I Want More: An Introduction

Hi, everyone!
 
I'm Erin Stratos, and I'm thrilled to be a part of the HASTAC community this year. I'm an English undergrad at Eastern Michigan University, working on my Senior Thesis in the area of Digital Humanities. HASTAC is certainly an appropriate place for me, to say the very least. I'd like to thank my thesis advisor, Derek Mueller, for being kind enough to nominate me as a scholar and introduce me to such a vibrant space.
 
In reading my fellow scholars' post, I was happy to see that I'm not the only one who finds the question of "What is Digital Humanities?" a difficult one to answer. What strikes me the most about the term is how unintuitive it seems to be to people who are not a part of it. And yet, to me, it's a perfect pair. My background is in English and Women's Studies, with a splash of Psychology. I've long used the web to supplement my education, and find that some of the richest conversations about my fields are happening online, by professionals and amateurs alike.
 
And yet, I find that in talking with my peers many of them scoff at the idea that the Web can offer more than silly YouTube videos and Facebook status updates. Real education, they seem to think, only happens in classrooms and between the covers of textbooks. I see this same attitude reflected by Academia as a whole - blogs as a legitimate learning tool? For shame!
 
I believe one of the strongest tools we have for enhancing the things that we love is criticism. I want the things I feel passionately about to be better. I want these things to rise up to their greatest potential. I want people to stop and wonder how such a great thing could have gotten  better. I want more. And so, although it may not be a popular opinion to share out loud, I am critical of Academia. I want more from the system of learning that is preparing me, and so many others, for "the real world," as they say.

This is why, in the world of books and journals, I've chosen to focus my thesis on the digital. If a scholarly article teaches me something about 19th century British prose, then the author's blog is sure to teach me more. If sitting in a classroom and dissecting Toni Morrison's "Song of Solomon" enriches my understanding of the characters, then discussing it with others in an online forum will help me connect to them on a deeper level. If a textbook educates me on the details of the Women's Movement in the 1970's, then taking an Open Education class on the web will branch out those facts even further.

Traditional Academia, and specifically the humanities, has the potential to be brought to a whole new level through the integration of digital learning. There are so many things that we as a whole are missing out on by sticking to the old system and only relying on conventional methods. As intimidating as it can be to open up to new ways of thinking and doing, I believe that the only way to move is forward.  And I want to help make that happen.

But I think I'm preaching to the choir. I'm glad to have found a place to sing.