Arts and Humanities Commons^™

To Envy Its Rising Greatness, And To Dvise Every Possible Means Of Doing It Injury Pittsburgh And Wheeling: The Struggle For Hegemony On The Upper Ohio, 1808 - 1855., Jon W. Alfred

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The primary reason for urban growth in the Early Republic was the growth and linking of transportation networks. This study will show how two cities, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Wheeling, Virginia, sought to bring the many rapidly changing transportation networks to their city. Through the examination of the role of boosters, local, state, and federal investments, and the conflict or cooperation between eastern elites in each state versus the concerns of the western counties, one of these cities, Pittsburgh, will be show to have achieved regional hegemony by bringing more trade networks into its hub. The role of geography in settlement …

The Infrastructure Of The Fur Trade In The American Southwest, 1821-1840, Hadyn B. Call

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Careful study of the published history of the American Southwest reveals that historians have not provided a comprehensive analysis of the infrastructure that enabled the fur trade in the American Southwest to thrive. Analysis of that infrastructure unveils an amalgamation of blended characteristics derived from the French, British, and American systems along with characteristics derived from the Southwest’s own evolutionary development over time and space. This paper will detail and explain the shared characteristics of the Southwestern fur trade’s infrastructure, emphasizing the animals, people, depots, and supplies, during the era of the soft fur trade, which dealt primarily with beaver …

Selected Projects In Scenic Design And Painting, Chelsea Richards

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A parent’s passing will always generate drama within a family, but when you add a family heirloom with a potential value in the millions of dollars, the stakes are quickly raised. Theresa Rebeck’s gripping, anxiety-producing play, Mauritius, introduces tension through a subject most theatre patrons are unlikely to suspect: philately, the study or collection of postage stamps.

The Pool Of Memory, Elizabeth Diane Hansen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A selection of images portraying "The Pool of Memory"

Everybody Has The Be Someplace: Twentieth-Centure Pedagogies Of Place And Curricular Possibilities For The Intermountain West, Jacob Sheetz-Willard

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In 1977, riding a wave of environmental enthusiasm that had crested in the United States over the course of the previous decade, Wendell Berry published his classic agricultural jeremiad, The Unsettling of America. Berry, a novelist, poet, essayist, and farmer decried the environmental and cultural consequences of the large-scale, commercial agriculture that had overtaken the American landscape in the postwar years. He characterized the shift away from a producerist economy of independent farmers to a society oriented around consumption and growth as a Faustian bargain, an agricultural “colonialism” that devalued the individual and ravaged the land in the name of …

Selected Projects In Scenic And Costume Design, Spencer M. Potter

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The play is set in two staterooms and the lounge car of the luxurious 20th Century Limited, also known as the "millionaires' line." 20th Century is a drawing room comedy/farce set on a train; the comedy is derived from, and often at the expense of, the close relationships of the characters, especially the relationship between Lily Garland and Oscar Jaffe. Much of the action moves quickly between the staterooms and the lounge car. Depending on interpretation, there is also the possibility of having the train platform as a fourth setting. Because the script is very fast paced, the set needed …

Urban Pioneers: A Journey Through The Blurred Lines Of Authenticity Within Utah's Folk Music Revival, Jennifer J. Haertel

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper has described the collection of oral histories as part of the Urban Pioneers research project started by folklorist Polly Stewart as a way to document the urban folk music revival in Utah during the 1950s-1960s. Additionally, this paper has detailed how the revival in Utah fit into context within the national movement, especially in terms of the search for authenticity by the majority of revivalists - including a thorough discussion of their own reexamination of experiences that led to an understanding that the authenticity they had been chasing had never existed to begin with.

Madwoman In The Living Room, Amber Christine Bowden Whitlock

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As a young child, Tara Elgin Holley knew little of her mother’s actual character. Raised by her grandparents and then by her aunt, she desperately wanted to understand the mother who was institutionalized shortly after her birth. In her aunt’s attic she found an unexpected treasure trove: her mother’s preserved musical recordings and show dresses. At first the clothing was just a way for Holley to be near her mother, but once the costume was on, Holley’s sense of self fell away. She writes in her memoir, “I would clamber into the beautiful red dress, the long skirt pooling around …

Blackface Shakespeare: Racial And Gender Anxiety On The American Stage, Kristen Hutchings

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Early scholars of blackface minstrelsy have often over-simplified and rebuked nineteenth-century American Negro minstrel shows for their racially barbed gibes at African Americans. Though it recognizes minstrelsy’s blatant racism against the newly freed slaves of the 1860s, this study agrees with many modern scholars in recognizing deeper cultural themes Negro minstrels highlighted onstage during the years surrounding the Civil War. The study focuses specifically on the rich literary contribution of two afterpieces (the final act of the minstrel show) burlesquing Shakespeare’s Othello: Desdemonum and Othello; A Burlesque. Using the racist jargon as a tool, this study examines how …

