Web log wins Fraker Prize

Author: Kimberly Schrimsher

Wired to the Internet in an airport in Bombay, Piya Kashyap '07 was overwhelmed with emotion. After receiving numerous blogs of support from friends, family and even strangers, Kashyap's J-term project, a series of weblogs chronicling her J-term travels in India entitled "A Journey Back," exploded into a work of literature. Little did she know that her en route journals would qualify her as the 2005 winner of the Alison Fraker Prize. After an official award ceremony Tuesday evening in Chellis House, Piya demonstrated her weblog Wednesday night in the library.

"It was a big step for the College to recognize blogging as an academic endeavor," said Kashyap, an English major. "I never expected my project to go this far."

As part of her EL500 Independent Study in the English department, Kashyap turned in her journal as her final project. "It's a remarkable achievement," said Lecturer in the Writing Program Barbara Ganley, Kashyap's J-term professor, who nominated Kashyap for the award. "She took it upon herself to do an Independent Study that is exquisitely crafted. Put on top of that the fact that she was actually having these experiences in India. This project shows depth and effective use of technology. It far exceeded my expectations."

As a first generation American, Kashyap had only visited India as a child. Upon returning, she met a number of family members for the first time. Kashyap transformed her trip into a personal journey. Through her blogs, she explored the idea of being an Indian-American returning to the roots of her family's heritage. Kashyap writes,

I often contemplate things larger than myself. When I do I become hopeless, confused. I fear that I will never be a part of these things I struggle to understand; that I will never find something beyond my insignificant self.

"The utter originality of what Piya was doing in creating web log influenced our decision," said Professor and award judge Cheryl Faraone. "Her writing is fluid and communicative and it's self-evaluative and not self-indulgent. It deals with identity and displacement that a lot of people deal with."

Originally the project was supposed to include a digital story of Kashyap's travels as a blog. Before embarking on her trip, she wrote to friends and professors encouraging them to respond to her blogs. Through the sheer support of her Internet responses, she altered her plans and focused heavily on her writing. Kashyap writes,

I have never been a religious person. The idea of God has scared and puzzled me. I have doubted my capacity to believe. For many years I have felt that religion is the crux of all wars; of all evil; of all the world's sorrow and problems. Faith was the easy way out and I was a step ahead of all those who believed.

The committee of judges, comprised of four faculty members, each read the 12 works submitted for the award. Visiting Assistant Professor of German Mark R.V. Southern was among the judges taken with Kashyap's approach.

"I was-- impressed with the probing, energetically driven nature of her research; the vigorous grasping of complicated and difficult issues," said Southern. "She courageously used the weblog medium to give the outside world access to her experiences and reactions as they unfolded, and simultaneously to invite the world (via responsive commenting) to shape her thinking and push it in unforeseen directions."

One of the two annual awards from the Women's and Gender Studies (WAGS) department, the prize honors a student for best writing on a subject about women. "It doesn't have to be from a feminist perspective or a class in the WAGS department," said Faraone. "The focus of the paper must be women. We wanted the criteria to be general so it's an inclusive prize and not exclusive. This is not senior work and must be written by an undergraduate student."

Any faculty member regardless of the department can enter a student for the award. In past years, men have been winners. "From a male perspective, I'd say that gender studies, and foregrounding all implications of gender and its exploration - social, linguistic and otherwise - are as central a component of identity questions (for everyone) as any I can think of," said Southern.

The Alison Fraker Prize was created 10 to12 years ago in memoriam for the late Alison Fraker. As a Middlebury student, she majored in English but was heavily involved in theater, dance and women's studies. However, at that time Middlebury did not have a WAGS department. Her sudden death in a car accident in 1989 cast a shadow over the College. Because of her interests, her parents built the library in Chellis House and her father, an architect, designed the furniture. "We named the prize after her to keep her name alive," said Faraone.

"The prize is a good idea because it increases the visibility of WAGS on campus and honors people who've done good work," said Director of Chellis House Karin Hanta.

"I wish we had more such awards on campus," said Ganley. "It's a moment for us to celebrate the achievements of our students."

To view Kashyap's project in its entirety please visit http://mt.middlebury.edu/middblogs/pkashyap/India.