About Us

Donovan Cleckley and Annika Bastian

Annika Bastian is a current freshman English major with a technical writing minor at the University of Montevallo. She graduated from Pell City High School, having taken several AP English classes, and has already taken honors classes in English and social commentary here at the University of Montevallo. She previously worked with Donovan Cleckley (her current COPLAC course partner and peer mentor in the Honors Program) and another Montevallo student in an ENG 233 Honors Literature course on a major presentation titled “‘The Core,’ Paranoia, and the American Cultural Identity,” analyzing paranoia and conspiracy in American culture and society (posted on Storify under the group name “daemontevallo” and on the Montevallo Conspiracy Narratives Blogspot page by Dr. Alexander Beringer).

Donovan Cleckley is a current sophomore double-majoring in English and Interdisciplinary Studies (an IDS major titled Cultural and Critical Studies) at the University of Montevallo. His interdisciplinary studies situate on sociology, philosophy, communication studies, and the ways these incorporate into literary studies. His particular research interests are in gender and sexuality alongside African-American literature and LGBTQ+ literature. He previously presented a paper titled “Just Folks and Sordid Things: Is That All There Is?” in 2016 at both the 68th Annual ACETA Conference (University of Alabama) and Undergraduate Research Day at the (University of Montevallo). Recently, he presented a paper titled “The Harlequin Writing Process: Insiders, Outsiders, and Differences” at the 69th Annual ACETA Conference (Auburn University at Montgomery) and presented the same paper at Montevallo’s Undergraduate Research Day alongside his other research project titled “Stigmatized, Electrified Masquerade: Gay Life, Queer Invisibility, Pride Charade.” As Annika Bastian’s bio indicates, Donovan Cleckley worked with her on previous projects and works with her on current projects as her peer mentor in the Honors Program.