Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Good Game Well Played: An Esports Documentary, Gabriella Clare Devia-Allen

Theses and Dissertations

This film explores the operations and cultural practices of the esports community with an emphasis on Twitch as the dominant community platform. Explored sub-communities include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Duelyst, and League of Legends. A focus on Duelyst allows us to explore the characteristics of an accessible esports culture while also referencing League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive offers an objective look at two of the industry’s most developed esports scenes. This documentary tracks the production of broadcast content, the lifestyles of professional players, and the narratives of the industry’s most involved employees. In doing so, the research draws conclusions …

Does All The Excitement Really End At Marriage? An Assessment Of Same-Sex Marriage Legislation And Lgbt Activism, Kelsie Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the legalization of same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships with LGBT political participation and activism. There has long been a debate between several groups of LGBT activists on what the legalization of same-sex marriage will do to LGBT activism. Will achieving same-sex marriage ultimately hinder the movement or will it open new realms of possibility for change? This study aims to survey the arguments offered by a few prevalent sides of the same-sex marriage debate, then provide empirical information as support for one of those claims. This study …

Five Miles Outside Town: A Play With Music, Luke John Mcloughlin

Theses and Dissertations

Months ago, I wanted to write something like an opera or a musical for my thesis. This is not quite what happened. Instead, I have written a play with music; that is, there are four solo songs interspersed within the drama. While there are parts of it that I would like to change, the present work (the pages following this abstract, the title page, the copyright page, the committee page, the acknowledgments page, and the table of contents) represents what I was able to put together within the restrictions of the academic schedule.

The following are descriptions of various facets …

What Am I Doing Again?, Megan Coonelly

Theses and Dissertations

My work explores notions of habits, chaos and distractions; present within my painting practice. Each painting I make begins with a routine that symbolizes the daily experiences of my life. My paintings reflect the constant thought stream of my mind. They reveal the constant of societal and cultural past and present; buried as deep in our minds as a prayer or hymn ready to burst out at any moment. By referencing and exploring pop culture and pop art, I engage in a critique of commodity and commercialism. My paintings respond to cultural conditions of the digital age.

She Wanted It? : Examining Young Adult Literature And Its Portrayals Of Rape Culture, Katy Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

At a time when discussions about rape culture appear throughout social media and the news, our ability to consider how literature addresses these social issues is critical. The recent work of scholars discussing rape culture emphasizes the crucial need to consider what many understand (though many also continue to dismiss or diminish) as a serious social issue. While these cultural critiques are worthwhile, my focus shifts these critiques from general (American) culture or society to a particular expression of culture: the young adult novel. In this thesis, I examine how this cultural discourse surrounding rape culture and its related myths …

The Byline Of Europe: An Examination Of Foreign Correspondents' Reporting From 1930 To 1941, Kerry J. Garvey

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on two of the largest foreign correspondents’ networks the one of the Chicago Tribune and New York Times- in prewar Europe and especially in Germany, thus providing a wider perspective on the foreign correspondents’ role in news reporting and, more importantly, how their reporting appeared in the published newspaper. It provides a new, broader perspective on how foreign news reporting portrayed European events to the American public. It describes the correspondents’ role in publishing articles over three time periods- 1930 to 1933, 1933-1939, and 1939 to 1941. Reporting and consequently the published paper depended on the correspondents’ …

I Am My Own Escape, Ross Thomason

Theses and Dissertations

I Am My Own Escape is a one-act chamber opera with three characters, scored for soprano, tenor, and baritone voices respectively. The orchestra consists of flute, B flat clarinet, piano, violin, and violoncello, commonly known as the Pierrot ensemble. This work was written for fellow colleagues and students from Illinois State University, premiered on May 5, 2017.

Leitmotifs are employed in this work – the characters each have unique vocal melodies, orchestral gestures, pitch collections, and/or rhythmic motives assigned to them (see figures below for examples). Contemporary or extended techniques such as scratch tones in the strings and harmonics in …

What’S The Harm In Climate Change?, Eric S. Godoy

Faculty Publications - Philosophy

A popular argument against direct duties for individuals to address climate change holds that only states and other powerful collective agents must act. It excuses individual actions as harmless since they (1) are neither necessary nor sufficient to cause harm, (2) arise through normal activity, and (3) have no clear victims. Philosophers have challenged one or more of these assumptions; however, I show that this definition of harm also excuses states and other collective agents. I cite two examples of this in public discourse and suggest we reconsider the notion of harmful action in our discussions about climate change.

