Joshua Alkire, graduate student from Abilene, has been studying and presenting the use and misuse of the word “literally” for more than a year.
He gets a little tired of the topic now and then, but he could not pass up an opportunity to present his research once again. He was one of the 74 students out of 700 applicants who were accepted to present in Washington, D.C. at the Posters on the Hill event sponsored by the Council On Undergraduate Research, said Dr. Joseph Stephenson, assistant dean of the Honors College.
“I’m very proud that Joshua was able to represent ACU at this major national research event,” Stephenson said. “Joshua’s research, which actually was part of his Honors Capstone project, was top notch, and there was always a crowd of people around his poster.”
Alkire was the first ACU student to present at this event, Stephenson said. Alkire was a graduate student at the time of his presentation, but he performed the research while getting his bachelor’s in English and family ministries. He graduated December 2010.
Alkire’s presentation focused on the legal ramifications of literal language. The current ruling is that witnesses cannot be charged with perjury for truthfully answering the literal meaning of the question, Alkire said. If a prosecutor asked a witness, “Did the dealer give you drugs?” the witness could answer “No,” and be protected, even if his reasoning was that the drugs were bought, not given.
Alkire was impressed by all of the great undergraduate projects in one room, he said. He was also encouraged by a Yale professor’s speech on the importance of art and humanities. It reminded Alkire that the research in these studies serves to keep people in touch with what it means to be human, he said.
Alkire also has studied the modern use of “literally” as an intensifier as well as its use in the realm of theology, which he presented in the formats of PowerPoint and paper, respectively. The poster presentation he made in D.C. was Alkire’s favorite platform for presenting his work so far, he said. It was the most interactive way to communicate and allowed audiences to ask questions freely.
The questions listeners raised opened Alkire’s mind to the possibilities for more papers in his research, he said. He said there is a small possibility he may use the study in his thesis to finish an MA in theology and history. But for now, Alkire said he is taking a break from the topic, literally.
