OS Honors Symposium

Come hear about the honors research of OS seniors Lindsey Smith and Eden Wilcomes!

Lost in Translation: The Role of Spanish-Language Political Advertising and Communications Agencies - Eden Wilcomes
As the Hispanic population of the United States continues to rise, so too does the Hispanic electorate’s influence in national elections. Similarly, as the prominence of the Latino vote becomes more noticeable, so does the attention of politicians. In order to appeal to Latino voters, many politicians and campaigns seek the help of Spanish-language political communications agencies, yet there exists little research on political communications and advertising agencies generally, and even less on specialized agencies. By conducting interviews with employees of Spanish-language agencies, politicians and their staff, and Spanish-language communications experts, I was able to better understand the importance and purpose of Spanish-language political advertising.

Present-Day Panopticon: Reactions to Electronic Surveillance Among Young Professionals Entering the Workforce - Lindsey Smith
With the rise of technology, employers have increasing access to data on their employees' actions and productivity. Interview based research was conducted with University of Michigan juniors and seniors who recently interned in large business organizations. My findings highlight how interns react to surveillance (or the possibility of it) and this age group's perspective on surveillance as a whole.