By: Tanner Crunelle
With support from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, I was recently afforded the opportunity to present a paper at the 2019 Southeastern Women’s Studies Association on post-humanist thought and activism. For this paper, most of my thinking was in a largely conceptual realm, which can sometimes seem esoteric and highly specialized. It also means that oftentimes, I think I’m alone. While we did not receive feedback after the session, I was challenged to answer highly specific questions about the presentation I delivered: a level of engagement not always available in the classroom.
Being my first conference, it was immensely encouraging and comforting to know that there are peers, in this region of the country, who are not only receptive to the ways I’m thinking, but who are thinking along similar lines. Having this experience has galvanized my commitment to the field and styles of inquiry I have been pursuing, ensuring me that I must pursue graduate school and develop my intellectual contributions further. I am constantly wondering the ways I can best serve the communities I live in; presenting this paper has affirmed that one of the best ways to best be of service is to think deeply before, during, and after enacting social change.
Tanner is an English major at the College.