Eastern Student Emilio Estrella of South Windsor 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.

Emilio Estrella '17 of South Windsor, who majors in Spanish and Labor Relations/Human Resources Management, gave an oral presentation at the event. Estrella's two oral presentations were titled "Factoring in Rising Student Debt in Calculating Returns to Investment in College Education" and "The Social Devaluation of Labor: Is it a Choice?"

For his first presentation, he said: "Labor economists have long touted the advantages of higher education as a critical factor determining lifelong earning potential. For decades the cost of a bachelor's degree was swiftly rewarded with increased earnings in comparison to those with high school or trades qualifications. However, rapidly rising education costs, driven by decreasing government spending in higher education, have led to a student debt crisis. With 40 million college graduates carrying a student loan debt, the returns to higher education seem to be rapidly diminishing. This effect is likely compounded by increasing numbers of workers returning to college during the economic recession. In fact, research has found that approximately 60 percent of all student debtors are over the age of 30 and student loan debt saw an 84 percent jump since the start of the last recession to $1.2 trillion. This study seeks to examine the potential impact of debt obligations on the lifetime earnings of those with college degrees."

In Estrella's second presentation: "Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century, and more prominently in the automatization shift in the early 20th century, machine-based mass production has vastly overtaken traditional manual labor. The economic benefits derived from the cost-effectiveness and efficiency obtained from replacing humans with machines and compartmentalizing labor are undoubtedly better for the capitalists who run the corporations. However, it seems that the general populace is apathetic to this devaluation of labor. Trends indicate that people seem unaffected by the systematic replacement of employees by machines. Through historical research, current opinion, and compilation of recent studies, this paper aims to answer the following question: Are people truly indifferent to this change, or do we simply have no choice, since this replacement of labor translates to undeniable economic benefit for the consumer?"

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.