Conference Proceedings St. Edward's University

The Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression: Conference Proceedings St. Edward’s University Spring 2020 Edited by Shayna Engdahl

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SOURCE 2020 — page 2

Acknowledgements The SOURCE Symposium and this journal would not be possible without the support and generosity of many members of the SEU community. We would like to first and foremost thank our St. Edward’s University colleagues who served on the SOURCE Committee:

Mike Disch, Casey Sherman, and Elisabeth Johnson, for carefully reading and reviewing all ninety-one student submissions for the 2020 conference and for going above and beyond to help students make strategic revisions of their work; Kadie Rackley, Emily Barton, and Laurie Cook Heffrom, for helping recruit faculty members to serve as day-of-event logistics teams and session coordinators; and, Mary Dunn and Michael Weston, for preparing to deliver professional development workshops for student presenters.

This work would also not have been possible without the support of

Jenny Cha, for her helpful advice and prompt work on setting up an online repository for SOURCE materials; Tuan Nguyen (GDES) and Patrick Newman, for their work on designing the conference materials for SOURCE 2020 and for producing a digital program even though the presentations and posters were moved to a digital space; Dr. Andrew Prall, for providing an institutional home for SOURCE as well as ongoing support of undergraduate research on campus; Nicole Oglesby, for ongoing support from the Bill Munday Library; and Sherri Defesche, for event-planning assistance.

And, finally, to Shayna Engdahl, our SOURCE editor, who not only edited these proceedings but also worked 12-hour shifts as a healthcare worker during a global pandemic; she went above and beyond what was asked of her, keeping us focused and on-track. With sincere gratitude, Beth Eakman and I. Moriah McCracken, Co-chairs Casie Fisher Parish, Advisory Chair


Letter from the Editor As I round out my career at St. Edward’s, I am overwhelmed with emotion. When I started here four years ago, I was firmly set in my belief that I wanted to be an ER doctor, after spending my time in undergrad studying biology. After diving into the general education experience at SEU, I realized that I loved writing as much as I loved the sciences and emergency medicine. I wanted to find a path where I could combine all three and I found that St. Edward’s allowed me to do just that. For almost two years, I worked on research with Dr. Quinn, presenting with my partner at both SOURCE and at the Texas Academy of Science conference. As part of both the science and humanities communities on campus, I was thrilled to find a place like SOURCE where students from all disciplines could present research and form connections with peers and mentors. As part of my senior project, I worked with the SOURCE chairs to create a digital space for SOURCE presentations to live. When the semester started, we were excited to create an additional avenue to showcase the work of the students presenting this year. However, as we know, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of SOURCE. With that, our project took on a new meaning and a sense of urgency. We wanted to create a digital space for the students’ work to live because there wasn’t another way for them to collaborate or showcase their work. Despite our inability to share a physical space to learn about their research or see their creative works, we wanted the SOURCE 2020 students to feel connected to the St. Ed’s community. Some of us graduate this semester. Some are hoping to return to campus and the uncertain future ahead—on the Hilltop, in Austin, and across the globe. We wanted to gather all of the work these students produced and give them some certainty: We will weather this storm together, and in the meantime, we can all admire your hard work and resolve. With this digital showcase, we encourage you to ask questions. We implore you to bask in the work you’ve accomplished, in spite of the challenges. We look forward to seeing you present next year, and for now, we hope you are all safe and sound. And please, wash your hands. Shayna Engdahl , editor Class of 2020


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 3

Letter from the Editor

Shayna Engdahl

5

Is the Victim-Offender Overlap Preset on the Nature of Juvenile Development?

Lucero Alvarez with Amanda Chavez

11

Incorporating the Arts into the English, Language Arts, and Reading Classroom: Best Practices in Teaching and Assessment

Sabrina Amezcua

13

The Profound Presence of Dora Ragland

Taylor Arnold

19

Examining the Promotion of Free Trade Agreements in Latin America: Economic Neo-Imperialism or Benevolent Assistance?

Lya Bariela Ayarza-Anderson

23

Inmate’s Mental Health Affected by Family Involvement, Substance Abuse, and Medical Treatment

Paola Bedolla and Hennifer Harb

29

Personal Space: How Context of Environment Impacts Sexual Behavior

Neil Bogenrieder

41

A Study on the Implications of Literacy Practices Over the Three Major Bachelor Degrees at St. Edward’s University

Felipe Broza

45

“Communicators” versus “Self-Teachers”: How Much Does a Student’s’ Use of Resources Affect Their Confidence?

Cleonagh Carey and Clarisse Rodriguez

53

Exploring the Prevalence of Tetracycline Resistance in Soil Adjacent to Lentic and Lotic Water Systems

Eduardo Carillo with Rahjewel Barnhill and Catherine Nickel

59


Time Travel Journalism: An Innovative Methodological Approach to 19th-Century Art History

Yanbing (Murphy) Chen

61

A Narrative to Negate Nightmares: A Criticism of Kavanaugh’s Testimony

Madison Cramer

67

That’s a Man’s Job: Female Politicians and the Rhetoric of News Coverage

Carolynn Dunn

73

La Cuestión de Memoria Colectiva y Olvido Social en Cien Años de Soledad

Jessica Enriquez

79

So Much Reading and so Much Writing: Reading and Writing are Woven into Everything a First-Year Student Does

Madeline Flores

83

Video Game Toxicity: A Remastered Outlook

Trent Fowler

89

Human Too

Yenifer Fuentes

93

Substance Abuse: A Comparative Analysis of Psychosocial Factors Unique to Latinx Immigrants

Isabel N. Garcia Barrera

95

UNC-33, a Protein that may Link Genetic and Environmental Factors Underlying Schizophrenia

Bianca Garcia-Gonzalez with Christine Johansen, Hailey Trombley, and Andrea Holgado

105

Analyzing the Antimicrobial Effect of Terminalia calophylla & Terminalia leandriana Extracts on Staphylococcus aureus Using Bacterial Cytological Profiling

Cristobal Garcia-Quiroz

107

Seether

Victoria Gonzales

109

Mary Shelley’s Creature and the Rewriting of Patriarchal Ethical Narratives

Annalyse Granowski

111


Forestry Service, a work of fiction

Jillian Horton

115

The Effect of Suppressed Anger on Women’s Equality

Grace Horvath

125

The Story of the ‘Incel Saint’: A Rhetorical Analysis of Elliot Rodger’s My Twisted World

Whiteaker James

133

Manuka Honey Works Synergistically With Gentamicin Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Samuel Kenyon

155

Planning a Shared Meal: Adding a Pinch of Thyme

Nathaniel Leech

157

The Abuse of the Sacred Image in Contemporary Art

Gianna Ligotino

159

SafeWalkSEU: Pilot Spring 2019 Semester Report

Lauren Louk

171

An Analysis of How Non-Profit Organizations Recruit Volunteers

Anna Martinez

177

Effects Of Alcohol Drinking And Exercise Behaviors On Working Memory Performance In College Students

Jacqueline Mendoza with V. Redman, C. Altimont, and A. Gordon

183

Children of Color Leading Communities Towards Mural Activism: A Comparison of Two Picture Books

Marissa Pelayo

185

Agonistic Behaviors in Capuchin Monkeys in Relation to Visitor Traffic

Sofia C. Rodriguez

193

69 Years After Jackie Robinson: The Legacy of Racism in Baseball Continues

Joshua Saldivar

195


Confronting the Ephemeral and Conditional Nature of Love through Lineation and Sound in Poetic Language

Jennifer Slavik

201

GQ Across Time: An Analysis of GQ ’s Evolving Place in the History of Men’s Magazines

Madeline Stanfield

203

Cien años de soledad y el determinismo tecnológico

Ana Isabel Torres

209

Waste No More!

Amy Truong

215

2018 Greenhouse Gas Inventory for St. Edward’s University

Andi Utter with Cristina Bordin

217

Holy Cross Values: Relic of Our Past, or, Requisite for Our Future?

Albert Valverde

219

Eye Contact: How Much is Too Much?

Gracie Watt

221

Re/Imagining the American Dream: From Hamilton to Spare Parts

Anisa Zepeda

225


Is the Victim-Offender Overlap Preset on the Nature of Juvenile Development?

By Lucero Alvarez with Amanda Chavez

Abstract

The victim-offender overlap is derived from both the field of victimology and criminology, suggesting that there is a connection between victims of crime and criminal offenders. This connection can be explained through shared similarities of victims and offenders; such as demographics, experiences, and behavior patterns. Most importantly, the victim-offender overlap proposes that once an individual is part of a criminal act, the individual is more likely to keep re-offending and/or be at risk for victimization. This study examines the victim-offender overlap phenomenon to develop some understanding of why it exists and determine if it is present in the nature of juvenile development. The secondary data used to conduct this study was a national database of youth surveys that occurred over an eleven-year period. The study used descriptive statistics to show the relationship between the dependent variable, Victim-Offender Overlap (victimization and self-reported delinquency) and the independent variables: family composition, depression, and substance abuse. Prior research indicated that victim-offenders are more likely to share similar psychological and social behaviors; therefore, it was hypothesized that the distinct characteristics between each victim-offender were similar to one another which influenced the victim-offender overlap. Furthermore, it was found that the victim-offender overlap can be partly explained by characteristics such as having a mental health issue like depression, using substances such as marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, and amphetamines.

Click here to view Alvarez’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GcqA3zBN2-BZLVvaBeFTnjT3O9Am3ojC/view?usp=sharing

Incorporating the Arts into the English, Language Arts, and Reading Classroom: Best Practices in Teaching and Assessment By Sabrina Amezcua

Of the most frequently discussed issues regarding education—especially within secondary

education—the dialog surrounding how prepared students are for their interactions with the world is certainly a significant and constantly evolving conversation to be having. Among policy makers and school board members, the depth of preparedness stems from one’s ability to read, write, and understand various events and complex policies of the world—basic literacy. Ray Mission, a Professor at the University of Melbourne, and Dennis Sumara, a Professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver explain that “The public rhetoric [is] largely about developing basic functional literacy skills in clearly measurable ways” (1). For teachers, curriculum often represents these fundamental literacies (for the maturity of these skills are ultimately requirements of the discourse of humanity , a membership 1

defaulted to all human beings). In the discipline of English, Language Arts, and Reading, these translate to how well one presents one’s thoughts through writing, and how well one understands the thinking of others through writing. These skills, although quite significant to one’s success, don’t encompass one of the main factions within the universal discourse of humanity—one’s emotional maturity.

In terms of the ELAR classroom, emotional maturity corresponds to how well one understands

and responds to the world and human emotions through examples in literature; however, these concepts can often be too complex to grasp, and they require other modes beyond the written word to help translate meaning. Former middle school teachers, Robert Jordan and Michael DiCicco, claim in their article titled “Seeing the Value: Why the Visual Arts have a Place in the English, Language Arts Classroom” that “The unfamiliar and obscure in text can come alive in the minds of adolescents through the viewing of similar content in visual representations” (30). Of the unique topics addressed in the English, Language Arts, and Reading classroom, there is no other discipline that better correlates the aesthetic emotions and didactic messages found in literature than the discourse of the Arts. It is because of this that the discipline of ELAR—often divorced from this discourse—must be reinserted into this main conceptual frame as a sub-discourse because it addresses many of the same aesthetic and didactic ideologies that art—specifically visual and auditory art—embraces. Through this incorporation of the arts into the ELAR classroom, the students are then exposed to various benefits that only this discourse can provide, such as

1 In his article “What is Literacy?”, James Gee defines discourse as “a socially accepted association among ways of using language, of thinking, and of acting that can be used to identify oneself as a member of a socially meaningful group or ‘social network’” (1). He also contends that the validation of a discourse is dependent of the nature of it being “inherently ‘ideological’”, “resistant to internal criticism”, “defined…in its relation to other, ultimately opposing discourses”, concerned with “[putting] forward certain concepts, viewpoints, and values”, and “related to the distribution of social power and hierarchical structure in society” (19). I believe that the discourse of humanity fits these requirements. As human beings, we have opinions, and we decide what is being criticized. We are also beings of hierarchy and structure, from the policy maker to the citizen, from the teacher to the student. The discourse of humanity then requires that all human beings know basic literacy to defend oneself in society, but it also argues that one must be in touch with their emotions in order to be a part of a progressive society. In terms of education, the latter is one that is currently being overlooked in the education system due to the practicality of basic literacy.


exemplifying multiple artworks to reinforce the notion of symbolism, recognizing social identities to develop metacognition, and utilizing culturally responsive teaching strategies to effectively engage and appeal to students.

