Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Book Bans In U.S. Prisons: A Legacy Of The Prisoners' Rights Movement, Allison Jansen

Honors Projects

The 1950s-1970s saw an unprecedented spike in organized resistance by American prisoners. This long era of rebellion, along with thousands of judicial appeals, made up the “prisoners’ rights movement”-- a political, legal, and social struggle that challenged the conditions of American incarceration and its penological paradigm. The timeline of the movement is abstract and difficult to measure. Nonetheless, what is certain is that it lost its momentum by the 1980s due to overhauling policy changes that quelled prisoner activism without achieving meaningful progress. This research examines the evolution of prison censorship policies within that paradigm shift and how they sought …

Satori 2026, Lupema Celis Castillo, Amity Collins, Lydia Domaille, Grace Emiliusen, Alysen Endres, Holly Foss, Jenifer Frick, Benjamin Hagen, Linda Hang, Ely Herrick, Axel Hillis, Eva Hodnick, Sarah Huderle, Dylan Jackson, Kira Kainz, Sayeeda Khan, Greta Kirsch, Reianna Larson, Jacinda Lundeen, Kendra Mcclure, Marissa Mcclure, Linda Moua, Kaylee Nickisch, Ella Page, Kari Plumley, Caleb Reed, Reagan Roesler, Sarah Schmick, Mandie Schmidt, Elizabeth Schneider, Lucy Severson, Gracia Sonderup, Emily Sowers, Celia Stern, Shelby Svien, Liz Tischler, Jackie Velishek, Allen Wedekind

Satori Literary Magazine

The Satori is a student literary publication that expresses the artistic spirit of the students of Winona State University. Student poetry, prose, and graphic art are published in the Satori every spring since 1970.

The Satori 2026 editors and creators are:

Design and Technical Editors: Elena Armstrong, Jenifer Frick, Eva Hodnick, Sarah Huderle, Linda Moua

Prose Editors: Shaela Eriksen, Linda Hang, Camden McDonald, Callie Sahlstrom

Poetry Editors: Lydia Domaille, Dylan Jackson, Reagan Roesler, Allen Wedekind

Art Editors: Kendra McClure, Jade McElmury, Charlie Lund

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Liberty Kohn

WINONA PRIZE WINNERS 2026

• Allen Wedekind (Nonfiction) -  Pleasant Transgender Man
• Mandie …

"Black History Is Black Horror": Hauntology And Cultural Trauma In 20th And 21st Century Black Women's Gothic Horror, Destini S. Beckwith

Theses

Octavia Butler’s Afrofuturistic, gothic horror, neo-slave narrative Kindred (1979) vividly illustrates the story of a woman, Dana, involuntarily time-traveling from her home in 1976 Los Angeles, California, to a plantation in 19th-century Maryland. The interactions that she has with her ancestors, such as Alice, a free Black woman, and Rufus, a white man who enslaves Alice, leave Dana mentally and physically scarred. The 20th-century novel is meant to graphically reflect on the horrors of enslavement and the mental and physical effects that Black people endured/still endure because of it (i.e., grief, racial violence, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Furthermore, the novel’s …

Rock On! Examining The Relationship Between Armed Conflict And Rock Protest Music, Dylan Conner Dunn

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between rock protest music and wars, armed conflicts, and other related events. The purpose of this research is to explore how such specific events, or war and conflict in general, influence rock songwriters. This paper examines a series of nine rock songs ranging across five decades, from the Vietnam War to the 2010s. A variety of artists wrote and recorded these songs, ranging from hard rock to classic rock, to folk rock and beyond. Some are more audially intense, lyrically visceral, and featuring explicit language, whereas others are much more stripped-back and “family-friendly.” Each of …

Unnoticed Witnesses Of History: First-Hand Accounts Of Ukrainian Women In South Carolina During Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine, Madeline R. Fyock

Senior Theses

Language and other cultural symbols have become widely contested in post-Soviet Ukraine, especially after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The conflict prompted many in Ukraine and its diaspora to re-negotiate and affirm Ukrainian national identity through language, traditions, and culture. The ways in which national identity is signaled in Ukraine has been widely studied in the wake of 2022, but less research has investigated how similar trends are occurring in migratory contexts, where conflict and displacement play crucial roles in identity construction. This study examines the ways that Ukrainian immigrant women in South Carolina signal their …

If You Come Looking: A Novella, Rachael Davis

Senior Theses

My final product is a 26,000 word novella called If You Come Looking, following the journey of a young man named James Gibbard as he struggles with loneliness and tries to make sense of his family’s confusing history. The story alternates between memories of James’ childhood and his current-day cross-country journey as he heads toward the coast for a hidden reason.

