Welcome
Greetings! We are eager to extend a warm welcome as you arrive in Portsmouth for the Symposium on Appalachian Studies in the Digital Age, scheduled for October 31st through November 2nd, 2019. We have an exciting program planned around the theme “(Re)covering Appalachia.”
Many communities in the region are in a phase of recovery; with the decline of manufacturing and coal production, the ongoing opioid addiction crisis, with the political fallout from the 2016 election and the continued proliferation of flawed, negative media images and narratives, we are attempting to reposition ourselves for positive adaptation and renewal. We are asking how do we recover from the shock of economic dislocation, environmental damage, families and communities challenged by substance abuse and inadequate health care, as well as journalistic narratives that reductively characterize our communities as “devastated” and “hopeless”?
What sorts of data, voices, technologies, media platforms, software applications, preservation projects, public health initiatives, and creative works can help us recover the discarded, overlooked, and unappreciated stories of struggle and triumph in our region? How do we recover what has been ignored by others but never really lost? In this digital age, how do we recover and reclaim the music and art and revisit the photographs and narratives of Appalachia? How do we practice recovery in our families, schools, universities, sports, businesses, religious and civic organizations? What does recovery look like? These are the questions the symposium hopes to address.
Elizabeth Catte, author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia, will deliver our keynote address, and we have planned three public plenary sessions that examine the current state of economic development and recovery in Appalachian Ohio, the War on Poverty today, and common Appalachian myths and stereotypes that need busting. Additionally, we have planned three days of live performances, paper presentations, round-table discussions, workshops, and a documentary double-feature.
We look forward to our second biennial symposium and are so glad you are joining us for a three-day exploration of Appalachian Studies in the Digital Age.
See you soon!
Drew Feight, Symposium Director
Janet Feight, Program Coordinator
Thomas Bunting, Registration and Local Arrangements
Keynote & Public Sessions
Institutional and public collaboration are key to economic development and the larger recovery of our communities and in this spirit we encourage community participation in the symposium’s program. All performance and music sessions, documentary screenings, plenary panel discussions, and Dr. Elizabeth Catte’s keynote address are free and open to the general public. No reservations required. We thank our institutional partners for their support, which has made possible our public programming.
Workshops and the Historic Boneyfiddle Tour
Seats for symposium workshops are by registration only.
History of the War on Poverty – Workshop with David Bradley
Session 6.1 (Friday, 10:00-11:15 am)
Join David Bradley, Executive Director, National Community Action Foundation, for an in-depth look at the history of the War on Poverty, which began under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Bradley is one of the nation’s premier authorities on poverty and the author of the Community Service Block Grant CSBG) legislation passed by Congress in 1982. For more than 30 years he and the NCAF have represented the funding and policy interests of the nation’s one-thousand community action agencies before Congress and the Executive Branch. Bradley’s participation in the symposium is made possible through the support of the Community Action Organization of Scioto County.
Historical Walking Tour of the Boneyfiddle District – Workshop with Dr. Drew Feight
Session 12: (Saturday, 9:00-11:15 am
Dr. Drew Feight, Director of the Shawnee Digital History Lab, will lead a guided walking tour of Portsmouth’s historic Boneyfiddle District. Dr. Feight will discuss the development of the Scioto Historical mobile app and demonstrate its use and potential for promoting local historic preservation and heritage tourism in Portsmouth and the surrounding Appalachian region.
The tour will explore the history of abolitionism and the Underground Railroad, the city’s iron and shoe industries, newspaper publishing, and the city’s first alcohol and opioid addiction treatment facility (dating back to the 1890s).
This workshop and the Boneyfiddle Tour in Scioto Historical is supported, in part, by ServeOhio and the Ohio History Service Corps (AmeriCorps).
Conducting Oral History Interviews in Your Community
Session 13.2 (Saturday, 10:00am-11:15 am)
Dr. Cassie Patterson, Assistant Director of the Center for Folklore Studies and the Director of the Folklore Archives at the Ohio State University and her colleague, Dr. Cristina Benedetti of the Ohio Arts Council, will share their expertise and experiences with conducting oral history interviews. Drs. Patterson and Benedetti will conduct a workshop on best practices for planning and conducting oral history interviews.
Registration & Check-In
The Registration & Check-In desk is located in the Rita Rice Morris University Center Lobby. Badges and a complementary hard copy of the “official” final program will be provided at Check-In. While checking-in look for the complimentary coffee, tea, water, and a breakfast/snack sampler.
Attendees (including presenters) are to register online in advance to secure a discounted rate of $30. All students should register, but may attend for free.
The deadline for pre-paid registration is October 27th.
The plenary and performance sessions, and Elizabeth Catte’s keynote address are all free and open to the general public. No reservations required.
