Eastern Student Amanda-Marie Goode of Amston Holds Panel Discussion at CREATE Conference

2016 May 4

More than 250 talented students at Eastern Connecticut State University presented research and creative work at the university's second annual CREATE conference this past April. CREATE stands for Celebrating Research Excellence and Artistic Talent at Eastern, and is the university's premier, academic year-end showcase. At the culminating event, students of all majors presented professional posters, live music, dance performances, artwork, photography, documentaries and panel discussions.

Amanda-Marie Goode '16 of Amston, who majors in Sociology, presented research in a panel discussion. Goode's panel, conducted alongside three classmates, was titled "Women's Rights As Human Rights: A Contemporary Analysis."

"In the 1990 article, 'Women's Rights as Human Rights: Toward a Revision of Human Rights,' Charlotte Bunch presented many ways in which the contemporary perspective on Human Rights neglected the struggles and needs of women globally," said the students in a joint statement. "She also presented several ways in which that perspective could be revised in order to better incorporate the needs of women-and therefore a more comprehensive understanding of the needs of humans. Through our panel, we discussed the progress that has been made towards a more equal treatment of women in many segments of society. This presentation focused on the experiences of women in three areas. The first being the labor force, and how the status quo for women in the workplace can be greatly improved for the benefit of the workers, and for the economy. The second area focused on the status of women in other countries, showing the stark contrast between the standard that women's rights are held to in the western world and developing countries. This segment illustrated systemic cultural oppression, how the traditional aspects of discrimination are manifested in conflict and violence, and how warfare in these countries disproportionately affects women. The third area focused on sports and media, where female athletes are underrepresented in media coverage of sports. They are most often described in terms of their femininity and their relations with men. Further, females are typically depicted in ways which sexualize, objectify, and trivialize them. As a result, women are kept in a state of social limbo, unable to advance themselves and in some cases losing ground. However, recent anecdotes offer hope that change is possible. Our goal was to depict women's rights in many different settings, and to show the progress that has been made as well as the work that still remains to be done."

Remarking on the variety of presentations, Professor Dickson Cunningham, conference co-chair, said, "CREATE encapsulates the essence of the liberal arts in one afternoon. It is an intellectual smorgasbord."

Speaking to the value of CREATE, Eastern President Elsa Nunez said, "It takes a very strong and dedicated student to produce this quality of work, and it's important for other students to see this output." Praising the faculty, she added, "It takes a committed and skillful mentor to guide students to the work that is on display. Mentorship is such an integral part of undergraduate research."

During the one-day conference, the Student Center crawled with artistic and scholarly activity. Students in professional attire addressed their peers, faculty and family. In the cafe, ensembles performed; in the theatre, student-produced documentaries were shown; in the Betty R. Tipton Room, aisles of posters depicting scientific research were displayed; across the hall, a gallery-worth of paintings lined the walls; and on the ground floor, panel discussions and oral presentations about the humanities took place.

In celebration of students' exemplary research, experiential learning and creative activity, CREATE serves to reinforce high-impact practices such as mentored research; increases the number of students presenting their work in a professional forum; raises public awareness of Eastern's liberal arts mission and student accomplishments; and contributes to the intellectual richness of the campus community.