Arts and Humanities Commons^™

First Among Equals: The Pre-Nicene Christian Eucharist In The Context Of Greco-Roman Mystery Cults, Jacob Hayden

Student Research Symposium

The Eucharist, a ritual meal which is also called communion, the Mass, and the Lord's Supper, is, for many Christians, the central activity of their worship. This study examines the phenomenon of the Eucharist in its early, Greco-Roman context, focusing on the period between the missions of Paul up to the First Council of Nicaea (approximately 50 C.E. to 325 C.E.). First, it describes the early practice of the Eucharist and then compares it to other ritual meals celebrated in Greek and Roman religion, especially the "mystery cults" of Demeter, Isis, Mithras, Cybele, and Dionysus. Christians of this period, the …

Euskadi: St. Ignatius Of Loyola (The Basque), Frankie Urrutia-Smith

Student Research Symposium

St. Ignatius of Loyola is most recognized as the founder of the Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuit order, whose members often led the charge of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. During a long convalescence from an injury in battle, he experienced a spiritual awakening and dedicated his life to living as the Saints had lived. Ignatius was canonized less than a century after his death and has been venerated as a Saint ever since. In fact, he is the patron saint of the Basque people, who call themselves the Euskadi. The events of his later life, especially the spiritual …

Brahms: Experience And Expression In Music, Gianna Patchett, Nicky Jamison

Student Research Symposium

We will compare and contrast the musical form of two Brahms sonatas (Cello No. 1 in E Minor and Viola No. 2 in Eb Major) and seek to draw conclusions as to how the events leading up to and surrounding these compositions may have influenced Brahms' formal decisions. Through this research we will to bring to light how personal experiences can influence the creative processes. We will also gain insight as to how this knowledge may change the way performers interpret these pieces. We will study the musical form of each sonata as well as the context in which they …

Pines Of Rome, Sam Wise

Student Research Symposium

When Musicians analyze or listen to multi-movement works, they often focus on each movement individually and how it contrasts to those around it. When analyzing the piece Piece Pines of Rome by Respighi, a musician may interpret the form differently than non-musicians because of their perspective. We plan to pull the listener out of the small scale and have them experience the work as a whole, which can be interpreted as an entirely different form than what a musician might see. One disadvantage musicians have is when they look at music they are typically analyzing its music theory or performance …

Gender, Power And Representation Of The Body In The Water Margin, Nicholas Grooms

Student Research Symposium

Situated in the North Song dynasty of the 11th century, the Chinese classic novel The Water Margin illustrates multiple ideals of gendered identities, ranging from being sharply distinct and divisive to areas of ambiguity and continued negotiation between the sexes. On the one hand, there are instances of female heroes in The Water Margin who challenge the Confucian notions of women and their role, they are still bound by culturally embedded comparisons. The Water Margin defines and depicts its heroines as such because of their adherence to masculinity traits and actions, and not that of their traditional feminine qualities. Representations …

What The Fugue? An Exploration Of Musical Form Featuring Bach's Fugue In G Minor, Alexander Pierson, Logan Tolman

Student Research Symposium

Almost everyone knows the tune of Bach's famous Fugue in G minor, also referred to as the "little fugue", but most people are unaware of the musical intricacies that make it such a masterpiece. The Caine Brass Quintet will present an analysis of the structural elements that make up the form of this piece as well as perform the piece to demonstrate everything taught in the presentation. Most people don't know exactly what it means for a piece to be a fugue, so we will define that and what makes the form unique. When this piece is played on the …

Music Theory In Music Therapy, Laura Corrigan, Amanda Mcdonald, Amy Loertscher, Jose Ayala

Student Research Symposium

Participants in this group are Amanda McDonald, Amy Loertscher, Jose Ayala, and Laura Corrigan. Sara Bakker is our mentor for this project. She can be contacted at sara.bakker@usu.edu. Music theory plays a foundational role in music therapy. The basis of music theory supports all forms of music. These musical forms can be manifest through performance, pedagogy, and even music therapy. To have a better understanding how to fully access these areas, a knowledge of music theory is required. Specifically, music theory plays a significant role in compositional settings within music therapy. Songwriting or composition is an effective form of treatment …

A Brief History Of Musical Theater, Anne Blotter

Student Research Symposium

In my performance, I will sing a selection of musical theater songs that highlight different styles, time periods, and composers of the musical theater genre. I want to explore not only the musical qualities of these pieces, but their context and function in the shows they're from.

Ternary Through Time: Why Understanding Form Enhances Casual Listening, Mckenna Brunson, Danielle Casós, Nick Walker

Student Research Symposium

This presentation will compare the use of ternary form from two different time periods to support our claim that ternary form creates an enjoyable experience for the listener because of the devices used in the form. We will be performing and presenting our analysis of Chopin's Nocturne in C minor (Op. 48 No. 1) and Friends by Joe Hisaishi. The first was written in the mid-nineteenth century and the second in the early twenty-first century, but both maintain a similar structure, showing the effectiveness of this form in creating memorable and gratifying experience. Our research on this topic will benefit …

Composition In Theme And Variations Form, Tyler Wray, Kaelie Gillepsie, Riley Sue, Morgan Holmes

Student Research Symposium

We decided to study theme and variations composition because we found that it is very relevant and applicable to what we are learning in our Music Theory class. Variations form is also accessible to listeners and beginning composers. We hope that after our presentation, those listening will feel more comfortable in listening to and creating their own piece Theme and Variations form is a standard form of musical composition where a simple, unembellished melody is used as a theme and then repeated several times with melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, or other variations. We will take a theme and variations piece, Mozart's …

"It's A Little Annoying": Barriers For Utah Women In Careers, Rachael Gulbrandsen

Student Research Symposium

Research Question:

• Why is there a lack of women in positions of leadership in Utah?
• What supply and demand factors are present?