All workshops and the tour of the Boneyfiddle Historic District are by reservation only. Please reserve a seat in advance while submitting your registration. If openings are available, late, on-site registration for workshops and tour will be allowed at Check-In.
Click here for —> Online Registration via Shawnee State University’s CashNet
Late/on-site registration of $40 is available at the Registration and Check-In desk in the Rita Rice Morris University Center Lobby. If you need assistance or have problems with your registration, please contact Thomas Bunting at tbunting@shawnee.edu.
Wi-Fi & Social Media
Symposium attendees can access the SSU-net Wi-Fi network while on the Shawnee State University campus. The Wi-Fi password will be provided at Check-In.
Follow the Symposium on Instagram @digitalappalachia. Tag and track posts about the symposium with the hashtags #RecoveringAppalachia #ASDA19.
Directions to Portsmouth & Shawnee State University
Portsmouth is located on the Ohio River at the intersection of of US-23 and US-52. We are roughly 90 miles from Cincinnati and Columbus and consider Ashland, Ironton, and Huntington to be our sister cities in the WV-KY-OH tri-state region.
Point your GPS or mapping app to Shawnee State University, 940 Second Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662.
Parking
Presenters and attendees are directed to the University Center Parking Lots. Additional parking may be found at the public parking lot at the corner of 4th and Gay Streets.
Sponsors & Acknowledgements
The symposium is sponsored by the Digital Appalachian Studies Program at Shawnee State University and is made possible in part through grants from the Community Action Organization of Scioto County, the Portsmouth City Health Department, the Friends of Portsmouth, the Scioto Foundation, and the Shawnee Fund of the SSU Development Foundation. Funding for our keynote speaker was made available through the Jane M.G. Foster Distinguished Lecture Series. Funding for our keynote speaker was made available through the Jane M.G. Foster Distinguished Lecture Series. Additional support was provided by Becky Thiel, Vice-President and Provost for Academic Affairs, Roberta Milliken, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Janet Stewart, Dean of Library Services at Shawnee State University, Patties & Pints, and the Port City Pub.
Special thanks to the program committee: Michael Barnhart, Gabe Brown, Thomas Bunting, Drew Feight, Janet Feight, Whitney Folsom-Lecouffe, Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme, and Mich Nyawalo. And to Hannah Burns for graphic design and to Amanda Wachowiak, Lindsey Howard, Tracy Walters, Aimee Welch, and Deb Howell for general assistance.
Session Schedule
For session locations see the SSU Campus Map on the back cover of this program.
Thursday, October 31st
Check-In
10:00 am-2:00 pm
Location: SSU Morris University Center Lobby
Session 1: Trauma, Trafficking and Transparency: Perceptions of Southern Ohio’s Murdered and Missing Women
11:00am-12:15 pm
Location: Flohr Lecture Hall, Clark Memorial Library Room 204
- Convener: Janet Feight, Shawnee State University
- Jennifer Bracken Scott, Shawnee State University
- Brew Wilson-Battles, Shawnee State University
Session 2.1: Politics in Appalachia – Student Roundtable Discussion
12:30-1:45 pm
Location: Micklethwaite Meeting Room, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 214
- Convener: Thomas Bunting, Shawnee State University
- Mountain Food: Politics of Community and Scarcity in Appalachia (Leen Heresh, Shawnee State University)
- A Region in Crisis: A Glimpse into the Opioid Epidemic Plaguing Appalachia (Tyler Fox, Shawnee State University)
- The Disparities of Behavioral Health in the Appalachian Community (Brett Rappold, Shawnee State University)
- Mothman, Myth, and Meaning in Appalachia (Kelsey Boulay, Shawnee State University)
Session 2.2: Public Data: Public Good — How to Use and Access Public Data to Help Make Informed Decisions about Your Community
12:30-1:45 pm
Location: Kricker Innovation Hub Large Conference Room
- Convener: David Kilroy, Kricker Innovation Hub, Shawnee State University
- Chris Shaffer, Center for Public Data, Shawnee State University
- Lynzee Murray, Center for Public Data, Shawnee State University
Welcome & Opening Remarks by Ohio Lt. Gov. John Husted
2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Flohr Lecture Hall, Clark Memorial Library Room 204
Session 3: Plenary I – Economic Development & Recovery in Appalachian Ohio
2:30-3:30 pm
Location: Flohr Lecture Hall, Clark Memorial Library Room 204
- Convener: Jeremy Burnside, Friends of Portsmouth
- Brian Baldridge, Ohio House of Representatives, District 90
- Eric Braun, Shawnee State University
- Luanne Valentine, Community Action Organization of Scioto County
- Tim Wolfe, Eflow Development Group
Session sponsored by the Friends of Portsmouth.
