I love highlighting the work of students. A few months ago Bryan Ripley Crandall send me an email to brag a bit about the work of his students on their final projects. As teacher educators we have been on both sides of looking at student projects. Some time their work is so good we want to shout from the roof tops about their accomplishments. Other times we look at projects and ask ourselves: What was I thinking with that assignment? What was I expecting my students would produce? Frankly, we often need better ideas and often those better ideas come from the work our students produce. From time to time our students creatively interpret the assignments ( both good ones and boring ones.) we give them and we she the world with new eyes, new possibilities.
In this case, Bryan sent me a sample of a student's final project. I was thoughly engaged with what Kathleen Morris turned into to Bryan. I quickly decided it was something I want to share with others through the blog. Katheem agreed to let us post her final project (see the product at the bottom of the post) and write a explanation of how she went about producing her project.
In this case, Bryan sent me a sample of a student's final project. I was thoughly engaged with what Kathleen Morris turned into to Bryan. I quickly decided it was something I want to share with others through the blog. Katheem agreed to let us post her final project (see the product at the bottom of the post) and write a explanation of how she went about producing her project.
Meet our Contributor
| Kathleen Morris studies Communication and Digital Journalism at Fairfield University. She serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Fairfield Mirror, a role that allows her to hone her skills as a multimedia journalist and highlight the untold stories of her community. Beyond the newsroom, she is an In-Arena Host for NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball games, where she has the privilege of engaging crowds through live announcements and interactive segments. A native New Englander, Kathleen spends her summers behind the counter of a centuries-old country store, an experience that further fuels her passion for the local narratives that connect us all. https://www.kathleenrosemorris.com/ |  |
Turning the Page Against Patriarchy: Young Adult Literature as a Catalyst for Female Agency by Kathleen Morris
As a child, I was gifted a journal. Its cover was a glossy pink, adorned with a sequined purple “K” and fastened together with a tiny locking mechanism. It lived in my bedside table, finding a home alongside an eclectic array of trinkets and a stack of dog-eared novels.
| When I received it, Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series was fully integrated into the rotation of novels I curled up with each night. I’d clip on my extendable reading light and pore over the pages, captivated by Greg’s youthful narration and fascinated by the idea of documenting daily life through the written word. I began to incorporate journaling into my nightly routine. With each scribbled story, I captured my elementary school antics and began to develop my own voice as a writer. |  |
This past summer, I moved out of my childhood home. In the process of packing, I was reintroduced to this relic of self-reflection. I began to trace patterns in each entry, noting an evolution as I began to embrace my budding femininity.
The challenges I faced differed from Greg’s and Rowley’s. I was not threatened by the infamous “cheese touch” or a rock-and-roll older brother. Instead, my musings were rooted in the rawness of girlhood. I felt the crush of adolescence, from actual crushes (High School Musical’s Troy Bolton earned several mentions) to the social stings of faltering female friendships.
To navigate the complexity of coming-of-age, I dove deeper into the genre of YA. I met Hermione Granger, who reminded me to be steadfast in my academic pursuits and unashamed of my zest for learning. Jo March found a seat at our table – a proud voice who empowered me to be brave and bold. I was struck by the story of Malala Yousafzai, whose story of perseverance expanded my worldview and pushed me to be a fierce advocate for women’s rights.
The challenges I faced differed from Greg’s and Rowley’s. I was not threatened by the infamous “cheese touch” or a rock-and-roll older brother. Instead, my musings were rooted in the rawness of girlhood. I felt the crush of adolescence, from actual crushes (High School Musical’s Troy Bolton earned several mentions) to the social stings of faltering female friendships.
To navigate the complexity of coming-of-age, I dove deeper into the genre of YA. I met Hermione Granger, who reminded me to be steadfast in my academic pursuits and unashamed of my zest for learning. Jo March found a seat at our table – a proud voice who empowered me to be brave and bold. I was struck by the story of Malala Yousafzai, whose story of perseverance expanded my worldview and pushed me to be a fierce advocate for women’s rights.
From Sequined Journals to Multimedia Journalism
Today, I am a senior at Fairfield University. My fondness for glitter has yet to waver, and I still utilize writing as an outlet for self-expression and introspection. However, I have traded my journal for a laptop. My words are no longer hidden within a nightstand drawer, but published weekly in our student newspaper, The Fairfield Mirror. My passion for storytelling pushed me to embrace digital tools in my creative process, identifying the unique power of graphic design to represent the inner workings of my mind with a distinct dynamism.