Examining The Usability Impact Of Content In Canvas: Html Vs. Pdf, Danni Noyes

Student Research Symposium

The mission statement of Utah State University (USU) includes “serving the public through learning, discovery and engagement.” In order to engage the diverse 27,932 students (Fall 2018 headcount including regional campuses), USU produces accessible content. Although accessible content is available to USU’s students, it is presented as an alternative to the original product rather than as a product itself. Thus, students must seek out this alternative, accessible content in order to engage with it. This pilot study tests theories of universal design as they pertain to accessible content by researching if these theories are true in the context of inaccessible …

"The Grittiness Of Being Human": Individualizing Sexual Expectations In Adichie's Novels, Madison Vaughn

Student Research Symposium

Critics of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novels identify her as a nationalist author, as representing the voices on the periphery, and as advocating for multiple voices and perspectives. Critics have also largely dismissed sexuality as a factor in her representations and have regarded her graphic descriptions of intimacy as mere entertainment or as a means to provoke criticism. I will argue that Adichie does include many instances of sexual intimacy in her novels, not as an escape from the tough subjects that she details, but to express the effects of public problems on individuals. Ultimately, the complexity of sexuality in her …

Alice's Garden: An Interactive Theatre Experience For Infants Ages 0-3, Alyssa Landroche, Elizabeth Bohannon

Student Research Symposium

I believe experiencing art is a human right. Whether it be a stunning painting, a magnificent opera, or a piece of riveting theatre, art can be educational and personally beneficial to the person viewing it. That is why I am exploring a new and upcoming form of theatre called Theatre for the Very Young--or simply TVY. TVY is specifically theatre for children ages 0-5. It is not just a verbal performance but a multi-modal one that is interactive with the young people in the audience. It includes vocal sounds, facial expression, bodily gesture and expressively animated props. Through research, collaborating …

The Dowager Countess As A Poor Old Awnte: Lady Elizabeth Russell In "Retirement", Frankie Urrutia-Smith

Student Research Symposium

This presentation, based on archival research conducted under the auspices of an URCO grant through the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, will analyze the ways in which aging may have contributed to the decline of a powerful aristocratic woman's social influence in early modern England. Using Lady Elizabeth Cooke Hoby Russell as a case study, this project questions how Elizabeth's family and marital status enabled her to overcome the limitations of her gender by giving her an unparalleled education and invaluable social connections. It explores her family connections in the context of Elizabethan government and the empowering status of …

From Chod To Feeding Your Demons: A Western Approach To Tibetan Tantra, Tanner Mcalister

Student Research Symposium

"From Chod to Feeding Your Demons: A Western Adaptation of Tibetan Tantra Tanner McAlister and Dr. Dominic Sur (Mentor), Religious Studies. This research examines how Chod, a tantric Buddhist ritual traced to eleventh-century Tibet, has been altered in the West by Buddhist teacher, Lama Tsultrim Allione. The analysis aims to uncover whether the soteriological dimension of Chod has been altered from buddhahood to psychological well-being. Chod's transmission to the West and its scope as a non-traditional practice is a recent phenomenon tracing back to just the last decade of the twentieth century. Although publications on Chod as practiced in Tibet …

"I Don't Want To Have A Weird Relationship With You, So I'M Trying": Relational Turning Points And Trajectories Of Ex-Lds Children And Their Active Lds Parents, Jared Worwood

Student Research Symposium

The doctrine and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as the LDS or Mormon Church) require high levels of commitment and involvement. As a result, like many high-cost religions, not only does the LDS church influence the identities of its members, but it is also extensively integrated into the everyday life of LDS families (Scheitle & Adamczyk, 2010; Loser, Klein, Hill, & Dollahite, 2008; Airhart & Bendroth, 1996). Besides being instructed that it is their divine mandate to teach their children the gospel of the church (Nelson, 2001; Viñas, 2010), LDS parents are also …

Since Durack (1997): The Continued Work Of Documenting Women's Contributions To Technical And Professional Communication, Bonnie Schenk-Darrington

Student Research Symposium

In this presentation I will examine how thinking about women’s technical and professional communication (TPC) has changed over the years. Key ideas include acknowledging women’s historical contributions to TPC; analyzing these contributions in terms of technology, gender, and power; and inviting and accepting diverse women’s contributions into the TPC fold. I trace three orienting frameworks. The first is from Durack (1997), who problematized the dualistic thinking of public vs. private, household vs. industry, and masculine vs. feminine labor. She felt that many kinds of women’s work—both public and private—should be recognized as technical communication. In TPC, there has subsequently been …

Performing The Lived Experience Of Lgbtqia+ Individuals In Cache County, Jake Hogan

Student Research Symposium

The goal of this project is to create a devised theatre performance by and about LGBTQIA+ people in Cache County. The project is essential because it creates a sense of inclusion for participants, promotes a better understanding of LGBTQIA+ people for audience members, and promotes the notion these individuals' stories deserve to be shared, understood, and valued. This project will be accomplished through an artistic theatrical process known as Devised Theatre. Devising is a subgroup of the larger genre of Applied Theatre, which attempts to promote and bring about social change through theatre. By doing this project, members of the …