As a whole, integrating the arts into the English, Language Arts, and Reading classroom can take

many forms: from paintings and photography to sculpture and ceramics, any artwork can be analyzed through different methodological lenses, or processes to analyze an artwork in the academic sector of Art History. Above all, what matters in an analytic process like this are the “…cognitive connections…that 2

develop an awareness of detail, of composition, and of its relationship to other texts” (Albers and Harste 11). This parallels the process of exploration and study found in literature through literary analyses. For teachers of English Literature, the crux of a literary work is dependent on the symbolism that sparks meaning-making within the reader; however, symbols that refer to specific emotions or levels of metacognition may need reinforcements from non-literary works . For instance, if a unit were working 3

with TEKS 110.31 and the educator decided to focus on W. E. B. DuBois’s concept of Double 4

Consciousness, first mentioned in 1903, then it might be helpful to show Frieda Kahlo’s 1939 painting of “The Two Fridas” . This painting, analyzed through both the iconographic and autobiographical 5

methodological lens of art history, indicates that Kahlo, who was born to a Mexican mother and German father, was depicting the two identities of her background which personify her. This concept of twoness could then translate to DuBois’s concept of being both an American and an African American. The incorporation of this painting allows students “…to reinforce the connection…between the reading strategies… [being learned through] classroom novels, short stories, essays, and poetry—and “reading” a painting” (Buckelew 50). In terms of curriculum, the use of Kahlo’s painting alongside DuBois’s literary work then provides an analysis of the questions: “what is twoness?” and “what does double consciousness symbolize?” Following this, the incorporation of visual arts into the ELAR curriculum allows art and literature to explore parallel didactic messages on social identities.

The Arts and the ELAR classroom have the same goal regarding social identity. Where one may potentially communicate narratives regarding “race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, physical ability, language, and/or social class with an emphasis on analyzing equity,” there too is usually a corresponding artwork—be that visual or literary—that demonstrates the same ideas; thus, allowing the student to

2 There are ten widely used methodologies that can help viewers “read” an artwork: formalism, iconographic, sociological, Marxist, gendered, humanistic, biographical, psycho-biographical, semiotics, and condition. 3 I was first introduced to this way of instruction through my mentor teacher, Cynthia Miller, from Del Valle High School in Austin, TX. In a mini-lesson on a Transcendentalist poem, she introduced a transcendentalist painting to help highlight the movement's belief of a personal quest to God through nature. 4 This TEK (110.31: b.2) focuses on “Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to: (A) analyze how the genre of texts with similar themes shapes meaning; (B) analyze the influence of mythic, classical and traditional literature on 20th and 21st century literature; and (C) relate the figurative language of a literary work to its historical and cultural setting.” 5 Categorized as a self-portrait, Frieda Kahlo created this painting in 1939. In it, she depicts two images of herself wearing clothing most correlating to her European identity and her Latina identity, symbolizing this tear within oneself that makes it difficult to determine a single definition of the self.


“Articulate an awareness and compare some of the central historical and present diversity issues addressed…” (“General Education Learning Outcomes”). For instance, in the case of race and racism, especially if an educator were focusing on African American history, one artwork that captures the essence of what it meant to treat people of color as other, is a painting by Jacob Lawrence titled “They Found Discrimination in The North. It Was a Different Kind.” Comparing the content of this painting, 6

which features an institutionally and economically segregated society, to a curriculum that concentrates on the Civil Rights Movement would help students understand the fundamentals of what it meant to be unequal. Therefore, by incorporating artworks that visually demonstrate identity and social divisiveness, students are able to not only internalize the content, but they can then look within to discover their own identities and analyze their own experiences (or the experiences of those closest to them) in order to develop a metacognitive reflection. It has also been theorized that effective instruction of these complicated topics could also stem from the way educators are able to understand and connect to students through culturally relative teaching.

In a time where schools across the country are becoming more diverse in terms of students who

come from various cultures and home languages, it has become an integral part of teaching that one must practice the concept of Conscientization and gain an asset perspective viii , which, in turn, help find ways 7 8

in which a student’s culture can be integrated into the curriculum. This strategy, officially titled Culturally Responsive Teaching, is defined by Geneva Gay, a professor of multicultural education in Seattle, as “…using the cultural characteristics, experiences, and perspectives of ethnically diverse students as conduits for teaching them more effectively” (106). In terms of the Arts and the ELAR classroom, curriculum can be modified to incorporate pop culture—a vehicle of expression that allows students to inject their out-of-school experiences (such as ones that are full of cultural and familial meaning) with their in-school ones (where it has often become the norm for students to strip themselves of their cultural identities in order to assimilate into society). According to educational advisors, Emily Grater and Danielle Johnson, “Popular culture can both supplement academic texts and help connect students to traditional curricula, thereby serving as a powerful component of culturally relevant literacy instruction” (33). One way to allow culturally and linguistically diverse students to include their unique experiences and emotions in the classroom is to give these students opportunities to choose their own song lyrics to analyze during a poetry unit, and, if they’re in a different language, perhaps finding a translation can help with their English Language Proficiency and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency Levels—evaluative standards that require growth over short periods of time.

6 This painting demonstrates the inequalities in society pertaining to African Americans. Created between 1940 and 1941, artist Jacob Lawrence divides the scene in two with Anglo-Americans on the left and African-Americans on the right, a gold barrier between them. 7 In an article titled “The Relevance of Paulo Freire’s Contributions to Education and Development in Present Day Africa”, author Juma Nyirenda states: “Conscientization… leads to people organizing themselves to take action so as to change their social realities… Dialogue is the means of achieving Conscientization. Conscientization requires that an individual change his or her attitudes, perception or beliefs” (6). 8 In their book Mastering ESL/EFL Methods (2016), Herrera and Murry explain the notion of having an asset perspective as “More affirmatively [recognizing] and [celebrating] the advantages, talents, and experiences this student brings to the classroom and the school” (9).


For many educators, the decision to regularly include the Arts into the ELAR classroom is not a practical one, considering how much content must be covered for state testing. According to Jordan and DiCicco, “…many previously valued areas of learning have been drastically cut to focus on the tested subjects…Visual arts instruction is often one of the first areas to be eliminated” (27); however, by overlooking the value that the Arts embodies, one is essentially overlooking some of the key elements of education, acquisition and learning. For instance, James Gee, explaining the difference between these two terms, states that “Acquisition is a process of acquiring something subconsciously by exposure to models and a process of trial and error” (20); whereas, “Learning…involves explanation and analysis, that is, breaking down the thing to be learned into its analytic parts” (20). By incorporating the Arts into the ELAR classroom, students are able to acquire names and background knowledge of situations and events when they are introduced to an artwork; this way, they can transfer that knowledge to their literary texts, where they will have a better understanding of the literary devices that carry out its meaning, such as symbolism. This is learning. Additionally, in many ways, the Arts, known for its vast inventory of media and styles, also collaborates well with educational psychologist Howard Gardner’s theory on Multiple Intelligences.

First appearing in his 1983 book Frames of Mind, Gardner explains that all “human beings have a

number of relatively discrete intellectual capacities” (Gardner). From visual to mathematical to musical and many others, each student contains eight total intelligences, and each individual has a unique intelligence that they learn the most from. By utilizing the multi-modality that is within the nature of Art, educators are then able to use various artworks to appeal to different intelligences, establishing a high possibility for meaning-making and cross-connection between texts to occur. This strategy, labeled Pluralization by Gardner, allows “[educators] to reach more students, because some students learn best from reading, some from building something, some from acting out a story, etc. Second, [they] show what it is like to be an expert—to understand something fully, [they] should be able to think of it in several ways” (Gardner). Therefore, by reinserting the discipline of ELAR as a sub-discourse within the Arts, educators are able to collaborate with parallel, non-literary concepts of aesthetic stimulation that overall aid in the acquisition, learning, and appeal of students. Works Cited

“Chapter 110. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading Subchapter C. High School.” Texas Education Agency , ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html.

“General Education Learning Outcomes.” Social Identities Mission Marker , St. Edward's

University, 2019, www.stedwards.edu/undergraduate/general-education/general-education-learning-outcomes

Albers, Peggy, and Jerome Harste. “The Arts, New Literacies, and Multimodality.” English

Education , vol. 40, no. 1, Oct. 2007, pp. 6–20. Buckelew, Mary Bellucci. “The Value of Art in the English Classroom: Imagination, Making the


http://www.stedwards.edu/undergraduate/general-education/general-education-learning-outcomes

Tacit Visible.” The English Journal , vol. 92, no. 5, 2003, p. 49., doi:10.2307/3650424. Gay, Geneva. “Preparing for Culturally Responsive Teaching.” Journal of Teacher Education ,

vol. 53, 2002, pp. 106–116. Gardner, Howard. “A Beginner’s Guide to MI” MI Oasis , Squarespace,

www.multipleintelligencesoasis.org/a-beginners-guide-to-mi. Gee, James. “What Is Literacy?” Journal of Education , vol. 171, no. 1, 1989, pp. 18–25. Grater, Emily, and Danielle Johnson. “The Power of Song: Cultural Relevance in the Eighth-

Grade Classroom.” Voices from the Middle , vol. 21, no. 1, Sept. 2013, pp. 32–40. Herrera, Socorro G., and Kevin G. Murry. Mastering ESL/EFL Methods: Differentiated

Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students . 3rd ed., Pearson , 2016. Jordan, Robert M. and DiCicco, Michael (2012). “Seeing the Value: Why the Visual Arts Have a

Place in the English Language Arts Classroom,” Language Arts Journal of Michigan : Vol. 28: Iss. 1, Article 7.

Kahlo, Frida. “The Two Fridas.” 1939, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico. Lawrence, Jacob. “They Found Discrimination in the North. It Was a Different Kind.” 1940-41,

The Phillips, Washington, DC. Mission, Ray, and Dennis Sumara. “Reclaiming the ‘Creative’ in the English/Literacy

Classroom.” English Teaching: Practice and Critique , vol. 5, no. 2, Sept. 2006, pp. 1–5. Nyirenda, Juma E. “The Relevance of Paulo Freire’s Contributions to Education and

Development in Present Day Africa.” Africa Media Review , 10, no. 1, 1996, pp. 1–20.


The Profound Presence of Doria Ragland By Taylor Arnold

The story of the American actor Meghan Markle and her husband, England’s Prince Harry, has been under international scrutiny in the press since the very beginning of their lives as a couple. In her award winning profile from The New Yorker, Doreen St. Felix’s “The Profound Presence of Doria Ragland '' brings Markle’s mother, particularly her presence at the Royal Wedding, and all that she represents to her audience's attention. Felix’s narrative style, unique voice, and her incorporation of research blend together the relationship Ragland has with the royal family’s historical involvement with slavery and racism, while elevating the importance of Ragland’s presence at the Royal Wedding.

