Senior Spotlight: Independent Studies, Jaivir Singh: The Seeds of Discontent

Riverdale Review: Please briefly discuss the subject of your independent study. 

Jaivir Singh: My independent study is called the seeds of discontent. It is about the cause of farmer protests and addressing the imbalances and inefficiencies of the global food system.

 RR: Why did you choose to spend additional time studying this topic? 

JS: I have been interested in the topic of farmer protests since 2021. One of the things I find particularly interesting in this area of study is seeing how major imbalances in the food system, as well as farmer protests, are linked to major economic theories, climate concerns, and political imperatives. I also loved how this project made it possible for me to approach a unique problem from different academic vantage points.

RR: During which semester did you choose to do your independent study and who is your faculty advisor? 

JS: I chose to do my independent study in semester one, and I worked with Dr. Antone.

RR: What was the goal of your study or central question you were trying to answer? Do you feel as though you were successful in fulfilling this goal?

JS: The goal of my study was to explore and address the intersection between history, sustainability, and economics. Additionally, to look at a couple of big historical trends to understand different instances of historical protests. My project was not successful in answering why this is happening or how to stop it, but it did give me more insight into the topic. I was able to present my study to an elective at Riverdale and share my knowledge with other people so in those parts it was a success.

RR: What was your biggest challenge during the experience? 

JS: You’re responsible for assigning your own homework. The biggest challenge is responsibility as you are in charge of assigning your own homework and making your own assessments, suddenly you are the student and the teacher. The research process in terms of finding the reading to do is also a big challenge.