Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Phi 230: American Philosophy Oer Curation, Chealsye Bowley

Curated OER Collections

This OER curation is an annotated bibliography of prospective OER for the GVSU course PHI 230: American Philosophy. At the instructor's request, the OER Curator focused on finding quality replacements for course readings currently assigned from “American Philosophies: An Anthology.”

Fre 202: Intermediate French Ii: Language And Culture Oer Curation, Matt Ruen, Chealsye Bowley

Curated OER Collections

This OER curation is an annotated bibliography of prospective OER for the GVSU course FRE 202: Intermediate French II: Language and Culture. The instructor requested particular attention to materials related to inclusive (e.g., gender-inclusive) language and writing, as well as Francophone culture outside of France itself.

Note: this bibliography was assembled by searchers not fluent in French, which limited our ability to exhaustively search French-language collections.

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Catholic And Secular Music Throughout The Ages, Rosalie Gagnon

Honors Projects

This study analyzes the progression of sacred Catholic music and secular music over the ages, beginning with the Renaissance and ending with the current times, post Second Vatican Council. The mutual effects of these two genres of music on each other over this time period are analyzed and compared.

Microhabitats In An Urban Greenspace: Function In The Beauty, Kalie Schultz

Honors Projects

This project combines science with art, with a focus on microhabitats in a unique natural space in an urban area. It is set in the Highlands Nature Preserve and the mediums used are photography and digital illustration. The goal of the project is to bring the viewer in from a wide, landscape perspective into a more close and detailed perspective of the multiple microhabitats that exist in the nature preserve. It shows how beauty can be hiding in plain sight for anyone to see if they look close enough. It also aims to show how the beauty is not just …

Finding Mostly Air: Poems, Sidra Elvey

Honors Projects

This project is a self-produced poetry chapbook. It explores themes of connection, art, dreams, and self-reflection.

Mus 302: Music Of The Medieval And Renaissance Eras, Kim Ranger

Handouts

This handout guides students to resources they'll need to complete assignments in the MUS 302 class. Given prompts and search tips, students will practice using Oxford Music Online, Find It!, RILM, and Music Periodicals. Saving citations and finding full text are covered. The handout also includes suggested search terms for research paper topics.

Protest Music Of The 2010s, Tumaini Sango

McNair Scholars Manuscripts

Throughout U.S. history, music has served as a soundtrack to transformative social and cultural movements. Songs like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Lift every Voice and Sing,” and “We Shall Overcome” are linked to key events that inspired hope and change. Collectively, these songs are known as protest music. Protest music can act as a type of social commentary, expressing a wide range of emotions, and have a uniting element, calling leaders and groups to action for tangible results. At its core, protest music is a musician’s creative response to events happening in the world around them. The 2010s saw the …

Defending The Humanities: Making A Case For Eighteenth-Century Studies, Katherine Gustafson, Heather King, Scott R. St. Louis, Linda Zionkowski

Peer Reviewed Articles

While the percentage of humanities majors has long been on the decline, the more recent experiences of the Great Recession, its aftermath, and the outbreak of Covid-19 have introduced a variety of daunting and intertwined challenges to scholars in these disciplines. Financial and occupational anxieties surrounding higher education threaten not only to crowd out humanities departments but also to alter the very understanding of what higher education is. While some students attend college to prepare themselves for engaged citizenship or to learn in a community, many also attend as a pathway to employment and expect a prompt return on investment. …

Gvsu Press Releases, 2021, Grand Valley State University

University Press Releases, 1961-Present

A compilation of press releases for the year 2021 submitted by University Communications (formerly News & Information Services) to news agencies concerning the people, places, and events related to Grand Valley State University.