The Assumptions That Define Me, Amy Ryan

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"When I was a little kid, I believed that before colored movies were created, people saw in black and white. I was honestly convinced that colored film was a direct result of humans finally learning how to see in color. I also believed that the older you got the more warts you grew, that eating watermelon seeds could lead to the spontaneous maturity of a new melon in your stomach, and that God was a man with a flowing white beard and kind eyes, not unlike those attributes most …

A Life’S Journey Through Fisher, George Payne

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"I arrived on the St. John Fisher campus in September of 2000 as a relatively naïve 18 year old kid from a rural village in upstate New York that had more cows than people. Although my parents were socially conscious in their own way, I was not a very conscientious person in High School. My primary focus was on sports, friendships, and girls. But Fisher changed my attitude about life completely."

The Commencement Of Our Violent Brothers, Juliet Janicik

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"It is taught in Sunday school, catechism, and Catholic and Christian schools across the country and the world that violence is not an option – the golden rule is always to be used. We are to be peaceful beings in regards to physical and emotional health in order to attain full happiness. But what we are not told are things about subjects that are not often breached, like alcohol, sex and drug abuse. We look at these subjects and wonder how our children, friends and siblings could ever fall …

Cancer Turned My Life Right Side Up, Susan Schultz

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"Five years ago I won the reverse lottery. Ovarian cancer is rare and I was diagnosed with an Ovarian Cancer Sarcoma, rarest of the rare. In a busy crowded emergency room, after briefly chatting about the Buffalo Sabres, the ER physician announced “You have a large ovarian tumor that looks like it has spread to your liver.” That abruptly began my cancer journey."

Heroic, Faithful, And Holy, Ryan Dalton

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"An ideology is a subtle, yet expansive way of describing someone’s beliefs and views of the world. Edith Stein clearly places a high precedence on believing in oneself, all people, and having faith in times of adversity. The director of the film Edith Stein portrays the death of Edith Stein as one of a martyr of Auschwitz for her people and for her faith. The ideology of the director is tremendously evident through the heroic, faithful, and holy portrayal of Edith Stein in reference to her religion and all …

Violence In Religion, Zach Vanaernum

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"Religion plays a large role in many people’s life. Many of the choices that people make are influenced and guided by their religious practices. Religion can often help people better themselves and help the lives of others. On the contrary it may seem that religion can do the opposite, causing people to be violent. Religion often gets blamed for acts of violence including suicide, martyrdom and terrorism. This paper will discuss several views of scholars on the role that religion plays in violence, paying close attention to whether religion …

Religion And Violence, Lauren Bannister

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"For thousands of years, religions and belief systems throughout the world have been severely criticized, due primarily to the deadly violence their followers endorsed. History clearly demonstrates that individuals and groups used religion to justify what most people regard as unholy acts. For centuries, discussions have questioned if religion is essentially good, or flawed, and if religion is inherently violent."

A Love Affair With Fisher, Brittnany Broderick

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"St. John Fisher College. These four words are an easy way to describe where I have spent the majority of the last 12 years of my life.

My courtship with Fisher first began when I was a junior in high school. I had friends who attended this college and after only one visit, I was hooked. This place seemed so warm and welcoming. An added bonus: Fisher was small enough that I didn’t feel overwhelmed, yet large enough that I could experience some diversity. Having gone to a smaller …

Enculturation Of The Gospel Through Image: Influences And Attitudes Surrounding Early Christian Art, Peter Santandreu

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"The Gospel message, it seems, cannot exist in a “pure” form. It is always mediated through a culture, literary style, historical circumstance or artistic practice. This means that it incorporates influences that are alien to it, though it does so in a critical manner. With regards to the biblical account, such a realization led to the search for the “historical Jesus” which began in the 18th century. This study will take into account the socio‐cultural and historical factors that went into the first production of Christian images aimed at …

Walls Of Jerusalem, Wegdan Ashkar

Verbum

No abstract provided.

Vision 2020, George Payne

Verbum

No abstract provided.

The Recipient, Paul A. Rothermich

Verbum

No abstract provided.