Between flashbacks to James’ childhood and glimpses of his travels, the reader watches James struggle to connect with others, even those who show him kindness. The story alternates between James’ perspective and the perspective of strangers who he meets …

A History Of Dance At The University Of South Carolina: Celebrating A 50-Year Legacy, Olivia Sherman

Senior Theses

Since its founding in 1976, the University of South Carolina’s Dance Program has developed from a small performance initiative into one of the nation’s leading collegiate dance programs. Despite its artistic achievements and community engagement, little scholarly work has traced the program’s evolution or its impact at USC and the broader South Carolina arts community. Existing documentation is largely preserved in departmental archival materials, most notably the Betsy Blackmon Dance Program Archival Binders, which compile decades of newspaper articles, programs, press releases, and commentary that chronicle the program’s first fifty years. This project investigates how the program has evolved in …

A Guide To Environmentally Sustainable Filmmaking In South Carolina, Christina Vera Dobrowolski

Senior Theses

The entertainment industry has a massive environmental impact. This information is not new in the filmmaking world, as multiple mainstream efforts exist to curb the material-intensive production of live action films and TV. One of these efforts is the use of voluntary sustainable guidelines, which serve as tools that outline sustainable best practices and resources that can help achieve them. However, current guidelines often lack practicality— focusing more on altruism rather than core economic factors that ultimately drive filmmaking. This project aims to address that gap for filmmakers in South Carolina by offering a website featuring attainable, state-specific resources for …

We're All Ramblers, Here: American National Identity As Articulated Through The Sounds And Stories Of Bluegrass Music, Greyson M. Sherman

Senior Theses

This creative thesis argues that bluegrass music, through its multicultural origins and its central "Rambler" archetype, articulates a distinctly American negotiation between freedom and rootedness — one that extends far beyond the genre's narrow popular image. Drawing on musicological scholarship and cultural history, the paper first recovers bluegrass's suppressed origins in the convergence of West African, Anglo- Celtic, and broader European traditions, complicating narratives that position the genre as exclusively white and Appalachian. It then introduces the Rambler — the restless, longing figure who haunts bluegrass lyrically and structurally — as both a product of that history and a metaphorical …

Mercy In Motion: A Ministry Of Missional Engagement To The Local Community, Zane Patterson

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

This paper presents Mercy In Motion, a philosophy of ministry designed to cultivate reconciliation between the church and the local community through intentional relationships marked by mercy, compassion, and community engagement. Utilizing William Frankena’s philosophy of education model, the ministry argues that humanity’s ultimate purpose is communion with God and others through reconciliation accomplished in Christ. The paper examines theological and cultural premises that shape the ministry, including the relational nature of the image of God, the influence of individualism on community, and the church’s responsibility to participate in reconciliation. It further develops a ministry profile emphasizing communion with God, …

Wholehearted: Equipping Local Churches To Help Women Heal From Sexual Abuse, Kaitlin Burden

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

Many women in the church have experienced sexual abuse. Trauma of sexual abuse often leaves a variety of effects, and healing is necessary. God has called the church to play a role in the healing journey by acknowledging sexual abuse, responding with care, and guiding women toward healing. However, many women are not met with care or proper resources from the church, despite a longing for healing. Wholehearted is a sexual abuse recovery ministry that can be implemented at any church, often as an extension of a women’s or care ministry. Wholehearted desires that women will take their next steps …

‘They’Re Squeezing Us Like An Accordion’:Assessing The Information Environment Of Working-Class Residents Of Dublin’S North Inner City, Stephanie Costello

Irish Communication Review

This article assesses the communication environment of the north inner city of Dublin, an area characterised by entrenched disadvantage, rapid demographic change, and neoliberal urban renewal. Findings were produced from a ten-week engagement journalism project involving the Dublin Inquirer, various community groups, and working-class residents. Using Communication Infrastructure Theory (CIT), the study draws on focus groups, participant observation, and interviews to assess local storytelling networks in the context of the project. The findings reveal a fractured communication action context (CAC), where safety concerns, transient populations, litter, lack of public space, and negative national media portrayals constrain residents' ability to connect …

From Lino To Luxury: Class, Taste And Identity In The Mid-Twentieth Century Irish Provincial ‘Good Room’, Angela Mehegan

Irish Communication Review

The aim of this paper is to position issues of class and taste within the context of the home and through the lens of the domestic in mid-twentieth century provincial Ireland from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. This was a time of unprecedented economic growth and heralded a period of social and cultural change. Our homes and the artefacts we surround ourselves with are central to our sense of self and how we wish to be seen by others. Issues of class, taste, status, gender, and aesthetic possibilities are unpacked by focusing on the ‘Good Room’ as a …

Class And The Screen Industries In Ireland – The Unspoken Barriers In The Sector, Caroline Ann O'Sullivan Dr, Mary Ann Bolger Dr

