Eastern Student Talia Erris of Cheshire 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.

Talia Erris '16 of Cheshire, who majors in Social Work and History, gave an oral presentation at the event. Her oral presentation was titled "Five Feet of Feminine Anarchy: Press Depictions of Emma Goldman 1892-1901."

"What if we were to look back in history and reexamine violent acts inspired by politics?" said Erris. "Would we find that some violent acts mirror modern day definitions of terrorism? My study analyzed press depictions of an late nineteenth/early twentieth century anarchist named Emma Goldman. Goldman was never referred to as a terrorist, but in my research I concluded that the press depicted her as a terrorist according to modern day definitions. My study suggests that the press plays a role in molding our beliefs regarding notorious and feared individuals in society, and sometimes, depicts an inaccurate version of these individuals."

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.