The Orphan Train Adventures Series: The Kelly Siblings’ Trek To Responsibility, Ashten T. Redell

Honors Theses

The Orphan Train Adventures, a series of historical novels by Joan Lowery Nixon (1927-2003), is concerned with the responsibility exercised by its child characters during the antebellum and Civil War periods. This thesis examines how Nixon, by illustrating the positive effects of responsibility through her child characters, suggests the value of cultivating responsibility in children of the contemporary period. Nixon’s use of the mid-nineteenth-century setting and the rearing practices associated with this time allows her to demonstrate positive acts of responsibility in her main characters—six siblings sent west from New York City on …

From Marilyn Monroe To Cindy Crawford: A Historical Analysis Of Women’S Body Image Depicted In Popular Magazines From 1952 To 1995, Jayme S. Nobles

Honors Theses

For this study, the researcher viewed advertisements in popular magazines from 1952 to 1995 that focus on women’s body image. The sample consisted of advertisements found in Life and Cosmopolitan magazines. Instead of observing every issue throughout the forty-three year period, the researcher chose a few issues from each magazine every five years. 180 advertisements were viewed in this study. The researcher observed three different elements found in the advertisements: the product being sold, the appeals of sexuality, if any, in the ads, and the appearance of the advertisements’ models. This research attempted to prove that over the course of …

Successfully Selecting Performance Repertoire For Concert Festival Evaluation, Kristopher R. Chandler

Honors Theses

Since Lowell Mason introduced the idea of modern day music education, music specialists like Dr. Acton Ostling, Jr. and Dr. Frank Battisti have aided in the evolution of music education to meet the needs of our ever-changing society. Dr. Ostling and Dr. Battisti published ground breaking research regarding selection of wind band repertoire that included a list of research-based guidelines such as choosing music that has clear melodic content, contrasting rhythms, and contrasting tonal textures, among other specifications. This study focuses on the prior research conducted by Dr. Ostling and Dr. Battisti. A survey consisting of a series of questions …

Are The Voting Patterns Of College-Aged Students And The General Public Influenced By Award-Winning Celebrities’ Political Opinions In Presidential Elections?, Andrew S. Blouin

Honors Theses

This thesis study is entitled “Are the Voting Patterns of College-Aged Students and the General Public Influenced by Award-Winning Celebrities’ Political Opinions in Presidential Elections?” This thesis examines primary data from award shows, government campaign financing data, and student survey data obtained at the University of Southern Mississippi. The study investigates both whether award-winning celebrities have a political impact on presidential elections and specifically whether celebrities have a political influence on college-aged people. Data analysis from this study reveals that celebrities do not have a substantial impact upon either presidential elections or upon the voting patterns of young people. This …

The One Man Crew: The Creating And Sustaining Of A Master Folk Artist, Heidi Jean Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Folk art is the art of everyday life. Framing homes can be artistic when done with a degree of exemplary expertise. Jerry Saville is a master folk artist because of his special skills and techniques exhibited in his trade of carpentry. This research provides a glimpse into a carpenter’s life to discover what creates and sustains a master carpenter. Through desire, drive, dedication (time/practice), life experience/opportunity (apprenticeship), purpose, and a community of support, Jerry Saville became a master folk artist.

Severed Hands As Symbols Of Humanity In Legend And Popular Narratives, Scott White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Modern scholarly theories of oral folk narrative suggest that urban legends contain expressions of cultural beliefs that can be understood both through the contexts in which these stories are told and through the elements of the stories that remain constant across multiple tellings by various narrators. This study centers exclusively on stories and popular culture products that utilize missing or damaged fingers, hands, or arms, in order to identify the cultural values that are attached to hands in American culture. These stories in particular were chosen because the severed hand was perceived at the onset to be a common element …

Sinners In The City Of Saints: Flappers In Salt Lake City, Bree Ann Romero

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Social commentators typically recognized the flapper as a break from tradition in the nineteen twenties. Scholars have since tended to do the same. Those characterizations, however, generally ignore the flappers outside of the Caucasian, urban, middle-class set. This thesis aims to contribute to a more comprehensive analysis of the flapper through a study of young women in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Restoring The Lost Fishery: An Environmental History Of Northern Nevada's Pyramid Lake And Lower Truckee River Fishery, David Bolingbroke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis focuses on fisheries managers’ efforts to restore native cutthroats to northern Nevada’s Pyramid Lake for recreation, and the Paiutes’ battle to preserve them as a means of livelihood. Their efforts to reconstruct the fishery revealed the implausibility of environmental restoration, but more importantly underlined the motivations necessary to attempt it.

Chapter 2 describes how the Pyramid Lake Lahontan cutthroat— historically an important subsistence resource for Northern Paiutes— were initially exploited for profit in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and gradually destroyed as agricultural interests diverted the Truckee River’s water and industrial pollution contaminated the trout’s aquatic habitat. …

Midwife, Young Maiden, And Physician: Image And Authority In Karen Cushman's Female Healers, Angela C. Turnbow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focuses on the characterization of Cushman’s healers in her three medieval novels The Midwife’s Apprentice; Catherine, Called Birdy; and Matilda Bone. I specifically look at the physical descriptions, medical practices, and the healer’s role within the community as an accepted medical authority. Cushman’s portrayals illuminate the different locations and situations in which women practiced medicine during the Middle Ages, thus she presents more historically accurate portrayals of female healers.

The significance of this project is that Cushman challenges the stereotype of the isolated and disfigured old crone that has been, perhaps inadvertently, perpetuated by authors and …