Irish Communication Review

This article proposes the need to widen the diversity conversation in the screen sector in Ireland to one that also considers social inequality. It closely examines the current policies of the main public funders of Ireland’s screen industries, evaluating how these approaches may unintentionally reinforce and sustain structural barriers within the sector. It presents a case study on barriers to entry conducted amongst screen industry practitioners at a professional networking event in 2024. It also draws from qualitative interviews with working class industry professionals who have sought out upskilling and further training opportunities through TU Dublin and Screen Ireland. The …

The Middle-Class Rip-Off'? Subsiding Culture In Contemporary Ireland, Connell Vaughan Dr

Irish Communication Review

In the last few years (roughly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic) there has been a noted increase in state-led cultural funding in Ireland. Key examples include the raise in the financial allocation to the Arts Council, the introduction of the Basic Income for the Arts scheme, and increased sports capital funding. With reference to the official communication documents of these cases (so-called ‘grey literature’) and deploying the classic 1982 episode of the British sitcom Yes, Minister, ‘The Middle-Class Rip-Off,’ which pitches sports funding against support for the arts, as a satirical lens, this paper reflects on the contemporary …

That’S Sooo Povo!, Sophie O'Toole, Trudy Nolan

Irish Communication Review

When Chantelle and Craoí, two working class Dublin drama students, lock horns over The Plough and the Stars, their combined rage brings forth Queen Povo, a drag-drenched larger-than-life entity who forces the girlos and the audience to examine what they’re thinking about when they think of class. From D'Girlos Theatre, this riotous, razor-sharp debut crashes through class, art, and authenticity with wit, grit, and glitter. A juicy-tracksuit clad call to arms for anyone who’s ever felt too loud, too real, or just too povo.

A Multidimensional Framework For Burnout Resilience In Adults, Anthony Martinez

Distinguished Student Scholarship Collection

This paper explores burnout as a growing public health concern and argues for a multidimensional framework to build resilience in adults. Drawing on contemporary research, the paper defines burnout as a response to chronic stress that undermines emotional, mental, and physical well‑being. It examines how the integration of physical, mental, and spiritual practices can mitigate burnout and enhance long‑term resilience. The analysis highlights the role of physical activity in regulating stress responses and improving mental health, the importance of mental health practices such as self‑regulation, cognitive reframing, and meditation, and the impact of spiritual practices, including prayer and positive religious …

Gun Control In The United States Of America, Blessing Crowder

Distinguished Student Scholarship Collection

This paper examines the issue of gun control in the United States by analyzing the relationship between firearm accessibility and gun‑related crime, including homicide, suicide, and accidental deaths. Drawing on historical examples, scholarly research, legal cases, and public opinion data, the paper argues that restricting access to firearms can significantly reduce gun‑related violence. It explores how firearms often fall into unauthorized hands, the role of mental health and impulsivity in violent outcomes, and the disproportionate risks firearms pose in racially charged environments. The paper also addresses opposing arguments centered on self‑defense and deterrence, evaluating legal precedents and ethical justifications for …

Generative Ai As Artificial Audience, Chrystina Scoglietti

Distinguished Student Scholarship Collection

This paper examines generative artificial intelligence as a distinct communicative development that reshapes rhetorical practice and composition pedagogy. Situating generative AI within a historical framework of communicative revolutions—including primary orality, literacy, and secondary (digital) orality—the paper argues that generative AI constitutes a new form of literacy rather than a mere extension of digital media. By producing near‑human language and creative output in direct response to user input, generative AI functions not only as a compositional tool but also as an artificial audience to which rhetoric must be tailored. The analysis explores how this shift challenges traditional assumptions about audience, persuasion, …

Bravery And Bayonets: The Nigerian Regiment And The Battle Of Bweho Chini, September 1917, Paul Cronin

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

The First World War in East Africa spanned the entirety of the war, from 1914 to 1918, and by the end of the war nearly all of the personnel on both sides were African. Understanding how the war in East Africa was different geographically and militarily from the western front helps to shed light on the unique experience of the men who fought there. My thesis builds on the thesis of Ibiang O. Ewa, that the Nigerian Regiment was crucial to allied victory in the campaign, in his chapter in Africa and the First World War: Remembrance, Memories, and Representations …

The Nabokovian Looking-Glass Of Igor Prikhozhay, Victor Fet

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

A Russian translation of the Looking-Glass was completed in 2020 by Ukrainian poet and translator Igor Prikhozhay (Ігор Прихожай). Born in 1987, Igor was killed in action on November 12, 2025, defending his country.

