Seniors in a Festive Mood as They Celebrate I.S. Monday

Wooster marks 60 years of nationally renowned senior capstone project

The "Jumpsuit 8," a group of students who met and became friends while at Wooster, celebrate I.S. Monday together.

» I.S. Monday Photo Slideshow

WOOSTER, Ohio - Spontaneous outbursts by delirious students shattered the serenity of an otherwise quiet Monday at The College of Wooster. Of course, this was no ordinary Monday; this was I.S. Monday, the day when Senior Independent Study projects are due by 5 p.m.

Emotions ranged from relief to euphoria as students made their way to the Registrar's Office to deliver two copies of their project in exchange for a Tootsie Roll and a button signifying the order in which their project was turned in.

Established by former Wooster President Howard Lowry 60 years ago, I.S. matches each student with a faculty advisor in a yearlong research project that culminates in a graduate-level thesis, performance, or exhibition of artwork. Months of extensive research, weekly meetings with one's faculty advisor, and hours of careful writing and rewriting climaxed with the annual I.S. Parade, a time-honored tradition in which seniors follow the Dean of Faculty and several bagpipers and drummers across campus as they celebrate the conclusion of this unique intellectual journey.

Conspicuous in the large crowd that gathered Monday at Kauke Hall's arch where the parade originates each year was a group of eight students in blue jumpsuits. This seemingly random cross section of classmates - five women and three men - became friends during their four years at Wooster and chose to celebrate the occasion together on Monday. The decision to wear Dickies-brand jumpsuits was inspired by the 1996 movie "Bottle Rocket."

"It feels great," said Jordan Tobin, an art history major from Indiana, Pa., and one of the eight in jumpsuits. "I've waited four years for this Tootsie Roll."

Dan Caine, an English major from Solon, Ohio, and also a member of the group, wondered what he was going to do with his free time, while Aubrie Tossman, a sociology major from Louisville, Ky., described the occasion as "bittersweet," saying that her I.S. had become very personal and that she was going to miss the bond she developed with a neighborhood about which she did an ethnography. Cara Stoddard, an English major from Rockford, Mich., said it was nice to be with people again after months in seclusion, and Kara Phipps, a music education/music therapy major from Roanoke, Va. was feeling particularly lucky as she drew button No. 324 on the date (3/24) she submitted her I.S. Speaking of numbers, Elizabeth Stroud, a mathematics major from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, but not part of the "Jumpsuit 8," was happy to get a prime number (17) for her I.S. button.

Minutes before the 5 p.m. deadline, breathless students were still dashing into the lobby of the Registrar's Office until the doors were finally locked. In all, 375 projects were dropped off in the days and hours leading up to the deadline.

Of course, the process isn't over yet. Students still have to defend their projects in an oral session later in the semester. Until then, however, faculty advisors and second readers will take one more look at a wide range of topics, including "Hitchhiking: America's Vanishing Pastime," by Allison Dupuis, a sociology major from Chapel Hill, N.C.; "When Does Hot Water Freeze Faster than Cold? Investigation of the Reproducibility and Causes of the Mpemba Effect," by Joseph Thomas, a physics major from St. Louis, Mo.; "To Boldly Go Where No Country Has Gone Before: Star Trek and American Values in the Late Twentieth Century," by Fay Hughes, a history major from Cherry Hill, N.J.; and "Debt or Equity: Tell Me What's Your 'Flava'? An Analysis of Firm Financing Choice in Developing Countries," by Emily Seling, a business economics major from Wooster who grew up just a few miles north of campus.

Jeannette Jackson, degree audit specialist and services coordinator in the Registrar's Office, described Monday's events as fairly typical. "It was pretty much the same pace as other years," she said. "Most students were very excited, but as always there were a few in tears."