Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Ua19/16/2 Tennis Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU tennis teams in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Softball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU softball team in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Baseball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU baseball team in spring 2025.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 36. Wallace, Evolution And Providence., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

One of Alfred Russel Wallace’s most important contributions to thought was his identification of the key role provident behavior assumes in human evolution. In this essay I set out the way this idea influenced his thought process after 1864, and especially how it affected his appreciation of the possible role of spiritualism in evolution.

March 27, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the March 27, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 35. Natural Selection By Evolution., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823?1913) is remembered, with Charles Darwin, as the co-originator of the concept of evolution by natural selection. But Wallace’s framing of the idea increasingly became one in which natural selection itself was regarded as a law of nature, not a theory per se.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 34. Did Alfred Russel Wallace’S Chief Assistant From His Expedition To The Malay Archipelago Really Name Himself Ali Wallace?, George Beccaloni, Charles H. Smith Editor

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

In 1907, Thomas Barbour met Alfred Russel Wallace’s former chief assistant Ali on Ternate Island, Indonesia. Ali apparently told him that he had adopted “Wallace” as his second name. This claim has been questioned by historian John van Wyhe and anthropologist Gerrell Drawhorn, probably because it appeared unprecedented. However, this was not an isolated example; in 1872, John Thomas Cockerell recorded that a man from the Aru Islands, Indonesia, employed by Wallace in 1857, along with his eldest son, had similarly adopted “Wallace” as part of their personal names.

February 27, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the February 27, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

January 30, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the January 30, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

“You Shall Be As Gods”: Xenogears, Gnosticism, And Gaming On The Mystical Marketplace At The Turn Of The Millennium, Alexander Sutton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis explores the role of Christian Gnosticism in the Japanese role-playing video game (JRPG) Xenogears, developed by Square Co. Ltd. and released in Japan and the United States in 1998. In tracing its historical context, development, and localization I argue that Xenogears is an important text in the history of mediated religion in global popular culture. In comparing the game’s narrative against ancient Christian Gnostic texts such as The Apocryphon of John, The Reality of the Rulers, and the Gospel of Judas, I show how the game harmonized, mediated, and reproduced ancient Gnostic mysticism for its players to emulate. …

Ua94/6 Coach Bill Powell Tribute, Wku Archives

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

Alumni tributes to WKU swimming coach Bill Powell.

Ua68/6 Newsletter, Wku Gender & Women's Studies

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Gender & Women's Studies program.

Pas De Deux Past And Present: Examining The Future Of Partnering Work In The Study Of Teaching And Performance Of Professional Ballet, Madelyn Groth

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This research explores the historical evolution and future direction of partnering in ballet, focusing on its technical, aesthetic, and pedagogical progress. Pas de deux is a dance for two, typically performed by a male and female dancers. Traditional pas de deux, found in classical ballet dating back to its the courts of 16th century France, adheres to strict gender roles and aesthetic traditions. However, contemporary choreographers are reimagining partnering dynamics and movement patterns to reflect a more inclusive and diverse approach. Through a historiographical study of ballet and an ethnographic investigation conducted at the Miami City Ballet and the …

Striking Similarities: An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Tap Dance And Ballet, Shannon Maloney

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This research explores the relationship between tap dance and ballet, two genres of dance often viewed as polar opposites—if they are considered to have any relationship at all. Qualitative research methods were used throughout this process, including consulting texts and videos, conducting ethnographic research by attending the Woodshed Experience tap dance intensive, and choreographing a dance work featuring both tap and ballet dancers. This project investigates the relationship between the genres in the areas of technique, choreography, and pedagogy. There is significant overlap in the techniques of tap dance and ballet in the areas of musicality, polyrhythmic expression, isolated muscle …

Heroes Or Tyrants? Using The Leadership Of Chiang Kai-Shek To Re-Examine The Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln, Edward Woolery

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Today, reappraisal of history has become paramount in society. Scholars seek to contextualize building names, statues, and the land we live on. However, historians time and time again fail to reappraise popular figures in American history and misrepresent them by placing them on a pedestal. This thesis will analyze the existing body of scholarly work and primary historical sources to compare two such leaders from history in Chiang Kai-shek and Abraham Lincoln. Chiang Kai-shek is largely unfamiliar to American audiences; however, he provides a model in which Americans can reappraise Lincoln. Both Lincoln and Chiang led their nations through civil …

How Did A Democrat Win In Deep Red Kentucky? A Study Of Andy Beshear's 2019 And 2023 Electoral Victories, Edwin Wilborn

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Democrat Andy Beshear won his first election as governor of Kentucky in 2019, surprising many by defeating an incumbent Republican governor in a GOP-dominated state and a state that Donald Trump had won handedly in 2016. While Democrats had historically been the dominant party in the commonwealth, by the time of Beshear’s 2019 gubernatorial campaign, that was no longer the case. Beshear’s ability to not only win again but to win by a larger margin against a Trump-backed candidate in 2023 begs two questions: how did Beshear win, and is his success replicable for future Democrats?

