nce again, I am pleased to welcome you to the University of Kentucky Journal
of Undergraduate Scholarship, Kaleidoscope . This third issue of
the journal is even more impressive than the previous two, containing a wide
range of outstanding articles and other submissions.
The creativity and scholarship of the undergraduate students at the University continue to be a source of pride for me and for the entire Commonwealth. As always, each article published in the journal has been refereed by both the author's faculty mentor and a second faculty member who is a member of the journal's Editorial Board. Some of the articles are taken from longer works, such as Gaines Fellows' senior theses. Expanded versions of the articles, in some cases the entire longer work, are available in the on-line version of the journal at www.uky.edu/kaleidoscope/fall2004.
The articles and other submissions in this issue attest to the breadth and quality of undergraduate scholarship at UK. The humanities are represented by an original play, poetry, an analysis of 18 th century French manners, and a historical tribute to the women of Vietnam. Two economics studies, a service-learning project evaluating the YMCA's Black Achievers Program and an undergraduate research program (UK URP) abstract, utilize the social sciences. The Fine Arts contribute two stunning photographic galleries. A study of West Nile Virus in House Sparrows, the contributions of this year's two Beckman Scholars and their mentors, and a number of abstracts by additional UK URP students represent the natural sciences. Finally, both education and engineering are combined in a piece on enhancing education through digitization.
It must be mentioned that none of this scholarship could have been completed without the guidance and mentorship of faculty members who are devoted to supporting the very finest undergraduate educational experiences for our students. I am grateful to our faculty who work closely with undergraduate students. Such mentoring requires deep commitment and many hours. Clearly, their dedication is reflected in and rewarded by the quality of their students' results.
Lest you get the impression that only our seniors have reached the level of academic maturity required to have their work published, it should be noted that the articles and abstracts in this issue, as in previous ones, have been contributed by students at all stages of their undergraduate careers. There is work by first-year students as well as graduating seniors, and every level in between. All students at UK are challenged and invited to become active, creative scholars, not just passive listeners in class. Those who accept this challenge can reap enormous intellectual rewards. This involvement with active faculty scholars, in pursuit of the creation and expansion of knowledge, from the earliest point in a student's college experience is what distinguishes an undergraduate education at a top-20 research university.
I hope that you share my admiration for the students who have contributed to this issue of Kaleidoscope and that you recognize that UK's students continue to conduct research and other scholarly and creative activities of the highest quality, interest and value, activities that make an important contribution both nationally and internationally.
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