Persabelle Debela can’t get enough of the warm, invigorating aroma of coffee. She says the streets of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, are filled with the appealing and unique smells wafting from rows of coffee shops that make up many of the city’s small businesses. "In Ethiopia, coffee is not just a drink," Persabelle says. “It’s a passion. People sit around, even late at night, to sip coffee and discuss the flavors.” she says.
These students are compiling selected articles and artistic submissions from honors program undergraduate researchers across the country to create the honors periodical called Aisthesis. The submissions for the online journal are reviewed by an editorial board of students assisted by faculty members. UMD students who in the honors program are invited to apply, and many are polishing their pieces for submission.
Persabelle is not the only class member who is writing about her passion. Honors accounting and Spanish major Abby Savolt is collecting research to study the economic impact of mountain biking in Duluth. “I’ve always enjoyed biking, but it wasn’t until I came to UMD that I became passionate about mountain biking.”
Since 2008, UMD Honors Advanced Writing students have collected research for Aisthesis. The journal started as a print publication but moved online to reach more readers. It is published annually through the UMD Honors program, and this year's Honors class is eager to go above and beyond. “Aisthesis provides undergraduates with the opportunity to showcase their research and creative works, while adding to the body of knowledge around us”, says honors student Georgia Gates.
The Aisthesis journal promotes students around the nation to do research, build knowledge, and learn more about something they are enthusiastic about. The UMD honors students are working towards collecting as many academic articles as possible, while also making strides in their own research. “The work presented in Aisthesis is your own concept, your voice, your unique ideas laced with the contributions of others,” honors student Cole David Mercier said.
The students have collected a few submissions so far and are hoping to have many contributions to choose from by their deadline of March 15, 2017.