English Language and Literature Commons^™

Education, Migration And Development Panel, Henri Boyi

Africa-Western Collaborations Day 2020

8 graduate students/recent graduate presentations on education, migration and development. Moderated by Dr. Henri Boyi. Reporting of panel done by current GHS students of the 2021 class. Abstracts can be found under "Africa-Western Collaborations Day 2020 Abstracts". Presenters as follows:

Jemima Nomunume Baada, "Experiences of Social Reproduction among Migrant Women in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana"

Elmond Bandauko, "This is a Good Place to Live! Narratives and Counternarratives on Territorial Stigmatization in Harare's Informal Settlements"

Chinelo Ezenwa, "A History of 19th Century European Missionaries in Colonial Africa with Specific References to the Impact of Missionary Schools"

Rebecca Jackson, Jade Rozal, …

The Forest, The Trees, The Bark, The Pith: An Intensive Look At The Circulation Rates Of Primary Texts In Ten Major Literature Areas At The University Of Oregon Libraries, Jeff D. Staiger

Charleston Library Conference

This poster looks at the circulation rate for literary primary texts, which constitute a unique area of collecting in academic libraries: while they do not in most cases meet immediate research needs, it is assumed that libraries ought to acquire them, for reasons including future research needs, preservation of the cultural record, and the ability of members of the intellectual community to stay current, those these remain primarily tacit. The circulation trends of contemporary literary works in ten areas of literature (English, American, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Latin American, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian) over the past twenty years at the …

Memorias | Electronic Literature + Live Coding Performance, Jessica A. Rodriguez Miss, Rolando Rodriguez, Alejandro Brianza, Luis M. Guzman

Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2020

Memorias is a web-based artistic project by Jessica Rodríguez developed through the Estuary platform —an online platform to host live coding languages. It is based in six autobiographical writings connected to the way she “hears”, “writes”, “watches”, “reads”, “sees” and “listens” to the word. Through these texts, six code works were designed and programmed, hybridizing natural and computing languages by parsing three existing live coding languages: Tidal Cycles, Punctual, and CineCer0.

Together, Memorias’ languages collide different materialities as well as visual and sonic approaches, going from voices in English, Spanish, Cello and Paetzold samples, audio and visual synthesis, and pre-recorded …

Phone Down Magic On (An Augmented Reality Performance/Reading), Laura Zaylea

Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2020

Phone Down Magic On is designed as a chapter book for children, grades 3-5, and each chapter begins with augmented reality content. The story follows three young friends who text each other before bed. By holding a phone above the physical chapter book, readers see the characters’ texting session as if it were happening on their own phones… and when a parent says to put the phone down, the texting stops and the “magic” begins. The screen interface dissolves into a dream scene, and clues to a mystery are presented in floating text presented within animated sequences supported by sound …

From Wordsworth’S Poetic Problem To Puzzleless Interactive Fiction, Timothy Wilcox

Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2020

Steve Meretzky’s 1985 A Mind Forever Voyaging functions as the first major text-adventure which does not structure its interactions around challenging, often cryptic, puzzles. Instead, the work allows readers to observe and record social change leisurely, requiring one to match wits with one’s imagination more so than the computer. This development of puzzleless interactive fiction has had forward-leaning influence. Chris Klimas’ development of Twine traces back in design philosophy to Meretzky’s innovations here, and autobiographic explorations in the medium develop then from this shift away from puzzles toward more subjective experiences. In addition to this forward influence, however, I trace …

Women's Self-Definition Through Poetry, Olivia Samimy

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

This project looks at five female poets across history – Anne Bradstreet, Aphra Behn, Forough Farrokhzad, Anne Sexton, and Sylvia Plath – to explore the various challenges they faced writing in their patriarchal societies. Further, it looks at the way they each used their poetry to define themselves and their own identity. This project seeks to explain why this act of self-definition is significant, and why it so often drew criticism from the writers’ respective societies. What was discovered, is that the act of a woman crafting her own self-definition through poetry is a privilege in a patriarchal society, where …

Oulipian Codes, Wittgensteinian Games, Borgesian Labyrinths: The Potential Literature Of Gravity’S Rainbow, Stephen Haines