On My Grind: Freestyle Rap Practices In Experimental Creative Writing And Composition Pedagogy, Evan Nave

Theses and Dissertations

My work is always necessarily two-headed. Double-voiced. Call-and-response at once. Paranoid self-talk as dichotomous monologue to move the crowd. Part of this has to do with the deep cuts and scratches in my mind. Recorded and remixed across DNA double helixes. Structurally split. Generationally divided. A style and family history built on breaking down.

Evidence of how ill I am.

And then there’s the matter of skin. The material concerns of cultural cross-fertilization. Itching to plant seeds where the grass is always greener. Color collaborations and appropriations. Writing white/out with black art ink. Distinctions dangerously hidden behind backbeats or shamelessly …

School Of Music Faculty/Staff Newsletter, March 2017, School Of Music

School of Music Faculty/Staff Newsletter

Accomplishments and news from the faculty and staff of the School of Music at Illinois State University.

Body Composition: Reading, Writing, And Resisting Weight Loss Autobiography As Biopolitical Pedagogy, Katherine Ann Browne

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue that autobiographical narratives of body size function as lifestyle guides based on an interpretation of obesity as an undesirable bodily condition. These narratives are anchored by the “weight loss success story” narrative trope, which represents the result of extreme weight loss processes synthesized as “Before and After.” This dissertation serves the dual purpose of historicizing weight loss autobiography in the United States from the late 19th century to present, and arguing that these texts have been taken up as instructional guides for living, or biopedagogical tools. After outlining my methodology in the first chapter, the …

The Effects Of Text-To-Speech On Reading Comprehension Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Mary Cece Young

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I implemented the use of technology to investigate the effectiveness of text-to-speech (TTS) on the reading comprehension of students with learning disabilities (LD). In a freshman self-contained classroom, I used the classroom-based text and TTS on four participants during a 48-min English class period for 16 weeks. An A-B-A-B withdrawal design evaluated the effectiveness of TTS on reading comprehension, the dependent variable, measured through accuracy of participants’ responses to reading comprehension questions from curriculum-based measures (CBMs). Following intervention, I assessed maintenance of the effect of TTS on reading comprehension for 4 weeks. Additionally, I measured participants’ perspectives …

Community Land Trusts: A Help Or Hindrance To Community Development In The United States, Andrew Kuka

Student Research – Stevenson Center

The availability of affordable housing in the United States continues to be an issue for Americans who are on the brink of homelessness, rely on housing subsidies, or struggle to pay their mortgages or rents. These issues, as well as the gentrification threat that community development poses to low-income residents can have deleterious effects on democratic participation and community development efforts. One proposed solution to these problems is the implementation of more community land trust programs nationally. This paper will assess the practicality of CLTs, and what such an implementation would mean for individuals, government entities, community members, and community …

Going Fossil Free: A Lesson In Climate Activism And Collective Responsibility, Eric S. Godoy

Faculty Publications - Philosophy

Colleges and universities already contribute significantly to the fight against climate change, but the UN has recently called upon them to do even more. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that institutions of higher education play a unique role in combating climate change and other structural injustices, not only by conducting research and disseminating knowledge, but also by fostering a form of collective political responsibility. A philosophical analysis of different forms of collective responsibility, with specific attention to the Fossil Free divestment movement, reveals how social position facilitates this contribution more so in colleges than in other institutions.

Red Note New Music Festival Program, 2017, School Of Music

Red Note New Music Festival

The RED NOTE New Music Festival at Illinois State University is a week-long event which features outstanding performances of contemporary concert music.

Normal Editions Workshop Newsletter, 2017, Wonsook Kim School Of Art And Design

Normal Editions Workshop Newsletter

Annual newsletter for the Normal Editions Workshop, School of Art, Illinois State University.

“Sparks Fly ”: Connecting Midwestern Historic Forts Through A Comparative Study Of Gunflints, Jeffrey A. Spanbauer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will outline the temporal changes and choices of colonial powers and individuals as expressed at historic frontier posts in the Midwest between 1683 and 1779 as expressed through their supply and usage of gunflints. Gunflints exist as persistent artifacts at historic sites, and especially so at fortifications like Fort de Chartres, Fort St. Joseph, Fort Michilimackinac and Fort Ouiatenon. These sites exist within the same chronological timeframe, from 1690-1780, and saw occupation by both the French and British, with nearby indigenous groups, and should serve as instructive means to investigate the factors involved in the supply, selection, and …

Braving Shame: The Rhetoric Of Bravery In Contemporary Women's Memoir, Debra Gayle Parker

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation interrogates the rhetoric of bravery as a culturally-infused way of hearing certain kinds of personal narratives. As a cultural rhetoric, “bravery” has deep roots in masculine militaristic ideology in which cowardice, courage, and shame are conceptually linked to a sense of duty. The memoir industry represents one environment that archives what is valued as brave writing. As rhetoric precariously at work in the memoir industry, this dissertation investigates the cultural assumptions that drive literary bravery as it is used to assess contemporary memoirs, particularly memoirs written by women. Braving Shame invokes a new brand of bravery—one that de-emphasizes …

School Of Music Faculty/Staff Newsletter, November 2016, School Of Music

School of Music Faculty/Staff Newsletter

Accomplishments and news from the faculty and staff of the School of Music at Illinois State University.

