Exploration and Identity: An Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Queer Poetry
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Hailley Boutin
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
Emily Dickinson wrote hundreds of poems in the late 1800s that elegantly expressed a wide range of themes, yet many seemed to deliver similar messages. Her poetry details topics such as nature, life, death, and love; however, they hold a much deeper meaning than what one might think; her poetry speaks on the female experience of sexual exploration and queer sexual identity. There has been an ongoing debate for decades about whether or not Dickinson was a queer/lesbian woman and whether that is truly what the contents of her poetry pertains to. There are many scholars that have produced extremely convincing evidence that does support the conclusion that Dickinson was a queer author, and this then submits her work to be read through a queer theoretical lens – an area of literature that has been incredibly underrepresented for much too long. As this paper will show, it is clear that many of Dickinson’s works utilize metaphor and imagery to represent the female body and its intimate relationship with other women. Queer authors have historically had their voices silenced, and many important stories along with them; it’s time for Dickinson and queer literature to be truly seen and heard.
All Is Beautiful and Beautiful Is All in Whitman
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Nathan Letendre
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
Walt Whitman posed so many questions about life, the point of it, and shined a light on the beauties of everything around us. He published vast amounts of incredible pieces of work, but two that this paper will focus on “Song of Myself” and “To Think of Time.” Both of these poems highlight the curiosities and debates that were raised by Whitman, such as a question of human equality and what the purpose of life is, and how they are still discussed in this modern world. A controversial idea he presented was along the lines of: Isn’t there beauty and perfection in everything? This paper analyzes how Whitman’s beliefs and philosophies align with many people still today. This paper explores the question about whether or not anything in life is truly bad, and highlights multiple opposing sides to each story and problem. This paper finds out a little more about him personally, what his motivations and influences were that led him to see things through a different lens than everybody else, and how shades of it still circulate in today’s world.
The Significance of Birds and Insects in Emily Dickson’s Work
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Amanda Hitchcock
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
Emily Dickson’s poetry can be looked at through the lens of queer and feminist theories. This presentation discusses how the imagery of birds and insects represent queerness in three of Dickinson’s poems, A Bird, came down the Walk - (359), “Hope” is the Thing with Feathers and Two Butterflies went out at Noon— (533). Understanding of how birds and insects play the role of hidden interpretations and underlying messages within these three works. The lens of feminist theory helps the reader see why Emily Dickson might have wanted to keep her work private, especially in light of the controversial editing of her poetry after her death. Within these realms and with help from other scholarly research this paper will allow the conclusion to be brought to light.
A Psychoanalytic Study of the Depths of Frankenstein and his Creation’s Desires
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Michael Zelli
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
This project will explore the in-depth psychoanalysis of Victor Frankenstein and his creation in the book Frankenstein; The Modern Prometheus, and their unconscious behaviors. The intention is to find out why Victor Frankenstein desires things such as the making of the creation, his rejection of the creation, and how that plays out. This leads to my investigation of the isolation of both the creature, Frankenstein himself, and what this might say about the character’s desires and the emotions of guilt, ambition, solitude, and revenge that are playing into Frankenstein’s decision. Using a Post-Structuralist theory there is room to make our own assumptions based on the context of the story and the character’s actions. Post-structuralism allows us to explore the ways in which language, power, and identity are constructed throughout the text. Through this presentation, I look to answer what both Frankenstein’s and the creature’s psychological factors say about their unconscious bias. Unbeknownst to Frankenstein and his creation, their ambitions subconsciously influence their decisions.
Motivations for Racial Discrimination in Clybourne Park; Competition Breeds more than innovation
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Nathaniel Parrish
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris is a poignant sister play to Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun, which centers on the difficulties of adjusting to changing times and the attitudes that can make it so difficult. In this play two characters in particular—Karl Linder and Steve— display intolerant attitudes toward their racial counterparts, which drives them to commit discriminatory acts in regards to housing transactions with racial minorities. It’s no secret that white on black violence is a consistent theme throughout American history, or that racial bias and discrimination is present in the real estate industry. However, this presentation seeks to argue a potential motivation for the actions of the likes of Steve and Karl Linder— that the imperialist capitalist culture of American society is intensely influential in the lives of some of its white citizens, encouraging them to enact violence on those they deem as competitors.
