California State University San Marcos assembled student researchers at Forum Plaza on Nov. 9 to participate in the 2021 Student Poster Showcase. 

Providing a studious environment for student researchers to display their ideas is the goal of the showcase. A positive environment, such as curious attendees, who ask questions regarding the projects they are interested in, encouraged the student researchers to explain their findings and receive feedback from fellow students to improve their project. 

Juan Banaag, a Kinesiology graduate student, explained his theory that living in the present is vital in modern life to the attendees.   

“My study here is exploring mindfulness practices in an outdoor adventure trip setting. About mindfulness, it is self-compassion and contemplated practices that bring your attention to the present. Many studies have found that usually humans are either thinking about the future or the past, yet they’re seldomly present here now.” 

 Banaag added: “We’re taking these mindfulness practices that are components of adventure-based learning which is a physical outdoor education pedagogy. First, from these practices, we have found mindfulness practices. The theme of that finding is that quelling stress and acquiring the mind can help reduce stress and rumination and help participants be more present.”

“The second is mindfulness and reaching the outdoor experience. Within our outdoor programs, participants engage with outdoor activities that are inherently anxiety or fear-causing, like rock climbing, backpacking, kayaking.”

“Therefore, there’s a lot of emotions involved in an auditory metro trip. And these mindfulness practices help students calm themselves but also engage with the activities better because they are able to achieve a sort of a baseline where all the students are doing the same thing, or they recognize their emotions at that moment. And they’re realigning themselves in the present.” said Banaag about his research. 

The Student Poster Showcase is hosted annually at the end of fall semester to help promote student research and creative activity. This research opportunity is open to all CSUSM students from all disciplines to participate. The Student Poster Showcase gives students the opportunity to present their work in a non-competitive environment. 

The showcase was created by the university’s Committee for Undergraduate Research initiative to support the growth of student research. For more information, please visit https://www.csusm.edu/gsr/student/showcase_home.html.