Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Portraits Of An Immigrant Population: A Look Into The Life Of Mexican Migrant Workers In Florida, Jenna Carson, Patrick Madden

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I wrote creative non-fiction essays about my experiences with Mexican migrant workers living in Florida. Originally, I planned to focus primarily on their stories of survival in order to increase awareness among U.S. citizens; I wanted readers to understand many of the complications of illegal immigration, and therefore, better understand the Mexican “Other.” Surprisingly, I focused more on my own experiences with migrant workers and how my life has been changed by them (rather than simply record their life stories). I realized that my own experiences and meditations could foster compassion, understanding, and tolerance.

More Than A Feeling: The Transmission Of Affect And Group Identity, Lauren Fine, Brian Jackson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

We’ve all experienced moments where we walk in and feel the tension in the room. Even before our minds can process what’s happening, we start to mirror the emotions of the people we’re around. Instances like this, where the emotion (or affect) one person is feeling subconsciously triggers a similar affect in someone else, are possible through what neuroscientists refer to as the transmission of affect. The physiological shift that influences the receiver’s emotions is triggered through visual, auditory, and olfactory cues (pheromones).

Making A Case For Mark Twain’S A Horse’S Tale: Twain’S Use Of Templates And Myths As His Highest Moralism, Sara Guggisberg, Dr. Frank Christianson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Most of Mark Twain’s novels, full of sharp wit and relevant social commentary, suggest his strong ability to read people and create characters that endure through decades, while still concealing his own opinion on society beneath layers of sardonic criticism or feigned admiration. But A Horse’s Tale—an odd little novel about an orphan girl, her favorite horse named Soldier Boy (a gift from Buffalo Bill), and the bloody murder of both at the horns of a tortured bull—does not fit Twain’s typical formula. At first glance, this novel is full of earnest superlatives rendered trite, an uneven narrative arc, …

Gestes French-English Translation: Senegalese Women’S Property Rights Research, Charlotte Coleman, Dr. Daryl Lee

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The recently released a book called Sex and World Peace addresses the way treatment of women and women’s political security vitally affects all levels of security and social health in society. The book states, “It is time to put the situation of women in the nations of the world as one of the foremost issues facing the international community today.” This translation of the research done on Senegalese women’s property rights for the non-French speaking audience contributes to accomplishing that aspiration in order to inspire further worldwide rectifying action.

Elisa Von Der Recke: Volume I Of The Complete Collected Works, Anna Katharina, Michelle James

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For several years, researchers on the BYU Sophie Project have been working to compile The Critically Annotated Collected Works of Elisa von der Recke. The aim of this project was the make Recke’s writings more accessible and readable to users across the world, since most of these texts are currently very difficult to access. The texts have been transcribed from the original and exhaustively proofread to ensure an accurate reproduction. The goal of my ORCA project was to complete both the annotations and bibliographic data for Volume I, as these are the final tasks to accomplish in order to …

Beyond Käthe Kollwitz: A Bibliography Of German-Speaking Women Artists, Aloe Corry, Dr. Rob Mcfarland

Journal of Undergraduate Research

If you Google the name of the German artist Käthe Kollwitz, you will find every bit as much information as you would find about Frieda Kahlo or Georgia O’Keefe. But if you attempt to move beyond a major figure like Kollwitz, the resources become scarce. As Margaret Rennolds (1987) has argued, women artists have traditionally been excluded from the canon of visual arts, with artists like Kollwitz and O’Keefe serving as notable exceptions. Yes, there are lists of women artists on Wikipedia and on the websites of various German, Swiss and Austrian museums, but even the Frauenmuseum (Museum of Women) …

Recontextualizing Chekhov Through The Graphic Novel, Matisse Hales, Dr. Mark Purves

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Brief: The purpose of our project was to create a graphic novel comprised of the short stories of Russian author Anton Chekhov.

Great literature often inspires interpretation, but interpretation often fails to shed meaningful light upon an original work. Our goal in embarking upon the task of illustrating twelve of Anton Chekhov’s short stories was to not only recontextualize Chekhov’s literary world, but to build upon the artistic nuances planted within his prose.