Following a discussion of …

True Love Stays, Sydney Thier

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

True Love Stays is a love story, albeit an atypical one. Inspired by the bond I have cultivated with my dog, Ava, it explores the nature of relationships with other people and myself. As an essayist and a filmmaker, I was inspired by the way that writers like Jo Ann Beard, Joan Didion, and Leslie Jamison write about love and how Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Alice Birch approach the complexities of identity and relationships on-screen. This collected work is meant to be a multi-genre approach to unpacking how love, desire, and grief interact with identity formation through character-driven writing and an …

River Flowing Through: Lost River Cave And Its Community, Elizabeth Coleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Lost River Cave and Valley is a popular tourist attraction in Bowling Green, Kentucky, that also holds historical significance and importance to the local community. The Cave and Valley have functioned as a business, place of leisure, green space, and place of work for over 200 years. This thesis will explore the different ways that humans and non-humans have worked together to create a sense of place in this natural space. This will be accomplished utilizing “assemblage” theory from the discipline of philosophy. These assemblages will be made up of oral history interviews completed in 1999, one from 2009, and …

Ua19/16/5/16 Athletic Media Relations - Volleyball Film/Ideo/Audio File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Video of WKU volleyball games.

Ua19/16/1/1 2025 Hilltopper Baseball Media Guide, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

2025 baseball media guide produced by WKU Athletic Media Relations, includes athletic records and statistics, photographs, schedule and information regarding opponents.

Identifying Isaac Tabor's First Wife, Department Of Library Special Collections

Research Collections

Identifying the First Wife of Isaac Tabor b. 1770 NC – d. 1844 KY

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 2, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period November 11 - December 5, 2024.

• Wilborn, Price. Letter from the Editor – Homecoming
• Vickers, Abigail. Homecoming Royalty – Milie LeJeune, Sarah Burke, Katie Burch, Jennifer Smith, Alice Waddell
• A New Era for Social Sciences at WKU – Society, Culture, Crime & Justice
• Steps from WKU, Miles of Charm – Walk2Campus
• Wilborn, Price. Martha Sales Reflects on Life, Leadership & Growth
• Leasing Agents Lending a Friendly Face & Helping Hand – Columns
• Smith, Kane. How Local Businesses Prepare for Homecoming Crowds
• Downtown Bowling Green – Restaurants & Businesses
• Home Sweet …

Aquila And Predator: The Failure And Momentum Of Drone Technologies In The U.S., 1970-2015, Michael Rasak

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This article examines the technological and intellectual histories of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) development in the U.S. from the 1970s until 2015. Borrowing from the field of science and technology studies, the author argues that although early drone development demonstrated a significant degree of heterogeneity (i.e., interpretive flexibility), the spectacular failure in 1987 of one program in particular—the Aquila Remotely Piloted Vehicle—thereafter contributed to a significant restricting of UAS potentialities. Aquila’s demise prompted a Congressional directive in 1988 to consolidate the disparate UAS development efforts within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) under one joint program, ushering in a means …

The Grateful Dead: An Imperfect Symbol Of The Hippie Movement, Vanessa Sharfe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The emergence of the band, the Grateful Dead, took San Francisco by storm in the 1960s as the hippie counterculture movement increased in popularity in the United States. The Grateful Dead’s career spanned thirty years from 1965 to the passing of their lead singer, Jerry Garcia in 1995. My work will focus on the political and social context of the 1960s and 1970s because the time period was shaped by major political issues and events that influenced the ideologies of the various protest movements such the Free Speech Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and controversial topics such as the Hell’s …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 33. The Story In Evolution., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) is best known for his independent formulation of the principle of natural selection. In this work I first review my understanding of Wallace’s intellectual development on this subject, including the notion that he had no model for the evolution of higher consciousness as of his first treatment of natural selection in 1858. This leads to some conclusions about his approach to the subject, and links to parallel ideas inherent in the philosophy of Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Lyon, Hylan Benton, 1836-1907 (Sc 3743), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid for Manuscripts Small Collection 3743. Letters, 1862 (6), of Confederate General Hylan B. Lyon to his wife Laura; letter, 1859, of Laura to her husband; and letter, 1866, of Lyon to his sister-in-law Florence. Writing to Lyon while he served in Washington Territory, Laura sends family news and expresses hope for his safety. Writing to his wife from Tennessee and from Fort Warren, Massachusetts, where he is being held as a prisoner of war, Lyon refers to a false report of his death; provides war news; and discusses arrangements for their reunion after a hoped-for prisoner exchange, urging …

Childress, Lester, 1927-2010 (Fa 1427), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1427. Interview, 3 November 2000, by Brent Björkman and Beth Hester of Lestel Childress, a native of Hart County, Kentucky, discussing basketmaking.

November 20, 2024 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the November 20, 2024 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

Ua94/6/1 Pershing Rifles & Rebelettes Reunion Photo Album, Stewart Wade

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

Digital photograph album created from Pershing Rifles & Rebelettes reunion photos.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 1, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period October 9 - November 11, 2024.

• Wilborn, Price. Letter from the Editor – Elections
• Ivory, Larkin, Cameron Shaw, Libby Simpson & Abigail Vickers. How WKU Students Are Approaching the Ballot Box
• Todd Alcott Shares Vision for Bowling Green

• Freidhof, Natalie. A College Student’s Guide to the Swing States
• Reed-Whalen, Bradlee. What Is Amendment 22? – School Funding
• Di Palermo, Dominic. More to Accomplish – Todd Alcott, Bowling Green Mayor
• Todd Alcott for Mayor In His Own Words
• Patti Minter for Mayor In Her Own Words
• Randolph, Eli. A Day in …