On Saturday, March 28, the Honors Transfer Council of California held its XYZ Conference, “Building Bridges,” which afforded Honors students across the region an opportunity to share their independent research with peers. Beyond serving as a conference opportunity, Honors students can network with one another and further their established mentorships with the faculty who have guided them on their academic journey.
This year’s conference had a record number of submissions and an even higher number of accepted submissions than last year, showing not only the strength of the HTCC conference but also the increasing interest of Honors students across California in seeking spaces to be recognized. Norco College alone sent 15 students, including seven presenting and eight serving as moderators for panels.
With funding from the Associated Students of Norco College supporting the Honors Program, Norco College sent its largest contingent to date. Beyond the students presenting and moderating, Norco College was represented by Monica Green, President of Norco College; Quentin Bemiller, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs; Roger Perez, Dean of Instruction; Charise Allingham, Institutional Effectiveness Support Coordinator; Michael Bobo, Associate Faculty, Humanities; Cody Jensen, Associate Faculty, Psychology; Lisa Hernandez, Associate Faculty, English; Jose Sentmanat, Associate Faculty, Philosophy; Adriana Moreno, Honors Co-Coordinator; and Cameron Young, Honors Co-Coordinator.
In summary, Norco College sent 25 individuals to this year’s conference and took home two awards. Two attending students received the Honors Achievement in Excellence Awards for their contributions to the Honors Program.
The presentation titles and their presenters are included below:
- Robert Nasr: “David in Exile: The Absence of Judaic Values in Zionist Ideology”
- Jayden Shields: “Chained to the Binary: Colonialism and Transphobia in the United States”
- Jasleen Grewal: “Khalistan and Islamophobia: Examining the Interconnection Between Sikh and Muslim Communities under Majoritarian Power in India”
- Sam Pastrano: “Freedom to Conform: The Ramifications of the Republican Party’s Anti-Transgender Legislation”
- Adishvar Kahlon: “Reframing Righteous War: Bhindranwale and the Hermeneutics of Sikh Militancy”
- Emily Munoz: “CMM in Animal Care Systems: Exploring Meaning-Making and Tensions in Narratives of Care”
- Javeria Kashif: “Uniformity or Inequality? Mandatory Minimum Sentencing in Drug-Related Cases”