Teaching Materialism Through Storytelling: A Collection Of Short Stories And Learning Materials, Zoie Zvonar, Katherine Arnold

Honors Projects

This collaborative projects seeks to combine the disciplines of psychology and writing into a collection of short stories and learning materials dedicated to teaching young students the psychological concept of materialism. In order to accomplish this goal, Zoie Zvonar and Katherine Arnold have designed and created a set of materials that seek to inform, educate, and instill in those young students what materialism is, how to recognize it in our own lives, its consequences, and potential strategies to lower high materialistic tendencies. Zoie Zvonar created the companion guide, learning activities for both students and instructors, and an additional resources list …

Stuck In The Middle: An Illustrated Essay On Covid-19 And Other Past Pandemics, Amanda Pszczolkowski

Honors Projects

The project is a visual essay, in a graphic novel-esque style, exploring how the coronavirus compares to other illness outbreaks of the past century and how the associated restrictions have impacted me at an individual level. The creative nonfiction essay intertwines historical perspectives as a way to inform, contextualize, and reflect my own experience with COVID-19. The project began with extensive research on illness outbreaks of the past century, current developments in the Coronavirus pandemic, and genre conventions of graphic novels and memoirs. The intent was to provide a cohesive whole that illuminates themes in the linguistic essay.

Roland Breeur, Lies – Imposture – Stupidity. Vilinius: Jonas Ir Jokūbas 2019, Andrew D. Spear

Articles, Book Chapters, Essays

As the title suggests, Breeur’s project is to discuss three key ideas: lies, stupidity, and imposture. The book is organized into two parts (I. Lies and Stupidity; II. Imposture) of two chapters each, followed by an appendix. The individual chapters and sub-sections are well-written and philosophically sophisticated. However, the reader will be disappointed if they expect a sustained analysis of the relations among the book’s titular ideas or a unified account of their role in the breakdown of respect for truth more broadly. Breeur’s approach is more episodic, laying out valuable considerations and enticing formulations, but often breaking off before …

Resisting Hyper-Partisan Silencing: Arendt On Political Persuasion Through Exemplification And Truth-Telling As Action, Andrew D. Spear

Articles, Book Chapters, Essays

A central frustration of recent political discourse is the consistent reduction of politically relevant factual and critical speech to mere expression of partisan commitment. Partisans of “the other side”—members of the other tribe—are viewed as de facto wrong, because partisans, even when their speech invokes mere facts or purportedly shared political principles. Ideally, democratic political discourse operates along at least two central dimensions: a dimension of shared factual, historical, and political assumptions, and a more contested dimension of interpretation, prioritization, and evaluation that results in diverse and often competing understandings of what is good, and so of what is best …

Gender Expansive Students In The Choral Classroom: Awareness & Practices Of Secondary Music Educators, Emma E. Taranko

Honors Projects

In an age of growing diversity, it is essential for educators, both pre- and in-service, to seek out strategies that will assist them in creating a welcoming classroom environment for all learners. It is incumbent upon choral music teachers and community leaders to educate themselves in the diversity that presents itself in their classrooms in order to better service all students. In this study, twenty-five secondary music educators shared their awareness of gender expansive students in their choir classrooms and any strategies they have used to better service their singers. This study was conducted in order to assess which strategies …

Collecting The Encyclopédie: An Annotated Bibliography Of English Sources, Ian Curtis

Library Scholars Manuscripts

In the research process, the actual searching for information often takes longer than anticipated and, especially for research with deadlines, encroaches on valuable time for reading and analysis. This collection of sources on the French Encyclopédie serves to reduce the amount of time spent on finding resources, allowing scholars to focus on individual research needs. Within this searchable annotated bibliography are select English sources that are all available online; however, many can also be found in print journals and books. While containing a variety of topics and authors, significant subject areas are digital humanities, censorship, plagiarism, and authorship and notable …

Bingo! Engaging History Of Science Students With Primary Sources, Leigh Rupinski

Scholarly Papers and Articles

This case study examines the process of creating an interactive and engaging lesson plan for the History of Science course, HSC 201: The Scientific Revolution. History of Science students tend to be undergraduates majoring in science or medical related fields, rather than the humanities, who need to fulfill an intensive writing or general education requirement. For most, if not all of them, this session would be the first time they experienced hands-on interaction with historical resources. Accordingly, the archivist sought to create a less traditional lesson plan that would foster a sense of fun and interest in the materials.