Housing, Business, and Segregation in A Raisin in the Sun
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Adam Wehner
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
After slavery was abolished in the United States, white people maintained their power over Black Americans through segregation laws, preventing them from obtaining jobs, using public facilities, buying housing, and more. Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the Younger family, who are struggling financially. There’s a tug of war between Mama and Walter, who want to use the life insurance money differently; Mama wants to buy a home to live in, but Walter wants to start a liquor business to make money. Both of their dreams reflect something that was denied to them as African Americans in the mid-twentieth century: the freedom to live where one wants, and the freedom to start a business. This presentation will examine the various methods white people used–such as redlining, housing committees, and more– in order to stifle those freedoms both in Hansberry’s play and throughout history.
Community Outsider to Religious Leader: Color as Growth in The Parable of the Sower
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Remy Niland
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
Octavia Butler’s dystopian society in the graphic novel The Parable of the Sower depicts a barren, drug-addicted, poverty-stricken alternative future for the United States. Religion holds a central role in this society, particularly for the Olamina family, who use God to cope with the struggles of the world they inhabit. Because of the struggles the community and Olamina family face, the adverse childhood experiences of being a Black woman in this society that Lauren experiences inform her religious beliefs. This essay aims to argue that the social and economic circumstances of the outside world portrayed through the graphic novel give Lauren the opportunity to preach her beliefs and gain followers; in effect, Lauren begins a cult-like religion using an alternative understanding of Christianity. The use of color schemes and positioning in The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler portrays Lauren’s growth as an outsider to a leader, demonstrating how the world and people around us shape our relationship with religion.
The American Dream Portrayed in Raisin in the Sun
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Emily McKillop
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
This paper will take a dive into the play A Raisin in the Sun and take an especially close look at how the American dream is portrayed from the conversations surrounding neighborhoods and homes in America. In this play, Lorraine Hansberry thoughtfully takes her audience through the lives of a family in the 1950’s and their interactions with prospective white neighbors who are expressing concerns about their race in relation to where this family is living. It becomes glaringly obvious through research that the ideal of the American dream is catered towards a specific group of people, that the Younger family is seemingly not a part of.
The Depiction of Trauma in A Raisin in the Sun
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: James Uyar
Faculty Sponsor:
Justine Dymond
The influx of Black Americans into northern cities such as Chicago and New York in the early to mid-20th century, created communities of descendants of slaves in which intergenerational trauma had been passed through families as a result of slavery and racism. Trauma theory illuminates the detrimental effects of this collective experience during this time period. This paper addresses the trauma of racial segregation as depicted in Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun. This play is a quintessential trauma narrative, depicting the struggles of a Black family living in poor conditions who have the opportunity to make a better life after receiving a life insurance check. This presentation argues that Hansberry utilizes her play as a form of collective healing from that intergenerational trauma through the representation of a Black family who makes it out of their unfortunate circumstances, specifically through Walter Younger’s monologue at the end of the play. The unfair reality of being Black in America in that time period is spoken in this text and acts as a guide to surface suppressed feelings on this trauma.
Directionless: The Story of the Kennedy Administration and Vietnam
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Remington Ferrari
Faculty Sponsor:
Thomas Carty
This paper delves into the intricate inner workings of a presidential administration working at a time of crisis. With the onset of conflict in Vietnam, President John F. Kennedy and his “whiz kids” (the young, bright, ambitious officials that held a variety of key positions within the administration) faced a challenge the likes of which they had never encountered. From the very beginning, the war not only sparked public debate, but also debate within the Kennedy administration. Seemingly everyone within the administration had their own unique take on the Vietnam question. The two men highlighted in this paper, Maxwell D. Taylor (served in multiple capacities under Kennedy) and McGeorge Bundy (Kennedy’s National Security Advisor), tended to hold differing views on Vietnam, representing two distinct trends of thought that existed within the administration. Amidst the chaos of so many opinions, Kennedy struggled (and ultimately failed) to establish any consistent policy direction in Vietnam. A vast array of circumstances (many out of Kennedy’s control) made it exceedingly difficult for the administration to get out ahead of the many curveballs Vietnam threw their way. The administration worked to untangle the knot that was Vietnam in futility. This futility ultimately resulted from Kennedy’s inability to provide any clear cut direction to his administration’s Vietnam policy. He never fully committed his administration, and thus the country at large, to any firm endgame. Paralyzed by indecision, Kennedy and his administration set up future catastrophe in Vietnam with their lack of cohesion.
