Literature Students Present Feminist Research in Annual Colloquium

Elizabeth Myers (in purple beret) during her presentation at the Colloquium on March 31. Photo submitted by Betsy Erbaugh.

Galloway, N.J. 鈥 Three 快猫成版视频 students were selected to present their research during the New Jersey Women & Gender Studies Consortium鈥檚 19th Annual Undergraduate Colloquium on March 31 at Georgian Court University.

Elizabeth Myers, Victoria Orlowski and Allison Truax were asked to present the research that they did while in their courses "Senior Seminar in Literature" and "Native American Indian Literature."

All three students were nominated by Deborah Gussman, professor of Literature, and Betsy Erbaugh, coordinator for the Women鈥檚 Gender & Sexuality Studies program.

鈥淭hough the subjects of their papers were quite different, each of the students I nominated wrote a paper that demonstrated exemplary research skills 鈥 an essential aspect of work presented at the NJWGSC undergraduate research colloquium 鈥 and insightful literary analysis that incorporated an intersectional feminist lens,鈥 Gussman said of the cohort.

Senior and BOT Student Fellow Myers presented her research titled 鈥淨ueerbait or Postcolonial Critique?: An Analysis of 鈥楺ueerness鈥 in Louise Erdrich鈥檚 鈥楾he Night Watchman鈥.鈥 The paper focused on gender and sexuality within the Ojibwe Indigenous culture.

鈥淢y paper discusses the role of same-sex attraction and deviation from what many consider 鈥榯raditional鈥 femininity in 鈥楾he Night Watchman鈥 ,鈥 the Literature major from Hammonton said. 鈥淢y analysis deconstructs readers' notions of what it means to be queer in Ojibwe culture, ultimately identifying the term as a colonial construct.鈥

Meyers and Truax at the Colloquium
Meyers and Truax at the Colloquium. Photo submitted by Gussman.

鈥淭hough the subjects of their papers were quite different, each of the students I nominated wrote a paper that demonstrated exemplary research skills... and insightful literary analysis that incorporated an intersectional feminist lens."

Myers seeks to use her analysis as a way to 鈥減rompt the audience at the colloquium to challenge what preconceptions they may have on what it means to be considered 鈥榪ueer鈥 and give them greater insight into gender and sexuality in pre- and post-colonial Ojibwe culture.鈥 

Junior Literature major Orlowski鈥檚 research focused on the different relationship dynamics in Indigenous culture and 鈥渉ow Indigenous relationships subvert Western expectations of what family and community means.鈥

The Somers Point native hoped her presentation 鈥 specifically highlighting the traditions of the Metis and Chippewa tribes 鈥 would demonstrate the importance of community and relationship building. The paper was titled 鈥淔amily Time: An Analysis of the Power of Community Dynamics in Healing from Trauma in 鈥楾he Night Watchman鈥 and 鈥楾he Marrow Thieves鈥.鈥

鈥淎merican culture is very individualistic,鈥 Orlowski said. 鈥淭his paper challenges individualism by looking at how integral family and community are to a person's well-being, specifically healing from trauma, through Indigenous cultures.鈥

Although Orlowski was unable to attend the colloquium, her research was still honored with one of three second-place prizes overall and across all member/participating campuses in absentia.

When explaining the significance of students representing Stockton at this colloquium, Gussman provided two reasons.

鈥淔irst, the students have an opportunity to share their research and engage in dialogues with feminist student and faculty scholars across the state, broadening both their knowledge and their networks,鈥 Gussman shared. 鈥淪econd, the audience gets a chance to see some of the innovative and important work being done by Stockton students.鈥 

Erbaugh, Meyers, Truax, and Gussman at the Colloquium
Erbaugh, Meyers, Truax, and Gussman at the Colloquium. Photo submitted by Gussman. 

鈥 Story by Loukaia Taylor

鈥 Photos submitted by Betsy Erbaugh and Deborah Gussman