Topics varied from \u201cChallenging the Public Face of Scientists as Geeky White Males,\u201d to \u201cIt\u2019s so Much More Than Wine: Women\u2019s Changing Relationship with Alcohol\u201d as faculty members and students from East Stroudsburg University\u2019s communication studies and English departments presented at regional popular cultural conferences from October through November.<\/p>\n
At the Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA), Andi McClanahan, Ph.D., professor of communication studies, presented her research titled \u201cMeeting at the Altar: Confronting Reality and Disrupting Romance in \u2018Married at First Sight.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like to consume images that focus on the \u201chappily ever after,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, Married at First Sight, a reality show that has people meet at the altar for their wedding for the first time ever, breaks down these images of \u201chappily ever after\u201d and shows the struggles of relationships and merging lives in a way we have not seen in reality television programming before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. McClanahan became interested in popular culture early on because it connected to her life. She became fascinated by the stories told through books, film and television. For that reason she brings the popular culture interests of her students to academic areas of research every day in the classroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I am able to speak about The Walking Dead or The Game of Thrones and how these narratives can be explained through rhetorical theory or communication theory, the students become excited and then they start to view the images they consume on a regular basis in a different way\u2014a way that embraces analysis and critical thinking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Like Dr. McClanahan, Jeffrey Hotz, Ph.D., associate professor of English, finds \u2018great joy\u2019 in conducting research and bringing it back to the students.<\/p>\n
\u201cBringing research into the classroom is very enjoyable in terms of sharing the process and the thrills of discovery,\u201d he said. \u201cResearch and experiences at conferences show how people create knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Hotz presented his research \u201cPoet Professor and the Arts of Erudition: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow\u2019s Popularity and Unique Voice,\u201d at the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA). He was joined by Holly Wells, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, who gave her presentation titled \u201cBill Nye the Stereotype Guy: Challenging the Public Face of Scientists as Geeky White Males,\u201d and Meghann Ryan, instructor of English and Densie Chaytor-Zugarek \u201996, lecturer for Upward Bound, whose research is titled \u201cIt\u2019s so Much More Than Wine: Women\u2019s Changing Relationship with Alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n
Student presentations included Bari Antell, a senior majoring in communication studies from Oakhurst, N.J. whose topic was \u201cGender and Weight Encrypted in Millennial Music,\u201d and Alexis Serrano, a junior majoring in communication studies from Easton, Pa., who presented her research \u201cQueering the Media: From \u2018Will and Grace\u2019 to \u2018Orange is the New Black.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Students are selected to present at the conference in the same manner as faculty who submit. MAPACA does not have a special submission process for students. They submitted their 500-word research proposals, which were peer-reviewed and accepted on the merit of their proposals. The anonymous peer-review process allows student work to be held to the same standards as accomplished scholars in the field.<\/p>\n