Felix uses several narrative elements and details throughout the article that function to marry Ragland’s past to her daughter’s hopeful future in the royal family. The language moves occasionally from a journalistic tone, which is not unusual for a New Yorker article. Audiences of this publication are typically more left leaning and would appreciate the intentional choice to showcase a perspective like that of Ragland, who, as an African-American woman, is the ultimate outsider to British royalty.

Throughout the article, Felix very deliberately reveals Ragland’s outlier status. Felix does this by juxtaposing Ragland against Queen Elizabeth II and against her daughter, Markle. For example, in the beginning of the article, Felix describes Ragland as the “descendant of the enslaved, a child of the Great Migration and Jim Crow and seventies New Age spirituality” just the page number if you’re going to cite multiple pages. On the other hand, she describes the Queen as, “the heir to and keeper of empire.” By juxtaposing Ragland and the Queen, Felix illustrates the distance between Ragland’s status with that of Royal Britain. However, Felix does not fail to point out that, while Ragland’s presence is unique, she is still equal to the Queen. Felix expresses this point by mentioning that Ragland was, in fact, “sitting in the opposite and equivalent seat to Queen Elizabeth II” While Felix is comparing Ragland to the Queen, she is also alienating Ragland in a way that catches her audience’s attention because she addresses the stark differences in their status.

While comparing Ragland and the Queen seemed like the obvious creative choice, Felix takes it a step further. Felix dedicated several descriptions that compare Ragland to her daughter Meghan Markle. First, Felix makes a point to describe the closeness between Meghan and Ragland as “an us against the world feel” Why are they like this? What experience has caused it? Felix makes it clear that Meghan embraces the complexion of her mother and that Meghan embraces her status as biracial without being a “race hero” However, Felix stops these descriptions short with, “but they are different women” . Felix goes on to juxtapose Ragland against Meghan, further emphasizing the idea that Ragland is clearly more of an outsider at the event: the relative darkness of their complexions. Felix describes Ragland’s skin tone as “honey brown” but Meghan, whose skin is lighter, “has been cast as ethnically ambiguous” . Although Meghan is biracial, her appearance isn’t as visually distinctive as Ragland’s among the overwhelmingly


white British attendees of the wedding. Felix demonstrates the racial hierarchy created by skin color even between a mother and daughter.

Felix also utilizes a narrative style that fluctuates spatially and uses specific narrative details that

successfully provide quality information. Throughout the article, Felix narratively zooms in and out of the scope of the wedding to details of Ragland’s past with Meghan or just describing Ragland in general. Felix lays out details in a tone that one would find in a novel. Structurally, Felix takes the time to colorfully describe the way Ragland appeared in her pastel green outfit, hair pinned back in her “pillbox hat; the shine of her tiny nose ring gleamed like the shine in her eyes.” This is an interesting juxtaposition at the sentence level: the pillbox hat, which is ladylike and traditional, associated largely with America’s princess Jackie Kennedy, and the nose ring, a symbol of rebellion and the sixties and seventies counterculture.

More details of the wedding follow until the scope is focused on Ragland after her divorce and embracing the life of a single parent.This serves as a stark contrast as divorces only have been granted to members of the royal family in the current generation. Felix describes the way Ragland, “doted on her only child, calling her ‘Flower.’” Using this narrative style functions to broaden the scope of just the wedding. Felix, it seems, is aiming to elevate the role of the mother of the bride by telling her story using this narrative style. The details Felix intentionally describes throughout the article work together to shift the focus away from the public’s racism. Felix’s choice to write in and out of scope is what makes this article sound like a novel and less like reporting.

However, Felix does not fail in providing hints of her own voice throughout the article. Something interesting to notice is the way Felix ascribes certain emotions to Ragland’s body language. For example, the very beginning of the article begins as if Felix is attending the wedding herself. Felix asks the audience immediately to empathize with Ragland as Felix asks, “what was she thinking, as she sat in the pews of the five-hundred-year-old chapel, enveloped in history and irony?” By asking this question, the audience is not only being thrust into Ragland’s shoes, but the audience is also being introduced to Felix’s voice for the first time.

Later in the article, Felix takes it upon herself to lightly assume what Ragland could potentially be feeling based on nothing but her body language. She describes the way those around her could see her: “one could perceive Ragland softly reeling beneath her composure. Her lips trembled as her daughter walked down the aisle. She cried gently” (Felix). Now anyone at the wedding would not actually assume that Ragland was “softly reeling” but it was an interesting choice for Felix to point out. Later in the article Felix also assigns worry to Ragland when she asks, “Was that melancholy in Ragland’s eyes? A worry about whether her daughter would be truly accepted in the family, and what she may have to do to usher in that acceptance?” Felix, by using this style, attempts to evoke empathy from her audience. It also directs the audience to a specific interpretation of what Ragland’s body language expresses through pictures and videos of Ragland.

Felix infiltrates the article with her own voice besides attributing emotions to Ragland’s body language. The last paragraph specifically is threaded with Felix’s voice that can be noted through the


descriptions of black culture. Felix’s voice adds a bit of humor, even, for the audience when she references the aftermath of the mishaps of Ragland’s ex-husband: “Ragland flew to Heathrow to do what black women do: straighten the mess up” (Felix). Felix seems to have a targeted audience outside of just those who subscribe to The New Yorker . She makes another reference to that audience when she mentions that, “On Twitter, people speculate that Lady Diana Spencer, whose legend of social rebellion is especially idolized by black women, would have adored [Ragland]” (Felix). This paragraph, overall, is a testament to her own ethos as a black woman as it enhances her credibility and thus creates the potential for a more accepting audience.

It becomes obvious early in the article that Felix dedicated time to incorporating research throughout. With this article containing aspects of a profile, Felix made sure to include facts mentioned earlier regarding Ragland’s life, the wedding as a whole, and more notably, the references to history. Felix incorporates aspects of British history that align with both the status of the Queen and of Ragland. Felix often mentions the long history of the church and its ties to the royal family. More notably, Felix notes the Royal Family’s contribution to slavery and racism. For example, Felix comments about the claims against the wedding’s wokeness, regardless of the “beautifully threaded black rituals throughout the ceremony”). She brings attention to the fact that the wedding was, “set against the backdrop of the government threatening to deport Britons of the Windrush generation” Explain briefly who this generation is. When Felix uses information like this in the article, she is assuming that her audience knows enough that those details don’t feel ambiguous.

While the focal point of the royal wedding in the press often involved Meghan’s ethnic ambiguity and how she stood out, articles like Felix’s are valuable for offering a less central character. The legitimacy of both Ragland and Meghan were questioned the day of the wedding, but none were as distinctive as Ragland was. Felix’s use of narrative detail that focuses on comparing Ragland to the Queen and Meghan functioned, not only to label her outsider status, but to elevate Ragland in her role as a unique mother of the bride. With that being said, Felix’s own voice and diction aimed to evoke empathy from her audience by asking the audience to empathize with Ragland as well as targeting black women specifically using references to tropes of black women. Combined with her research elements, Felix’s article functioned to legitimize Doria Ragland and elevate her above the family. Felix’s article challenges the reputation of the Royal family by telling Ragland’s story and acknowledging that, while the desire for racial harmony is strong, there are still centuries worth of burdens carried by both Meghan and Ragland.

Works Cited

Felix, Doreen St. “The Profound Presence of Doria Ragland.” The New Yorker, 21 May 2008, https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-appearances/the-profound-presence-of-doria-ragland . Accessed 24 Jan. 2020.


https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-appearances/the-profound-presence-of-doria-ragland

Examining The Promotion of Free Trade Agreements in Latin America: Economic Neo-Imperialism or Benevolent Assistance? By Lya Gabriela Ayarza-Anderson

Abstract

Over the course of the 20th century, the United States intervened various times in Latin America for reasons as far-ranging from increasing military power to economic aid. Following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, United States relations with Latin America, under the guise of liberalism, have mostly taken the shape of economic integration. First, there was a push to establish the Free Trade Area of the Americas by 2005, following the establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada in 1994. Despite the failure to establish the Free Trade Area of the Americas, the United States has signed several individual free trade agreements with a number of different Latin American countries, following George W. Bush’s “competitive liberalization” trade strategy on the expectation that gains from one level of trade could compel breakthroughs on others. The U.S. also orchestrated the creation of the Central American Free Trade Agreement between Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Notably, 11 out of 20 of the United States’ free trade agreements are with Latin American nations. The purpose of this research is to serve as an assessment of whether the free trade agreements pursued by the US after the failure of the Free Trade Agreement of America’s ratification are actually providing socio-economic benefits to Latin America. To do so, the socio-economic outcome of the US-Panama Free Trade Agreement and the US-Colombia Trade Promotion agreement were examined, since they share the same purpose, according to the Bush Administration, which is to foster development in those countries. According to the White House Archives, however, the purpose of these agreements is to “maintain US market share” in the face of growing international competition. The question arises, is if these agreements have the desired effect of mutual growth or are quietly fostering American neo-imperialism. The research done indicates that these countries’ economies have not greatly improved because of these agreements, so, therefore, these “mutually beneficial policies” need to be revised.

Why the Ratification of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas Failed

After the creation of MERCOSUR in 1991, and the passage of NAFTA in 1994, there was great enthusiasm to create more free trade agreements in the Americas, following the suggestions of the Washington Consensus. The FTAA, or Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, was originally supposed to remove all the trade and investment barriers that existed across all the Americas.

Throughout the 90s, work was done in order to make the FTAA a reality. For all the potential

benefits of increasing trans-regional market access, and sharing of goods across countries, in 2001 to 2003 enthusiasm for the FTAA dropped entirely. By 2003, the idea was abandoned. Why? The greatest resistance to the ratification of Free Trade Agreements came from the nations of MERCOSUR


(Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela), who are heavily dependent on agricultural production for their share in the international market.

U.S. subsidies of agricultural goods would eliminate any potential gains from trade in this area,

given the U.S. was the largest market for agricultural goods produced across the Americas. In 2002, the U.S. moved to create protectionist policies towards steel imports (an area important to MERCOSUR, with Brazil being the 2 nd largest exporter of steel to the US), and imposed intellectual property protection, which disproportionately benefited wealthier nations as the source of the protected material, and disadvantaged developing nations by making foreign goods more expensive. From a pragmatic angle, the FTAA included many smaller nations (such as Guatemala and Paraguay) that would lack the infrastructure needed to benefit from the agreement, and to make matters worse, the election of left-wing governments in Bolivia and Venezuela in the late 90s also helped decrease regional support for liberal economic policy.

Why did the Bush Administration choose to engage Latin America with Free Trade Agreements? In the early 20 th century, initially it seemed that any cooperation between the U.S and Latin America would be stalled due to shifting hemispheric priorities, most importantly, Latin America’s distaste for the U.S’ policies, following the post 9-11 security agenda (which also included the war in Afghanistan, and many failed attempts to reform the immigration system).

However, quite a few Latin American nations, despite their initial reluctance to accept the deletion of all trade boundaries between countries, approached the U.S. individually, on a bilateral basis, in order to cultivate more streamlined economic ties. These countries have even prepared to accept conditions they consider less than ideal in order to have more access to the prized U.S. market, regardless of ideological differences (Here, it is important to note that the U.S. is Latin America’s largest trading partner as a whole, with trade of goods totalling US$ 376,266 million and an overall partner share of 46.11 percent, according to the World Bank).

On the U.S’ side, trade agreements are one of the few policies that would be properly given attention by Congress, because of the Bush Administration’s priority to securing “fast track authority”, which would enable Bush to negotiate trade agreements without too much amendments from Congress (Shifter, 2001). The Bush Administration came to the conclusion that helping Latin America would align with the their post 9-11 security agenda, as the document Free Trade with Peru, Colombia and Panama from the Dept. of State argues that the nations emphasised in the document were critical partners to combating narcotics trafficking, fighting terrorism, and curbing illegal immigration.

