American Studies Commons^™

How The African American Contribution To Early American Literature Aided In Shaping The American Literary Identity, Jennifer E. Thompson

Masters Theses

This study argues that Jupiter Hammon’s early African American literature actively helped shape American literary identity rather than just mirroring it. By blending Christian morality with human rights, Hammon challenged Eurocentric narratives, validated Black humanity, and established a foundational tradition for anti-slavery writing. Traditional theories often contest this national inclusion through critical viewpoints. These views treat slavery as a distinct model, arguing that these texts represent separate responses to bondage rather than unified contributions to a shared national canon. This research redefines the American literary canon by showing how Hammon's historic publications dismantled eighteenth-century racist ideals about intellectual capacity. His …

Ai-Supported Analysis Of Jury Deliberation Impact Factors, Jennifer Siciliani Phd

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Students conduct a controlled, two-run generative AI jury simulation to examine how a single socio-legal variable affects simulated jury deliberation. They compare and manually code the AI-generated outcomes against peer-reviewed human jury research to evaluate the model’s accuracy, limitations, and potential biases.

“The Contributing Cultures Of Ancient Peoples At The Muscle Shoals”, William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

An article that addresses the ancient history of Muscle Shoals, Alabama with particular attention to the early cultures of influence, including indigenous tribes, such as the Cherokee and Chickasaws, and eventual European settlers of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic descent.

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …

On Culpability: When Ai Goes Wrong, Who Is At Fault?, David J. Mulder

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"I found the book so engrossing precisely because it forced me to sit in the discomfort of distributed blame, especially as someone who uses AI regularly."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the novel Culpability from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox  Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in  every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

On Culpability

Narrating Injustice: Race, Law, And American Literature, Taylor A. Levine

Honors Scholar Theses

This project examines the relationship between race and law as it is portrayed by works of American literature. It argues that the gap between the legal system’s claims of neutrality and the lived experiences of Black individuals exposes systemic injustice that may be concealed in traditional legal discourse. Texts examined include Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Additionally, Prison Noir, an anthology of narratives written by incarcerated individuals edited by Joyce Carol Oates, is examined to emphasize how modern mass incarceration works to …

The Goad, The Bad, & The Ugly: The Livestreamed Vice Signaling & Body Fascism Of Clavicular & Asmongold, Jacob T. Fry

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the rhetorical, material, and symbolic implications of fascist livestreaming in the United States through two popular streamers: Clavicular and Asmongold. These two streamers represent a small slice of the rise of different reactionary rhetorics online and how the use of different masculine subcultures—in this case ‘Looksmaxxing’ or Gamer inspired rhetoric—are used as ideological texts for white male supremacy. Whether in front of the glow of their gaming monitor or the flashing lights of a nightclub, the livestreaming of the body, home, relationships, and lifestyles challenge rhetorical conceptions of style, the ‘public/private sphere,’ and political communication. As different …

Munificence: The History And Legacy Of The Munson Steamship Line, 1865–1955, Nicholas C. Benda

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper provides an overview of the Munson Steamship Line, an American steamship company founded by Captain Walter David Munson. A veteran of the American Civil War, Captain Munson visited Cuba following the war’s conclusion and became involved in Cuba’s oil and sugar industries, gradually becoming involved in the international sugar shipping trade. An 1890 innovation in shipboard technology and its impact on the Cuban American molasses trade was a moment that established a multi-generational maritime empire, officially incorporating the Munson Steamship Line shortly after the American intervention in the Cuban War of Independence and expanding throughout the Atlantic. His …

Three Hundred Years In New Mexico’S La Cienega Valley: An Archaeology Of Hispano Occupation From The 17th Through 19th Centuries, Heather Trigg

Anthropology Faculty Publication Series

Beginning in the late 16th century, Hispanic settlers colonized New Mexico’s upper Rio Grande Valley, establishing farms and the village of Santa Fe amid Pueblo peoples. Colonists demanded tribute and labor from the Pueblos, enslaving some and suppressing religions. Less than a century later, Pueblo and Plains peoples rebelled and forced the settlers from the region. Twelve years after the Revolt, settlers returned, but they could not legally collect tribute or force labor. This project explores the changes in labor and land allocation between the Pre-Revolt and Post-Revolt periods.

The Reimagining Of The Harlem Globetrotters Of The 50s And 60s: A Program Shedding Light On Forgotten Stars, Zander Ealy

Special Collections Awards

Harlem Globetrotters vs. College All-Stars. Official Game Program - 1955.

A Reimagined game program of the 1955 College All Stars Vs Harlem Globetrotters from the Lewis A Levey Family Archive in Special Collections at Washu Libraries.