My interactive webpage, Turning the Page Against Patriarchy: Young Adult Literature as a Catalyst for Female Agency, encapsulates this journey – reimagining a beloved childhood medium as a digital call-to-action for women of all ages.
My interactive webpage, Turning the Page Against Patriarchy: Young Adult Literature as a Catalyst for Female Agency, encapsulates this journey – reimagining a beloved childhood medium as a digital call-to-action for women of all ages.
This project stemmed from an assignment in my Literature for Young Adults course, taught by Bryan Ripley Crandall, Ph.D. Our exploration of diverse YA texts allowed me to develop a nuanced understanding of the representation of women in this genre. I recognized the necessity of amplifying women’s voices across realms, noting how this amplification has the potential to inspire confidence within girls that will carry them through adulthood and guide them as they navigate a patriarchal society.
In the webpage’s opening letter, I share the following wish: “It is my sincere hope that this multimedia project will reawaken a spark within you – a spark that will remind you to be fearlessly feminine and unabashedly yourself.”
As you explore my project, I encourage you to reconnect with what lit a fire in the soul of your younger self and consider how your personal passions could be translated into this format. To help rekindle that creative spirit and unlock your digital voice, I have included a few techniques below to set you in the right direction:
In the webpage’s opening letter, I share the following wish: “It is my sincere hope that this multimedia project will reawaken a spark within you – a spark that will remind you to be fearlessly feminine and unabashedly yourself.”
As you explore my project, I encourage you to reconnect with what lit a fire in the soul of your younger self and consider how your personal passions could be translated into this format. To help rekindle that creative spirit and unlock your digital voice, I have included a few techniques below to set you in the right direction:
Leverage Canva’s Webpage Capabilities
To build my webpage, I utilized Canva. I find the platform to be incredibly user-friendly and accessible, as it provides a seamless canvas where I can maintain my distinct visual identity without needing a background in computer programming. While you can access the design software for free, I’ve found that Canva Pro is a worthy investment for the extra creative freedom it offers.
Commit to a Color Scheme
I selected orange as the primary color for my design, as it traditionally symbolizes optimism and aligns with my mission of lighting a fire within young women. To maintain visual cohesion, I relied on one of my favorite tools: Duotone. This feature is available to Canva Pro users and allows you to manipulate the hues of any graphic or image to create a sophisticated, monochromatic look. It was essential to ensure that every visual element fit seamlessly within my curated palette.
Incorporate Multimedia Elements
I added a handful of videos throughout the project – ranging from Taylor Swift’s The Man music video to Emma Watson’s powerful HeForShe campaign speech. Canva allows you to link and embed YouTube videos that can be watched directly from the page, keeping your viewer engaged without ever having to leave the site.
Additionally, I integrated an original video I filmed on my iPhone and edited in DaVinci Resolve, featuring five testimonials from fellow students. I deeply valued their insights and felt it was essential to add their voices to the project, turning a digital space into a communal dialogue.
Additionally, I integrated an original video I filmed on my iPhone and edited in DaVinci Resolve, featuring five testimonials from fellow students. I deeply valued their insights and felt it was essential to add their voices to the project, turning a digital space into a communal dialogue.
Look to the Experts
If you are new to the platform, I’d highly recommend diving into tutorials on YouTube and Instagram. I recently discovered Roger Cole’s videos (@mysocialdesigner on Instagram) and find his tips to be incredibly helpful for mastering design tricks.
The Next Chapter…
To conclude, I invite you to explore one final avenue of inspiration: the Westport Library’s Research Guide, “Zine Activism: No-Filter Feminism.” This resource provides vital historical context on the Riot Grrrl movement of the 1990s – a pivotal era that empowered young women to bypass gatekeepers and reclaim their narratives through independent cultural production.
Turning the Page Against Patriarchy: Young Adult Literature as a Catalyst for Female Agency serves as a modern equivalent to these underground publications. It is a vessel for female fierceness and a living invitation for women of all ages to pick up their own pens, turn the page on the patriarchy and author a future defined by their own agency
Turning the Page Against Patriarchy: Young Adult Literature as a Catalyst for Female Agency serves as a modern equivalent to these underground publications. It is a vessel for female fierceness and a living invitation for women of all ages to pick up their own pens, turn the page on the patriarchy and author a future defined by their own agency
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