Beyond Graecia Capta: The Roman Imperial Cult In The Greek East And The Prospect Of Hybrid Identities During The Principate, Paul Lambrecht

2026 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents & Media

At least from the days of the Julians, the Roman Empire witnessed the creation of an imperial cult dedicated to the memory and worship of Roman figures believed to have become divine, a practice which can be traced back to the leadership cults of the Hellenistic world. To the extent that the cult was both a foreign and domestic development for Rome, it was therefore a phenomenon that needs to be examined not just within the context of Rome’s cultural core, but within the provinces as well. Some historians have suggested that the Roman imperial cult represented a uniquely unifying …

Bias In The Wires: Epistemic Harms Of Linguistic Homogenization In Ai-Asisted Writing, Sarah Smith

2026 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents & Media

Hundreds of millions of users now rely on AI-generated writing for ideation, drafting, and revision. As models make linguistic decisions about their writing, they create preferences that extend to users, reshaping our capacity to articulate who we are in ways that are just beginning to be understood. By drawing on research in computer science, psychology, ethics, and sociolinguistics, this paper traces how LLMs acquire and transmit linguistic bias. Users internalize AI preferences, subtly homogenizing linguistic decisions in ways that impact communities unevenly. This constitutes a form of algorithmic epistemic injustice, which harms writers through deflated credibility and the loss of …

Stitches Of Faith: Women’S Education And Religion In 18th And 19th Century Needlework Pieces, Haley Strempel

2026 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents & Media

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, one of a girl’s biggest achievements was considered to be knotting the final thread on the back of her sampler piece. When the sampler was complete, her parents would hang the piece in the house for visitors to see, in the hopes that the sampler would signify her status, wealth, education, and skills as a future homemaker. Girls worked tirelessly to create neatly adorned decorative pieces that would make their families proud. In the end, when a sampler was finished, girls were left with a finished product that reflected their lives, education, and values.

English Diphthongs For English Learners: The Same, But Different, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

In any language, diphthongs need to be reckoned with, but teaching diphthongs to learners of English as a new language requires greater insight and special skills. In this column, we take a look at English diphthongs, why they matter, and how they might be best handled when teaching English language learners.

Seek, And Ye Shall Find, Alex Relaz

Student Projects

Alex Relaz’s work primarily focuses on nature and his relationship to it. Changes are constantly exhibited in nature, and the same can be said for people, no matter who they are. As Alex grew up, he soon found that he was different from his peers. He was teased by his classmates, and after formally coming out as transgender, he was ostracized by the authoritative figures from his former life. Some years later, he turned to photography as a way to capture his love for the natural world. After enrolling at Northern Illinois University and studying the art form more closely, …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 40. A Comprehensive Bibliography Of Books And Booklets About Alfred Russel Wallace, George Beccaloni, Jasper H. Pol, Charles H. Smith Editor

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

This bibliography presents the most comprehensive listing to date of books and booklets on Alfred Russel Wallace’s life and work, in all languages and editions, while excluding AI-generated works and most print-on-demand titles. It is based on a list compiled in 2023, which was expanded through searches of online catalogues and other resources. Analysis of the 160 works reveals a marked increase in publications since the late twentieth century, substantial linguistic diversity, and the growing use of manuscript sources in scholarly studies, particularly following the online availability of Wallace’s correspondence via EPSILON.

Cedarstone Arts Foundation Marketing And Media, Emmy-Kate Arnett, Amelia Bailly, Charlie Condra, Lorelai Lysaght

SPARK Symposium Presentations

For our project, we collaborated with Cedarstone Arts Foundation, a non-profit centered on providing free music education and instruments to childhood cancer patients. Our goal was to create social media platforms for the foundation and develop a key marketing strategy via said platforms, with the desired outcome of increased exposure and donations. To achieve our goal, we researched the most relevant media outlets for advertising. We helped create high-quality content that would raise awareness for their cause. We developed a general template for posting so that the foundation could confidently continue this strategy for the foreseeable future. We consulted with …

Sapientia Ex Machina: Engaging Ai As A Meaning-Making Tool For Philosophical Practice, Austin M. Pritchett

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This paper sets out to examine whether a Large Language Model can serve as a genuine interlocutor in philosophical inquiry. With a grounding in the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and in conversation with other works in philosophy on AI, language, and the mind, the author determines the extent to which an AI's contributions to conversation can be said to participate in understanding and meaning-making rather than merely simulate it, thereby making evident the extent to which it is useful in philosophical practice.

The Missing Memory In Ai Agent Networks A Network Analysis Of Moltbook, Muhammad Ibraheem Nadeem

IPHS 484: Senior Seminar

Large language models have transformed AI from a passive tool into a social actor. Humans form measurable interpersonal closeness with LLMs in one-on-one settings [4], and generative agents placed in shared environments autonomously form relationships and coordinate collective behavior [2]. Moltbook, launched on January 28, 2026 by AI entrepreneur Matt Schlicht, is the first large scale social network designed to be populated exclusively by AI agents, with human users restricted to observation only. The platform mimics Reddit, organizing activity around topic-specific communities called submolts. Within these spaces, heterogeneous agents — running on different LLMs, configured by different human owners, and …