Arts and Humanities Commons^™

I Was Crazy Once: An Examination Of Elizabethan Insanity In Shakespeare’S Work, Hope L. Kobus

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

William Shakespeare wrote numerous works, diving into the common motifs of love, revenge, power, but most importantly, madness. While Elizabethan audiences were more accustomed to seeing madness as a ploy for comedy, Shakespeare changed the appeal through shows such as King Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth. He presents the power and ambition of women, as well as the failings of the upper-class, but he disguised them through the idea of insanity. At a time when the public had little understanding of mental health, it was easy to blame madness on gender, social status, and even the supernatural. Through …

"1984" Apple Commercial, Eloise Sharkey

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In 1984, Apple released a commercial to advertise their first personal computer, The Macintosh. The ad aired during the 1984 Super bowl on January 22^nd and was titled “1984”. With the rise of computers and the information age, I set out to discover how Apple was able to distinguish themselves from IBM and why this was so important for them to do. The company used revolutionary rhetoric to address the dreaded social consequences of a world run by computers by positioning the Macintosh as a tool for agency and creativity in a world of mindless drones. This commercial took …

Romantic And Victorian Era: Fashion Reimagined, Sara E. Pacheco

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

This venture was about reimaginations of the Romantic and Victorian era fashion through the person of Audrey Hepburn, a famous 1960’s Movie star. The Romantic and Victorian eras were chosen because of their similarities and the beauty of those eras in expressing femininity for women. The colors served as a main source of inspiration because they conveyed a feminine vintage feel for the garments. Additionally, inspiration was drawn from the patterns and textures of fabric, especially silk textiles whose satin finish complemented the shiny, smooth, and silky feel of the fabrics. The reimagined fashion images on display illustrate how a …

African American Fashion Legacies, Yasmeen Orozco

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

This was an exploration of how African American Designers, former and current have contributed to fashion legacies. Key points that will be presented will be – brief biographies of seven African American designers, that covers their upbringing, education, and their fashion legacies. The seven fashion designers that will be discussed include - Patrick Kelly, Willie Smith, Anna Lowe, Stephine Burrows, Laquan Smith, Dapper Dan, and Zelda Wynn Valdes.

The study further features fashion trends that originated from the African American community. Notably, African Americans have been a pioneering force with creative styles that have been ignored and rebutted. Finally, the …

Richard King: From Rags To Ranching, Kaileigh S. Freeman

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The legacy of the Wild West, known for its rugged individualism and search for new lives, is represented through the journey of Richard King and the founding of King Ranch in South Texas. This paper follows King from his humble beginnings as an orphan in New York City to his rise as the “king” of ranching. Drawing from historical accounts and analyses, the paper explores the innovations made by Richard King that would shape the face of Texas ranching amidst the challenges of the frontier and remedy environmental and logistical boundaries. King's ability to work alongside businessmen greatly benefited his …

The Civil War And Southern Honor Culture: William G. Brownlow, Southern Unionists, And The “God-Forsaken Scoundrels” Of Secession, Ali Graham

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

This paper explores the East Tennessee Unionists of the Civil War era and their connection to southern honor culture. Though East Tennessee technically seceded in June 1861, the citizens of the region refused to acknowledge that in their daily proceedings and some of the most prominent citizens of the region, such as William G. Brownlow, Horace Maynard, and Andrew Johnson, actively refused to participate in Confederate governance. The guiding force behind these men was the principle of honor that all southern men- Union loyal or not- held dear. This paper tells the story of the secession crisis in East Tennessee …