Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

NOMAD Completed!

Katie D.

May 16, 2009 - 6:00 PM

What a day.

Today was the final piece in the long journey of the NOMAD (Comparative Literature's Undergraduate Journal) publication on the Undead. (Briefly, the COLT program issues an undergraduate magazine of scholarly articles written on a carefully-selected topic each year. This year's topic is "The Undead," and I chose to write about La Llorona, a Latino ghost, and her adaptations by Chicana feminist authors. Please see my two previous blogs for more information if you are new!)

Today was the panel discussion and conference on our undergraduate papers. Thirteen of us presented abridged versions of our NOMAD essays in a formal and nerve-wracking setup that has kept me working on this project for hours and hours. I have gone through so many steps in this project, from idea to research to more research, to writing, then editing and more editing and editing with my fabulous graduate student mentor, Laura. Then the paper was finally turned in to the NOMAD editor, Max, who will make final changes on all of the papers, and decide if they are worthy of publication in the magazine (which will be published in the fall).

But then came preparation for this panel discussion. We presented our papers to an audience of thirty or so fellow students, faculty, and other interested individuals. Each undergraduate student was allotted twenty minutes of presentation time for their paper. This means taking an eleven page paper down to about eight pages. I agonized over this process. I mean, if it wasn't important, I wouldn't have written it in the first place! But I gradually lopped off parts of my beloved essay, and thereby also gained some perspective of the brutality of this kind of scholarship.

I also had the opportunity to practice my presentation for my Wesley Center friends. They listened to both my paper and my friend Leslie's. That reading brought home two very important facts: that well-written academic papers do not necessarily translate to readable ones, and that my Wesley Center crew are a bunch of saints. I mean, who really wants to be a captive audience? (By the way, if you are confused about who this group is, please visit our blog at www.uowesleycenter.blogspot.com, where I also contribute)

Then there was the other agonizing process that goes with being in front of a crowd of people. I'm not usually the kind of girl that really even bothers to think about clothing options. I had to have some girlfriends over last night to help me pick out an outfit. That, if nothing else, should prove that this was important to me.

The other vital step in preparation was the distancing process the night before the presentation. In this case, this means splurging on movie tickets. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a great distraction. Over-the-top, ridiculous, and awesome. Very distracting.

The conference today ran from 9-5. I presented second and remained for the entire day. My speech went well, I think. I felt good about it, anyway. Once the time finally comes for a public speaking event, I usually let go of the jitters and simply have a good time. Three of my friends came to see me speak, and even brought me flowers. I also managed to sneak my cell phone to the podium so my mom could listen to my speech and "be there" as well. (It's her birthday today. Happy birthday, Mom!)

What impressed me most, though, was the incredible diversity of topics we presented. Give thirteen undergraduates instructions to write scholarly articles about undead figures and you get an amazing variety of creatures and emphases. We ranged in focus from zombies to ghosts to vampires, then from immigrants to authors. Our genres were similarly varied: horror, comedy, parody, gothic, folklore, and musical. In medium we explored film, ballet, novels, and oral traditions. Our themes included feminism, immigrants' rights, insanity, family heritage, and identity.

It is such a privilege to be a part of a department so committed to providing its undergraduate students with the opportunity to write and publish serious scholarly works.

To finish the day off right, we had a party for the NOMAD participants, hosted by the fabulous Lisa Freinkel, director of the Comparative Literature Program. This party was exactly what I was hoping for in my college experience: a group of undergrads, graduate students, professors, and friends mingling over wine and Mexican food. We discussed literature, movies, discourse, bad jokes, and summer plans. We even received a confidential disclosure of next year's subject for the NOMAD magazine. Don't even ask, because I'm not telling. It will be fabulous, though...

The people who make NOMAD happen do so because they love what happens in the process of creating this undergraduate journal. It is an opportunity for undergrads to truly shape research projects, and to receive the support and input of graduate students. The grad students get to connect to excited and motivated undergrads. The professors who participate get to work with students who are writing about exactly what they want to, rather than what is assigned to them.

No one has to do NOMAD. We put in all that extra work because that's what scholars do: research, write, publish, and present in a community of peers.

And then we get together as friends for a party.

I want to say a huge thank-you to my fabulous graduate student mentor, Laura Mangano. She was a "mentee's" dream: efficient, understanding, a great writer, involved without being overbearing, and truly excited about my topic. I feel so lucky to have been placed with her. Laura is a powerhouse, and is so fun to be with. Fabulous dreadlocks, super artistic, and all about phantoms and gore (in a very non-morbid way). I have heard from the other undergrads that they had great experiences with their graduate students as well.

Now all that's left for my NOMAD experience is a movie night of undeathly focus: some zombie films, perhaps a ghost story or two. And hopefully getting published.

Cheers.