Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Title
Students of Graduate Appalachian Studies: We Make the Road by Walking
Session Abstract or Summary
The objective of this roundtable is to promote the graduate study of Appalachian Studies by giving the accounts of six first-year students in the field at Appalachian State University. Each of the students have unique backgrounds that led them on their current paths and the destinations they are working toward are equally diverse. The students will very briefly tell of their background and interests in the field.
After the students give their accounts, it will be opened to questions from the audience on the overall idea of graduate Appalachian Studies and the individual topics being explored by them. By contributing their experiences and the variety of areas being studied within the field, a greater understanding of the concerns in the region of these new scholars in Appalachian Studies will emerge.
Presentation #1 Title
Cooperative Strategies for Community Sustainability
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The path I walked to reach this point in my academic career in Appalachian Studies has been long but satisfying. My experiences with faculty during my undergraduate studies in History at Radford University, as well as the connections made at previous ASA conferences are key to my current situation at ASU. With sustainability in Appalachia as my concentration in the field, I look forward to assisting communities and businesses work together to create programs promoting environmental consciousness throughout the region.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Christopher McCloud is working towards his M.A. in Historic Preservation and an M.A. in Sustainability in Appalachia at Appalachian State University. He is currently working as Editorial Assistant for the Appalachian Journal as well as Associate Editor for Floyd County Moonshine, an Appalachian literature magazine.
Presentation #2 Title
Community Outreach and Arts Programming
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
I found my way to Appalachian Studies by redirecting my path from working full time in an environment I loved to returning to school. While working at Stuart’s Opera House, a non-profit venue and arts center, I learned a great deal about building a community around a passion for music and art. I am now pursuing Appalachian Studies in order to continue that education of building communities in the region through creative community outreach.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Ellie Dudding is pursuing an MA in Appalachian Studies with a focus in Culture and Music. She is currently a graduate assistant at the University and prior to returning to school she worked as an Administrative Assistant at Stuart’s Opera House. She hopes her degree will help her pursue a career in community outreach and arts programming.
Presentation #3 Title
Appalachian Progressivism through Baseball
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
The path I’ve walked has been more of a controlled tumble down the side of a mountain. I lost count of the amount of times I changed my major during my undergraduate studies. I aspired to do everything from cover sports on a daily basis, write the next great American screenplay, and go into the world of construction. There was a time where I never wanted to step back into a classroom, but now as I pursue my MA in Appalachian studies, and search which route will be best in continuing my academic studies, I found myself lost in how happy being in a classroom makes me.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Josh McClenney is currently pursuing an M.A. in Appalachian Studies with a focus on Culture and Music. He hopes to write his thesis on how baseball influenced progressivism in 20th century Appalachia. Currently, he works as a graduate assistant for Appalachian State’s University Documentary Film Services, and is working on writing a TV show in his free time.
Presentation #4 Title
From Study Abroad to Graduate Sustainability
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
I came to Appalachian State after my experiences as a study abroad student. Studying as an exchange student as a junior changed my life and helped me in deciding to pursue my interest in the Sustainability in Appalachia concentration. During my time as a study abroad student, I was involved in outdoor trips including rock climbing and kayaking, along with classes in sustainable development and recreation management that are unlike anything provided by my university in Japan. Through the Appalachian Studies/Sustainability program, I hope to contribute to mountain communities in addressing environmental issues, both in Appalachia and Japan.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Takahiro Omori is pursuing an MA in Appalachian Studies with a concentration in Sustainability. He is currently a Research Assistant with the Sociology Department and is working on social issue studies in Appalachia. His goal after graduation is to contribute to the Appalachian region solutions to heal current environmental issues.
Presentation #5 Title
Highlighting Appalachian Community and Culture
Presentation #5 Abstract or Summary
I have arrived in Appalachian Studies after a long, winding path through many places and fields, but I feel certain that this direction is one I will follow for years to come. In the past, I have struggled to combine all my interests into a goal that I feel is at once meaningful, challenging, and attainable. I often found myself discovering what I did not want to do, rather than what I did. In my current path at ASU, I hope to combine elements of all my experiences into a program that will help me go on to uniquely contribute to and enrich communities in Appalachia.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #5
Emma Parrish is pursuing an MA in Appalachian Studies with a concentration in Culture and Music. She works as a graduate assistant for the Centers for Appalachian Studies and Culture, Gender, and Global Studies. She plans to focus her studies at ASU on fiber arts and literature in Appalachia and is highly active in the old-time music community.
Presentation #6 Title
Music Studies - Appalachian Hip-Hop
Presentation #6 Abstract or Summary
Sometimes the path you follow is really a series of controlled stumbles. From stumbling into and through the trials of undergraduate studies, to stumbling upon and becoming addicted to debate, and eventually to stumbling upon the world of Appalachian Studies, the path I have taken has not necessarily been the one I planned, but it has definitely been the one that I have chosen. I hope to provide some insight and advice to undergraduate students interested in continuing their education in Appalachian Studies.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #6
Korick Sisomphone is pursuing an M.A. in Appalachian Studies with a concentration in Culture and Music as well as a Graduate Certificate in Rhetoric & Composition. He currently works as the Assistant Debate Coach for the Appalachian State Debate Team and as a graduate assistant for the Centers for Appalachian Studies and for Culture, Gender, and Global Studies. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Communication or Rhetoric & Composition.
Conference Subthemes
Education
Cooperative Strategies for Community Sustainability
The path I walked to reach this point in my academic career in Appalachian Studies has been long but satisfying. My experiences with faculty during my undergraduate studies in History at Radford University, as well as the connections made at previous ASA conferences are key to my current situation at ASU. With sustainability in Appalachia as my concentration in the field, I look forward to assisting communities and businesses work together to create programs promoting environmental consciousness throughout the region.
