Following months of meticulous research and writing, the Near and Mitra Grant scholars submitted the final drafts of their research papers on April 10.

“[The program] allows you to go deep and spend an entire year just absorbing yourself in something that is of interest to you that goes beyond introductory survey level courses,” History and Social Science Department Chair Donna Gilbert said. “This allows you to really hone [your skills] at an undergraduate level.”

This year’s Near Scholars, who received the grant to study U.S. History, are seniors Ayush Midha, Karnika Pombra, Apoorva Rangan, Vedant Thyagaraj and Felix Wu. The Mitra Scholars, who researched the humanities, are seniors Aadyot Bhatnagar, Maya Nandakumar, Agata Sorotokin and Stanley Xie.

Ayush’s paper explored the seldom-discussed aspects of the black power movement; he underlines the grassroots community-building efforts in attempts to restructure coalition building, for the cause of black liberation in America. Last summer, he was in D.C. and chose to pursue the research opportunities that came his way.

Karnika researched the rationale behind U.S. actions during the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’etat and scrutinized whether U.S. motives behind aiding the revolutionaries stemmed from their investments in Guatemala.

When conducting initial research, finding relevant information from the parties on both sides of the coup proved to be a hindrance to Karnika due to the dearth of Guatemalan accounts.

Apoorva analyzed media-military relations during the Vietnam War, which was the the first uncensored modern military conflict. Being involved with the Upper School’s journalism program for the past four years, Apoorva developed interest in the role of the first amendment during wartime.

Vedant conducted research on healthcare economics, specifically the health insurance market.

Aadyot’s research revolved around malaria control policy in Tanzania, in hopes of formulating a policy which would circumvent the emergence of the resistance to antimalarial drugs.

Maya researched the formation of women’s religious groups, notably the Franciscan Clarist Nuns, between the 12th and 14th centuries.

She has estimated having spent between a total of 150 and 200 hours on the paper, holed away in a corner of Stanford’s Green Library, reading, writing and re-focusing.

Titled “Straight Outta Compton: Hip Hop and the 1992 Los Angeles Riots,” Felix’s research paper explores the culture of hip hop music through its connections with the Rodney King riots, focusing on chronic unemployment, the crack epidemic and police brutality.

Agata wrote about the life and music of acclaimed pianist and composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, challenging the notion that the sole purpose of his music was to express his distaste for Stalin. Her interest in Shostakovich was sparked two summers ago, when she trained with noted cellist David Finckel, a former student of Shostakovich.

Stanley Xie reviewed literature concerning rumination, a coping mechanism employed by depressed or anxious individuals, and the emergence of co-rumination through social media.

A reception was held to recognize the work and efforts of the Near and Mitra Grant scholars on April 29 and applications for next year’s grants are due today, May 1.

Additional reporting by Jackie Gao.