The issue of change and whether that change is a good thing will be explored through sophomore business administration major Maria Ziebinska’s Research Rookies project.

Ziebinska said she enjoys working in her field of interest alongside her faculty member mentor, Anne Birberick, Vice Provost and Associate Professor of French.

Ziebinska and Birberick are focusing on French literature, especially Voltaire’s Candide, according to the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning website.

“Maria Ziebinska and I are exploring the issue of adaptation,” Birberick said. “In other words, how does an 18th century literary text change as it is adapted for the stage as an operetta by Leonard Bernstein in the 20th century?”

Birberick said they will specifically look at what happened when Bernstein made changes from the original text (“characters, plot, organization of episodes”) as well as the effects of adding musical numbers to the original text.

“Then, we will consider how these changes shift the meaning and/or message of the original French text,” Birberick said.

Birberick said they must answer the questions of whether the work is tied to its socio-historic context or if there are timeless, universal themes.

“The plan is to conclude the project by considering how an adaptation of Candide might look in the 21st century,” Birberick said.

Birberick said she sees the role of being a mentor to a Research Rookie as having two parts.

“The first is to introduce the student to the type of research that is undertaken in a particular field,” Birberick said. “The second is to guide the Research Rookie through a specific project.”