nadia Kessel created a podcast discussing scenes, characters and tropes from one of her favorite TV shows, "Gilmour Girls." Despite loving the show, Kessel doesn't shy away from critically analyzing problematic portions, including its treatment of POC characters and the way it depicts white and economic privilege.

For her class, Savanna Freeman created an original infographic that could help other students know the basics of academic writing.

Her final project includes tips she gathered from her research as well as an interview with Amanda Wolfe, professor of chemistry at UNC Asheville, alongside original drawings arranged with graphics in a vintage style.