Eastern Student Megan Velasquez 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.

Megan Velasquez '16 of South Windsor, who majors in English and Theatre, gave an oral presentation at the event. Velasquez's oral presentation was titled "Child Must Have a Ticket: An Analysis of Book-to-Stage Adaptations of Alice in Wonderland and Matilda."

"Story adaptations are very popular in our culture, with the most well known books into big Hollywood movies and even well-known television shows," said Velasquez. "Adaptations are everywhere, and while many people believe that adaptations are inferior to the original story, either because they are "just copies" or "the adaptation can't get the story right", my research shows what adaptations are really about. While I analyzed the two children's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Matilda by Roald Dahl and their respective adapted stage productions, I have found that simply copying elements directly from a book during an adaptation process undermines the story itself, and that adaptation is about a whole reconstructive process involving literary analysis in order to successfully translate a story from one medium to another. By doing this research, I was able to determine what is required in adapting children's novels to a dramatic setting, while also figuring out what constitutes success in an adapted stage production."

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.