What are you most excited about as you start your Laidlaw research summer?

I am incredibly excited to begin archival research! I've always loved the process of interacting with primary sources firsthand and doing "detective work" to track down the source I need. I hope to use Columbia's collection of Founding Fathers' documents to develop a unique perspective on my topic, and to develop a novel claim about the United States Constitution. I am also excited to have the opportunity to do research and learn what a career in my field might look like.

This week, the discussions we held about research cut across the disciplines. How does the interdisciplinary nature of this program, the fact that students are focusing on such a diverse range of projects, help you think about your project and/or your academic interests more broadly?

This week definitely helped me realize that research can take so many forms, I have definitely been inspired by the diversity of interests in my cohort and astounded by those projects' creativity and modern-day relevance. Additionally, even though my topic might be entirely different from a friend's, I can still apply their research strategies to my project or brainstorm with them if I get stuck. I believe that interdisciplinary communication produces innovation and mutual respect, and I hope to learn from the specialists in my cohort.

As you begin your individual research projects this week, do you anticipate any challenges in getting started? If so, what are they?

I definitely anticipate feeling a bit overwhelmed! I've never taken on a research project of this scope before and I'm nervous that I won't know where to start. I've taken some steps to combat this anxiety though by checking out some books from the library that elucidate the connection between the Classics and the Founders, providing a stepping stone to begin locating relevant primary sources. Meanwhile, I have provided a rough schedule for every week, and am currently in the process of creating detailed daily schedules to keep on track.