The Emergence and Value of Afrofuturism
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Chase Kupinsky
Faculty Sponsor:
Daniel Fraizer
This paper discusses the fascinating cultural movement of Afrofuturism. The origins of Afrofuturism are discussed, while the goals and aims of the early leading minds behind Afrofuturist ideas are described. Scholar Mark Derry’s original definition of Afrofuturism is analyzed and is used to provide a framework through which the central ideas of this paper are reflected. Much of Afrofuturism revolves around coming to terms with societal issues and imagining how they will play out and affect people of African descent in coming decades or centuries. Various mediums (literature, music, film, and visual art) through which Afrofuturism has been expressed are analyzed, and key examples from each medium are explained in terms of how they are centered around aspects of Afrofuturism. Integral topics of Afrofuturism are discussed, including how science fiction and speculative fiction have been used to encourage Black people to imagine new ways of life that involve rethinking their pasts, presents, and futures. An analysis of how Afrofuturism has been a source of pride for Black people is provided, along with how it can be unifying and uplifting for this demographic too. This paper makes the case for why Afrofuturism is important for Black people, along with how Afrofuturism can be impactful for people of all races and ethnicities. Thus, the cultural value that Afrofuturism provides is a major topic of discussion in this paper and it helps to explain why Afrofuturism is such a unique and growing cultural movement.
Personal characteristics and behaviors in sport, exercise, and performance settings: An exploration of anxiety, perfectionism, pre-performance routines, and self-handicapping
Oral Presentation - Conference Paper
Presenters: Jaxon Tamulaites & Ella Williams
Faculty Sponsor:
Erika Van Dyke
Researchers have found that pre-performance routines (PPRs) or rituals can be effective in reducing anxiety (Brooks et al., 2016; Hazell et al., 2014) and enhancing performance (Rupprecht et al., 2021) among athletes. However, PPRs may not be for everyone as some individuals have found them to be harmful if they experienced higher initial levels of anxiety (Werner et al., 2021). Further, both anxiety (Coudevylle et al., 2011) and perfectionism (Stewart & De George-Walker, 2014) have been associated with self-handicapping behaviors, or self-presentation strategies to excuse poor performance and protect self-esteem. Collectively, these constructs may relate to performance and well-being in meaningful ways. Thus, the purpose of the proposed study is to explore personal characteristics and performance-related behaviors among individuals who participate in a variety of athletic and performance settings. Consenting participants will complete an online survey to assess demographics, perfectionism, anxiety, self-handicapping, and PPRs/superstitions. Through quantitative analyses, the researchers will aim to (1) identify differences in trait anxiety, perfectionism, and self-handicapping between those who engage in PPRs and/or superstitions and those who do not, and (2) determine the extent to which relationships exist among anxiety, perfectionism, and self-handicapping behaviors, regardless of PPR and superstition engagement. Finally, qualitative analyses will be used to better understand how PPRs and superstitions manifest among athletes and performers, and what functions they serve for participants. The results of this study can inform our understanding of PPR use among athletes and performers, and more specifically how anxiety, perfectionism, and self-handicapping may differ between participants who use and do not use PPRs and/or superstitions in their performance preparation. Ultimately, this study can increase athletes’ and performers’ awareness of PPRs and relationships among anxiety, perfectionism, and self-handicapping behaviors.
Breaking Racial Barriers: William Beckett, Springfield College's first graduate
Oral Presentation - Literary Reading
Presenters: Caitlin Kemp
Faculty Sponsor:
Marty Dobrow
I would like to present my article, “Breaking Racial Barriers” about Springfield College’s first graduate, William Beckett. I wrote this article as part of my project in a special topics class, social justice journalism. Our assignment was to complete a journalism project – written, audio or video – about a social justice issue having to do with the Springfield College campus in some way. This article was also featured in a Black History Month edition of The Springfield Student. I am extremely proud of how this article turned out and would love to share it even further with the community. When researching potential topics for my project and came across the College’s timeline on the website. Next to 1906, it read, “William Beckett, a Black man, was the first graduate to receive a diploma.” Upon further internet searches, there was little to find about Beckett and his legacy at Springfield College. I wanted to change that. This article explores the racial climate of the 1900s and how Beckett’s legacy is so important to our College history. Of all the famous alums that came from Springfield College, Beckett is one that we should all know, and we don’t. My hope was that my article would change that, and give the community insight into this man who pushed the barriers of race during a time when many Black citizens did not have opportunities to do so.