Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Gender Identities Outside Of The Binary Existed In Ancient Rome, Samuel Cash

Research on Capitol Hill

Transgender individuals are erased from the historical narrative due to little definitive evidence of their existence in language, literature, or the archaeological record. Items like clothing, textiles, and wigs, which distinguished them from cisgender people, are largely lost to time. However, one way that we can view gender nonconformity is through art. This presentation analyzes the use of androgyny and gender non-conformity in Greco-Roman marble statues, focusing on Apollo. Although he is biologically male, Apollo is known for being effeminate and gender non-conforming. His physical appearance contributes to his feminine attributes, including his androgynous body structure, hairstyle, and clothing. This …

Multiracial Students Do Not Belong In The Margins., Aubrey Felty

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Aubrey is an Honors student, Caine Summer Arts Fellow, and an undergraduate research grant recipient. She studies Theatre Arts and is currently student teaching. Aubrey’s research produced a docudrama, where students who identify as multiple races were able to dissect the ways that they interact within predominantly white universities. She hopes that the film will help students to reflect on race and racism and lead to a more welcoming educational environment for all students. Aubrey has been involved in research for nearly all of her time at USU. “I participate in undergraduate research because it lets me use …

Women Can Step Out Of The Shadows Of Time And Take Their Rightful Place Next To The Men Who Blazed A Trail Through The Wilderness., Bonnie Swenson

Research on Capitol Hill

Bonnie, attending USU’s statewide campus from her home in Orangeville, decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree after retirement and is studying English. In her coursework, Bonnie came across accounts of the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneer expedition in San Juan County in the late 1800s. Most research on this arduous trek has focused on the men of the expedition and the engineering innovations required to build a road into the side of a cliff. Bonnie’s work is unearthing previously disregarded accounts in library archives and amplifying the stories of the 100 women and girls who accompanied the expedition and contributed to its success. …

Oral Histories Help Document The Impact Of Covid-19 On Cache Valley's Latinx Community, Virginia Hernandez, Jasmine Morales

Research on Capitol Hill

Sophomore Jasmine, of Box Elder, is president of the USU LatinX Creative Society, the Parent Committee for Centro de la Familia in Box Elder, and the Region Policy Council for the Migrant Program. She studies social work and Spanish. Junior Virginia is a Spanish teaching major and recipient of an Institute for Mexicans Abroad scholarship for her studies in Mexican language and culture. Jasmine led this project to interview a dozen Cache Valley families about their personal experiences during the pandemic as members of the Latinx community. The documentary these students are producing will discuss the ways that their culture …

Between Commercial And Nonprofit: Communicating Social Business, Cassidy Gummersall

Research on Capitol Hill

Social businesses uniquely communicate their organizational purpose as a balance between a social mission and revenue generation.

Building The Medieval Trebuchet: Assembling A Half-Scale Historical Machine, Daniel Bertrand

Research on Capitol Hill

In the Middle Ages, armies built trebuchets to destroy enemy castles. The trebuchet is a type of catapult that uses a falling counterweight to throw projectiles.

Many trebuchets were huge machines over 60 feet tall and their construction was complex. The methods used to erect a trebuchet in history are not widely known.

My Research Question: How were trebuchets designed and assembled in the Middle Ages?

Through experimental history, I used primary sources to design a trebuchet. This machine is half-scale: 30 feet tall.

I built this trebuchet with medieval techniques, assembled it with an ancient type of crane hoist, …

Are Davis County School District Students Represented In Their Schools' Literary Choices?, Erin Searle

Research on Capitol Hill

Feeling represented in high school can have an effect on academic performance. Does the literature taught in high schools represent the students who are reading them? By analyzing the supplemental book list (DCABL) approved by Davis County High School and coding the literary works into categories based on ethnicity and gender, these questions were answered:

• Does literature taught in high schools represent the students who are reading it in terms of ethnicity and gender?
• Does literature include selections written by authors from countries other than the USA or selections with a variety of racially diverse protagonists?
• Does the ratio of …

Making A Modern Piece Of Music More Memorable, Ethan Seegmiller

Research on Capitol Hill

My Fleeting Angel is a piece for a piano trio composed by Cheryl Frances-Hoad. It is inspired by The Wishing Box, a short story by Sylvia Plath.

Dr. Frances-Hoad wrote the piece in 2005. It won the Robert Helps Prize, earning her temporary status as composer-in-residence at the University of Southern Florida.

The vivid descriptions in The Wishing Box provided musical inspiration for My Fleeting Angel. Dr. Frances-Hoad transformed the colorful syntax into harmonies and rhythms throughout the piece.

Disposition For Change: A Teacher's Quest For Student And Self-Liberation, Morgan Sanford, Elise Maddox

Research on Capitol Hill

The tensions that dominate the lives of Mexican-American adolescents complicate their academic achievement. Many Anglo-American teachers see Mexican-American students as lacking parental and administrative support and capability or intelligence, stereotypes that poison progress and inhibit their learning.

Our research considers the influence of visionary, dedicated teachers in the lives of underprivileged students. The biographical film narratives included in our study detail the experiences of Caucasian and Latino teachers and their Mexican-American students. They point to the power of individual teachers to open doors for positive change and progress in the lives of their students.

Recent Educational Trends Prove Detrimental To Society, Alison Fabricius-Gardner

Research on Capitol Hill

Education is key to building a strong society. Political leaders throughout the centuries realized that tailoring education in specific ways would bring specific results. The education system develops future members of society impacting civic engagement and the work force, both of which are political.

This research identifies historical educational trends, both what political leaders desired and how they implemented policy to reach those goals. It also looks at the give and take between political goal and societal reception.

Lastly this research shows how these changing trends impact students in the classroom and how they are prepared for the work force …

The Urban Prison: Socioeconomic Vortexes In Latino Neighborhoods, Armando Porras, Aaron Wyatt

Research on Capitol Hill

This research shows how metropolitan cities throughout the United States are continuously impacting the lives of ethnic minorities.

In the United States, Latina/o individuals have been born into socioeconomic vortexes. In other words, they have grown up in areas where secure jobs have disappeared and a variety of other factors force them to live in damaged communities that do not foster economic and social progression.

By analyzing several works of literature written by Latina/o authors who lived in barrios that faced these challenges, as well as research addressing crime and the lack of law enforcement in marginalized neighborhoods, we have …

The Many Voices Of Sylvia Plath, Millie Tullis

Research on Capitol Hill

No abstract provided.