January 1, 2004

Mary Bendel-Simso's English class didn't just read three of Mark Twain's short stories.

The associate professor of English asked her students to create an Internet resource for other Twain enthusiasts and students of the American writer's works. By the end of the semester, even Bendel-Simso was surprised by the success of the assignment.

The site leads visitors to other resources on the web, while also presenting glossaries, timelines, annotated bibliographies, and interesting tidbits on Twain and the stories themselves.

"There's nothing else like this out there," said Kathryn Lessels '05, a communications major from Ellicott City, Md.

Lessels and her classmates should know. They researched far and wide to create their site, seeking definitions of some of the phrases Twain uses – such as "man of your kidney" and "cheers and a tiger" – and developing thorough analyses of Twain's works.

The site presents the full texts of the stories, "The Man That Corrupted Hadleysburg," "A Double-Barrelled Detective Story," and "The Diary of Adam and Eve," complete with illustrations.

Visitors to the site will find the answers to other questions as well.

Wondering when "The Man That Corrupted Hadleysburg" was published?

Not sure why Twain placed his Garden of Eden at Niagara Falls?

Curious about Twain's reference to the song, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"? Just click on the phrase in the story and land at a site full of background information on the song – which also happens to be playing in the background.

During the final presentation of the Web site to Bendel-Simso, Chava Roth '05 spoke about "The Man That Corrupted Hadleysburg" and how as a young child, Twain wanted to write the biography of Satan.

"Many people believe this is the biography of Satan Twain always wanted to write," said Roth, an English major from Eldersburg, Md. "You really cannot say that someone is virtuous until someone has passed through temptation and been able to resist it."

Members of the Student Web and Technology Training team worked closely with the class to develop the site.

"This is the best example of a learner-centered class that I've seen," said Steve Kerby, director of instructional technology. "They took such ownership of this project."

Bendel-Simso said she plans to expand the project, asking one class each year to create a site with the works of a specific author.

"The site taps the senses and a variety of learning styles so that Twain is as exciting as a 3-D movie," said Lisa Breslin, coordinator of the Writing Center, after seeing the Web site. "The students have taken miles of legwork out of the research process and compiled a vast amount of information into a creative, user-friendly, invaluable site."

Visit the site at http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/shortstory/twain/index.htm

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