Dr. Robert H. Jackson served as The Height School’s first headmaster from 1971-1983. Dr. Jackson brought a unique, lively spirit to the young Heights School and is fondly remembered by many alumni. In honor of his legacy of rigorous study and hard work, the Jackson Scholar Senior Thesis Program was created for the 2008-2009 school year.
Program Director, Dr. Matthew Mehan describes the course as follows:
“Named after the School’s first headmaster, this thesis option is available to selected students in the senior class. Each invited student who elects to join the thesis program chooses to work with a faculty advisor throughout the academic year on a shared topic of interest, producing a substantial written work (30-40 pages) that the student defends before a three-person faculty panel (20-30 minute presentation followed by 20-30 minutes of Q&A). The defense is also open to queries from the public. Senior thesis writers who successfully complete this program are considered “Jackson Scholars,” so denominated on their transcripts. These Jackson Scholars should be considered among the strongest students The Heights School produces.”
Each year all successfully defended theses are published by the School and kept in the Library for future reference and study, a lasting testament to the hard work of the students and their faculty advisors. Here are this year’s Jackson Scholars and their thesis titles.
2019 Senior Theses
Cloud Barré Where Are We Being Driven: Societal Effects of Autonomous Vehicles
Javier Mazariegos When Life Gives You Lemon Tests: Restoring the Meaning of the Establishment Clause
Tony Crnkovich Useful or Merely Interesting: Making the Case for the Liberal Arts in a Tech World
Theo Clement Caught in the Crosshairs: Guns, Violence, and the 2nd Amendment
Nathan Manthei The Price of Life: The Effect of Price Controls on the Pharmaceutical Industry
Rye McMillen Let the Boys Play: The NBA’s One-and-Done Rule
Matthew Thomas Coloring Within the Lines: The Political Effects of Gerrymandering
Augustin Jauregui Live Long and Prosper: Mankind’s Future in Space
Nicholas Kelly A Death Sentence for the Death Penalty
Jacob Cremers Universal Basic Income: Noble or Base?
Christian Gadiano Free Market Economics