Session 4: Women of Appalachia Project Gallery Talk with Kari Gunter-Seymour
3:45-5:00 pm
Location: Appleton Gallery, Vern Riffe Center for the Arts Room 218
- Convener: Whitney Folsom-Lecouffe, Women of Appalachia Project
Session 5: Music from the Hills at Patties & Pints (off campus)
5:30-7:30 pm
Location: Patties & Pints, 2nd Street
- Convener: Robert Black, The Boneyfiddle Project
- Kentucky Memories
- Sasha Colette
Enjoy the talents and music of authentic Appalachian artists over a nice meal and a selection of 50 craft beers! This session is hosted by Pattie & Pints on Second Street and sponsored by The Boneyfiddle Project and the Scioto Foundation.
Friday, November 1st
Check-In
9:00-11:00 am
Location: SSU Morris University Center Lobby
Session 6.1: History of the War on Poverty – Workshop with David Bradley
10:00-11:15 am
Location: Classroom 109, Massie Hall
- Convener: David Bradley, National Community Action Foundation
Session sponsored by the Community Action Organization of Scioto County.
Session 6.2: Recovering Communities: Partnership and Collaboration as a Tool for Change
10:00-11:15 am
Location: Flohr Lecture Hall, Clark Memorial Library Room 204
- Convener: Lisa Roberts, Portsmouth City Health Department
- Convener: Abby Spears, Scioto County Collaborative Opioid Consortium
- Jay Hash, HopeSource Treatment
- William C. Miller, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University
- Bill Dever, Esq., The Counseling Center
Session sponsored by the Portsmouth City Health Department.
Session 7.1: Playing the Labor History Card: Mine Wars in the K-12 Curriculum
11:30am-12:45 pm
Location: Classroom 109, Massie Hall
- Convener: Beth Jane Toren, West Virginia University Libraries
Session 7.2: Recovering Appalachian History through Digital Tools
11:30am-12:45 pm
Location: Micklethwaite Meeting Room, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 214
- Convener: Jinny Turman, University of Virginia — Wise
- David Trowbridge, Marshall University
- Tom Costa, University of Virginia — Wise
Session 8.1: Health Disparities in Appalachia
1:00-2:15 pm
Location: Lecture Hall, Advanced Technology Center, Room 104
- Convener: Abby Spears, Portsmouth City Health Department
- Emerging Technologies: Utilizing Data and Geomapping to Identify Health Disparities (Abby Spears, Portsmouth City Health Department)
- Strengthening LGBTQ+ Cultural Humility in Rural Settings (Julia Applegate, Equitas Health, The Ohio State University)
Session sponsored by the Portsmouth City Health Department.
Session 8.2: Mapping Appalachian Natural Resources
1:00-2:15 pm
Location: Micklethwaite Meeting Room, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 214
- Convener: Erik Larson & Logan Minter
- Developing Regional Arboretums: Tree Trails as a Way to Connect to Appalachia (Erik Larson & Logan Minter, Shawnee State University)
- Environmental Information for Environmental Justice: Accessing Fracking Recordkeeping in Appalachia (Eira Tansey, University of Cincinnati)
Session 9: Plenary II – The War on Poverty Today
2:30-3:45 pm
Location: Flohr Lecture Hall, Clark Memorial Library Room 20
- Convener: Steve Sturgill, Community Action Organization of Scioto County
- David Bradley, National Community Action Foundation
- John Carey, Governor’s Office of Appalachia, State of Ohio
- Tom Kiffmeyer, Morehead State University
Session sponsored by the Community Action Organization of Scioto County.
Session 10.1: Covering Appalachia: Local and Regional News in the Digital Age
4:00-5:15 pm
Location: Conference Room, Kricker Innovation Hub
- Convener, Terry Hapney, Marshall University and Hometown Broadcasting
- Ryan Ottney, Former Editor of the Portsmouth Daily Times
- Jack Shuler, Denison University
- James Pilcher, Cincinnati Enquirer
- Jeremy D. Wells, Grayson Journal-Enquirer
Session 10.2: “Up Hollow” by the Bone & Fiddle Dance Collective
4:00-5:15 pm
Location: West Lobby, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 108
- Convener: Summer Logan, Shawnee State University
This original work of dance incorporates traditional and contemporary bluegrass music and will be performed by the Bone & Fiddle Dance Collective of Portsmouth, Ohio.
Session 11: Documentary Double-Feature – Till the Wheels Fall Off and Heroin(e)
6:30-9:15 pm
Location: Flohr Lecture Hall, Clark Memorial Library
6:30-7:45 Screening of “Till the Wheels Fall Off”
8:00-8:45 Screening of Heroin(e)
8:45-9:15 Discussion Session
- Convener: Lisa Roberts and Abby Spears, Portsmouth Health Department
- Jan Rader, Fire Chief, City of Huntington, West Virginia
- Doug Swift, Director, “Till the Wheels Fall Off”
- Jack Shuler, Producer, “Till the Wheels Fall Off”
Session sponsored by the Portsmouth City Health Department.