The Bush Administration assumed, following liberal rationalisation, that a Free Trade Agreement would help Peru, Panama and Colombia develop their economies, which would in turn put more people in formal employment sectors, ideally help foster the strengthening of democratic institutions, and ensure more safety of citizens. In international relations theory, liberal thought holds that nations which are more interconnected through trade are less likely to experience political, economic, and social instability. It is also worth noting that at the time of the signing of the FTA with Colombia and Panama, the Bush Administration was also not willing to promote complex policy and development challenges with Latin


America, due to increasingly expensive conflicts in the Middle East, domestic tax cuts, and natural disasters (Hakim, 2006). So, a Free Trade Agreement seemed the easiest way for the administration to produce a favourable outcome. Free Trade Agreements’ Impacts on Panama and Colombia’s Macroeconomic Prospects

The US-Colombia and US-Panama Free Trade Agreements include the same provisions: Removing barriers to U.S. goods entering the respective countries’ markets, open government procurement, protection of Intellectual Property rights in line with American standards, a level playing field for U.S. investors, and an open telecommunications market.

The US-Colombia Trade promotion Agreement and US-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement were both signed into force in 2012 after a series of reforms taken to accommodate the treaty. The U.S. Dept. of State issued a decree which stated that both Colombia and Panama were changing their, formerly counterproductive, economic laws in order to accommodate the Free Trade Agreement, a sign of progress that was sure to come.

Colombia strengthened investor protections by increasing disclosure requirements and cut the average time burden of tax compliance by 41% percent, according to World Bank data. Since the Free Trade Agreement went into force in 2012, the Colombian measures of GDP increased from 4% to 4.9% and unceremoniously declined to 1.8% growth by 2017. Panama changed a credit history law, making credit more available to the 300,00 small and medium size businesses that employed 68% of the country’s workforce (and employs more than 40% of Panamanian working-age adults) . According to World Bank data, Panama’s GDP decreased from 11% to in 2012, after the agreement was signed, then fluctuated between 5.0% and 5.6% growth until 2017. Given the uneven and unpredictable GDP outcomes between nations, it is important to remember how each of these country’s economies gets most of their revenue. Colombia depends heavily on energy and mining exports, meaning that any worldwide price commodity fluctuations cause its GDP to drop and harm their overall economic performance. Panama’s economy is mostly dependent on a developed services sector rooted in logistics, a regionally respected financial centre, free trade zones, insurance, and flag ship registry, supported by an economy where the currency is pegged to the US-Dollar, making GDP growth prone to dramatic fluctuations. Did Human Development Dramatically Increase Across Both Nations due to the Signing of the Free Trade Agreements?

An essential part of the Bush Administration’s push for the Free Trade Agreements was fostering human development for security purposes, given post 9/11 concerns. According to the United Nations Development Reports, GNI (Gross National Income) per capita in Colombia increased slightly since 2012, from 10,491 USD to 12,938 USD in 2017, and the Human Development Index value has increased from 0.70 to 0.75 from 2012 to 2017. However, Human Development and GNI per capita has been increasing in Colombia since 1990, where GNI per capita grew from 7,174 USD in 1990 to 10,491 USD by 2010, the inherent caveat being that the growth may have been owed to the reduction of violence combined with the appeasement of the notorious drug cartels during the time period. Inequality in


Colombia is still at a higher level than the average for countries in the Caribbean Basin, at 22.9%, with the regional average being 21.8%, yet there is demonstrated progress.

For Panama, the UN reports the highest GNI per capita growth per capita out of all countries in Central America, starting at 14,179 USD in 2010 to 19,178 USD in 2017. How much this has to do with the Free Trade Agreement is questionable, as analysts at Bloomberg note that Panama’s economic growth was mostly propelled by the 5.3 billion expansion of the Panama Canal and their government’s investment in infrastructure projects. Remarkably, for the small nation, significant capital development has not translated to countrywide human development, as demonstrated in Panama’s Human inequality coefficient, at 20.2%, lower than the regional average of 21.8%. Conclusion

Overall, if the Free Trade Agreements are viewed from the perspective of mutual cooperation, it seems that their intended purpose falls through. Despite relative gains seen in labor legislation and government procurement for the countries that engaged with these treaties, the benefits seem altogether, quite small. GDP for both Panama and Colombia seem to be more afflicted by their respective government’s actions, world trade and price fluctuations than they are by Free Trade Agreements with the United States. Human development, which was parroted as the intended goal of the Bush Administration in creating these treaties, has been demonstrated to be a structural issue in developing nations, that cannot be fixed with improving economic performance alone. The structural issue is reflected in the Human Development Index of both Colombia and Panama, both of which suffer from high inequality levels, not dramatically far from their regional average. When viewed from a radical perspective (a perspective of international relations which holds that interactions are mostly exploitative, at the mercy of stronger nations) it seems that these Trade Agreements are tools in order to maintain the United States competitive edge in these respective markets, and not so much growing these nations GDP, for example when the U.S. department of State reported the 2.5bn GDP growth coming from the Trade Agreement with Colombia, while Colombia’s GDP fell.

Another example of the Trade Agreements’ small impact is found Panama’s economic results in the areas impacted by the treaty. According to research done by the University of Florida, Panama’s largest export to the United States is sugar, which earns 21.73 million dollars for Panama’s agricultural industry. However, Panamanian goods already entered the United States duty-free based on the Caribbean Basin Initiative, making the effect on Panamanian growers null.

As a final justification for their creation, both Free Trade Agreements cite increasing competition from Canada and the European Union, and the weakening of MERCOSUR (in the case of Colombia) to maintain commercial ties with Latin America. This is not imperialism per-se, because these Free Trade Agreements are not producing ill-effects as a by-product in these countries that were already burdened by structural issues. Colombia and Panama were already unequal before the negotiation of the Free Trade Agreements even began, and simultaneously had been experiencing growth before the ratification of the treaties. In conclusion, what has resulted is the maintenance of power, security and influence, using


commercial ties as leverage. Following the evidence collected by the research, mutual cooperation and development assistance seem an afterthought in the design of these treaties. Works Cited

Chelsea Brown, Trade Integration and Institutional Reform in Latin America: Can the FTAA Be Revived? 15 Law & Bus. Rev. Am. 221 (2009) https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/imports-us.pdf

Hakim, Peter. “Is Washington Losing Latin America?” Foreign Affairs, vol. 85, no. 1, 2006, pp. 39–53.

JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20031841.Copy Free Trade with Peru, Colombia, and Panama: Transforming the future of the Americas

https://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/organization/104551.pdf

US Dept. of State https://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/organization/99957.pdf

US-Panama Free Trade Agreement: What’s in it for Florida Agriculture?

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FE/FE93200.pdf Human Development Indicators: 2018 Statistical Update, Panama:

http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/PAN.pdf Human Development Indicators: 2018 Statistical Update, Colombia:

http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/COL.pdf World Bank, Colombia:

https://data.worldbank.org/country/colombia World Bank, Panama:

https://data.worldbank.org/country/panama


https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/imports-us.pdf

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20031841.Copy

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20031841.Copy



https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FE/FE93200.pdf

http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/PAN.pdf

http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/COL.pdf

https://data.worldbank.org/country/colombia

Inmate’s Mental Health Affected by Family Involvement, Substance Abuse, and Medical Treatment By Paola Bedolla and Jennifer Harb Introduction

Mental health has been an increasingly dynamic topic that is gaining worldwide attention. In today’s world, most people would agree that having emotional and mental well-being is among the more important things in life, and it suffices to say that mental health is becoming as appreciated as physical health in order to create a sound mind and body for oneself. Despite this new appreciation, 19.1% of adults in the United States reported experiencing mental illness but only 43.3% of those adults sought and went to mental health treatment, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2019). Mental illness in prisons is growing worldwide, research from the past decade showed that 56% of prisoners were diagnosed with a mental health issue, which is more than three times the amount of mental illness in the general population (Haugebrook, Zgoba, Maschi, Morgen, & Brown, 2010; Mahaffey, Stevens-Watkins, & Leukefeld, 2018). There are a number of issues that could impact an individual’s mental health status and those issues are said to increase once the individual is put into a high-stress environment, such as experiencing arrest, being convicted, and sentenced to time in jail or prison (Sugie & Turney, 2017). Primary stressors can lead to numerous secondary stressors that continue the stress and cause further damage to the individual’s mental health. Secondary stressors include the strains on familial roles and relationships while incarcerated, history of substance abuse issues that cause medical problems, and undiagnosed or unmedicated mental illnesses that continue while in the care of a correctional facility.

Literature Review

For the current study, prior literature on current or former inmates who have experienced mental health disorders is focused on studies that have researched the effects of family, medical history, and substance abuse.

Familial Roles of Inmates

Social relationships are strained when one is sentenced to time behind bars, and this strain can have an effect on the incarcerated individual’s mental health. Being removed from one’s family, in addition to having general freedom restricted, adds stress to a prisoner’s experience. In interviews, some men described the isolation from their family made them especially vulnerable to pre-existing conditions. (Oliffe, Hanberg, Hannan-Leith, Bergen, & Martin, 2018). The first time prisoners experience the separation can be the most painful and traumatizing. Feelings of loneliness make incarcerated individuals feel hopeless, which may lead to depression. This effect is intensified if the relationship is more intimate and personal to the incarcerated individual such as a parent, spouse, or child. Fathers who are incarcerated are unable to keep a close relationship with their children, and the bond deteriorates with more time spent


away from each other. These strains add on to the pressure of incarceration and lead incarcerated fathers prone to developing depression at a higher rate than incarcerated men without children (Turney, Wildeman, & Schnittker, 2012). Research on incarcerated mothers found that a majority of incarcerated mothers reported that their mental health had deteriorated due to their separation from their children and other family members (Harner & Riley, 2013). Divorce from spouses was another form of familial stressors that adds risk for developing depression or other mood disorders (Haugebrook et al., 2010).

Another form of family-oriented stressors stems from early-onset trauma from an individual’s

childhood. Haugebrook and colleagues (2010) found that leading causes of childhood trauma include sexual abuse as well as physical abuse or neglect from caregivers and other family members. In a study of New Jersey prisoners, 79.8% reported a form of childhood stressor in their past (Haugebrook et al., 2010). Of the New Jersey prisoners who reported experiencing traumatic events in their childhood, 61% were Caucasian, 52.7% were African American, and 33.3% were Latino. While Latinos reported lower rates of childhood stressors, they reported other lifetime stressors more commonly (Haugebrook et al., 2010).

Substance Abuse History

Some incarcerated individuals hold a history of substance abuse which can be a concurrent issue with mental illness. Substance abuse is often reported by inmates, in a New Jersey study, 80.7% of inmates reported having an addiction to drugs (Haugebrook et al., 2010). Early substance disorders simultaneously anticipate later incarceration and development of psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder (Schnittker, Massoglia & Uggen, 2012). Responses from a women’s maximum-security prison reported that their state of mental health had improved due to the fact that they were forced to remain sober and unable to engage in any illicit drug use (Harner & Riley, 2013). However, the women from the same prison also reported that they had access to better medication and counseling services which improved their mental health state. Meanwhile, incarcerated men with a history of drug abuse report that their time in prison has either left their mental health state stagnant or has lead to its deterioration. Men’s mental health is neglected with inadequate health services, restricted access to the right medication, and limited counseling (Perry, Neilson, Martyn-St James, Glanville, Mccool & Duffy, 2014). By examining any previous substance abuse issues pre-incarceration we can pinpoint any underlying mental health issues that could impact the individual once incarcerated.

