Recently I had the pleasure of witnessing three talks at HSU’s Critical Animal Studies (CAS) Symposium. I attended the event with a small knowledge about critical animal studies and what is sets out to do, but I came away inspired and in awe of the amazing work that is currently being done within the field. The CAS Symposium was a wonderful display of how important interdisciplinary work truly is. The presentations I got to witness ranged from a discussion about representations in children’s media, wired vs wild, and a philosophical lecture. Each presented their own unique analysis that critically looked at non-human animals and our perceptions of them. My favorite talk of the panel was by my good friend Kylie Mosbacher and her analysis of representations of nature and non-human animals with regards to children’s literature and films. I personally know how hard she worked on the project and it showed during her presentation. The best part of it though was realizing that I was able to witness positive social change happening right here on campus. It was so exciting be able to see my fellow peers and undergraduates here at HSU make an huge impact and create a new and exciting dialogue. Additionally, the event showed the strength that comes from having an interdisciplinary event and allowing multiple perspectives and knowledge share their experience and expertise.
