Five StFX students, including Amy Lam, Tayte McHugh, Maya Gibson, Abby Smith, and Abby Ives, showcased their scholarship at the annual Atlantic Undergraduate English Conference, which took place in Charlottetown, PEI from March 20-22, 2026.
English Department Chair Dr. Joseph Khoury, who attended the conference, noted the students did StFX proud. “They shine brightly at these events. They are well prepared, thoughtful, and even nuanced in their understanding of the works they study. We’re lucky to have them in our classes.”
English professor Dr. Kailin Wright agreed. "This talented group of StFX English students showcased the university's research excellence, gaining valuable professional experience as they presented their scholarship to peers and faculty.”
Maya Gibson of Halifax, NS, a third year honours English student also pursuing a subsidiary in psychology, presented her paper "Madness and Morality in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960)" from a course she took with Dr. Michael D'Arcy called Hollywood Film (ENGL 261). “This event was a great learning experience,” she says. “I got to meet lots of students from other universities and hear their unique perspectives on their projects. There was a variety of creative and critical works from students, and it was really interesting to hear the topics of several honours thesis works.”
Abby Smith, a second year honours English student from Saint John, NB, presented a paper titled "Part of our world: the use of Adaptation to Modernize Disney's The Little Mermaid,” which, she says, “explores how they have changed the tale through their 2023 live action remake. The big points are that they returned agency to Ariel's character, and color-blind casting presents a less harsh dichotomy of good and evil.”
Ms. Smith says participating in an event like this provides undergraduate students with a chance to experience an academic conference, gaining valuable skills such as how to present scholarly work and collaborate with peers in a group setting. “For those not in fourth year, it also allows the speaker to gage audience reception to a potential honours thesis topic; for myself, I wish to explore Disney adaptations, so I could see potential holes in my argument, and if this topic is of interest in literary studies today.”
Both Amy Lam and Tayte McHugh presented original poetry.
Ms. Lam, a second year climate and environment studies student from British Columbia., presented a series of three poems, collectively titled Notes from the Land of the Ceiba, that were inspired by a trip she took to Guatemala through the Immersion Service Learning program over reading week.
“I've loved writing for just about as long as I can remember and was thrilled to participate in AAUEC,” she says. “It was a privilege to share my experiences of bearing witness to the resilience of Indigenous communities in Guatemala through a creative lens. I think events like these are so important because they foster the sharing and development of new ideas, critical thinking, and a more nuanced awareness of ourselves and the world. I had a great experience in various panels, asking questions, dipping my toes in a variety of new topics, and engaging with the incredible research, skill, and creativity of so many fellow students. All in all, the weekend left me with a much-lengthened booklist and a lot of inspiration!”
Mr. McHugh, a second year anthropology major who is also taking an English minor, presented four poems in a single collected piece.
“Each poem reflected a part of my emotions, representing some things that make me Happy, Angry, Melancholy, Sad (the title of the piece),” he says. “I write poetry to process my feelings and experiences, so my work is always extremely personal. It was such an honour to be asked to present my poetry at a conference in front of a good number of like-minded people. Because of the personal nature of the poems, it was also a very vulnerable experience. To be received so well by the audience and my peers was absolutely marvelous. It gave me a chance to let down my barriers of jokes and humour to truly be raw and open. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!”
