Table of Contents
Dance as an Innovative Response to Challenges
Natalie Gardner
Sacrifices Made in the Vietnamese Emigration During the Late 1970s
Miranda J. Lam
Mom's Gone, Now What
Alexis Wallace
Linganore High School Cultural Appropriation
Tessa Anderson
Asexuality: the Unseen Identity
Brenna Sermania
Endometriosis and How it Connects to Larger Issues in Women's Health
Josephine Meloy
Falling in Love with Writing: Lessons from my Dad
Meghan Long
More Than Meets the Eye: Why Context Matters in Literacy Studies
Rachel Hagerman
Three Stories
Christa Niyeze
Dance as an Innovative Response to Challenges
Natalie Gardner
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
During this unprecedented time, dance is a powerful resource to cope with anxiety, depression and chronic stress caused by current circumstances. Dance movement allows people to regain a sense of control over their lives in a time when many factors are out of our control Dance can allow people to process the socioeconomic and racial injustices still pervasive today. Dance allows us to escape our troubles and heal from the sadness, pain, and anger we are currently experiencing. Dance allows asymmetrical reciprocity through which people can recognize and value differences without bias.
Sacrifices Made in the Vietnamese Emmigration During the Late 1970s
Miranda J. Lam
Soka University of America
The aftermath of the Vietnam War forced many families to escape a communist nation, influencing many to make heartbreaking sacrifices. I recorded an interview with my father, Tim Lam, to have a direct account of his experiences while in Vietnam as well as the journey of escaping Vietnam during the aftershock of the war. Considering my father has long viewed Vietnam as a place he is unable to return to as long as it remains communist, I was interested in what influenced his perspective and mentality. While telling me about the sacrifices and tragic conditions he endured to immigrate to the United States, I was able to understand the harsh conditions created when the communist government took over and propelled Vietnamese citizens to search for ways out. By writing this paper using a qualitative study approach based on an oral history told by my father, I will draw inferences and provide an analysis of the sacrifices made in the Vietnamese emigration during the late 1970s.
Mom's Gone, Now What
Alexis Wallice
Clayton State University
On January 21st, 2006 our mother died. None of us even got to say goodbye. She left three children motherless - well, a child and two young adults, The absurd obituary made it sound like it was completely normal for her to be gone, as if it were to be expected. The damn thing was cut and dry, with no empathy or sympathy; it was as cold as her dead body.
Linganore High School Cultural Appropriation
Tessa Anderson
James Madison University
Situated in northern Maryland, Linganore High School takes pride in its school, especially when it comes to athletics. Since Linganore's founding in 1962, the high school has always had an abundance of school spirit This past fall it was brought to the attention of the administration that the spirit in which Linganore once indulged is now perceived as shameful due to concerns over cultural appropriation.
Asexuality: The Unseen Identity
Brenna Sermania
James Madison University
Asexuality is a broad and complicated sexual orientation. From misconceptions, discrimination, and even sexual assault, those who identify as asexual face complex problems. The solutions to those problems take a lot of work and time. However, words have power, and that power can be used for good.
Endometriosis and how it Connects to larger Issues in Women's Health Care
Josephine Meloy
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Women are historically given subpar sexual healthcare in comparison to their male counterparts. This is especially true in the case of endometriosis, a disease that takes years on average to diagnose, and even longer to treat. This paper addresses the social, financial, and emotional burdens placed upon women with this disease and analyzes the structural issues that allows them to continue.
Falling in Love with Writing: Lessons from my Dad
Meghan Long
James Madison University
As a WRTC major, I never reflected how I got here. Why do I love writing so much? How did I get here, and why have I stayed? Off the top of my head I could point to a lot of things. Maybe it was because I got good grades in English in high school? Maybe it was because one of my favorite movie characters was a writer? Or maybe it's all just much simpler than that. Falling in Love with Writing: Lessons from my Dad is a autoethnography and photo story about how I got to the place where I am today. Writing has become such a huge part of my life and the way that I express myself. It comes easy to me, it's something I don't worry about, and as a 20-year-old girl that feels great. This story I'm sharing is about inspiration, growth, hard work, and the importance of role models in our lives. It's a thoughtful and reflective look back at how my dad contributed to the person I am today.
More Than Meets the Eye: Why Context Matters in Literacy Studies
Rachel Hagerman
Arizona State University
This article provides an overview of common theories and academic research in the field of literacy studies to discuss the connections between language, literacy, writing, and orality. Through an examination of this scholarship, I argue that scholars must be concious of social and cultural contexts in order to better understand real-world literacy events. Failing to address the context of literacy events creates a misleading disconnect between language and literacy and should be avoided at all costs.
Three Stories
Christa Niyeze
Soka University of America
This essay incorporates my journey toward learning three languages and learning how to appreciate them. From my earliest memory to in-class work, I describe how my languages have made me who I am and how I think.