Senior Recital: Matthew Stewart, Double Bass; October 25, 2016, Matthew Stewart Double Bass

School of Music Programs

Kemp Recital Hall
October 25, 2015
Sunday Evening
7:30 p.m.

Mass Media’S Cultivation Effect On Islamic, Muslim, And Qur’Anic Prejudice, Shanna J. Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the power of the mass media’s ability to cultivate reality in terms of the threat of Islam. A rhetorical analysis of the messages portrayed by the mass media is then compared to the findings of the study. While the study did not find any significant correlation between consumption of media and fear of Muslims, the Qur’an, or Islam, it did find a strong negative correlation between inter-group contact and salience of stereotypes.

It's A Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play, School Of Theatre And Dance

Programs - Theatre, Dance, and Film

By Joe Landry

Productions took place December 2 - December 9, 2016

Two Short Plays: The Coffee Bar And The Walls, School Of Theatre And Dance

Programs - Theatre, Dance, and Film

The Coffee Bar

By 'Ali Salim

Translated by Lena Jayyusi and Thomas G. Ezzy

The Walls

By Griselda Gambaro

Translated by Marguerite Feitlowitz

Productions took place shows October 21st-22nd. 23rd. and 25th-29th, 2016

2016-2017 Production Season Flier, School Of Theatre And Dance

Programs - Theatre, Dance, and Film

Listing of shows for the 2016-2017 season

Waiora, School Of Theatre And Dance, School Of Music

Programs - Theatre, Dance, and Film

Productions took place September 30 - October 1, October 5-9, 2016

School Of Music Faculty/Staff Newsletter, October 2016, School Of Music

School of Music Faculty/Staff Newsletter

Accomplishments and news from the faculty and staff of the School of Music at Illinois State University.

Sinclair Lewis Society Newsletter, Vol. 25, No. 1, The Sinclair Lewis Society

Sinclair Lewis Society Newsletter

“Anthony Di Renzo to Be Keynote Speaker at Sinclair Lewis Conference 2017”

“Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Adaptation of It Can’t Happen Here,” by Ralph Goldstein, California State University-Los Angeles

“The Low-Down on Lewis,” by Frederick Betz, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

“Is Sinclair Lewis ‘Not Much Read’ Anymore?,” by Ralph Goldstein, California State University-Los Angeles

“Lewis and Roth on American Dictators”

“Translation and Culture: Main Street Goes to China,” by Sally E. Parry, Illinois State University

“It Can’t Happen Here Staged Readings Sweep the Nation”

“The Runestone of Alexandria and Sinclair Lewis”

“What Were They Reading Then?: Calling Dr. Nietzsche: A …

All Hands Bury The Dead, Summer Qabazard

Theses and Dissertations

All Hands Bury the Dead is a collection of poetry, salted with creative non-fiction, and images, exploring trauma, memory, time, nostalgia, mental health, and love in the backgrounds of the Gulf War in Kuwait (1990-1991), domestic violence, relationships, and academia. The dissertation includes a critical preface that theorizes how racist, sexist, and colonialist ideologies can be reproduced in and supported through the uncritical application of theory to practice. The dissertation also includes an exploration of the assumptions about the innateness of creative writing ability that utilizes psychological theories of creativity to build a pedagogy to support the creative potential of …

Out The Window: The Coalescence Of Internal And External Space, Micah Allen Zavacky

Theses and Dissertations

Out the Window: The Coalescence of Internal and External Space is a supportive statement for an exhibition of prints, drawings, and paintings that begin with direct observation. Building on Yi-Fu Tuan’s distinctions of space and place, I examine how these terms reflect my subjective interpretations of objective subject matters. Landscape, still life in domestic interiors, and garden subjects, as observed and interpreted in the prints, drawings, and paintings, not only reveal the shifting roles of space and place but also the ongoing processes of change occurring both externally in the observed environment and internally in my response to it.

Hints Of Wholeness, Dylan Yvonne Welch

Theses and Dissertations

The fertile tension between what we know and don’t know about ourselves is the mystery that invigorates existence. In this essay, I posit that beauty is found in a knot of knowability and unknowability bound together in wholeness. This work contemplates our unique receptivity to that underlying but invisible wholeness which makes its presence known as beauty in nature immediately around us and on a cosmic scale.