Meet the Authors

Get to know more about the phenomenal student authors who acted as publication trailblazers for The Motley! 

Abstract

Meet the Authors

Ariadna Alvarado

Ariadna (she/they) is a fourth-year undergraduate Communications Student with a Minor in Political Science. They are a writer for the first issue of The Motley Undergraduate Journal with a piece on visual culture and race. Currently, she is keen on producing video essays, practicing analogue photography, web programming and dancing to K-pop. Although uncertain whether her plans will change, they aspire to work at the intersection of UX/UI Design and Front-End Web Development.

Abigail Atmadja

Abigail (she/her) is the Motley Undergraduate Journal's communications coordinator, peer reviewer, and editor. She is an international, fourth-year undergraduate student working towards a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Communications and Media Studies. As a media scholar, her areas of expertise include critical race theory, diaspora studies, and postcolonial studies. She aspires to become a corporate communications and public relations professional specializing in brand management.

Asma Bernier

Asma Bernier (she/her) is a first year Graduate student in the department of Communication and Media studies. As a veiled Muslim woman who explores fashion and modesty in her own life, Asma was interested in studying how other women, particularly hijabi influencers, define modesty through their online fashion practices. Throughout her life, she realized there is this binary understanding of Muslim women as either oppressed and liberated. She wanted to explore Muslim women beyond this binary and examine how they engage in creative and unique ways of dressing, which adds to their identity. Now she is deepening her research by exploring politics and fashion, the politicization of hijab, and social movements. Being both an author and part of the editorial team for this new UCalgary journal has been a rewarding process.

Lana Coles 

Lana (she/her) is in her fifth year of undergraduate studies at the U of C studying communication, media, and political science. Moving forward, she is planning to pursue graduate studies and continue doing research in communication and media. Her research interests include television studies, popular culture, and fashion. 

Claire Hadford

Claire (they/them) is in their fifth and final year in Honours philosophy with a minor in Sociology at the University of Calgary. Claire’s current work focuses on standpoint epistemology, oriented towards epistemic justice and social change. They hope to pursue graduate studies in education and philosophy. Their work published in this issue of The Motley brings together a longtime, rudimentary interest in internet subcultures and memes with a slightly newer but nonetheless cemented interest in the epistemic conditions within alt-right and white supremacist groups and institutions. 

Bray Jamieson

Bray Jamieson currently serves as the Motley Undergraduate Journal's Assistant Editor. Bray is a 5th year student completing undergraduate degrees in the disciplines of Communications (Honours) and Philosophy. His research interests primarily focus on contemporary applications and understandings of Marxist theory, the discursive representation of restaurant workers, and the rhetorical construction of political discourses. Jamieson's article in the inaugural edition of the Motley was also accepted to be presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (April, 2023). Notably, he is also an above average bowler and a devoted pug-father.

Melissa Morris

Melissa Morris (she/her) is the Managing Editor of The Motley. Her primary areas of academic interest include intersectional feminist research, queer studies, and governmental policy concerning communication and media. Inspired by seeing her six nieces and nephew's love of RyansToys on Youtube, her publication in this journal delves into the lack of protection for child Internet stars (kidfluencers), and proposes possible policy solutions to address the vulnerability of this group. She is also currently completing an Honours thesis examining visual communication through Cottagecore fashion. 

Asha Sara

Asha (she/her) is in her final year of BA (Honours) Communication and Media studies. Her publication is based on a paper she wrote for FILM 301 with Dr. Modgill last winter, which was focused on transnational women's film. Using different course readings, she aimed to find a way to track the history and evolution of transnational women's cinema. Her Honours thesis tackles different racial issues that played out on 'The Real Housewives' franchise in a post June 2020 America. She looks forward to finishing her thesis and graduating at the end of this semester!

Madison Daniels

Madison Daniels (she/her) is a fourth-year international student at the University of Calgary majoring in communications and media studies. She is a PURE award recipient with a rich background of research assistant experience. Currently, she is in the Communication, Media, and Film Department’s Honours program researching the audience’s response to the CW Network’s queerverse’s rise and fall through a thematic analysis of Twitter hashtags. Her interests include queer visibility, the entertainment industry, audience reception, and technology.

Glory Okeleke 

Glory (she/her) is a Communications and Media Studies student at the University of Calgary, currently in her 4th year. After taking a class in Feminist Media Studies, she became well-acquainted with the importance of media spaces when created and curated by women themselves. And so as her program draws to an end, she decided to invest her time into crafting together this blog post: a safe space for women and those willing to be open-minded by seeking to learn more. Glory believes that "women around the world, the ones who look like me especially, may sometimes feel overwhelmed and oftentimes misunderstood because of certain choices they make and the multiple ways in which they decide to express themselves, this blog, therefore, aims to amplify our voices and the issues which pertain to our amenities and freedoms".

Calum Robertson

Calum Robertson (fae/faer//faeself/they/them/themself) is a full-time tea-drinker, part-time forest cryptid from Mohknistsis/Calgary, Treaty 7, Alberta, currently studying communications in Kitchener-Waterloo, Dish with One Spoon Treaty, Ontario, Canada, Turtle Island. Fae have written nonfiction articles for publications as diverse as university campus newspapers (the Gauntlet), the Christian Courier (community newspaper) and filling Station (experimental literature). Faer poetry and prose has appeared in numerous magazines both online and in print, including Canthius, nod, deathcap, the anti-Langurous Project, Lida Literary, Bourgeon, peculiar, Red Coyote, and Tofu Ink. They'd like to be reincarnated as a peacock, next time around.