Dionysus In Spain: The New Divinity In Unamuno’S San Manuel Bueno, Mártir, David Delbar, Roger Macfarlane

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Few characters are as enigmatic as the protagonist of Miguel de Unamuno’s San Manuel Bueno, mártir, and many scholars have attempted to discern the motivations of the saintly Catholic priest who does not believe in an afterlife. Because of the overt biblical allusions in the text and the personal struggles of the author with the Catholic faith, many approach the novella and its protagonist with a Christian interpretation, ignoring Unamuno’s extensive classical background. While Unamuno clearly modeled don Manuel as a Christ figure, he also embedded Dionysian characteristics that have thus far been unexamined in academic treatises of the …

Turn Of The Century Sweden And The Ecological Imaginarytopic Modeling Ecological Thought In Swedish Nature Texts, Benjamin Holt, Dane Christensen, Dr. Christopher Oscarson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The roots of ecology in Scandinavia begin with the botanist Linnaeus in the 18th century, who developed the notion of the economy of nature. Throughout the 19th century, proto-ecologists carried the movement that would eventually be recognized as a legitimate and viable science, studying the interaction between organisms and their environment. Leading up to the turn of the century, the climate in Scandinavia was ripe for organizations to emerge such as the Svenska Turistföreningen (Swedish Tourist Society) and the Svenska Naturskyddsföreningen (Swedish Nature Protection Society), both of which are committed to improving and preserving nature in Sweden.

A Digital Epigraphic Database: Partnership With Duke Collaboratory For Classics Computing, Nozomu Okuda, Dr. Roger Macfarlane

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Digital epigraphic databases can be of interest to scholars who study the past. Epigraphy — a word which combines the two Greek roots epi-, meaning “above” or “on,” and graphe, meaning “writing” — is the study of inscriptions. Among the epigraphic publications are commemorations, dedications, proclamations, and even general information, all of which were engraved upon more or less permanent media. Thus, those messages from the past continue to convey information in the present, thereby making epigraphy an important aid to scholarship of the past. Despite the longevity of inscriptions, their media may be too large, fragile, or …

A New Approach To Museum Exhibits, Allison Rietz, Kerry Soper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project deals with museum exhibits, the primary cultural product used to justify a museum’s existence; they are also the face of the museum that the public sees. However, because museums are a mix of visual and literary aspects, the point of an exhibit can often get lost in an attempt to include a “Wow Factor”, which may not even relate to the exhibit. And if the exhibits do not appeal to visitors or are confusing, fewer people will come to visit, making it necessary for exhibits to be clear for their audience.

The College Writing Experience For At-Risk High School Students, Caroline Howard, Dawan Coombs

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recently, studies have been conducted to measure the effects of mentored writing experiences on people struggling with low self-efficacy. Some studies intervene in high security prisons, where people with low self-perception reside. Writing has proven to help restore a sense of dignity in prison inmates because of its expressive nature. When people are encouraged and praised for their writing by mentors, especially when the writing is personal, they begin to have an increased sense of self-efficacy. Other studies have been conducted in middle schools, seeking to intervene with struggling writers before they get to high school. These studies are done …

Big Humanities, Big Data: Genre Analysis Of Eighteenth-Century British Poetry, Brittany Strobelt, Kylan Rice

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The continual digitalization of society has not only permeated research in the Humanities, but is constantly revealing just how crucial it is to the Humanities’ future. Whereas research in the Humanities is normally limited to a very narrow dataset, digital humanities tools allow for macroanalitic research—research that can analyze vast amounts of texts all at once. The database produced by our project can do just that. Because scholars’ such as Ted Underwood, Matthew Jockers, Franco Moretti, and others at the Stanford Literary Lab have focused extensively on macroanalysis of novels, we envisioned and designed a project focused specifically on poetry—a …

“Womenomics:” Translating Women’S Property Rights For A Global Audience, Taylor Madsen, Dr. Daryl Lee

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With the belief that we could make the world better by improving the quality of life for women, our team of three student translators and one expert mentor undertook the challenge to translate and publish the results of two years of gender studies research conducted in Senegal. Although the research was incredibly localized to a generally overlooked country, the patterns existing within Senegal reflect well those seen in many other underdeveloped countries. Thus, we hoped to provide increased knowledge for important decision-makers in the political, academic, and economic sector.

Translation From French To English Of A Women’S Rights Study By A Senegal Research Group, Danielle Stanford, Daryl Lee

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was to make an academic study on women’s property rights in Senegal accessible to a non-French speaking audience. The study was conducted by a university research group on gender issues (GESTES) at the Université Gaston Berger, Saint Louis, Senegal. I worked as part of a team of three translators, rendering it from French into English. GESTES (in English: “Gender and Society Research and Study Group”) is coordinated by Dr. Fatou Diop Sall, a professor at the Université Gaston Berger. Dr Sall’s group study on property rights of women, published in a limited number of copies …

Unter Den Heiden: Exploring The Motives Behind The Demonization Of African Natives In Colonial German Missionary Literature, Kristen Jacobsen, Cindy Brewer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although the German colonial period only lasted for a relatively brief time, from the late nineteenth century through the beginning of the twentieth century, this period spawned a large body of fiction written by missionaries. Many missions had serial newsletters, in which were published fictional stories intended to promote interest in conversion efforts and garner financial support. Many of these stories were specifically directed to children. Many of these same stories also contain native characters who are cruel, savage, and, in some instances, satanic. This presents a common contradiction found in missionary literature: how do missionaries promote saving the “lost …

