Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Non-Apology Of Tyler, The Creator, John Gibaud

CAFE Symposium 2025

This project analyzes the behavior and statements of the musician Tyler, The Creator as compared to contemporary understandings of the steps, requirements, and functions of a public apology. In 2009, Tyler, The Creator began his career as a solo singer songwriter, using shock value tactics to gain the attention of the public with lyrics and online comments which glorified murder, sexual assault, and kidnapping. Outcries against the themes of the comments and lyrics called for an official public apology and acknowledgement from Tyler, The Creator, however, such a statement never came to fruition. Since his problematic debut, Tyler, The Creator …

The Economy, Emotions, And Japanese City Pop In The 1980s, Paige Drummond

CAFE Symposium 2025

This project contains research about the topics of economy, emotions, music, urbanization, and Japanese City Pop all during the 1980s. It shows the connections between all of these subjects and how they relate back to the City Pop genre. Common themes of City Pop songs are also explored and delved into by comparing songs and analyzing their lyrics, melodies, and topics.

"Virginia To Her Sons At Gettysburg:" An Analysis Of The Virginia Monument At Gettysburg, Ava Prickman

CAFE Symposium 2025

On June 8th, 1917, United States flags fell from the Virginia Monument at Gettysburg, revealing to the public eye for the first time the famous equestrian statue of Lee. But while battlefield monuments may appear stately and precise, behind every monument is a messy story where the message of the monument outweighs its historical accuracy. The story of the Virginia Monument, unveiled just months after U.S. involvement in WWI, is no exception as two monument commissions fought to control the narrative of the Civil War on the field of its bloodiest battle.

History And Influence Of The Battle Cry Of Freedom, Sebastian Francis

CAFE Symposium 2025

A study of the history of the song Battle Cry of Freedom. As well as the history and the influence of a recording of the song performed by the Gettysburg College Singers in 1961 of which a copy is held in Gettysburg Special Collections.

Ethical Problems Of Enforcing Justice In Death Note And Psycho-Pass Anime, Aldiyar Alen

CAFE Symposium 2025

What happens when justice is controlled by a single person or a powerful system? This research explores how Death Note and Psycho-Pass show the dangers of extreme justice. In Death Note, Light Yagami takes the law into his own hands, believing he can create a perfect world by eliminating criminals. In Psycho-Pass, an advanced AI system judges people before they even commit crimes, deciding their fate based on predictions. Both systems aim to reduce crime but end up threatening personal freedom and fairness. By comparing these stories, this study highlights the risks of justice without balance, questioning how …

Design Thinking Process Leads To Prototype, Rouri Takahashi

CAFE Symposium 2025

This project follows the Design Thinking Process and involves the development of an innovative, zippered small pouch designed with unique interlocking. The idea and design are entirely original, inspired by the principles of the Interlock system. I would like to present my steps through the current prototype.

Eco-Friendly Wall Organizer With Pegboard, Phuong Doan

CAFE Symposium 2025

This DIY wall hanging organizer is a functional and stylish way to store everyday essentials like mail, stationery, or craft supplies. Made from durable canvas fabric, it features multiple pockets for easy organization. The simple sewing process includes hemming, attaching pockets, and adding a wooden dowel for hanging. Perfect for decluttering any space while adding a handmade decorative element!

Why Are Youtubers Bad At Apologizing?, Tejaswi Amatya

CAFE Symposium 2025

There has been an increasing number of youtuber apology videos in the past few years, but almost all the youtubers fail at apologizing. My poster delves deeper into why are youtubers so bad at apologizing and how they can improve.

Eternal Music, Dominic Roussos

CAFE Symposium 2025

My project explores how music shapes our perception of life and death by engaging emotions, memory, and cultural understanding. Drawing from Daniel J. Levitin’s This Is Your Brain on Music and Alex Ross’s The Rest Is Noise, it examines music’s neurological and historical impact on human experience. It highlights how songs like Eric Clapton’s "Tears in Heaven," Billy Joel’s "And So It Goes," and John Lennon’s "Imagine" express themes of grief, love, and unity. The author also reflects on personal experiences where music provided solace during loss, emphasizing its power to connect us to both life’s joys and its …

Pom Poko: When Nature Speaks Out Against Urbanization, Sabrina Huynh

CAFE Symposium 2025

Pom Poko highlights the correlation between the survival of nature and the progress of humanity. Therefore, by showing different dynamic relationships like Gonta’s aggressive way of fighting against or peaceful co-existence of Shoukichi, Pom Poko suggests viewers may feel that humans should find a way to live harmoniously with the environment.

