Eastern Student Catherine Allegretti of Bolton Gives Oral Presentation at CREATE Conference

2016 May 5

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.

Catherine Allegretti '16 of Bolton, who majors in English and Communication, gave an oral presentation at the event. Her two oral presentation were titled "Caulfield's Cognitive Crisis" and "The Effect of Gender and Exposure to Political Advertising on Political Cynicism."

For her first presentation, Allegretti says, "Finkelhor and Browne identify four traumagenic symptoms that provide a framework to assess the psychological injury to victims of childhood sexual abuse. These symptoms include traumatic sexualization, betrayal, stigmatization and powerlessness. In J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, these symptoms are evident in the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. After a fight at his school, Holden runs away. His ensuing journey through New York City shows the unraveling of his psyche as he engages in self-destructive behaviors and struggles to preserve the innocence of his sister Phoebe. Holden's dialogue shows evidence of his past sexual abuse as he shares the 'perverty' things that have happened to him and his deep discomfort with his own sexuality. As the novel progresses, Holden's psychological crisis is deepened further as he displays each of Finkelhor and Browne's traumagenic symptoms and calls out to readers for help."

Co-presented by classmate Anastasia Dzikas, the two say of their second project: "Political advertising has long been studied and with a presidential election approaching in 2016, its significance is even greater. Younger demographics are often considered more difficult to reach, with lower numbers of college-aged students voting and participating in political elections. Much research has been done on the effects of political advertising and its ability to motivate candidates not only to vote, but also to side with and understand the issues and agenda of a particular candidate. Research has shown that women tend to have more positive images of candidates and that exposure to political advertising can cause some to take a more active role in politics." They continue, "A specific focus is usually made on negative advertising and the negative impact this can have on voters' perceptions of candidates and politics. The point of our study was to determine whether advertising, negative or positive, has an impact on the cynicism that is often associated with college-aged students. This will help pinpoint the attitudes and feelings of this demographic of voters and help to understand ways to reach and encourage this population."

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.