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The benefits of conducting intensive research at Lafayette continue to grow for Jenny Boyar ’08 (Hillsborough, N.J.). Not only did her independent study project blend her two majors of English and psychology, it also earned her an invitation to collaborate with the National Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey on planning efforts for a new museum on the history of the illness.
Under the guidance of Paul Cefalu, associate professor of English, Boyar studied literary representations of epilepsy and used Freudian psychoanalytic theory to examine how an author’s affliction with epilepsy affects his creative work in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, and David B’s graphic novel Epileptic. She presented her findings at the 20th annual National Conference for Undergraduate Research last April.
After her work was advertised in a foundation bulletin, the National Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey contacted her about joining the planning process to establish a museum at the former Maplewood institution in Montgomery Township, N.J. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, the 187-acre property housed patients with epilepsy who had previously been placed in mental asylums.
The foundation is still in its preliminary stages of securing and restoring the actual building and collecting artifacts. The museum’s contents will include items from the original Maplewood House and similar institutions. The foundation also is in the process of collecting oral histories from living people who were associated with Maplewood for inclusion in the museum.
“Although the museum will focus on epilepsy, it will be a testimony to the evolution of the mental health field,” explains Boyar. “Historically, one can determine a lot about a given time period based on how epilepsy was accounted for and ‘treated.’”
Boyar, who hopes to stay involved in the process until the museum’s completion, is a volunteer and attends committee meetings. Made up of foundation members, maintenance workers, representatives of the local police department, and those who have connections to the original facility, the committee meets once a month to discuss the project’s status and developments.
“Right now, I’m simply doing what a college student does best – learning,” says Boyar. “For the most part, I listen and try to absorb as much as I possibly can. The development of a museum is a fascinating process. There are obviously certain obstacles inherent to this sort of project – obtaining funds, restoring old documents, etc. – but everyone is incredibly motivated.”
The bulletin advertisement also led the National Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania to contact Boyar about getting involved in a summer camp for teenage girls with epilepsy and other seizure disorders. At Camp ArthuReeta last summer, she served as a camp counselor and presented a “kid-friendly” version of her independent study to the participants.
“We talked about how having epilepsy may have influenced some of the more famous authors, and how the kids could use their own experiences to help others,” Boyar recalls. “I really wanted the kids to understand that their talents and dreams existed independent of the epilepsy, or rather that epilepsy didn’t need to limit them in pursuing whatever it was they wanted to. They were a remarkable source of inspiration for me.”
Boyar’s academic curiosity about epilepsy grew out of her longstanding interest in neurological disorders. She became more excited about the topic when she learned that numerous famous authors have been afflicted with epilepsy.
“When I noticed this strange coincidence, I was intrigued by the apparent relationship between illness and literature,” she explains. “As a college student, my inclination is to search for answers, or at least research my way toward a better understanding of that which puzzles me. What began as a simple curiosity eventually developed into a full-fledged research project, one that I hope to continue to pursue throughout my academic career at Lafayette. Although I had never intended to become so involved with the subject, I can’t turn my back on these amazing opportunities that keep presenting themselves.”
Secretary of Hillel Society and a member of Arts Society, Boyar recently joined the McKelvy Scholars program. She also is conducting EXCEL scholars research this academic year.
Independent study is one of several major programs that have made Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. The College sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year; 40 students were accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.