For two days in mid-May, Bonner students participated in lectures and studied movies and documentaries all related to Appalachia – a cultural region aligned with some of the Appalachian Mountains that includes all of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky, as well as parts of neighboring states.
The students learned about the Appalachia culture, history, political and economic forces, and regional stereotypes from West Virginia natives Todd Snyder, Ph.D., associate professor of rhetoric and writing and Laurie Naranch, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, as well as Kentucky native Josh Iddings, Ph.D., associate professor of writing and communication. The students also met with Snyder’s father, Mike, who worked as a West Virginia coal miner for 41 years.
The students, who also participated in Snyder’s WRIT 390 course: Rhetoric and Appalachian Identity, learned all they could about Appalachia without actually being there. And then, they went there.
"Bringing Siena Saints to my hometown of Cowen, West Virginia was a surreal experience," said Snyder. "I'm grateful that Siena College, particularly the office of Academic Community Engagement, provides me with an opportunity to share my love of Appalachian culture with students. For me, this work is both personal and professional.”
From May 18-22, the Saints stayed in Camp Caesar in Cowen, West Virginia, Snyder’s hometown. They attended church, met with law enforcement officials, visited with 5th graders at Glade Elementary and 11th graders at Webster County High School, participated in a community event for children (sponsored by the Cowen public library), ate at local restaurants, toured a hospital, took in a bluegrass concert and, of course, experienced the mountains. The trip is organized through Siena’s Center for Academic Community Engagement (ACE).
Each of the past two years, Snyder hosted Camp Appalachia entirely from Siena’s campus, as a result of pandemic restrictions. This year, the immersion trip was once again able to be immersive.
“This was the third time I’ve been able to take part in Camp Appalachia and the first time I’ve actually been able to go to West Virginia! My favorite parts of the trip were being in nature and meeting and learning from people in Appalachia about their identities and culture. I’m so grateful for this trip and the opportunity to learn, grow, and bond with my fellow Bonners!”
Rachel Gifford '23
“Even though we previously had the opportunity to Zoom with some Appalachian scholars, being able to go down to West Virginia and meet people in person was incomparable! We were able to learn about identity and culture through students and other youth which was unique to other years. While the academic learning aspect of the trip is important, what really makes the trip is the connections we made to those we met down there! I’d definitely recommend the trip and Dr. Snyder’s Rhetoric of Appalachian Identity course for all students – not just Bonners!"
Giavanna Pitagno '23
“This was my first chance to take the annual trip with this class, but I have taught with Todd for Camp Appalachia for now the third time. Being able to take students to the Appalachian region, where I grew up (Eastern Kentucky), was a joy. Being able to travel to the region that students had only heard about in our pre-travel discussions helped bring to life the subjects we taught. I was proud of the students and their depth of discussion for the many experiences we had together. Students were able to meet people from all walks of life. This was the first time the students had been to West Virginia.”
Josh Iddings, Ph.D., associate professor of writing and communication
