From Classroom to Conference: BCLA Student and Professor Use Medusa to Explore Pedagogy, Classics, and Feminism

Sage Boyd's '24 academic journey, as a double major in women's and gender studies and classics and archaeology with a minor in psychology, has been far more than a mere sequence of classes and assignments. It has been a transformative experience, shaped by the exceptional faculty mentors within the LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal, such as Amanda Apgar, associate professor of women's and gender studies.

As Boyd's thesis advisor for the women's and gender studies capstone in Spring 2023, Professor Apgar didn't just guide Boyd through an interdisciplinary exploration of classical mythology. They embarked on a collaborative journey, specifically exploring the Medusa myth through feminist and critical disability studies frameworks. This collaboration was a joyful and reciprocal learning experience for Boyd and Professor Apgar, leading to a co-authored paper presented at the University of Wisconsin Gender Consortium 2024 Conference.

The paper titled "Medusa's Pedagogy" discussed students and teachers as "co-producers" of knowledge in the feminist classroom. In this case, Professor Apgar introduced Boyd to feminist disability studies, which she then used to reframe Medusa's decapitation, vengeance, and monstrosity. This fresh interpretation of Medusa sparked a new perspective for Professor Apgar, prompting her to reconsider the role of classical myth in shaping cultural expectations about familial rage in the context of disability.

"The highlight of the experience was presenting work that I truly care about with a professor I highly respect and admire. Professor Apgar has and continues to be an invaluable mentor, and this was not only an opportunity to present my work, but to engage with her work as well, turning toward feminist theorizations of motherhood in the context of complex caregiving," said Boyd. "I really enjoyed co-authoring this paper and returning to a topic that feels like home to me."

BCLA recognizes the important role professional conferences can play in scholarly and professional growth and supports students and faculty in attending and presenting their research. "The audience was so enthusiastic. Two faculty from the University of Wisconsin emphatically encouraged Sage to attend graduate school, and one described her analysis as elegant," said Apgar.

Boyd expressed deep gratitude for the positive feedback and attributed the success to her faculty mentors within the Women's and Gender Studies and Classics and Archaeology Departments. Many of the interdisciplinary departments in BCLA are tight-knit communities where students develop close relationships with their peers and faculty and benefit from a supportive and collaborative environment for research and writing.

"I'm extremely grateful and overjoyed to have received such positive feedback on my analysis of Medusa. After years of working with Medusa as a subject of analysis, I've formed a deeply personal connection to her mythos and how she provides a distinctly unique analytic for making meaning of our lives," said Boyd. "She has created meaning in my life, and it was heartwarming to hear others connect and engage with her story and my work."
One co-panelist at the University of Wisconsin conference teaches a course on monsters in fiction and connected with Boyd to find other stories in Greek myth she could incorporate into her class.

Boyd, who finished her coursework in Fall 2023, is already busy putting her research skills to work as an archive/research assistant for the Walt Disney Archives.

"This was an incredibly meaningful experience for Sage and a highlight of my teaching this year," said Apgar.

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