Isekai: Discovering Factors That Contributed To Its Success And Diving Into The Mentality Of Contemporary Japanese Citizens, Anh Duc Nguyen

CAFE Symposium 2025

Isekai, an anime and manga genre where characters are transported to another world, has become popular in recent years. This paper examines the factors contributing to this phenomenon, exploring how isekai works resonate with contemporary Japanese citizens. It argues that the genre's appeal lies in its ability to offer escapism from societal pressures, particularly those stemming from economic hardship and a lack of perceived agency. By analyzing important and known isekai works, including Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken, this paper demonstrates how the genre fulfills a desire of the Japanese for fulfillment and sense of agency. Furthermore, it explores …

Cultivating Millennial Engagement And Spiritual Formation In The Black Church For Leadership Development, Rufus Chambers Iii

Doctor of Ministry

The Black church has historically served as a cornerstone of African American life, transcending its role as a place of worship to become a multifaceted institution deeply embedded in the community’s cultural, social, and political fabric. However, the Black church has been unable to connect with teens, young adults, and young families due to its proclivity towards Black Baptist approaches towards worship, ministry, and community engagement. The rationale for conducting this study is to increase the number of millennial church leaders fully vested in the solvency of the Black church and positions of succession. Across the published literature, Black churches …

How Do Literary And Cinematic Monsters Reveal The Fear Of The Instability Or Distortion Of Human Identity?, Arya Kc

CAFE Symposium 2025

Throughout history, monsters have both disturbed and captivated humanity. Initially defined by their grotesque physical forms, monsters have evolved to symbolize deeper psychological fears, often reflecting the instability or distortion of human identity. This project examines the shifting portrayal of monstrosity in literature and film, focusing on works like Frankenstein, Dracula, and Alien. By blurring the line between human and monstrous, these stories reveal the fragility of human identity and expose our profound fears of psychological and existential instability, challenging us to confront what it truly means to be human.

Common Threads In Monsters Across Time And Space, Jade Gladue

CAFE Symposium 2025

Fear is an undeniable human emotion, and monsters have always been a way for human societies to grapple with and explain our fears. In this project, common aspects and groupings of monsters across different indigenous cultures and folklores are discussed and dissected to determine inherent human reactions to fear. The project identifies and analyzes types of monsters and what the hidden meaning behind the existence and endurance of these creatures might be.

Fostering Inclusivity Through Community Arts Programs, Courtney Mayberry

CAFE Symposium 2025

The utilization of community arts projects to build diverse and prosperous communities is vital in fostering inclusion rather than isolation within participating communities. Community arts projects can be built to offer individuals a means to connect with their community through self-expression and the celebration of their individuality. This is especially important in giving marginalized groups a voice, such as people with disabilities.

Real Eastern Kentucky Audio Recordings, 1969, Wmky Radio

University Archives Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Symphonic Winds: February 12, 2025, Dr. F. Mack Wood, Christopher Bulding

School of Music Programs

Center for the Performing Arts

February 12, 2025

Wednesday Evening

8:00 p.m.

The Mystery Of Water Baptism: A Metaphorical Exploration Of Water Baptism And The Black Male Who, Due To Historical, Political, Societal, And Cultural Domination, May Experience The Justice Of Jesus In The Water, Reba Renee' Pennywell

Doctor of Ministry

There are many definitions of water baptism. A definition that is like the Biblical form of baptism and the context of this essay is the immersion or ‘dipping’ into a body of water. In the Christian church, this is viewed as a ceremonial ritual mimicked after the event when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34). In some ecclesial settings, the water is lightly sprinkled on the person’s forehead.

Many Christian writers assert that the Jordan River was unholy until Jesus’s Baptism. The theophany at the Jordan River transcended the …

Four Nations Hockey, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The Four Nations Hockey Tournament begins today. The National Hockey League and two television networks are touting this as a matchup as the best-on-best of Hockey. Of course, it is not. It is the best hockey players in the National Hockey League from four countries. The four are Canada, Sweden, Finland, and The United States.

Book Review: Prenatal Genetic Testing, Abortion, And Disability Justice, Radhika Sharma, Nagendra Kumar

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review: After Sex, Anya Metzer

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

“Mommy With A Different Body”: Rethinking Motherhood Through American Breast Cancer Memoirs, Mahua Bhattacharyya, Ajit K. Mishra

Journal of International Women's Studies

Motherly guilt and anxieties about reproductive choices are often a significant source of psychological trauma in women who decide to have a child after being diagnosed with breast cancer (BC), but these themes are less visible in breast cancer memoirs. Patriarchal societal norms about women’s roles have long influenced women’s ideas about their bodies and motherhood. However, women with BC who are already in a vulnerable position, struggling with a life-threatening disease, feel helpless and guilty about their desires to be mothers, as society often considers them to be bad or selfish mothers. The present study examines Tig Notaro’s I’m …

Menstruation And Menopause As Reproductive Justice Issues: Feminist Reflections On Activism, Research, And Policy From The Global Movement’S Scottish Hub, Bettina Bildhauer, Marcy L. Karin

Journal of International Women's Studies

This feminist reflection asserts that menstruation and menopause are elements of reproductive justice that are often overlooked due to menstrual taboos. Drawing on their experiences in Scotland, which has recently been a global hub for menstrual activism, policymaking, and research, the authors identify salient current challenges in menstrual and menopausal justice. They detail how these were met in Scotland and what work remains outstanding, and they summarize recommendations for future policymaking, research, and activism.