History and Trajectory of Medication or Services for Mental Health

The intake process in correctional facilities is largely responsible for recognizing symptoms of mental illness in the incoming prisoners. This process aids the correctional facilities in beginning treatment for individuals who have not been previously diagnosed for mental illness. Effectiveness of self-report tests designed to recognize indicators of mental health problems at intake were tested in Canada by comparing the tests to standard screening protocol. The study found that asking the prisoners about their own mental health history identified only 41% of the total population of inmates with mental illness (Martin, Potter, Crocker, Wells, & Colman, 2016). However, the study reported between 61.9% and 85.7% of all inmates with a mental illness can be identified when using screening tests. Martin and colleagues (2016) noted that while screening protocols successfully identified more of the prisoners who


were in need of mental health care, it also reported many false positives. Therefore, current screening protocols catch prisoners with mental illness by overdiagnosing mental illness and misdirecting mental health care.

Former inmates leave prison with the same and sometimes new afflictions that are causing trauma

and problems with their mental health. The study by Oliffe et al. (2018) found that men with existing mental health issues going into prison were further inhibited while incarcerated. It is important that inmates are not deprived of medication that was prescribed to them before incarceration; however, correctional facilities are wary of administering strong medications and prisoners experience delays in receiving their prescriptions (Oliffe et al., 2018).

Correctional facilities do provide psychiatric sessions to inmates and have other medical

resources to treat inmates with mental health issues. However, a study in Kentucky found that only 10% of incarcerated men who are identified with a mood disorder received services such as therapy (Mahaffey et al., 2018). Improvements in providing services to incarcerated individuals in need can decrease the number of people released with negative mentalities which strain social skills and cause further isolation. Within a year of release from Kentucky prison, the men who went untreated while incarcerated were 3.86 times more likely to be continually affected by their mental problems (Mahaffey et al., 2018). Interestingly, the same study found that men who received mental health services were 8.43 times more likely to be affected by their problems again within a year of release. It is unclear if the latter men had more serious disorders, which could explain why they were able to receive a form of therapy, or if the services provided by correctional facilities were inadequate.

Thomas and colleagues (2016) conducted an interview-based study in Australia which focused on

the post-incarceration mental health of individuals who were released from prison within the previous six months of the study. While only 1.9% of the sample were categorized as having very high psychological distress, males were overrepresented in the category as the most affected with poor post-incarceration mental health (Thomas et al., 2016). Men are immediately experiencing intense mental trauma after being released from incarceration. Women are categorized as having high mental distress that is worsening as time passes from the time they were released (Thomas et al., 2016). Therefore, women are more likely to have delayed symptoms of mental illness after being incarcerated. Thomas et al. (2016) reported that of all former inmates who were categorized to have high psychological distress, 19.4% accessed mental health treatment services within a year of their release.

Current Study

The current research is important because there is an emergence of humanitarian activism for inmates suffering from mental illness. To study the relationship between mental health and incarceration, there must be an understanding of an individual’s mental health and the impact of incarceration. Given the statistics, a question of the directionality of the relationship between mental illness and correctional facilities arises. Are mental health disorders a consequence of incarceration or an underlying factor for incarceration? This study will compare the reporting of mental health issues by prisoners as affected by variables such as medical, family, and substance abuse history. By studying familial roles we focus on the


strain of relationships between inmates and their loved ones, which in turn impacts the inmate’s moods and could lead to depression and mood disorders. The effect of communication via calls versus visitations are also investigated to determine the impact on mental health. By studying reports of previous medical treatment or counseling we will examine the rate of incarcerated individuals who have been previously diagnosed with mental health issues. We will compare the data with how many inmates receive medical counseling under the custody of a correctional facility. Finally, by studying the recorded history of substance abuse, this study will examine connections between previous substance abuse and the incarcerated individual’s current mental health. This will assist in a better understanding of the influences a history of substance abuse plays in developing an individual’s psychiatric disorder. Methods

The data used comes from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ administered survey for inmates of state and federal correctional facilities in 2004, a survey sponsored by the United States Department of Justice. The survey provides nationally representative data on inmates held in either state or federal prisons. The data itself was collected through personal interviews conducted between October 2003 and May 2004. Inmates in both state and federal prisons were interviewed on several aspects of their incarceration; the interviews consisted of ten sections including questions about the inmate’s personal life, criminal history, and involvement in prison programs. For the purposes of the current research, we primarily used data collected from the State prison inmate survey, specifically focused on mental health, medical treatment, and drug abuse. Dependent Variable

The dependent variable being studied is inmate mental health, denoted by the variable V2412 in the dataset codebook. This interview question asked the inmates about their medication status since their admission into the state prison. This variable was nominal as the inmate could answer either “yes”, “no”, or “don’t know”; however, for the current research we recorded this variable to only report “yes” or “no” by adding any answer outside of a positive response into the “no” category.

Independent Variables

First, we examine the individual characteristics of the inmates surveyed, highlighting aspects such as race/ethnicity and sex. Comparing the two variables by using crosstabs provides general information on who the inmates are. Next, we compare the prison demographics to the dependent variable in order to find the total number of inmates who are viable for our test. This will create a better understanding of which population of inmates we are seeing in the analysis of our independent variables.

The first independent variable we analyzed was family involvement. To test family

involvement with mental health, we compared the inmates who report receiving visitations


within the last month to the dependent variable of inmates receiving medication for their mental conditions. The second form of testing family attachment is through the inmate’s report of receiving phone calls from family members while incarcerated.

To test previous drug abuse history we analyzed the responses from inmates who reported

using drugs even as it caused emotional problems. Inmates who reported an attempt to cut drug use within a year before admission, but found that they were unable to or “couldn’t,” were also analyzed for this variable.

Finally, to test the variable of medical treatment while incarcerated we analyzed

responses of inmates who were ever diagnosed with a depressive disorder as well as inmates who have received mental health treatment since admission.

Analytical Strategy

The survey administered by the United State’s Bureau of Justice Statistics is used in the current study to analyze the mental health of state prison inmates with respect to family influence, drug use, and medical treatment history. An individual's mental health is heavily impacted by harsh life changes such as serving a prison sentence. The prison environment places heavy stress onto the individual, subjecting them to dangerous situations and enabling them to develop a survival-mode mindset that leads to mental disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia.

For the current study, we renamed the variables to organize the analysis. We began each

test using Pearson’s Two-Tailed Correlation and examined the results through the significance found. Of the inmates surveyed, 2,448 responded affirmatively to taking medicating for mental health since their admission to prison. This pool of inmates was tested against the other variables used in our study. With the data collected, we are able to see how family, drug history, and medical treatment impacts an inmate’s mental condition. Results

In the first stage of our analysis, we examine the basic demographics of the inmates who had taken the survey during their time incarcerated. We highlight factors such as sex and race/Hispanic origin in order to gain a better picture of who we are analyzing. We then crosstab each demographic with a question presented in the survey (has the inmate taken medication for a mental health condition since admission). Second, we investigate whether familial influence, drug history, or medical treatment holds a significant correlative relationship with the inmate’s taking of medication for their mental health condition. Finally, we examine how significant the relationship, if found, affects the inmate’s mental health overall while incarcerated.


Descriptive Statistics

Table 1 presents the demographics of state inmates by Race/Ethnicity and Sex. Males make up 79.8% of the state prison population compared to females who make up 20.2%. Black non-Hispanic males hold the highest percentage

overall, coming to 33.1% of the total population. They are followed by white non-Hispanic males who make up 27.6% of the state prison population. White non-Hispanic females hold the highest female population with 8.9% of

the female population.


Table 2 presents the percentage of inmates that either have or have not taken medication for a mental condition since being admitted into prison. A total of 63.7% of all inmates replied that they have started taking medication for

a mental condition since being admitted into the correctional facility. Of all males who answered the survey question, 61.8% have begun to take medication, and 67.3% of females have as well. Between race and ethnicity, all groups have the majority represented within the

medicated category. White non-Hispanic inmates have the highest population of people being medicated (33.1%) but they also made up more than half (52.1%) of all inmates who answered this question in the survey. Since not all

inmates answered the question pertaining to medication, it is a limitation to the study and results.

Table 3.1 is a cross tabulation of inmates who take medication and communicate with their families through phone calls. Of all inmates who have taken medication for a mental condition since they have been admitted into prison,

53.8% communicate with their families. Table 3.2 shows the correlation between inmates taking medication for their mental health and who also receive phone calls from friends and family. Between the two variables, there is a

Pearson correlation of 0.063 between both variables along with a strong significance.


Table 4 shows the percentages of inmates who have monthly visits from their families and whether or not they take medication for a mental condition in prison. The table shows that 45.8% of inmates who take medication do not visit

with their families. However, there is no significant correlation found between the two variables.

Drug History

Table 5 analyses inmates taking medication for their mental health and who also reported that they used drugs even as it caused emotional problems in the year before they were admitted. The Pearson correlation was weak at 0.028.

Therefore, there was no significant correlation between the two variables.


Table 6 shows the percentage of inmates taking medication for their mental health and who also reported wanting to

cut down on drug use but were unable to in the year before incarceration. The data resulted in a Pearson’s correlation of -0.003 and a significance of 0.861; this shows that there is no significance or correlation between the

two. Medical Treatment

Table 7 presents the correlation between inmates who are taking medication and those who have been previously

diagnosed with a depressive disorder. There is a Pearson correlation of 0.176, which is significant at the 0.01 level.


Table 8 is the correlation between inmates taking medication and those who have been receiving mental health treatment since their admission into prison. There is a significant correlation with the Pearson value at 0.334.

Discussion

The aim of this study was to examine any possible relationship between an inmate’s mental health while incarcerated, and whether there was an impact due to their familial ties, previous drug history, or mental health treatment. Previous literature found that lack of a parental role and lack of familial relationships affected inmates’ mental health much more intensely than that of other inmates; fathers that were incarcerated were more likely to experience mental health disorders in prisons such as depression, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Turney et al., 2012). We found that inmates who are communicating telephonically with their families are also taking medication for mental health. However, visitation had no significant impact on the inmate’s medication. Other literature notes that previous drug history heavily impacts an inmate’s mental health, as they are forced to withdraw while incarcerated and thus could succumb to intense mood and mental health disorders that were initially dormant due to drug use (Haugebrook et al., 2010; Harner, & Riley, 2013). Additionally, previous literature states that counseling and health programs within the facility benefit the incarcerated inmates and seek to improve their mental health as they serve their sentences (Martin et. al, 2016).

Limitations

One limitation of our study is the use of secondary data because the questions asked in the survey were not catered to our research question. Due to the secondary source lacking certain topics in the survey, we were unable to analyze the family history of mental health. Mental health can be traced through generations of families, and therefore important to note in the conditions of inmates. Future research would have to cover these limitations, whether finding another study conducted with more appropriate questions that could answer the research question posed or to develop and administer a new survey with questions that do cater directly to the research question asked. Future researchers would also


take care to analyze inmates that had any prior mental health medical history before being admitted into prison, as this may skew accuracy when the question posed focuses on the mental health of current inmates who have begun mental health treatment while incarcerated. Furthermore, if we are hoping to see a relationship between the mental health of inmates and the roles family, drug history, and mental health treatment play then a time series research design would be very effective in answering the question. References Harner, H. M., & Riley, S. (2013, January). The Impact of Incarceration on Women’s Mental Health:

Responses From Women in a Maximum-Security Prison. Qualitative Health Research . SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732312461452

Haugebrook, S., Zgoba, K. M., Maschi, T., Morgen, K., & Brown, D. (2010). Trauma, Stress, Health, and

Mental Health Issues Among Ethnically Diverse Older Adult Prisoners. Journal of Correctional Health Care , 16 (3), 220–229. doi: 10.1177/1078345810367482

Mahaffey, C. C., Stevens-Watkins, D., & Leukefeld, C. (2018). Life After: Examining the Relationship

Between Sociobehavioral Factors and Mental Health Among African American Ex-Offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology , 62 (12), 3873–3889. doi: 10.1177/0306624x17750327

Martin, M., Potter, B., Crocker, A., Wells, G., & Colman, I. (2016). Yield and Efficiency of Mental Health

Screening: A Comparison of Screening Protocols at Intake to Prison. PLoS One , 11 (5), e0154106. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154106

Mental Health By The Numbers. (2019, September). Retrieved October 13, 2019, from

https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-by-the-numbers . Oliffe, J., Hanberg, D., Hannan-Leith, M., Bergen, C., & Martin, R. (2018). “Do You Want to Go Forward

or Do You Want to Go Under?” Men’s Mental Health in and Out of Prison. American Journal of Men’s Health , 12 (5), 1235–1246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988318765923

Perry, A., Neilson, M., Martyn-St James, M., Glanville, J., Mccool, R., Duffy, S., … Perry, A. (2014).