Scholars Week

This intertextual analysis discusses the multimodal links between Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, Borgesian metaphorical imagery and story structure, Oulipian mathematic and textual experiments, and Wittgensteinian linguistic philosophy. This analysis also draws on the work of Katherine Hayles in Writing Machines in that it seeks to identify the ways in which a work such as Gravity’s Rainbow requires non-trivial engagement from readers, what Hayles calls “ergodic” engagement, thereby transcending many of the traditional conceptions and functional limitations of texts. The goal of this analysis is to attempt to demarcate Gravity’s Rainbow as a unique form of textual experiment, one both …

Imprisoned: Rehabilitate Society, Bailey Bennett

Scholars Week

As an African American woman who has witnessed family members incarcerated in addition to my father’s employment with the Department of Corrections, I have always been fascinated with the prison system. My passion for this complex subject has inspired my art and writing, urging my audience to interpret a different point of view. Through investigating the modern prison systems, in my writing, Imprisoned: Rehabilitate Society, I shed to light the true horrors lying beyond cold prison walls. By incorporating a renowned African American poet, Etheridge Knight’s poem, I cracked the surface in regards to the racial stigmas of incarceration. I …

Eveline’S Lack Of Love: An Analysis Of “Eveline”, Anna Crosby

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

This is a character analysis essay from my English 1101 class. Based off the short story "Eveline" by James Joyce, I analyzed the main character, Eveline. In my essay I argue that Eveline struggles with the fact that she is less interested in Frank, her fiancé, for love but for a way out of her domestic life at home. Throughout my essay I use different critic's opinions from their own analysis articles to help support and defend my thesis statement.

Faculty Sponsor: Robert Dixon-Kolar

The Transformation Of Tessie Hutchinson: A Character Analysis, Jillian Pitelka

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

The short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, is not the ordinary lottery we are all used to today. In the beginning it may seem that way but, in the end, it turns into a sort a sacrifice. The main character in this short story is Mrs. Hutchinson (Tessie) and she shows no fear of this lottery like her neighbors do. In my paper, The Transformation of Tessie, I argue that Tessie does not take the lottery seriously until she has a chance as being chosen as the sacrifice. To defend my position, I used support from three literary critics …

Cracking The Case On Age-Appropriate Literature, Sara Neumann

Scholars Day Conference

Reading is a vital part of education and life, therefore a necessary skill to learn. There are many debated methods as to teaching a child to read, but sometimes overlooked is another important component of the reading process—what a child reads. Books come in a hoard of different styles, genres, and formats, and their contents can be limitlessly varied. While it can be argued that all books are good to read in an appropriate time and place, as far as learning to read is concerned, there are some books that are more appropriate to children than others. Divided into age-level …

A Young Adult Scrutinizes The Michael L. Printz Award, Claire Elaine Seale

Scholars Day Conference

In a century peppered in controversy, adolescents between the ages and twelve to eighteen are turning to young adult literature to find hope in their lives. These books with headlining titles like The Hunger Games and Harry Potter are no longer just in print, but their narratives centered around teenage protagonists are being brought to life on screen. In fact, the source of much of our twenty first century culture derives from the ingenuity of young adult authors. Although the young adult empire continues to grow in modern times, many advocates for young adult literature, including the American Library Association …

Editing The Editor, Adeline Goodman

Scholars Day Conference

Through six months of rethinking and re-conceiving a manuscript I wrote in middle school, I have transformed my process as author and editor. Reflecting on my experience as journalist, senior editor, researcher, and writer in college, I addressed challenges such as self-criticism, peer-review, historical accuracy, and emotional storytelling as I rewrote the young novel. "Editing the Editor" demonstrates the nitty-gritty of what it means to resiliently polish prose and what that looks like in print.

Our Stories, Paige Wright

Scholars Day Conference

After exploring my history with horror and how the genre developed over time, I share some short horror stories I've written and why I find the horror genre important as a Christian.

Basketballs Bounce Back But I Didn't, Kelli Shivers

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

No abstract provided.

Estrangement Of War In Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, Sophia L. Tornay

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

An application of Victor Shklovsky's Theory of Prose to Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.