The Legend Of Emanuel Loewner “Cap” Klingstein: “The Al Capone Of The Shenandoah Valley?” Aspire 2026 Presentation, Josh Payne

ASPIRE 2026

Emanuel Loewner “Cap” Klingstein (1894-1971) was a notable Jewish entrepreneur in the area, owning multiple businesses and real estate between the 1920s and 1970s.  However, possible shady business practices and criminal activities, such as tax evasion and alcohol possession during prohibition, as well as local stories and legends, have raised questions about how he should be remembered. At times, he was even referred to as “the Al Capone of the Shenandoah Valley.” By utilizing primary source archival letters, genealogical records, court documents, and personal testimonies, as well as secondary sources on Jewish business in the area, organized crime, and the …

The Legend Of Emanuel Loewner “Cap” Klingstein: “The Al Capone Of The Shenandoah Valley?”, Josh Payne

Honors Projects

Emanuel Loewner “Cap” Klingstein (1894-1971) was a notable Jewish entrepreneur in the area, owning multiple businesses and real estate between the 1920s and 1970s.  However, possible shady business practices and criminal activities, such as tax evasion and alcohol possession during prohibition, as well as local stories and legends, have raised questions about how he should be remembered. At times, he was even referred to as “the Al Capone of the Shenandoah Valley.” By utilizing primary source archival letters, genealogical records, court documents, and personal testimonies, as well as secondary sources on Jewish business in the area, organized crime, and the …

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 …

Mapping A World’S Fair: A Comparative Analysis Of Native American Experience At The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Margaret Jones

Mendel Sato Research Award Projects

This brief attempt to look into a few historical moments has demonstrated how quickly and dramatically the possibilities open to Native American people in the St. Louis region have changed over time. In 1904, to be a Native person standing at the entrance to the 1904 World’s Fair could mean a number of things, perhaps simultaneously: you were a tourist, you were returning to land you had been Indigenous to, you were visiting a part of the country you had never seen before, or you were a Native person at the largest celebration of American colonialism ever organized. This thesis …

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Amanda Li, Wilson Jan, Michael Raphael, Alexandra Rieckehoff, Karina Wu, Michael Shehata, Nilufar Noorian, Eloise Weintraub

Honors Program

INSIDE THE MODERN WORLD

Page 2: Stepping Out by Amanda Li

Page 3: Inside the Corporate Slop Bowl by Wilson Jan

Page 4: The Silencing: An Evaluation of the Global Attacks on the Right to Protest by Michael Raphael

THE SOUND OF CHANGE

Page 5: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Bad Bunny by Alexandra Rieckehoff

Page 6: Streaming Changed Music, But Is It Fair to Artists? by Karina Wu

Page 7: Feeling the Music: How Haptic Wearables Are Changing the Way We Experience Sound by Michael Shehata

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

Page 8: The Story Behind Davos, One of the …

War And Communism In 50s-70s Sci-Fi Movies, Nathaniel Smith

Gateway Reader- Individual Papers

• The Problem: The researcher addresses how 1950s–1970s science fiction cinema reflects prevailing post-war societal anxieties, specifically the fear of nuclear Armageddon and the geopolitical tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.

• The Method: The framework analyzes thematic elements and narrative structures across a selection of mid-to-late 20th-century speculative fiction films, specifically The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), and Godzilla (1954).

• Quantitative Finding: The Soviet Union detonated its first nuclear weapon in 1949; the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists created the Doomsday Clock in 1947; the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in …

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Profound And Absurd Poems By E. Stewart Saunders, E. Stewart Saunders

Libraries Faculty and Staff Creative Materials

A collection of poems written between 2020 and 2026

The Ghosts Of Times Square: A Zine Exploring Representations Of Times Square Through Film, Kel R. Karpinski

Publications and Research

My zines are often an extension of my research—either a jumping off point or a way to create a more visual project (or both). They are in their own way a form of excess - they are often too scandalous, too smutty, too much — everything that is spilling out of the margins.

My zines and research focus on lesser known queer histories, trying to highlight them and bring them to a new audience and new generations.

Using zines as a creative form of research, I am able to reach a broader audience both inside and outside of academia. I …

Charity Simone, Mark Naison, Anthony Abd-Al Shafi Rosado

Oral Histories

Simone’s path to leadership was inspired by her late mentor, Charles Foster, who encouraged her to be an active voice in their community. After seeing issues with building maintenance and a lack of clear communication, Simone ran for office and was elected Treasurer of her Building Association in 2023. Through this role, she noticed that community work is complex and needs navigating different opinions, yet the experience ultimately reinforced her belief that community is a “verb.” To her, it is an intentional, ongoing action that requires showing up every day to hold the system accountable.

A significant aspect of Simone's …

Figures Of Truth And Justice: Superman & Rock Music, Kelan Vitali

CAFE Symposium 2026

The American comic superstar Superman and rock music are completely different forms of media. One performs acts of heroism, and one is performed on stage. Despite their differences, however, both are prominent symbols of inspiration and moral courage.

Mamma Mia! What Nostalgia!, Asher Leuzzi

CAFE Symposium 2026

An analysis of Phyllida Lloyd's Mamma Mia!, and how it relates to Authentic Rock Culture. Discusses the power of nostalgia, demonstrating that it can be either a positive or negative force. Generally, sound used within this film helps display energy and emotional truth, which allows for complex themes to be revealed.