Interventions for drug-using offenders with co-occurring mental illness. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews , 2014 (1), CD010901–CD010901. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010901

Porter, L. C. (2014, June). Incarceration and Post-release Health Behavior. Journal of Health and Social

Behavior . SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146514531438 Schnittker, J., Massoglia, M., & Uggen, C. (2012, December). Out and Down: Incarceration and

Psychiatric Disorders. Journal of Health and Social Behavior . SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146512453928


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Sugie, N. F., & Turney, K. (2017, August). Beyond Incarceration: Criminal Justice Contact and Mental

Health. American Sociological Review . SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122417713188

Thomas, E., Spittal, M., Heffernan, E., Taxman, F., Alati, R., & Kinner, S. (2016). Trajectories of

psychological distress after prison release: implications for mental health service need in ex-prisoners. Psychological Medicine , 46 (3), 611–621. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715002123

Turney, K., Wildeman, C., & Schnittker, J. (2012). As fathers and felons: Explaining the effects of current

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Personal Space: How Context of Environment Impacts Sexual Behavior By Neil Bogenrieder

Abstract This paper was made to examine a single aspect of non-verbal communication and expand upon the concept. I chose to discuss non-verbal socio-sexual behavior, as I find the science of such behavior fascinating, both within a realistic situation and within a fictional setting. For the actual science of nonverbal communication, I chose to consult with research provided by Munday Library for relevant sources. Within the realm of applicable examples that show the theory in action, (“In the field”, as it were) I consulted my own personal archive of pop culture within my original presentation. In the final draft of my paper, I came to the conclusion that the context of an interaction, the environment (as well as the proxemics of said interaction) will drastically affect the socio-sexual behavior of two or more people. The greatest implication of my research, I feel, is contributing to the continued evolution of how we as a society understand and are able to decipher socio-sexual behavior in our culture (Both in everyday interaction and in the media that reflects real life) and being able to dissect it as a science when we make further progress; in particular, how we view sex within our culture and the stigma attached to it.

When we examine ourselves as a culture, I believe that we find ourselves at a paradoxical crossroads when it comes to personal space. While they don’t necessarily conflict, the ways we look at them can come across as such. One moment, we could be wanting to cuddle with our significant other and wanting to get closer. However, next, we could be wanting to be isolated and need to be as far away from anybody as possible. While the minute-to-minute changes in personal spaces are incredibly fluid for any person, this is especially important in the case of people who are already emotionally very open or closed off. In that sense, personal space becomes a hotly contested commodity within both small groups and communities of various sizes that functions as something of a currency in most social economies, especially in, for example, the closeness of a college dorm party or the loneliness of a person’s apartment at night. Therefore, I believe that it all comes down to the context of the situation, as well as previous interactions and the environment that explains the closer and more intimate territorial violations. For the remainder of this paper, I will be examining and discussing the concepts of how violations of personal territories—as well as long-term invasion and contamination—can affect the atmosphere and communication between individuals. Additionally, I will, in the opposite direction, discuss how interactions with the opposite sex can be affected by context, environment, and the density of the crowd around an interaction, the intimacy of the relationship and the ongoing conversation, and that conversation’s boundaries/personal space.

I think it’s important to start out with defining the context of situations, because they are more

often than not the backbone of the other factors of social interaction; because of this, everything ranging from the later topics of this paper to how outside observers view behavior, everything comes down to the individual and how they perceive their environments. That said, however, there are patterns that can be


observed, studied, examined and inferred upon that social standards and universal constants have established, and can be used as “defaults”, as it were, for interaction. The science of territoriality comes into play here especially, particularly because of how our personal boundaries are different from location to location. Territoriality, as defined by Knapp, Hall and Horgan, is “characterized by identification with a geographic area in a way that defines ownership,” (2014, Pg. 123). And this would, in theory, apply mainly to a location, but can also apply more contextually to a territory boundary between people within the environment. For example, in an environment such as a hospital, we can be expected to behave in a certain manner because of the social context. Additionally to reinforce this, a study done by Dougherty, Turban, Olson, Dwyer and Lapreze in 1996 providing evidence that, despite few significant findings of the study itself, that “the nature of the relationship between a man and a woman is important in determining how work behavior is interpreted” and that the student sample brought up is noted as “likely to have seen and dealt with social-sexual behavior”; however, it does cite the need for more studies of socio-sexual behavior in actual work environments rather than simulated ones. (Something I also thought was of note and worth putting down was that, because of the date of the study and the lack of normalized LGBTQ relationships, there was a distinct lack of same-sex relationships tested to see if there were similar results or radically different because of culture. Not necessarily of note, but I’m curious if the interactions are any different amongst same-sex socio-sexual dimensions.

Moving forward, the next cog in the machine I wanted to discuss is the environment in which the

socio-sexual behavior is taking place, because that is arguably the single most important aspect of the socio-sexual interaction process that can be examined. Determining the effects of an environment requires: 1) establishing the location (i.e. an office building, a club or a household like an apartment) and 2) tying down the societal norms typically associated with that location, and, while it’s not part of this particular part of the interactive foundation, 3) the number of people there and the density they make up within a particular space. For example, let’s use the example of an office building in a workplace environment as the middle of a spectrum of circumstances. In this simulated environment, there is a social expectation to maintain a solid boundary between people; there is usually a professional and personal stigma against public displays of affection in the workplace, and there is a professional hierarchy that puts people in power in a position in a potentially problematic position to abuse their power when it comes to socio-sexual interaction. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, public displays of affection are highly stigmatized in this environment, particularly because the environment is made for a workspace rather than a place to be emotionally and/or physically intimate. Tying back into context, the foundations of the societal rules of a workplace will change the direction and tone of the conversation, and thus can be re-contextualized as sexual harassment. Conversely, on one extreme end of the spectrum, we have an environment like a hospital, where socio-sexual behavior is incredibly frowned upon, both as an employee and as a person attending. In an article written by Stiefle, Marion-Veyron and Englebert, (Written in French, but paraphrased roughly into English) a hospital is described as a space and a territory, where socio-sexual behavior (and more general behavior) is largely stigmatized because of its tonal implications, but can “surprisingly become a place of existential affection, with the lived experience being disease”. (Pg. 324-326) In the next section, we will be discussing the other extreme of the spectrum, as it applies to our final topic: Crowd density.


Finally, we come to the final piece of the socio-sexual behavior machine and how it is affected by territory and their violations: crowd density. According to the textbook, crowd density is defined by both the world population and the communication community as “the number of people per unit of space.” (Pg. 130) Meanwhile, the term crowding is defined as “a feeling state that may develop in high- or low-density situations.” (Pg. 130) Bringing in the previous paragraph, this can be exacerbated by the factors of environment (i.e. space, noise acoustics, goals of a conversation in said location and the social atmosphere) and the social setting that the discussion is taking place in. The closeness that a person feels may also be additionally affected by crowd density, which could lead to the conversation going smoothly or one or more parties becoming incredibly awkward. As an example, if two people are having a small, personal conversation about a serious subject matter in a large open space, they may feel more pressure because of a lack of people to fill the space with; however, in a more intimate and closed-in location, the conversation may not be as awkward. The same would apply in a situation where there are more people to fill up that location.

An inference on my part, but in a situation with more noise and eye contact than average,

nonverbal hand and head symbols (Such as a suggestive look or hand gesture) are at their most powerful. This is because, while noise space may be at a premium, gestures require only eye contact and a mutual understanding of the code to get the message across. A personal example of mine is a nonverbal Finally, the addition of proxemics becomes something that adds to the intimacy “formula”, as it were. Carlos Sluzki, Professor Emeritus of the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution’s College of Health and Human Services, wrote an article in Family Process analyzing the main couple in the opera “Bluebeard Castle”, noting that “In each case Judith reacts initially with physical distancing, displaying horror and fear, but then re - approaches Bluebeard, expressing her love for him while asking him to open the next door.” (2016, Pg. 9-15) Additionally, there is the emphasis on the “distance after opening each door, begging her to stop her explorations and to love him with lesser demands to no avail, and when she insists, he regains distance while yielding and opening the next door. The pull - and - push escalates until Bluebeard vehemently refuses to open the seventh door.” He notes afterwards, however, that in spite of her tantrum and arguments against Bluebeard, she professes her love for no rational reason. But the point, Sluzki makes, is to point out the push-and-pull, back and forth dance Bluebeard and Judith have that inevitably breaks down when they get closer to each other with much less confined space, and their socio-sexual behavior is further fleshed out.

As demonstrated in this paper, I have gone over how violations of personal territory can affect the

context, environment and feeling of density of a crowd, and vice versa for how these factors can affect these violations of personal space; and, consequently, how our personal territory is defined in individual circumstances and in real-time. I think it’s very important to note that this is something that I am inferring with already established information and trying to find common elements as well as differences that would allow a pattern to be revealed. When looking back on this topic, it’s very easy to assume that little effort goes into this and it’s just a person being indecisive, but there are many factors that go into the ultimate equation of personal space situation-to-situation, with the broadest topics coming down to how the interactions go down; for example, when an unwanted sexual suggestion is brought up in a professional setting, it can be considered uncomfortable and often ranges into sexual harassment, when it can potentially be recontextualized in a different location and with a heavier density of surrounding


persons into a more mutually closer and beneficial circumstance for both parties. Of course, more problems arise when we realize that, as humans, we do not follow the exact science that is laid out (and practically gift-wrapped) as gospel and run on whatever instinctively comes popping into our brains. But I feel that this is what makes us unique as a people, not only because of how we can follow the laws laid out in our social science and the fascinating way that it ties into our biology, but also how we can do our damnedest to defy those same biological laws and still somewhat come up short.

Works Cited Knapp, M. L., Hall, J. A., & Horgan, T. G. (2014). Nonverbal communication in human interaction .

Boston, MA: Wadsworth. Sluzki, C. E. (2016, March). Proxemics in Couple Interactions: Rekindling an Old Optic . Family Process .

https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12196. Stiefel, F., Marion-Veyron, R., & Englebert, J. (2018, February 7). The hospital as space and as territory.

Revue medicale suisse . Dougherty, T., Turban, D., Olson, D., Dwyer, P., & Lapreze, M. (1996). Factors Affecting Perceptions of

Workplace Sexual Harassment. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 17 (5), 489-501. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/2488557


http://www.jstor.org/stable/2488557

A Study on the Implications of Literacy Practices Over the Three Major Bachelor Degrees at St. Edward's University By Felipe Broza Introduction

The purpose of this research was to test how college students from the three major bachelor degrees offered by St. Edward's University are affected by the environment and conditions that they find themselves immersed in when enrolled in a specific type of bachelor’s degree. This assumption of individuals being affected by the environment and the world in general that surrounds them came to light through the study of thresholds concepts of the process of writing according to the reading “ MetaConcept 1: Writing is an activity and a subject of study ” (Adler-Kassner and Wardle, 2015).

