REACH Fellow Spotlights
 "The most googled show on earth in 2018 was a 70-episode Chinese drama titled Story
                        of Yanxi Palace. This statistic is a feat since Google is banned in China. Even though
                        Yanxi was a mega success internationally and reached over half a billion views in
                        China, it was censored in China shortly after airing. This begs the question; why
                        would China censor its most popular television show in 2018? My personal curiosity
                        led me to wonder if historical accuracy had to do with its censorship. My speculation
                        for why Yanxi could have been censored led to this paper's central research questions:
                        How accurate is the portrayal of Qianlong鈥檚 empresses and imperial consorts in Story
                        of Yanxi Palace? Furthermore, should historical accuracy be mandatory for historical
                        fiction television shows? Ultimately I find that after watching all 70 episodes, viewers
                        understand that a consort鈥檚 life begins when entering the Forbidden City, for which
                        death is the only way out. Furthermore, as viewers watch the women deal with the highs
                        and lows of the ranking system, they become extremely familiar with the internal complexities
                        of the Forbidden City. The  most important aspect of these women鈥檚 lives are portrayed
                        in Yanxi; thus, historical accuracy could not have been the reason for its censorship.
"The most googled show on earth in 2018 was a 70-episode Chinese drama titled Story
                        of Yanxi Palace. This statistic is a feat since Google is banned in China. Even though
                        Yanxi was a mega success internationally and reached over half a billion views in
                        China, it was censored in China shortly after airing. This begs the question; why
                        would China censor its most popular television show in 2018? My personal curiosity
                        led me to wonder if historical accuracy had to do with its censorship. My speculation
                        for why Yanxi could have been censored led to this paper's central research questions:
                        How accurate is the portrayal of Qianlong鈥檚 empresses and imperial consorts in Story
                        of Yanxi Palace? Furthermore, should historical accuracy be mandatory for historical
                        fiction television shows? Ultimately I find that after watching all 70 episodes, viewers
                        understand that a consort鈥檚 life begins when entering the Forbidden City, for which
                        death is the only way out. Furthermore, as viewers watch the women deal with the highs
                        and lows of the ranking system, they become extremely familiar with the internal complexities
                        of the Forbidden City. The  most important aspect of these women鈥檚 lives are portrayed
                        in Yanxi; thus, historical accuracy could not have been the reason for its censorship.
                        
I am grateful to the REACH program and Dr. Hudson for allowing me to research a topic
                        that greatly interests me and for giving me the platform to share my interest with
                        others! I have never done such a large project before, and it certainly hasn鈥檛 been
                        easy, but it was a valuable experience."
-Peace Ajirotutu
 "My research takes a unique approach to analyze 麻豆社区P students who go to the gym and
                        participate in the culture of working out. I am researching gym culture and looking
                        at students' perceived body image and self-esteem in current years to see how trends
                        have changed over the years. Looking at past studies of gym culture in students were
                        quite repetitive and the data didn't have many differences. I'm hoping to collect
                        new and diverse data to see if different factors play a part in how students participate
                        in the gym. I am currently doing focus-group interviews with students using pseudonyms,
                        so it remains anonymous and audio recording the interviews for transcription. After
                        transcribing all of the interviews, I will continue to edit my literature review and
                        create a final writing piece on my research. Working with Dr. Reiter has helped me
                        to strengthen my academic writing, thoroughly analyze research studies and make my
                        research successful!"
"My research takes a unique approach to analyze 麻豆社区P students who go to the gym and
                        participate in the culture of working out. I am researching gym culture and looking
                        at students' perceived body image and self-esteem in current years to see how trends
                        have changed over the years. Looking at past studies of gym culture in students were
                        quite repetitive and the data didn't have many differences. I'm hoping to collect
                        new and diverse data to see if different factors play a part in how students participate
                        in the gym. I am currently doing focus-group interviews with students using pseudonyms,
                        so it remains anonymous and audio recording the interviews for transcription. After
                        transcribing all of the interviews, I will continue to edit my literature review and
                        create a final writing piece on my research. Working with Dr. Reiter has helped me
                        to strengthen my academic writing, thoroughly analyze research studies and make my
                        research successful!"
-Tiffany Smaw
 "Participating as a R.E.A.C.H. Fellow has been an experience I will take with me for
                        the rest of my life. It has been incredible to delve deeply into my passion for veteran
                        substance use and to receive so much professional support on my path to law school.