My Teacher-Writer Identity, Kayla R. Ehlinger

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

My project is my teacher-writer identity project, which started in my Teaching Writing Classroom. The goal of this project was to create a piece of media which gave an understanding of our identity as teachers and writers. My project took the form of a handout that would be used as a teaching material to help my students get to know me while also becoming comfortable with their own writing process. Using my own examples for how to interact with writing, my teacher-writer identity ultimately hopes to help my students become comfortable with themselves and their different approaches to writing.

The Dark Truth About Steve Jobs, Mike Dent

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

Presentation of a paper on Steve Jobs and his role in the success of Apple Computer.

Using Online Tools For Learning, Not Copying, Noah Cox

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This project is showing that using online websites for homework answers is not always a bad thing. If these websites are used correctly, they can actually be a really good tool for learning.

Adhd: A Personal Struggle, Julianna Vanvalin

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This paper attempts to show my struggles with ADHD and how not receiving proper care can hinder someone.

Foster Youth In College, Brandi Lindenmuth

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

Foster youth in higher education struggle with unique challenges that need attention in order for them to succeed. Programs such as the ones talked about in this paper focus on these unique challenges and proceed to support these students for their potential of success.

Chum By Earl Sweatshirt: An Analysis, Oryah Brown

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This paper is an analysis of Earl Sweatshirt's song "Chum". The record contains complex rhyming, dark themes, clever metaphors and looming instrumental. Additionally, the paper attempts to detail the rapper's unique background, career and personal struggles. Earl's impact and importance is highlighted and examined to provide further context to the song's sinister subject matter and aesthetic.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Are They Really So Bad?, Erika Johnson

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), are a highly debated topic among society today. The argument as to whether they should be used for consumption appears to lie in the crossfire of safe vs. non-safe. On one side, lie those who appear to shrivel up when the word is only mentioned. On the other, lie those who believe in the good that can come from genetically modifying foods, merely hoping to keep up with the demand of an ever-growing world. While GMOs will not feed the entirety of those hungry in the world, it is a small step towards a greater cause. …

Honor And The Code Of Silence, Michaela Sallade

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This work is about law enforcement and the code of silence some officers that take part in it. There are three reasons behind officers following this code is due to the influence of the police academy, their fellow police officers, and the police union. Then going over how honor influences these officers becoming a part of the code of silence as well. The code of silence is a problem in the United States that is leading to officers getting away with crimes.

Fast Fashion, Honor, And The Value Of Overconsumption, Samuel J. Shoaff

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

An analysis of the implications of fast fashion in a post-industrial society, with a focus on the environmental and human costs.

The Female Slave Experience, Christopher Adams

Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

In this paper, I evaluate slavery from the perspective of female slaves to show how their experience may have been more difficult than that of male slaves. Although most slave narratives have come from the male slave’s point of view or from a male author, there may be evidence that the female point of view may be of more importance. To argue this, I use Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs and Clotel by William Wells Brown to show that the slave experience for females was more difficult than the slave experience for males due …

Breaking The Code In The Imitation Game, Taylor Zovko

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This paper compares the ideas discussed in Derrida's paper Signature Event Context regarding the idea of the iterability of language with Alan Turing's work on decoding the Enigma as presented in the movie The Imitation Game.

Death Is Alive In Letter Writing, Rebekah L. Smith

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

Language, according to Derrida, is a complex machine that is not just understood between two people, but between everyone.

I'M With Her. And Her. And Her., Jessica M. Garrison

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This paper describes my experience at the Women's March on Washington in 2017 and how it has given me a new perspective.

Engl 400: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Song, "We Are The World": A Call To Change -- Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow (And A Potential Rhetorical Framework For Covid-19 Relief Efforts), Cammy Toddy

2020 Virtual Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

On the night of January 28, 1985, the charity single song, “We Are The World,” written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, was produced in A&M Studios in Los Angeles. At the recording studio, there was a sign that said, “Check your egos at the door,” which acted as a visual reminder for why these artists were there. This idea was put in place by producer Quincy Jones, who knew he had one night to bring over 40 of the country’s biggest stars together for a cause much bigger than themselves. A rhetorical analysis of “We Are The World” reveals …