Saturday, November 2nd
Check-In
9:00-11:00 am
Location: SSU Morris University Center Lobby
Session 12: Historical Walking Tour of the Boneyfiddle District – Workshop
9:00-11:15 am
Location: Conference Room, Kricker Innovation Hub
- Convener: Drew Feight, Shawnee State University
Session sponsored by the Shawnee Digital History Lab and the Scioto Historical Project.
Session 13.1: Mobilizing Data and Partnerships to Improve Health Outcomes
10:00am-11:15 am
Location: Micklethwaite Meeting Room, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 214
- Convener: Marissa Zinker, Portsmouth City Health Department
Session sponsored by the Portsmouth City Health Department.
Session 13.2: Conducting Oral History Interviews in Your Community
10:00am-11:15 am
Location: Micklethwaite Meeting Room, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 215
- Cristina Benedetti, Ohio Arts Council
- Cassie Patterson, Ohio State University Center for Folklore Studies
Session 14.1: Songs of Appalachia – Performance by Shirley Crothers-Marley
11:30am-12:45 pm
Location: West Lobby, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 108
Session 14.2: Recovering Portsmouth’s Past
11:30am-12:45 pm
Location: Micklethwaite Meeting Room, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 215
- Convener: Carl O. Hilgarth, Shawnee State University
- A Digital Inventory of National Register Structures in Portsmouth, Ohio (Carl O. Hilgarth, Shawnee State University)
- Portsmouth Rediscovery: Uncovering Our Community’s Past and Finding Our Present (Cailey Cooke, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Session 14.3: Narratives of Recovery: Exploring First-Person Stories of Economic Recovery & Addiction Recovery in Southern Ohio
11:30am-12:45 pm
Location: Rita Rice Morris University Center – Room 214
- Convener: Amanda Page, Mount Carmel College of Nursing
- Convener: Cassie Patterson, The Ohio State University
- Bennie Blevins, Shawnee State University & Portsmouth Welcoming Community
- April Deacon, Portsmouth High School
- Sarah Diamond Burroway, Eastern Kentucky University
- Berkeley Franz, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University
Session 15.1: Voices from the Appalachian Left
1:00-2:15 pm
Location: Micklethwaite Meeting Room, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 215
- Convener: Cody Mullins, Ivy Tech Community College
- Listen Here: Recovering the Appalachian Left through New Media (Cody Mullins, Ivy Tech Community College)
- Back to Mazzocchi: Recovering the Just Transition Framework’s Educative Potentials (Judson Abraham, Virginia Tech)
- What Does Hillbilly Mean to You? Examining Amazon Reviewers’ Responses to Hillbilly Elegy (Anne Patrick, Virginia Tech)
- Rethinking Prison Construction in Appalachia (Henry Clay Adkins, Virginia Tech)
Session 15.2: Modern Appalachian Poetry & Songwriting – A Live Performance
1:00-2:15 pm
Location: West Lobby, Rita Rice Morris University Center Room 108
- Convener: Barb Costas-Biggs and John Biggs
Session 16: Plenary III – Appalachian Myth-Busting
2:30:-3:45 pm
Location: Flohr Lecture Hall, Clark Memorial Library Room 204
- Convener: Drew Feight, Shawnee State University
- Elizabeth Catte, Passel: Applied History Consultants
- William Isom II, PBS East Tennessee (Knoxville)
- Lou Martin, Chatham University
- Jennifer Pauley, Shawnee State University
Session sponsored by the Shawnee State Development Foundation.
Session 17: Keynote with Elizabeth Catte – (Re)covering Appalachia
6:00-7:30 pm.
Location: Flohr Lecture Hall, Clark Memorial Library Room 204
Session sponsored by SSU’s Jane M. G. Foster Distinguished Lecture Series and the Clark Memorial Library.
Session 18: Music & Spoken Word Sampler at Port City Pub (off campus)
8:00-10:00 pm
Location: Port City Pub, Main Stage
- Convener: Michael Barnhart, Shawnee State University
- Drew Carter
- Stephanie Kendrick
- The Grave Robbers (Ronny Richards, Brian Richards, Kevin Bradbury)
- Susanna Holstein
- Amanda Lewis
- Johnny Whisman (with Josiah Whisman)
- Small Disco (Jesse Turvey and Cassy Parker)
Featuring spoken word artists from the Women of Appalachia Project and an eclectic mix of local performers, this session is hosted by the Port City Pub on Chillicothe Street. This session is sponsored by the Scioto Foundation.
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