What do Batman, the Greek monster Argos, and a fictional flesh-eating virus have in common?<\/p>\n
They were all the subjects of some frightfully wellresearched presentations at 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Beastly Conference in May.<\/p>\n
The Beastly Conference is becoming an annual tradition in 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Honors College. Now in its third year, the small symposium invites humanities student researchers to pick their own topics centering on a beastly theme and present their work for their peers and teachers.<\/p>\n
\u2018Beastly\u2019 is open to interpretation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were drawn to questioning what really makes a human a human,\u201d said Jessica Plotkin, the student responsible for organizing this year\u2019s conference. \u201cWhat\u2019s the dividing line between humans and animals?\u201d<\/p>\n
Plotkin, who graduated in May, was a pre-med student who majored in Classics (\u201cI have always loved ancient Greek culture. I\u2019m never going to have a chance to do this as a doctor, so as an undergraduate I decided to go all in on ancient Greek stuff,\u201d she explained.) She was also a co-founder and leader of HARPY, a student research group that hosts both the Beastly Conference and its complementary Monster Conference in the fall.<\/p>\n
HARPY stands for the Honors Association for Research and Publication. The group added the Y as a nod to the Greek mythological harpies, half-bird and half-women creatures who steal food and torment the wicked. The group is meant to facilitate student research in the Honors College.<\/p>\n
While 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Office of Undergraduate Research does a great job of connecting students with faculty research projects, \u201cThere is still a gap for people who want to do humanities-based research because there aren\u2019t labs like there are for the hard sciences,\u201d Plotkin said. \u201cWe wanted to create a student-directed, humanities-based research organization. So, we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the guidance of faculty advisor Jacqueline Stuhmiller, HARPY founded the Monster and Beastly conferences three years ago. Organizing this event is a months-long undertaking, and one shouldered almost solely by Plotkin herself, since her fellow HARPY officer was studying abroad this semester. Plotkin put out a call for papers in January and talked with her classmates to encourage them to submit abstracts. When she had a spate of potential presenters, she worked with several to help them develop their research ideas from vague outlines into actual presentations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a phenomenal experience to see them go from confusing abstracts where they\u2019re just throwing out ideas and seeing what sticks, to being these really coherent, strong presenters who have gained confidence in their abilities,\u201d Plotkin said with pride.<\/p>\n
For example, there was Cameron Ahles, a mechanical engineering major who started the conference with a thoughtful look into the superhero Batman. Ahles used the DC Comic character to highlight how humans routinely borrow animal qualities to better understand our own humanity. For example, we use a \u2018Birds and Bees\u2019 talk to teach children about sex and reproduction.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlas, we are ashamed of, and petrified by, our primal, animalistic nature. Bruce (Wayne, Batman\u2019s secret identity) is too, but when he dons the mask, he finds more of himself than ever before,\u201d Ahles observed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Batman shows the power of our access through our beastly instincts. Batman is the hero we need to guide us through the darkness: The darkness around us and the darkness in ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then there was Danny Muntz, a first-year student who introduced his audience to the SPC Foundation. It\u2019s an online creative writing forum focusing on fictional anomalies, like a flesh-eating disease that slowly erases its victims\u2019 human features and personalities. Muntz posited that a person\u2019s individuality \u2013 their hopes, fears, likes, dislikes, tastes, and more \u2013 is what makes them who they are. But, he added, through disease, death, or even dementia, \u201cWe can lose what makes us human. We can become beasts.\u201d<\/p>\n
For her presentation, Plotkin, of course, turned to mythology, explaining misconceptions surrounding a popular myth: Zeus, fearful of his wife Hera\u2019s wrath, turns his lover Io into a cow. The suspicious Hera sets her many-eyed monster, Argos, to guard the cow, and Zeus kills the monster to free his lover. Hera, mourning the death of Argos, sets his many eyes on the tail feathers of a peacock.<\/p>\n
But, Plotkin said, there\u2019s more to this myth. The popular version that most people are familiar with today was penned by Ovid and portrays Hera as a scheming, jealous woman. However, in ancient Greece, Hera was revered and respected. Earlier versions of the myth claim that Io was the high priestess of Hera\u2019s temple when Zeus assaulted the unlucky woman and later changed her into a bovine. Argos was not a monster but instead a mortal, gifted extra eyes by Hera, who was sent to protect Io. And finally, Hera\u2019s favorite animal was never the peacock, Plotkin argued \u2013 her favorite animals were always humans.<\/p>\n
The conference was held in person and also streamed live over Zoom. Plotkin was delighted with its success.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese students are phenomenal,\u201d she said. \u201cThey put in such incredible work every semester, and this semester\u2019s crop was especially impressive. So, I recommend that you keep an eye out for HARPY in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n