Brock’s ESA is hosting an undergraduate student conference showcasing academic papers from undergraduates.
On April 5 from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Brock’s English Student Association (ESA) is holding an undergraduate student conference. After an opening statement from Department Chair Tim Conley, nine students will read their academic papers.
Although the paper has to be within the field of English studies, students from all programs were invited to answer the call for submissions that went out a few weeks ago.
There will also be a presentation from undergraduate Research Assistants for Dr. Neta Gordon on a new project called “Mapping Ann-Marie MacDonald,” a collaborative project from members of Brock University’s Departments of English Language and Literature, Digital Humanities, and Geography and Tourism. Dr. Gordon is the one of the Primary Investigators of the project.
Ann-Marie MacDonald is a Canadian playwright and author who wrote such successful novels as The Way the Crow Flies, Fall on Your Knees, Fayne, and Adult Onset. Students of Dr. Gordon may be familiar with Fall on Your Knees, a critically acclaimed international best seller which won the Commonwealth Prize, the People’s Choice Award, the Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award for Fiction Book of the Year and was short-listed for the Giller Prize.
The Mapping Ann-Marie MacDonald project explores literary geography via the development of interactive mappings of places, spaces and events from MacDonald’s work. The project also explores how MacDonald’s stories address important topics like feminism and queer identities and challenge traditional cultural norms.
Presenters and attendees alike can network with faculty and fellow students at the conference, giving students the opportunity to learn more about academia and have their work recognized. It is also a great opportunity for students to support their peers as they reach this academic milestone of presenting their work and getting published in the official Conference Proceedings.
The event is open to everyone and advanced sign-up is not needed, though an RSVP on ExperienceBU is appreciated. Guests will have to sign in at arrival. With 10 tables with about eight seats each, there is a capacity for 80 people. For those who can’t attend, an official Conference Proceedings publication will be released after the conference on the official ESA site, containing the full essays of the presenters.
The ESA Undergraduate Conference not only celebrates the intellectual achievements of undergraduate students but also encourages them to pursue further academic and professional opportunities in English studies and beyond.
Any questions or inquiries can be directed to the President of the English Students’ Association (ESA), Colin Spencer, at ESA@brocku.ca.