This haunting project was written and composed in order to explain the life and legacy of Frederick Pettengill, including his continued presence on the Bates College campus and how it manifests itself. To accomplish this, the project is divided into 5 sections: Introduction, Context, Process, Interpretation, and Social Media.
The introduction, which you are currently reading, will broadly explain what you should expect to encounter in this project. By the end of the five individually explained sections, you should have a general understanding of the purpose of the project.
The context section that follows contains a detailed biography of Frederick “Pat” Pettengill’s life. Covering from his birth, through his education at Bates College and the University of Pennsylvania, followed by his experience in the military during World War II and the Korean War, his marriage to Ursula Prater, and finally, some notable words said about him in important moments in his life that shed light on his character.
Next is the process section, which contains a recount of my experience compiling this project, what information I came across, and how it helped form the final product. By explaining my thought process as I underwent creating this haunting, it should reveal why certain information is included or excluded and what or why it contributes to the haunting in a positive way.
Subsequently is the interpretation section, the most important part of the haunting. Its importance lies in its elaboration on the varying societal implications of the haunting and my thoughts as I created it. It brings in primary sources relating to Frederick and Ursula Pettengill as well as works by Edina Harbinja and Avery Gordon to explain the societal relevance of technological haunting and the manner in which haunting can indicate not only ghosts and ghouls but forgotten systems and institutions. By the end of this section, you will have a better understanding of my own views on the matter as well as how everything comes together and, well, matters.
Lastly, is the social media section, which, in other words, is the haunting itself: a Twitter account. For the haunting, I made a Twitter account under Frederick Pettengill’s name, including pictures from throughout his life, quotes from people in his life, and other relevant comments. In some instances “his” tweets are not done from his perspective and are instead from others’. These tweets are quotes from his coworkers and friends said during speeches that shed light on the type of person he is.
