AP Capstone Seminar is now an integral part of your Magnet educational experience- if you have taken it, you’ll know that it is the precursor to the AP Research class. In Seminar, you learn how to research and write your ideas. I remember this class being hard- because it’s AP, all the information that you get is what you need to do, and little about how you need to do it. That comes from mostly trial and error and peer reviewing. My IWA was titled, “Non-attachment: Emotion vs the Environment” with a research question of “Do the detriments that non-attachment causes, in the context of consumerism, outweigh the emotional benefits caused by the same practice?” It was confusing. It still is. Personally, I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this class, and thankfully I got a lot out of it. It really helped me become a better writer. Thank you Mrs. Benton 🙂

For this article, I surveyed this year’s juniors to compile a partial list of their IWA Research Questions. Perhaps some of you underclassman readers will get ideas for next year or the year after. I applaud all you juniors for all the hard work you are doing, and keep it up because soon it will be St. Patrick’s day, and then it will be spring break and then it will be summer!! Hang in there.

Asher Wallen: “To what extent can a balance between athletics and academics positively influence the variety of career paths available to American college students?”

Bryce Getsinger: “Is in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension a more effective disciplinary method for maintaining secondary and post-secondary students’ academic security?”

William Hyatt: “Does the risk of brain damage which may result from playing football at the high school through NFL levels outweigh the rewards of playing the sport?”

Kaylin Morris: “How should STEM companies and corporations in the United States work towards closing the gender gap in employment persistence in the STEM field?”

Louisa Grubb: “Should national sports media companies invest in women’s sports stories?”

Sydney Heller: “Should the United States Soccer Federation or USSF allot the same amount of funds for pay given to the US Men’s National Soccer Team to the Women’s National Soccer Team as well?”

Carter Limbert: “What is the best way to increase women’s recruitment in the professional track circuit through increasing demand?”

Leo Sparacino: “Should the US Government use social media to engage with citizens in poverty?”

Molly Marino: “Should the United States military have more females in commanding officer ranks?”

Emma Helen Inman: “To what extent do children playing violent video games have an effect on anger and aggressive behavior?”

Marshall Fleming: “Should high schools offer scheduled mental health check-ins to their athletes in order to early identify anxiety?”

Lia Shalit: “Should colleges in the United States consider students’ national standardized tests (SAT, ACT) scores as the primary admission policy?”

Lily Claypoole: “What is the best way to prevent unsafe abortions in the underdeveloped areas of Uganda?”

Alden Klemm: “Should physical exercise be someone’s primary effort to increase immune system activity?”

Inés Carrillo: “Should the lack of black female representation in the entertainment industry be approached in a manner to ensure that their positions are not tokenized?”