Faster Than Light, Slower Than Morality, Celena Glaghassi

CAFE Symposium 2026

A philosophical analysis of how Necropolitics by Achille Mbembe and Black Reconstruction in America by W.E.B. DuBois relate to the Reverse Flash and his overall message.

Music As Memory And Narrative In American Graffiti And Dazed And Confused, Jacob Tone

CAFE Symposium 2026

This poster explores how George Lucas’s American Graffiti (1973) and Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused (1993) utilize popular music as a narrative tool to define the evolution of American youth culture. By examining the shift from the unified, diegetic radio culture of 1962 to the fragmented, ironic rock pastiche of 1976, the research highlights how Lucas creates a "communal identity" rooted in sincerity while Linklater captures the "disillusionment" of a generation adrift. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that these soundtracks are not mere background elements but serve as vital cultural archives that mediate between history and cinematic memory, shaping the way …

Instilling Patriotism And Prejudice Through Game Of Battles Or Fun For Boys, Gabby Gavaghan

CAFE Symposium 2026

For my Poster Project, I dove into the underlying socialization and indoctrination embedded within a board game from 1899 called "Game of Battles or Fun For Boys." I explored the overwhelming messages of toxic masculinity, the encouragement of enlisting in the military, and the lack of representation of women and African Americans.

What Is Happening In The World Today And Why: Humanity’S Evolving Consciousness And The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

What is happening in the world today and why? Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels. Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say. However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born--to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be. That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

Sam Boakye, Mark Naison, Anthony Abd-Al Shafi Rosado

Oral Histories

At the end of the interview, Boakye explains what he wants for Kwasi Paul in the future, both in the Bronx and in the fashion industry. For the Bronx, he wants it to represent Ghanaian fashion, something Ghanaians in the Bronx can be proud of. He wants the Bronx to be seen as something better, not a “dirty” borough, as stereotypes would have it. For fashion, he wants to be another lens of living with in-between identities, for everyone who falls into these categories of multiple identities, especially for people in New York City.

He encapsulates the Bronx as “The …

Las Representaciones Figurativas Del Sitio Arqueológico Cuidad Del Jaguar (Honduras): Espacio Sagrado, Conceptos Compartidos Y Diálogo Entre Mesoamérica Y La Zona Andina, Geydy Rodríguez Wood

Actas seleccionadas del SIMPOSIO ARTE 4.2: Migraciones en la imagen prehispánica: transitando territorios del pasado al presente. 58º Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Novi Sad, Serbia, 2025.

El sitio arqueológico Ciudad del Jaguar-T1, se encuentra ubicado en el noroeste de Honduras. Pertenece al Área Intermedia, considerada zona de frontera y paso entre Mesoamérica y la Zona Andina. Esta ubicación facilitó que, durante la época prehispánica, fuese un sitio de migraciones e interacción constante entre culturas del norte y del sur del continente, que dio origen a una civilización hasta ahora desconocida, que se formó, desarrolló y tuvo una significativa producción artística. En el presente trabajo propongo el estudio y la lectura e interpretación de las imágenes figurativas representadas en los objetos excavados, como también su utilidad y …

El Papel De Tonantzin-Guadalupe En La Conservación Del Pensamiento Nahua Durante La Cristianización De Mesoamérica, Marina Valls I García

Actas seleccionadas del SIMPOSIO ARTE 4.2: Migraciones en la imagen prehispánica: transitando territorios del pasado al presente. 58º Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Novi Sad, Serbia, 2025.

Dentro de este ciclo de estudios sobre la imagen del poder se aprovecha la ocasión para focalizar en el estudio de la imagen religiosa de la Virgen de Guadalupe y su papel en la conversión del México precolombino. Partiendo de la base antropológica en que el poder siempre es respaldado por la religión de una cultura, profundizamos a entender como este proceso “político” es mimetizado y acompañado no solo por la creación de una imagen de poder religioso sino por diversas luchas de poder entre el pensamiento nahua y el católico, así como entre las distintas órdenes cristianas que participan …

Introducción, Victòria Solanilla, Anabel Villalonga Gordaliza

Actas seleccionadas del SIMPOSIO ARTE 4.2: Migraciones en la imagen prehispánica: transitando territorios del pasado al presente. 58º Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Novi Sad, Serbia, 2025.

El presente volumen reúne una selección de contribuciones derivadas del simposio «Migraciones en la imagen prehispánica: transitando territorios», coordinado en el marco del 58º Congreso Internacional de Americanistas (ICA58). Este congreso, celebrado en distintas sedes en Novi Sad, Serbia, del 30 de junio al 4 de julio de 2025, conmemoró los 150 años del ICA y reunió a investigadores de todo el mundo bajo el lema «Nuevos desafíos, Nuevos espacios», incorporando además una valiosa «mirada balcánica» al estudio de las Américas. En ese escenario — un cruce de lenguas, trayectorias y tradiciones académicas — nuestro simposio propuso detenerse ante un …