                        My mentor, Dr. Brooke Kelly, has pushed my abilities as a researcher and fostered
                        meaningful growth, both academically and personally. More confident in myself, I have
                        demystified the research process and hope anyone interested in pursuing research will
                        give it a try. This is my second year in the program, and I am so grateful to have
                        been given the opportunity to continue my research project. The 鈥渨hy鈥 of substance
                        use has always interested me; my interviews with veterans have highlighted how tobacco
                        and alcohol are used as coping mechanisms within the military environment. More than
                        just research, giving veterans a platform to share their story has become my passion.
                        I hope my research is able to reach beyond and create meaningful conversations about
                        the implications of substance use among service members."
"Participating as a R.E.A.C.H. Fellow has been an experience I will take with me for
                        the rest of my life. It has been incredible to delve deeply into my passion for veteran
                        substance use and to receive so much professional support on my path to law school.
                        My mentor, Dr. Brooke Kelly, has pushed my abilities as a researcher and fostered
                        meaningful growth, both academically and personally. More confident in myself, I have
                        demystified the research process and hope anyone interested in pursuing research will
                        give it a try. This is my second year in the program, and I am so grateful to have
                        been given the opportunity to continue my research project. The 鈥渨hy鈥 of substance
                        use has always interested me; my interviews with veterans have highlighted how tobacco
                        and alcohol are used as coping mechanisms within the military environment. More than
                        just research, giving veterans a platform to share their story has become my passion.
                        I hope my research is able to reach beyond and create meaningful conversations about
                        the implications of substance use among service members."
-Hannah Irving
 "The study Dr. Miranda Reiter and I are conducting is entitled The Daily Life of a
                        Police Officer: A Futuristic View Examining Racial and Socioeconomic Impacts. Here
                        we will be offering a survey to students that are pursuing a career as a police officer
                        in the future. Through this survey, we hope to find the beliefs and attitudes of those
                        who are pursuing a career as a police officer through the participant's ethical perspectives.
                        This study is only for those with a Criminal Justice or Sociology major. It has been
                        a great experience so far getting to learn about how to conduct research. I am extremely
                        grateful for this opportunity to conduct research with Dr. Reiter and to have her
                        as a mentor. Dr. Reiter has been extremely helpful through this entire process and
                        has given me much guidance regarding professional development."
"The study Dr. Miranda Reiter and I are conducting is entitled The Daily Life of a
                        Police Officer: A Futuristic View Examining Racial and Socioeconomic Impacts. Here
                        we will be offering a survey to students that are pursuing a career as a police officer
                        in the future. Through this survey, we hope to find the beliefs and attitudes of those
                        who are pursuing a career as a police officer through the participant's ethical perspectives.
                        This study is only for those with a Criminal Justice or Sociology major. It has been
                        a great experience so far getting to learn about how to conduct research. I am extremely
                        grateful for this opportunity to conduct research with Dr. Reiter and to have her
                        as a mentor. Dr. Reiter has been extremely helpful through this entire process and
                        has given me much guidance regarding professional development."
-Madison Bathke
 "My research is focused on Native American felons and their reintegration into society,
                        primarily in North Carolina. Being a Native American, and my father being a felon,
                        I have a personal connection to my research. I have been looking into laws that govern
                        felons and their access to social safety nets. Participation in the REACH program
                        afforded me the opportunity to present my research at the 11th Annual The National
                        Collegiate Research Conference hosted by the Harvard College Research Association.
                        My mentor Dr. Jane Haladay has been pivotal to my growth while a part of the fellowship,
                        and I have enjoyed her continued guidance throughout the academic year. REACH was
                        also a blessing while applying to law school. I was able to pay for LSAT tutoring
                        and law school application fees, which has allowed me to apply more broadly. I am
                        thankful for all that REACH has done for me."
"My research is focused on Native American felons and their reintegration into society,
                        primarily in North Carolina. Being a Native American, and my father being a felon,
                        I have a personal connection to my research. I have been looking into laws that govern
                        felons and their access to social safety nets. Participation in the REACH program
                        afforded me the opportunity to present my research at the 11th Annual The National
                        Collegiate Research Conference hosted by the Harvard College Research Association.
                        My mentor Dr. Jane Haladay has been pivotal to my growth while a part of the fellowship,
                        and I have enjoyed her continued guidance throughout the academic year. REACH was
                        also a blessing while applying to law school. I was able to pay for LSAT tutoring
                        and law school application fees, which has allowed me to apply more broadly. I am
                        thankful for all that REACH has done for me."
-Zachary Young