That Dragon, Cancer Video Game is Focus of Monday's University Honors Colloquium

“That Dragon, Cancer: Traces of Loss, Life and Language” will be the focus of a Texas A&M University-Texarkana Honors Colloquium Monday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. in University Center 217.

Honors student Allison Johnson will present her work, which examines the indie video game, That Dragon, Cancer, through Derrida’s theory of trace. The game, created by Ryan and Amy Green, is meant to document their son’s life and his struggle with terminal cancer. While that is the purpose of That Dragon, Cancer to the Greens, other players of the game have responded to it in diverse ways and found other meanings in the story. According to Derrida’s concept of trace, this is because the players are bringing their past experiences with cancer into their current experience with it, and that is shaping it differently for each one.

Johnson, a double major in history and English, is a transfer student from Texarkana College where she studied art, history and French. Currently, she is an English tutor at A&M-Texarkana and Texarkana College. She spends her free time like many other undergraduates: reading young adult novels, watching movies, and waiting for season premieres of her favorite TV shows.

The Honors Colloquia are a series of scholarly talks and presentations offered throughout the academic year. They provide a venue for Honors students and faculty to present their research.

The Honors program also brings speakers to campus from outside the university community.

The colloquium is open to the public. Refreshments will be served.