Ferrum College senior Abigail McGovern sits at a desk at the Blue Ridge Institute.
Carefully and meticulously, she handles an 80-year old document.
Yellowed corners and faded ink sometimes make the fragile manuscripts difficult to read, but McGovern painstakingly works with the papers in order to catalogue and archive them.
“The ultimate goal of this project is to digitize all of the Appalachian folktales and stories collected by the folklorist James Taylor Adams in the 1940s and eventually save them all in the digital archives,” McGovern says. “(It’s also to) put them all on (English Professor) Dr. (Tina) Hanlon’s AppLit website.”
Hanlon’s website site, AppLit: Resources for Readers and Teachers of Literature for Children and Young Adults, has been up and running for 20 years and has won the Appalachian Studies Association’s e-Appalachia award in the past.
“My responsibilities for this project primarily include working the archive at the BRI,” McGovern says. “All of the tales, except for the ones I’ve already scanned, are still on paper. So mostly, I read them and scan them into the computer system. And slowly, I’ve been working my way through transcribing them, because a lot of the originals are somewhat unstable and really hard to read.”
McGovern says she has been enjoying diving into the aging stories and bringing the project along, which is being funded via an Appalachian Colleges Association Summer Research Grant.
“My favorite part of the project is transcribing the folktales,” McGovern says. “Everything is so fascinating and interesting, and I like being able to get a deeper look into Appalachian culture and history. I also really like working on the AppLit pages, because I also really enjoy reading those tales, and I get sucked down fairytale rabbit holes when I do that.”
She says the number of tales awaiting archiving number in the hundreds.
“Some of them are pieces of advice or old wives’ tales or legends from direct sources and things like that,” she says.
McGovern, an English major who also aspires to be a writer, says the project has fanned the flames of her educational fire.
“This project has made me extremely interested in Appalachian culture and literature,” she says. “I learn more every time I work with the files. I’m already really interested in folklore and mythology and history, so I’m really loving being a part of this project.”
Commonalities across localities and geographic areas have also piqued McGovern’s curiosity.
“It’s really interesting to see what unique tales Appalachia has, as well as how the stories from this region connect to stories from other regions of the world that may or may not be similar,” she says.
One plan is to report on the project at the Council of Independent Colleges’ final workshop in Baltimore in late April and then for McGovern to continue work within the summer ACA fellowship.
Hanlon says she has been excited for McGovern to be in on the project.
“When Abigail took my Appalachian Literature course in 2020 and chose to write about folktales for her research project, I jumped at the chance to recruit her for our granted-funded Humanities Research for the Public Good project, ‘Preserving and Sharing Old and New Stories from the James Taylor Adams Collection and the Public’,” Hanlon said.
Beyond the project, McGovern wears many hats on campus. She is editor of Chrysalis and is co-president of Help Save the Next Girl.
“Abigail is one of the most reliable, dedicated, and mature students I have ever taught,” says Katherine Grimes, English Professor and faculty adviser to Chrysalis. “She has a positive attitude and a quiet leadership quality that, combined with her work ethic and time management skills, make her quite successful as editor of Chrysalis.”
Grimes likewise praises McGovern’s pen. “She is also a talented writer, having won both poetry and prose contests almost every semester, always with different judges,” Grimes says.
English Professor Lana Whited, who works with McGovern in several capacities, including Help Save the Next Girl and the Boone Honors Program, also gives McGovern high praise.
“Because Abigail tends to focus on the work, not on racking up achievements to list on her resume or hogging the stage (so to speak), many of our faculty colleagues are surprised to learn the extent of her leadership roles on the campus,” Whited says. “In her co-curricular involvement, as a peer tutor, and just in the day-to-day classroom setting, she plays an important mentoring and supportive role with younger, less experienced students, as she is ‘the tide that floats all boats.’ Her quiet nature belies her considerable impact on this community.”
Upon graduation this spring, McGovern plans to enter an MFA program for creative writing.
Hanlon’s site can be accessed here.
Article written and contributed by Assistant Professor of English & Journalism David B. Campbell.
11/15/2021
Ferrum College has made some strategic staffing changes to enhance the student experience and promote community engagement. Associate Professor of Psychology and former Dean of the School of Health Professions and Social Sciences Angie Dahl has been named vice president of Student Development and Campus Life. Dahl has master’s degrees in both religion and psychology, an educational specialist degree in school psychology, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Utah State University. She brings to the position an understanding of student development, expertise in mental health and trauma, and a passion for Ferrum College and its students.
Former Assistant Dean of Students Vanessa Stone has been named the dean of students. Stone has a master’s degree in human services, executive leadership, and has worked within student affairs at Ferrum College for the last ten years. Dahl shared, “Vanessa understands our students’ needs for safety and connection. She brings this focus and her love for Ferrum to this position.” Vanessa will lead both Residence Life and Student Accountability teams.
Associate Director of Graduate and Online Programs and Transfer Student Coordinator Jill Adams will assume the role of dean of Campus Life and Title IX coordinator. Adams has a master’s degree in human services, health and wellness, and has worked in student affairs throughout her career, most recently as assistant dean and Title IX coordinator at Averett. “Jill has a history of infusing energy into all things Ferrum. She will be focusing on providing opportunities for connection and belonging for all of our Ferrum community and leading up our Title IX response,” said Dahl.
Director of Student Activities Justin Muse ’05 has been named chair of the Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Muse has a master’s degree in human services, executive leadership and has worked with student activities at Ferrum for 14 years. “Justin understands the real need for all members of our community to engage with each other and have meaningful conversations on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation and learn to work together,” said Dahl.
The team’s focus will be to support the Ferrum College community holistically. Dahl shared, “We will center our efforts on supporting student development in multiple dimensions- intellectual, social, spiritual, emotional, and physical, and emphasizing opportunities for connection, understanding and engagement across our community. The pandemic only highlighted the importance of supporting each other and providing opportunities for each member of our community to find purpose, progress in their own development, and ultimately, flourish.”
Read more about the College’s plans in this Franklin News-Post article.