Fetal Personhood And Access To Reproductive Rights: Power And Precarity In Post-Roe America, Jainab Banu

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper delves into the concept of “fetal personhood” and dissects how lawmakers systematically deploy rhetorical agency in policy to draw demarcating lines between demographic groups in post-Roe America. After abortion was legalized in 1973, the number of women opting for abortion rose significantly. Even after legalization, however, underrepresented and marginalized women struggled to access safe and high-quality healthcare, and many of them risked self-induced abortions. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, women with financial affluence can still travel to states where abortion is not banned to access their reproductive rights; however, women with low income may not …

From Care To Coercion: The Unspoken Reality Of Disrespect And Abuse Of Women In Maternal Healthcare In India, Meerambika Mahapatro, Sudeshna Roy

Journal of International Women's Studies

The article reviews the literature pertaining to reproductive justice in maternal healthcare settings, emphasizing issues of disrespect and abuse (D & A) within healthcare institutions in India, a problem which is often referred to as “labour room violence” or “obstetric violence.” Experiencing D & A during such a critical stage leaves lasting and painful memories of healthcare settings that can lead to avoidance of future medical treatment. This article aims to systematically review and document the prevalence, forms, causes, and consequences of D & A that women face during prenatal care, with a particular focus on programs and policies in …

Initiating An Epistemic Rupture: Exploring Contraceptive Awareness In Janhit Mein Jaari (2022) And Chhatriwali (2023), Parvathy N, Priyanka Tripathi

Journal of International Women's Studies

In the context of social change, cinematic representations play a pertinent role in challenging existing knowledge systems, disrupting societal norms, and provoking critical reflections among audiences. The paper’s primary objective is to highlight the gendered burden upon women in India regarding the contraception narrative and its significance in ensuring reproductive justice. By analyzing two recent Hindi films, Janhit Mein Jaari [Issued in Public Interest] (2022) and Chhatriwali [Woman with Umbrella] (2023), the paper further aims to shed light on how these movies incite an epistemic rupture by challenging deeply ingrained beliefs and norms surrounding contraception. This …

If These Walls Could Talk, What Would They Say About Reproductive Justice Today?, Cassandra Chaney

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article critically examines the lives of the three women in the television film If These Walls Could Talk (Cher & Savoca, 1996). The three protagonists, all White American women, live in the same house and are all faced with the decision of whether to terminate their unplanned, unwanted pregnancies in 1952, 1974, and 1996. Notably, three Black women were included as minor characters in the film. These foundational questions guide this film analysis: (1) What were the societal norms for US women who considered either abortion or giving birth in 1952, 1974, and 1996? (2) What barriers did women …

When Your Phone Knows You’Re Pregnant Even If You Don’T: Period Tracking Applications And Threats To Privacy, Dominika Kuźnicka-Blaszkowska, Joanna Joachimska

Journal of International Women's Studies

In everyday life, menstruating persons around the world use different applications to help them monitor menstruation or fertile days to plan or to avoid conception, as well as to monitor their health condition. Much to users’ dismay, in recent years disturbing information appeared in the media about the alleged disclosure of information collected by menstrual monitoring applications to third parties for commercial purposes. The mechanism of such a procedure seems to be relatively simple—if the user of the application does not enter information about the onset of menstruation on the date set by the application as a start date, after …

“A Womb Of My Own”: Women’S Bodies And Medicine In Early Modern England, Mackie Black

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay recontextualizes United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s views on abortion within a broader system of early modern (c. 1450-1700) reproductive knowledge. By focusing on printed medical texts as well as manuscript books that offer recipes for medicines to treat reproductive issues, the essay contends that Alito’s Majority Opinion, which relies on the legal scholar Sir Matthew Hale in the case of Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, leaves out a breadth of voices, specifically those of women. Manuscript recipe books for medicinal treatments demonstrate women’s limited but essential control over their own health and well-being. The …

In The Aftermath Of The 2015 Transnational Surrogacy Ban: Co-Optation Of Feminist Ideas In The Indian Surrogacy Market, Annu Daftuar

Journal of International Women's Studies

Feminist scholars have long debated the thorny question of whether or not to call for a ban on commercial surrogacy. A Marxist-feminist approach to frame commercial surrogacy as a unique form of “embodied labor” (Pande, 2014, p. 104) radically shifts this debate from a moralistic understanding of surrogacy by centralizing the role of structural inequalities that shape surrogates’ choices to do surrogacy work. This article argues, however, that the feminist call to frame surrogacy as work, along the lines of sex work and care work, is being co-opted by surrogacy stakeholders in powerful positions in India’s fertility market. I analyze …