Emily Miclon Presents at 2017 CREATE Conference

2017 May 2

The Third Annual CREATE Conference at Eastern Connecticut State University took place on April 21. CREATE stands for "Celebrating Research Excellence and Artistic Talent at Eastern," and is the University's premier conference showcasing student research and creative activity.

Emily Miclon '18 of Enfield presented an oral presentation titled "Constructing Authenticity through Intertextuality: An Analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly." Miclon majors in Political Science and Music.

"My study examines the ways Kendrick Lamar projects authenticity throughout his album, 'To Pimp a Butterfly,'" said Miclon. "This album explores themes of institutionalized oppression, including the exploitation of African American artists. These struggles are given validity when Kendrick attempts to assert authenticity within his work through many strategic musical tactics, such as ironic sampling, genre references and lyrical themes of urban identity. Asserting authenticity through music and lyrics has been a key component of conscious hip-hop since its inception. Kendrick draws on the traditional categories of rap authenticity while critiquing them as a way of constructing his own ideas of realness. By constructing himself as a dynamic and authentic figure, Kendrick comes to meaningful conclusions about the impact racial and geographic identities have on a lifetime of oppression for members of the urban community. He also advocates for respect and unity among his community in Compton, CA, in order to reject institutionalized oppression and exploitation."

The one-day conference featured more than 300 Eastern undergraduates who presented talks, professional posters, live music, dance performances, art and photography exhibits, documentary films and panel discussions.

"The CREATE Conference is an incredible opportunity for me to gain experience presenting my research," said Miclon. "I am thankful that Eastern invests in academic research and encourages students to gain these crucial and academically enriching experiences, especially at the undergraduate level."

"CREATE is a reaffirmation of Eastern's commitment to undergraduate research as Connecticut's only public liberal arts university," said Niti Pandey, business administration professor and conference co-chair. Reflecting on this year's record number of participants, she added, "There is a wonderful variety of presentations and performances for people to see. CREATE 2017 showcases the hard work and talent of our students and demonstrates the dedication of their faculty mentors. We look forward to an excellent event!"

From art to zoology, Shakespeare to social media, tax law to terrorism, Eastern students of all majors explore important concepts and produce exemplary research and creative work; the culmination of their work for the 2016-17 academic year was on display at CREATE.

Patricia Szczys, biology professor and conference co-chair, added: "CREATE is a superb learning experience for all who participate and a true celebration of our student's achievements."