Ecuador Is Black: Afro-Ecuadorian Literary Resistance In Drums Under My Skin, Gabriella Davis

Student Scholars Day Oral Presentations

The transcendence of Black Ecuadorian literature has the power to rewrite narratives that have constructed them as hypersexual or invisible. By telling their own stories, Black Ecuadorian writers not only place Blackness into the Ecuadorian national narrative. They make their existence the center of everything. In Drums Under My Skin, Luz Argentina Chiriboga writes of Rebeca, a mulata teenager struggling to accept her Blackness while spilt between the ideological spaces of Quito and Esmeraldas. Chiriboga confronts racism in Ecuador based around mestizaje by making Blackness the sole narrative voice and rejects ideas that Blackness doesn’t belong in Ecuador. Concurrently, she …

"What's Happening Brother": Detroit's Revolutionary Black Workers And The Vietnam War, Nicholas Busby

Student Scholars Day Oral Presentations

The decade of the 1960s was pivotal in Detroit’s history. At a time when people struggled against imperialism and racism, Detroit’s Black community was especially cognizant of their role in this struggle. Based on extensive archival research findings, Detroit’s Black community intensely opposed racism and oppression, and Black auto workers were at the vanguard of this struggle within Detroit. These workers had strong reactions to the Vietnam War. The Inner City Voice and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers were militant groups in Detroit’s Black community during the Vietnam War. The politics and ideals of these Black groups were aligned …

Pushing Boundaries: Experimental Expressions - Unnatural (Part Two), Abigail Emens, Olivia Kelly, Sydney Kruise, Jillian Neumann, Kimberley Quinn, Meghan Reiman, Jacob Westbrook, Zoe Zaroff

Student Scholars Day Oral Presentations

Part Two - Unnatural

As a continuation of part one, we attempt to accentuate the growing disconnect from nature. In their obsession for perfection, humans have sought to replicate everything natural in a flawless and everlasting way. Not only have we produced fake plants and artificial flavoring, but we have also started manipulating ourselves to form a distorted version of the original. To show this, we are combining human elements with our synthetic products and framing our work in a way that you can clearly see the distortion. Nature is essential to human survival, yet we continue to become unnatural. …

Pushing Boundaries: Experimental Expressions - Natural (Part One), Abigail Emens, Olivia Kelly, Sydney Kruise, Jillian Neumann, Kimberley Quinn, Meghan Reiman, Jacob Westbrook, Zoe Zaroff

Student Scholars Day Oral Presentations

Part One - Natural

As a collective, we aim to explore the interplay between nature and humanity through experimental photographic mediums both 2D and 3d. We hope to convey eight different interconnected perspectives on this concept. To achieve this, we incorporate photographic mediums involving elements from the natural world such as the obvious, plants, butterflies, and spider webs, to the more abstract existence of humans. We were once heavily connected with nature, relying on it to sustain life. While nature continues to be essential to human survival, we have become disconnected.

Eating Disorders In The Lgb Community, Aubrey Griffith

Student Scholars Day Posters

Research has shown that members of the LGB community are diagnosed with eating disorders at an alarming rate. Yet, little research has been done to show how eating disorders affect the LGB community. By examining YouTube videos from a few individuals in the LGB community with eating disorders, along with analyzing their comment sections, I was able to examine how eating disorders affect the LGB community in a specific way. Anticipated findings include white privilege allowing for these YouTubers to have a voice in a muted group of individuals. This study is important because it helps to show how individuals …

The Language Behind Victim Impact Statements, Isabel Dowell

Student Scholars Day Posters

Survivors of sexual assault are given the opportunity to provide a victim impact statement in front of their abusers in court. Former Michigan State University gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar, has 204 statements against him. These statements give survivors the power they need to resist any assumptions made about them before, during, and after the assault; however, in what ways could they also be endorsing these assumptions? For this research, I have randomly selected a sample of statements from the unnamed victims of the People of the State of Michigan v Lawrence Gerard Nassar case in order to understand how the …

White Saviorism And American Imperialism: An Analysis Of The Peace Corps, Madison Svoboda

