English 105 section to work on Embody Carolina campaign

This fall, students in one section of UNC’s required introductory English class will create a social media campaign and develop training videos for Embody Carolina, a student group dedicated to eating disorder awareness.

Leslie McAbee, a philosophy graduate student teaching the English 105 section, approached Embody after the organization applied to work with McAbee’s class through the Campus Y.

“The whole idea in partnering with Embody Carolina is so that students’ writing has a life beyond the classroom,” McAbee said.

McAbee and Embody co-chairs, Bri Arey and Sarah Leck, outlined a plan for the class that includes developing videos for the training sessions Embody holds four times each semester.

“I want students’ work to have a function and a purpose for the University and the Chapel Hill community,” McAbee said. “Several teaching fellow colleagues and I have been trying to develop English 105 classes that are also introduction to service-learning classes.”

Arey and Leck will meet with the class and give an in-depth presentation to guide students before they begin the project, which will be one of the class’s three units.

Arey, a senior studying political science, said the co-chairs were excited to learn about the partnership between the Campus Y and English 105 classes.

“We thought this would be a good way to interact with the incoming class and help our presence on campus grow,” Arey said.

Arey said Embody’s mission includes raising awareness about the prevalence of eating disorders on college campuses.

Arey said Embody works to equip people with information to better understand eating disorders and their effects on the community.

“It’s important to reduce the stigma around eating disorders,” Arey said. “It doesn’t have to be a psych class that discusses this topic.”

During the 2014-15 school year, McAbee and philosophy graduate student Kevin Chovanec reached out to the Campus Y hoping to develop writing and composition projects that would serve the needs of specific Campus Y organizations, McAbee said.

Chovanec is teaching an English 105 class this semester that has partnered with another student-run Campus Y organization. Students will develop promotional videos for the Criminal Justice Awareness and Action committee.

“We wanted to find projects that would have a real-world use where students could see their work being used by the community and campus partners,” Chovanec said.

Chovanec said incorporating community work brings context into the class and keeps students engaged.

“Since the Y is such a great campus resource, we’re hoping in the next few years we might be able to start up a more permanent connection,” Chovanec said.

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