Departing from the idea that each bachelor’s degree presents a focus on specific sets of literacy

practices, it was hypothesized that the type of bachelor degree affects the amount of readings and writing activities that each student needs to do throughout his/her years in college (common environment). Specifically, this study hypothesis is that students enrolled to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) would have a higher rate of reading and writing materials when compared to the two other major bachelor’s degrees offered at St. Edward's University - Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

The findings of this experiment had the objective to better understand how different environments

could affect the workload for individuals that are placed therein, and specifically to provide conclusions that can be used to understand the college environment at the same time that can promote further and deeper discussions on the workload for college students and the rising of stress levels. Methods and Materials

The data collected and analyzed is based on the 398 logs posted in a shared Google Drive by a total of twenty-two (22) students, being distributed for research purposes according to the three major bachelor degrees offered at St. Edward's University. Therefore, the twenty-two students from the course Writing and Rhetoric I - which will hereby be referred as WRIT 1301.13 - are divided as it follows: Bachelor of Arts (BA) has thirteen (13) students, Bachelor of Science has five (5) students, and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) has four (4) students. Nevertheless, it was noticed that not every individual of each bachelor contributed with logs to all the three literacy practices - Reading, Writing, and Reading and Writing -, which affected the amount of data collected for each practice.

In order to clarify the study here presented, literacy practices are understood as cognitive

processes and activities that are present in and assigned by university courses. They are divided between


practices that were considered as just Reading, Writing, or at the same time, Reading and Writing. Within each literacy practice, there are several logs. Logs are defined as the specific activities practices listed in the right column of Table 1 and are represented by eight different patterns of color labels in order to facilitate the identification and classification of each log present inside the collective Google Drive. At last, all ratio results are approximations of the original result that would involve broken infinite decimals.

Taking into consideration tables 2 to 5, the research came up with results of the interpretation of

all the logs distributed in the literacy practices folders of Reading, Writing, and Reading and Writing, present in the shared Google Drive for WRIT 1301.13. Those results gave origin to the final five tables (6-10) that were used to draw conclusions to prove or refute the hypothesis above presented. These final data were analyzed in a ratio comparison method that could contrast the amount of literacy practices for the different bachelors, having in mind a parameter basis of the number of literacy practices per student.

In order for this comparison method to work, it was essential to take into account the variables of

the data, such as the unequal number of students for each bachelor. Therefore, based on this observation, the quantitative data of logs were divided in many ways. They were first divided between the three types of literacy practices (Table 2) according to the pre-established colors presented in Table 1 in order to rank and identify the number of logs for each literacy practice. Based on the data presented from Table 2 to 5, it was possible to determine a ratio between the total of logs and the number of students involved in each literacy practice. This is how many activities one of the twenty-two students would have on average in each literacy practice. As a basis for comparison, it was established the ratio of 18 logs for each student based on the 398 total logs divided by the 22 students (398:22=18) present in the course WRIT 1301.13. In sequence, the same was done by dividing the total number of logs from each literacy practice by a total of twenty-two students. The results are presented in Table 7.

In sequence, the same was done with every type of bachelor degree and the number of students.

Yet, since not all of the twenty-two students of the class contributed with log entries for the three literacy practices, the research had to consider the number of actual students that contributed to that specific literacy practice in order to get more precise results. This means that the number of students per bachelor varies according to each literacy activity. The data of this new distribution of logs and the respective ratio results can be found from Tables 6 to 10.

With the determination of several different ratios based on literacy practices, types of bachelors,

and the number of students involved in each specific circumstance, it was possible to start comparing the different ratios and prove or not if the initial hypothesis would be confirmed. The results of the middle and final stages of the experiment are presented in the following section. Results

The following tables present the number of logs collected from students present in WRIT 1301.13 throughout the period of three weeks - from February 12th to March 5th, 2019 - and distributed by different criteria.


Table 1: Color Patterns and its Description of Activities

Color Description

Red Textbook

Orange Syllabus / Instructions

Yellow PowerPoints / Presentations

Green Articles / Websites

Dark Blue Formal Essay (Lab Reports / Case Studies)

Light Blue Short Essay (Read & Response)

Pink Notes

Purple Exams / Quizzes

Table 2: Number of Logs by Color on Each Literacy Practice

Reading Writing Reading and Writing

Most Common Color Red Pink Pink

Total Logs 91 101 206

Red 57 6 21

Orange 6 5 6

Yellow 6 12 30

Green 8 4 22

Dark Blue 0 19 6

Light Blue 2 15 43

Pink 6 35 66

Purple 6 5 21

Table 3: Number of Logs by Color in Each Bachelor over the Literacy Practice of Reading


Bachelor of Arts (BA) Bachelor of Science (BS) Bachelor of Business

Administration (BBA)

Most Common Color Red Red Red

Total Logs 34 22 35

Red 10 16 31

Orange 2 3 1

Yellow 4 2 0

Green 7 0 1

Dark Blue 0 0 0

Light Blue 1 0 1

Pink 4 1 1

Purple 6 0 0

Table 4: Number of Logs by Color in Each Bachelor over the Literacy Practice of Writing

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Bachelor of Science (BS) Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

Most Common Color Pink Dark Blue Orange, Green & Light Blue

Total Logs 62 28 11

Red 5 1 0

Orange 0 2 3

Yellow 5 7 0

Green 1 0 3

Dark Blue 10 8 1

Light Blue 7 5 3


Pink 29 5 1

Purple 5 0 0

Table 5: Number of Logs by Color in Each Bachelor over the Literacy Practice of Re ading & Writing

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Bachelor of Science (BS) Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

Most Common Color Pink Pink Pink

Total Logs 92 74 40

Red 8 10 3

Orange 1 4 1

Yellow 12 10 8

Green 7 7 8

Dark Blue 1 3 2

Light Blue 27 14 2

Pink 32 20 14

Purple 4 6 2

Table 6: Ratio between Total of each Bachelor Logs per Student within that Bachelor

Bachelor Total of Logs (Reading, Writing, and Reading and Writing)

Students per Bachelor Ratio

BA 188 13 14,0

BS 124 5 24,0

BBA 86 4 21,0


Table 7: Ratio between Total of Literacy Practice Logs per Student enrolled in WRIT 1301.13

Literacy Practice Total of Logs Students in WRIT 1301.13 Ratio

Reading 91 22 4,1

Writing 101 22 4,6

Writing and Reading 206 22 9,4

All Practices 398 22 18,0

Table 8: Ratio between Total of each Bachelor Logs per Student within that Bachelor in Literacy Practice of Reading

Bachelor Total of Logs Actual Number of Students that Contributed

Ratio

BA 34 10 3,4

BS 22 4 5,5

BBA 35 3 11,7

Table 9: Ratio between Total of each Bachelor Logs per Student within that Bachelor in Literacy Practice of Writing


Ratio

BA 62 11 5,6

BS 28 4 7,0

BBA 11 2 5,5


Table 10: Ratio between Total of each Bachelor Logs per Student within that Bachelor in Literacy Practice of Reading and Writing


Ratio

BA 92 10 9,0

BS 74 4 18,0

BBA 40 1 40,0

Discussion and Conclusions

The hypothesis that students enrolled to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) would have a higher rate of reading and writing materials when compared to the two other major bachelor’s degrees offered at St. Edward's University - Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) - was not supported by the data from several points of view when comparing ratios.

Based on the analysis of Tables 6 to 10, the lack of support starts by the fact that although the

Bachelor of Arts represents the biggest amount of logs entries (188) and students (13) when compared to the Bachelors of Science (124 | 5) and of Business Administration (86 | 4), the ratios represented in Table 6 shows an inverted result, in which BA is placed in the lowest position, presenting an average of 14 logs for each student, while BS appears in first, having an average of 24 logs for each student. When compared to the basic parameter of 18 logs per student (Table 7), it highlights that BA was the only bachelor to have a ratio below average - with BBA having an average of 21 logs per student.

This trend continues in Tables 8 and 10, where Bachelor of Arts is again placed in third - the

lowest position. In that regard, Table 8 becomes immensely relevant due to the fact that it challenges the basic logic of linking the amount of total logs to the amount of workload within a certain bachelor. Although the Bachelor of Arts presents the biggest amount of logs and students, its ratio is placed in third, while the Bachelor of Business Administration with one single student 'brought' the biggest workload when taking into consideration the per-student criteria.

It should be further observed in order to foment future discussions that Tables 8 and 10 derives

from Tables 3 and 5 - those are, the data that presents specific color label activities within Reading, and Reading and Writing practices -, and based on that, it is highlighted that both present a pattern of ranking of ratios between the bachelors at the same time that those are the only tables that have the same "Most Common Color" in every of the three bachelors. Therefore, there might be a possibility to indicate how those specific activities (colors) can correspond and/or affect the patterns present in the ratios of logs for those bachelors.


There are several different approaches for interpretation that can derive from these ten tables, and above the study pointed just a few, although no concrete correlation was possible due to the unexpected non supporting results of the experience. Nevertheless, the inquiries that were raised can instigate future methodologies to analyze this kind of research.

In order to provide an understanding of how the quantitative data might have affected the

qualitative data of this study, the following points regarding the limitations of the analyses should be taken into consideration so that any duplication of this study - adapted or not - can provide more accurate and fair results to be analyzed, interpreted, and used in the future.

The first limitation to be noticed is the problems with adequate triage of logs entries. Some

students weren't able to properly identify and classify their logs into the different literacy practices, or even into the adequate classification of colors established in Table 1. Moreover, there were logs non-categorized due to the fact that they weren't properly or even colored at all, and therefore, those couldn't be counted into the research, which decreased the amount of data collected.

Another difficulty faced during the triage of the logs was the case of those that had two or more

different colors that didn't make it clear which category of color it was representing. Therefore, this might have caused misinterpretation to understand if it was representing just one category or several. This issue was caused due to the fact that some students highlighted titles and sentences with some of the same colors that were used to establish the different activities within the literacy practices collected, while others didn't even categorize some of their logs. This also aggravated the available sample for the proper conduction of this research. Nevertheless, in order to work around this last issue, each color was counted separately as if it was a new log entry.

Although the main hypothesis of this experiment wasn't supported by the data presented, some of

the qualitative findings of this experiment show that such inquiry was able to dig deeper into the better understanding of how different environments and conditions can affect the amount of work that is placed on top of individuals that are part of that same environment. While in further observation, it's able to foment possible linkages to sociological concepts inside university campuses, and their effects over college students enrolled in the three major bachelor degrees for undergraduates. Work Cited Adler-Kassner, Linda and Wardle, Elizabeth. "MetaConcept 1: Writing is an activity and a

subject of study" Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies , eds. Linda Adler-Kassner and Elizabeth Wardle, Utah State University Press, 2015, pp. 15. ProQuest Ebook Central, ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/stedwards/detail.action?docID=3442949.

Broza, Felipe. “WRIT 1301.13 Shared Class Data Folder” Google , Feb. 2019, drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0ABf3GNqp2sC3Uk9PVA.


“Communicators” versus “Self-Teachers”: How Much Does a Student’s Use of Resources Affect their Confidence? By Cleonagh Carey and Clarisse Rodriguez

Abstract While almost all college professors offer additional student resources such as office hours, many students do not take advantage of them. In this project, we collected data from a single First-Year Writing course at St. Edward’s University and analyzed both literacy logs and follow-up questionnaire responses. We identified two groups of learners: “communicators”, those who take advantage of their ability to communicate with their professors and those that we call “self-teachers” who make sense of the information that they gather independently. The communicators reported significantly higher confidence in their work while the self-teachers found difficulty in acquiring necessary information. This project discusses the implications of that information. The results lead to a conclusion that reveals a way to close the gap between what students think they should have prepared for class and what professors expect students to have an understanding of. As online educational communication grows it is important now for students to effectively acquire and understand only the most relevant information to succeed in their academic endeavors.

