FSU STUDENTS ATTEND ARC CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, DC

December 4 and 5 saw ten of my classmates and I, enrolled in Frostburg State University’s Folklore in Appalachia course, in Washington, D.C. at the 2009 Appalachian Teaching Project conference hosted by the Appalachian Regional Commission.  The Appalachian Teaching Project is focused on strengthening partnerships among students, faculty, and citizenry in Appalachia; this year’s student research was focused on the intensification of local community assets in order to create and shape a positive future for Appalachia.  Students from 15 schools were involved in this year’s teaching project and presented their research at the conference in the nation’s capital.

Arriving at the Washington Marriot in the late evening on Thursday, my peers and I spent time putting the finishing touches on our own research project, which we presented to the assembled audience on Saturday morning.  As students enrolled in Dr. Kara Rogers Thomas’ Folklore in Appalachia course this Fall semester, we have spent the last three months on our research which involved documenting (through video and photography) Appalachian tradition-bearers in and around our own area of Appalachian.  Our time spent interviewing and learning the crafts of these various individuals has culminated in short videos that we are currently working on making available to the public.  We, as students, hope that our documentations will play an important role in educating people on the arts of Appalachia and in perpetuating and sustaining these integral elements of Appalachian culture.  Our documentation is intended to enhance the offerings available at Frostburg’s Mountain City Traditional Arts.

As an attendee at this year’s conference, I have gained a new appreciation for how truly important it is for myself as an Appalachian resident to play a role in ensuring that this fine culture is not lost in the years to come.  Students in Appalachian educational institutions in 11 states also headed their own research projects in their respective communities ranging from increasing economic opportunities in areas and renewing communities through history and culture to making Appalachia a greener place and working with community agencies to reform public policy - all with the goal of strengthening and sustaining the Appalachia that we know.

Personally, I believe that Appalachia is both a geographical and cultural region that is often overlooked by United States citizens and misconstrued and generalized as being a poor, relatively isolated region.  However, some overlook the very essential fact that Appalachia is a cultural hub of America that allows us to foster a meaningful, living relationship with a significant aspect of our country’s roots.

Participating in the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Teaching Project has allowed me to meet with peers in other areas of the region and to realize that my classmates and I are not alone, and other people are also working to preserve and sustain Appalachia.  The Teaching Project conference was one of the best experiences that I have had in my Frostburg State University career and I felt a sense of belonging and importance in the Appalachian region and the community.  Being present at this event and listening to the summaries of the other colleges and universities that participated in this research project provided me with an opportunity to learn more about what I and we, as residents of and Appalachian community, can do to ensure that the traditional arts, culture, and economy of our small corner of the world are perpetuated, stimulated, and sustained for another generation.