Brook Henkel
The project I have completed is a research paper that makes a case for the abilities of animated cinema in relation to environmentalism. I went into this project hoping to gain a solid understanding of the history of animation, and I certainly ended it with a lot of new knowledge. Even though I had already seen a majority of the films that I wrote about, viewing them in a new context and taking notes to look for things that my readings talked about was a very rewarding experience. It was similarly valuable for me to have to commit to my own schedule and shape the structure of this project with the help of my faculty mentor. My project did not ultimately end up being structured exactly as I had planned, but it helped me to improvise and adapt to the changes. I feel that this experience has strengthened my research and writing skills and has prepared me for the upcoming academic year. I plan to use the skills that I have honed in on and apply them to my future studies.