Student Scholars Day Posters

My research is focused on the Peace Corps, specifically looking at the experiences of volunteers in order to see how they are reinforcing and/or resisting white saviorism and American imperialism. I used an intersectional approach in order to understand how the experiences of volunteers are shaped by racial and national relations of power. I have used discourse analysis to analyze blogs made by Peace Corps volunteers in order to see if narratives of the US needing to save the world and spreading American values were present. My preliminary findings suggest that many PCVs are critically examining their work as volunteers, …

Buddhist Meditation Effects On Emotion Control, Sarah Battiston

Exemplary Undergraduate Research

There has been a surge in popularity of meditation in medical research. Meditation is being considered an alternative to pharmacotherapy or a supplement to treatment of both mental and physical ailments. Two popular forms of meditation practices are being studied. This includes mindful meditation which finds it roots in Buddhist meditation techniques and the meditation practice of Zen Buddhism. Both forms outline a specific activity of meditation in order to achieve a goal. Mindful meditation and Zen Buddhism similarly partake in a sitting meditation with focus on breath and present awareness. Mindful meditation challenges the practitioner to become aware of …

A Mad Magical Poet: Essays On The Life And Art Of Warren Zevon, Zachary E. Tenney

Honors Projects

"A Mad Magical Poet: Essays on the Life and Art of Warren Zevon" is a series of three essays on the titular subject. Warren Zevon was an American songwriter whose career spanned from the late 1960s to the early 2000s. Though known for his hit single "Werewolves of London," Zevon is a far more interesting figure than the "one hit wonder" label can possibly capture. Here, I explore his appeal as a literary and philosophical figure, examine his prophetic song of environmental crisis, "Run Straight Down," and consider the theme of violence as it appears throughout his music. The text …

Consulting On Creative Writing In Undergraduate Writing Centers, Alaina Taylor

Honors Projects

This project is intended to serve as a guide for present and future writing consultants in navigating creative writing-based consultations. Preliminary research was conducted among existing employees of the Frederick Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors in order to gauge which aspects of consulting on creative writing they felt the most uneasy facing. These were narrowed down to four main areas. By combining discussions held during the Creative Writing Committee team and secondary research, strategies were designed in order to help navigate these specific areas.

Nature Over Nurture: The Source Of Morality In Oliver Twist, Brandon Burger

Honors Projects

The purpose of this research is to examine the nature-nurture debate In Charles Dickens’ famous novel Oliver Twist. More specifically, this research will examine the ways in which Dickens communicates to the reader how morality is innate, inherent, and immutable, as opposed to being the product of accumulated experience. While this is by no means the first examination of this philosophical debate within the novel, past research has placed greater emphasis on the role Oliver plays in communicating this theme, oftentimes neglecting to investigate the other major characters of the novel. In this sense, this research stands apart by …

Music Preferences Among College Students Through The Decades, Janelle Potter

Honors Projects

Music plays a part in every person's life, whether they realize it or not. From the radio to background music to ringtones, music influences most aspects of our lives. Radio took music from local clubs and concert halls to places that were thousands of miles away. Radio evolved to vinyl discs and then into cassettes and compact discs. These went further in MP3 recordings and on into streaming services that control the music of today’s industry. The 1960s brought soul, R&B, Motown, and rock to the world. The 1970s brought hard rock and pop and pushed the industry into less …

Gvsu Press Releases, 2020, Grand Valley State University

University Press Releases, 1961-Present

A compilation of press releases for the year 2020 submitted by University Communications to news agencies concerning the people, places, and events related to Grand Valley State University.

Centring Lgbt2qia+ Subjects In Knowledge Organization Systems, Julia Bullard, Amber Dierking, Avi Grundner

Scholarly Papers and Articles

This paper details two interdependent knowledge organization projects for an LGBT2QIA+ library. The authors, in the context of volunteer library work for an independent library, redesigned the classification system and subject cataloguing guidelines to centre LGBT2QIA+ subjects. We discuss the priorities of creating and maintaining knowledge organization systems for a historically marginalized community and address the challenge that queer subjectivity poses to the goals of knowledge organization. The classification system features a focus on identity and physically reorganizes the library space in a way that accounts for the multiple and overlapping labels that constitute the currently articulated boundaries of this …