The creative work of students in verbal and nonverbal expressions of art and research were displayed at the third annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Union on April 3.

The day was a chance for students in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program to exhibit their work.

Theater students expressed their non-verbal emotions in an excerpt of the March Butoh presentation of “Half Moon Rising.”

“Butoh is not ballet or modern dance; it is a form of expression that is initiated from deep within the core of the body,” explained Jerry Gardner, theater associate professor.

The dance is meant to unlock the symbols that define our realities; it is a way to access deep emotions, such as fear, erotica and sensuality, he said.

Micheal Nilsson, a freshman in theater, was one of the nine dancers.

“I cannot tell you what the story of this performance was because my story is only a drop of water in the bucket,” he said.

The reaction of the viewers is as important as the intent of the performers, Nilsson explained.

Rosario Cruz and Michelle Endo, both seniors in health promotion and education, also presented at the symposium.

They displayed a poster explaining their joint research project on post-partum depression in young mothers.

Endo and Cruz said they chose to target young mothers because they can relate to them.

They researched the subject and made a pamphlet of frequently asked questions in English and Spanish.

Their plan is to set aside one Saturday a month to visit clinics and sit at a young mothers’ program to give them the information.

Cynthia Hottes, a senior in history, gave an oral presentation on her research about the experiences of Utah soldiers during World War II.

“I spoke of the reactions Utah soldiers had to other Americans during their time in the service,” she explained. “Utah is a unique place and because of this, it was a culture shock for the solders to go to war.”