On April 21 and April 22, the University of Southern Maine held the annual Thinking Matters exhibition at the Portland Campus. The Thinking Matters exhibition showcases student research, scholarship, and creative achievement. Students create posters, oral presentations, hold roundtable discussions, and more to present what they have learned.
“As someone who teaches public speaking,” said Alan Marston, “I think it is very important to share what you know with others. It does not do much good to keep what you know to yourself.” That’s the idea of the exhibition: to encourage student to student collaboration, along with student to faculty collaboration. The directors of Thinking Matters, Caryn Prudente, Andrew Morin, and Aaron Keller, encourage faculty at USM to promote students to participate. Many professors at USM agree the Thinking Matters Program is very beneficial to the University, allowing the students to have a voice is great.
Virginia Weaver, an English professor, is one of those. “The program is definitely beneficial for the university because it showcases academic achievement of its students,” said Weaver. “It enables students to expose their work to a larger audience.”
A larger audience is exactly what the members of the program are looking for. Their main goal is to invite the public to share in the results of scholarship and creativity of the students at the university. The members of Thinking Matters, value diversity of thought the most, which is why they want to create a community at the University of Southern Maine where different schools of thought can work together to ensure a continuing learning environment.
Students see this program as a chance to showcase their work. “It has become more and more difficult for the average student to distinguish himself or herself from their peers,” said Jamieson Starkey, a communication major. “Enabling those who possess that desire to step beyond the standard collegiate requirements an opportunity to showcase their work to the community is hugely beneficial.”