Ida Pfeiffer: The Annotated Travels Of Ida Pfeiffer, Alexander Smith, Dr. Rob Mcfarland

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Before beginning this project I was aware of the vast variety of literature available in both English and German language. Having been fortunate enough to work with Dr. McFarland already on the Sophie Project, an undertaking of the Department of German and Russian here at BYU. However, I was aware that much of the existing travel literature from Ida Pfeiffer had not been collected— additionally, the original Fraktur script made it difficult for less-experienced German speakers to read and understand. In this project, I opted to transcribe and annotate the travels of Ida Pfeiffer in the United States. Being a …

The Failure Of A Latin American Bestseller: Researching The Reception Of João Guimarães Rosa In The United States, Andrew Kelly Nelson, James Krause

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Of all Latin American authors, the works of João Guimarães Rosa present some of the greatest difficulties for translators. He experienced laudable critical success throughout Latin American and Europe, but–for reasons that are under investigation–received a tepid reception in the United States. This project was developed to examine the extent to which the translation and editorial processes played in this poor reception by the US readership by examining the extensive communication that the author maintained with the translator of his work. Such correspondence is unique in that it documents the collaborative translation process between the author and his English-language translator, …

Comparison Of Language Gains Across Classroom, Foreign Language Housing, And Study Abroad Environments, Kari Tanner, Dr. Jeffrey Turley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

When it comes to learning a foreign language, study abroad contexts have generally been assumed to produce the best results. However, with rising program costs it becomes necessary to evaluate alternate options as well. The three main language learning contexts are classroom, foreign language housing (domestic immersion) and study abroad. While many studies have analyzed language gains in these settings independently of each other, little research has actually compared the gains across these three environments. I chose to conduct this research with learners of Italian, so I started by finding participants in each of the three contexts. The classroom learners …

Problems With Mission Literature And Imagination: German Mission Literature, 1885-1918, Eric Smith, Cindy Brewer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century mission literature differs from most colonial texts, due to the missionaries’ treatment and focus upon the “native” population. Yet, most literary critics believe that Catholic and Protestant mission literature—particularly texts in African and Polynesian island missions—share the same roots and literary forbearers as colonial literature during the time period of 1860-1939. Colonial literature holds the ideas of nationalism, imperialism, white superiority, social Darwinism, and justification for taking land. Thus, most literary critics view mission literature as products of Colonialist writers. Despite the negative reception, all missionaries were not solely focused on conquering and destroying the native …

Exploration Of Russian Harp Repertoire, Eliza Weed, Dr. David Day

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I was given an ORCA Grant to research the Russian Harp Repertoire. The grant allowed me to travel to Switzerland for a two-week intensive of workshops, lectures, performances and master classes with Russian harp masters Irina Zingg and Milda Agazarian. While I was at this intensive I not only learned an extraordinary amount about the subject of Russian Harp Repertoire, but also was able to study Russian technique and the pedagogy thereof. My time in Switzerland has already paid dividends in my prowess as a musician and I am confident and excited to share what I have learned with my …

Appendix

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

Selected Bibliography

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Slow Train To Switzerland, Robert Sherwood

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

The Swiss In The American Civil War 1861-1865

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

A Personal Introduction, Heinrich L. Wirz

Swiss American Historical Society Review

For the first time, this study presents biographical data on l 06 men who were of Swiss nationality or descent, and who participated in the American Civil War. Most of these men were officers. The American Civil War froml861 to 1865 has largely been forgotten in Switzerland. The significance of the war is often overlooked including its sociopolitical impact as well as its military strategic, operational, and tactical importance. This study presents data relating to important Swiss military personnel. At the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the conflict in 2011, a few newspaper articles in Switzerland appeared discussing the …

Swiss Officers And Prominent Personalities

Swiss American Historical Society Review

The United States census of 1860 listed 53,327 Swiss-born residents who represented 1.3 percent of the foreign-born in the nation. John (Johannes) Hitz, Sr. ( I 797- 1864), Swiss Consul General from 1853- 1864 in Washington, D.C., estimated the number of Swiss serving during the Civil War in the Union Army at 6,000. In his 1862 register of names, he listed 537 Swiss in the military. In 1863, he included an additional 302 men. He presented no separate lists for 1861 , 1864, and 1865. Paul de Valliere stated that 4,000 Swiss served in the Union Army in his monumental …

Alphabetical List Of 106 Swiss Officers With Short Biographical Entries

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.