Introduction

In our writing and rhetoric class, we conducted research to understand what students do when engaging in reading and writing for their courses, which, for the purpose of this report, will be called “literacy strategies”. Every day for two weeks students kept track of their literacy practices by filling out reading and writing logs. The logs revealed strategies used by students to complete class assignments and learn class material. After the data was collected and analyzed one observation that intrigued the researchers most was the tendency of students to approach their teachers to build an understanding or tendency to decipher the material on their own. To further investigate the researchers identified two groups of students: those who communicated with teachers and those who did not. Then the researchers compared these two groups to evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies in academic success. The researchers then made a questionnaire that collected more data on what students do when they communicate with teachers, what self-sufficient students use to prepare for class, and how they feel about the effectiveness of their literacy practices. The researchers hypothesize that students who engage in both activities--meeting with teachers for clarification and solidifying their understanding through self-teaching--to complete assigned activities, would report the highest rates of academic success. The actions combined are projected to give students a smoother, more beneficial learning experience.


Methods

Our research began with the entire class keeping reading and writing logs every day for two weeks. The log template is attached in appendix one. The data students provided revealed various literary strategies used to study and complete assignments. After the two weeks of logging reading and writing practices, the researchers analyzed the students’ tendencies and took written notes of similar procedures. The trends that were uncovered led the researchers to develop a questionnaire to ask students specific questions based on whether they approach instructors for aid or not, and what each type of student did to prepare for class and their experience. The questionnaire included multiple-choice, scaled, and open-ended questions. The questionnaire was tailored to each type of student and guided them to the next question based on how they answered. Directing the questions from the answers given, allowed the researchers to get an accurate read on the practice of self-teaching and what to expect when asking professors for help on the class material. 18 out of 22 students participated in the questionnaire. The “self-teachers” answered 4 questions and the “communicators” answered 5. The questionnaire is attached in appendix two. The scaled questions were averaged, the open-ended responses were summarized, and the answers to the multiple-choice questions were counted up to see what behavior was typical of students. Results

Of the 18 participants, 7 of them reported that they approach their teachers when they struggle with a topic. These students typically ask questions to get clarification on what it is they are having trouble with. The effectiveness of the clarification received was said to depend on the professor. Helpful professors clarified misconstrued knowledge with alternate explanations, examples, solidified details like due dates and assignment requirements, and the exact information necessary for the class. On a scale from 1-5, 5 being the most valuable, 4 was the average rating of how valuable approaching the instructor was. The researchers asked students what they did once they received information from a teacher. 4 said they take note of it, 2 simply remembered the information, and one student integrated self-teaching to further their comprehension of the information obtained. We also asked the “communicators” to rate self-teaching on a 1-5 scale. The average rating was 3.

The remaining 11 students revealed that they do not go to their professors for clarification on

topics they struggle with. The researchers asked these individuals why they do not approach their professors. 5 students did not because they felt confident in their own abilities, 5 because they were scared or felt stupid for asking questions, and one did not because they were lazy. The “self-teachers” believe self-teaching is the best practice for certain subjects, engaging with the content and making memorization easier, and obtaining a complete understanding from additional sources. “Self-teachers” however also feel disadvantaged because they may be faced with too much or too little information and not fully knowledgeable on exactly what the professor expects the student to know for class. The “self-teachers’” average rating of self-teaching was a 3 from a scale of 1-5.

We asked all the questionnaire participants to share the tools they utilize when engaging in

self-teaching. Of the students who approach their teachers, 4 read textbooks, 7 watched videos, 3 listened


to podcasts, 4 read articles and notes, and 2 participated in study groups. Of the students who did not engage with teachers, 10 read textbooks, 9 watched videos, 2 listened to podcasts, 6 read articles and notes, and 2 worked in study groups. 2 students selected ‘other’, one used google to explain small, specific details, and the other student found practice problems online.

Discussion

Our hypothesis that utilizing your teacher as a resource along with self-teaching would best prepare a student was supported by the data collected. Students that said they go to their teacher for guidance reported that they were more knowledgeable on the material. This data leads us to believe that these students come to class prepared and could easily complete assignments because their instructors provided the exact information needed. Self-teaching students revealed that their method is helpful and allows them to learn easier but often causes them to come to class excess information the professor did not need them to know, and occasionally lacking vital content. Students self-teach the wrong information because they do not know what the teacher needs them to know for the class. If students communicate with their professors, they obtain the specific content they are expected to comprehend and avoid wasting time finding and studying the wrong information. Once armed with the relevant content the student can further absorb it through self-teaching. Since textbooks, notes, and videos were reported to be the most common self-teaching practices from the questionnaire, we assume that these resources are the most effective form of self-teaching. Overall, using instructors as a resource to obtain information then self-teaching the concepts to build an understanding can close the gap between what teachers expect students to know for class and what students come to class knowing. Appendix One

CONTENT or OVERVIEW

Academic Private Reading Writing

Title:

Author/Creator:

Genre or Type of Assignment:

Audience(s) for Assignment:

Exigence:


Hyperlink, if applicable:

INSTRUCTIONS

What, if anything, did the instructor say were your purposes for completing this assignment?

How, if at all, did your instructor tell you to approach this assignment?

What, if any, expectations did the instructor convey about the assignment?

Based on the above, what is your preliminary plan for effectively completing the assignment?

SUPPORT

Who, if at all, did you consult for help when completing this assignment? Name the people. Explain your relationship to them.

What are some specific suggestions or tips shared with you? Explain.

AFTER YOU COMPLETE THE EVENT/ASSIGNMENT….

REFLECTION on ASSIGNMENT

Describe briefly how you completed the assignment. How well did your expectations meet the way you actually completed the assignment?

Describe briefly any feedback (including but not limited to grades) you received on this assignment. Feel free to note both peer and instructor feedback.

Describe your overall performance on the assignment, taking your instructor’s expectations and instructions into consideration.

Appendix Two

WP #2: Self Taught vs Teacher Taught Learning Questionnaire

1) Do you approach your teacher if you are struggling with a topic?


A. Yes (go to question 2) B. No (go to question 4)

2) What kinds of questions do you ask? On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best, how helpful is getting clarification from your professor? Explain. (go to question 3) 3) If you speak with your professor, what do you do with the information given? (go to question 5 and continue on)

A. Take notes → written or typed B. Just remember it C. Act on it and get further clarification from outside sources (integrate self-teaching)

4) Of the following what is the closest reason you do not ask your professor for help? (continue)

A. Lazy B. Scared/Feel stupid C. Confident in own abilities

5) What do you utilize when teaching yourself? (Circle that apply)

A. Read textbook B. Watch videos C. Listen to podcasts/lectures D. Read other articles/ handwritten notes/ other people’s notes E. Study groups F. Other, elaborate:

6) On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best, how would you rate the general experience of self-teaching? Please

explain.


Exploring the Prevalence of Tetracycline Resistance in Soil Adjacent to Lentic and Lotic Water Systems

By Eduardo Carillo with Rahjewel Barnhill and Catherine Nickel

Abstract Tetracycline (tet) is a common antibiotic used to treat various bacterial infections. This compound can give rise to antibiotic resistance (ABR) which characterizes a bacteria's ability to resist antibiotics. This process occurs when bacteria that have innate or acquired resistance to an antibiotic survive and reproduce generating bacteria with similar or increased resistance. ABR is thought to be a complex problem recognized as a persistent global threat that is increasing due to the slow pace in development of new antimicrobials. It has been proposed that antimicrobial genes originated from environmental bacteria, such as bacteria commonly found in soil. This review explores the amount of ABR present in soil adjacent to lotic and lentic systems around Saint Edward’s University.

Click here to view Carillo’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_kGdyfuWJNNukie-BKlIiFDy5x2nYWF/view?usp=sharing

Time Travel Journalism: An Innovative Methodological Approach to 19th-Century Art History By Yanbing (Murphy) Chen

The Tribune Chronicle art correspondent reports collection is a body of date- and site-specific art

news articles from 1885, which I created by utilizing the alternative researching method of “time travel.” This re-examination of the history of art through journalism provides the audience with a reading experience that makes history come to life. The “living history” includes experiential and experimental historical interviews founded on rigorous research. Such an approach allows me to recraft the factual-based historical texts into something that’s more engaging and insightful for audiences to read and to explore. In the meanwhile, such a method also grants me, as a writer, a scholar, the opportunity to critically and experimentally inspect an event or a person on a micro level. The pinpointing of the subject matters of my inspection enriches the depth and breadth of time-specific history. Therefore, instead of getting swarmed by a series of “big-idea” historical facts and jargon, I actively position myself back in a specific time and place. I rethink history through a contemporary lens. Hence, I believe that time-travel journalism, as an alternative way for us to “live” in history, has its potential and critical voice in shaping the postmodern historiography of art history.

Specifically, in my research, in order to fully demonstrate the 19th-century global perspective, I staged my journeys all over the world. For example, in the beginning of 1885, I toured cave paintings in Queen Victoria’s India. My studio visiting with Georges Seurat, on the outskirts of Paris, was a memorable, coloristic delight. I also reported “live” from London’s Savoy Theater on the grand opening of The Mikado including interviews with the set architect and writers of the play. At the end of 1885, during Christmas time, I came back to London from France. While touring William Morris’ wallpaper workshops, I found myself recommending the artist’s paper patterns and ideas to my fellow Victorians! In a nutshell, by “traveling” back in time and directly interviewing artists, I brought the past to life for a 21st-century audience.

To demonstrate the methodology of the research, I include below two sample articles from my

original collection of six articles. These two articles are purposefully staged in different months in 1885. They inspect the historical moments or figures of my interests, through a Victorian lens. The first Article is a pseudo field report from India’s Ajanta Cave in 1885. The second sample is drawn from a pseudo-interview that I conducted with a painter who has masterful techniques in painting marbles, but also contributed significantly in the contemporary archeological revival movement among Victorian scholars and artists.


Field Report of Cave Paintings of Ajanta and Mr. John Griffiths 1885, Jan 12 th , from Bombay, India

It is the year 1885. On Her Majesty the Queen’s behalf, the South Kensington Museum hosts an exhibition of a series of cave mural paintings by Mr. John Griffiths, the principal of the Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai School of Art, in Bombay India, and his students at the Bombay School of Art. This project of Mr. Griffiths lasted from 1872 till now, in the historical site of the Buddhist complex Ajanta, Aurangabad India. It is regarded as a celebratory symbol of the might of the British Empire and Her Majesty, the Empress of India. The scars from the Great Sepoy Mutiny have been healed. The peace and prosperity in the world of art shall harmonize under her Majesty’s grace. The reminiscence of once glorious Ajanta is captured on canvas for the celebration of Britons. God Save the Queen!

Under the South Kensington Museum’s instruction, I begin my travel with the Eastern India

Company, and sail away to the city of Bombay located along the west coast shoreline of the Indian peninsula. Once we reach the port, a wave of tropical heat greets me into an ancient land. A land that lies in the vast ocean of rich, tropical vegetation, among which are hidden the ancient ruins of temples and palaces of the once mighty kingdom of Gupta and the kingdom of Vakataka. Blessed by the perfect timing and spirit of the spring, my colleagues and I happen to come across the grand Makara Sankranti—a Hindu festival that celebrates the celestial wonder of heavenly bodies. Accompanied by joy, I am walking among the crows in the zigzagging town market which is perfumed by the sweet spices, and watching the devoted Hindus bathing in the river that shimmers under the morning sunlight while trading their exotic toys and sweetmeats with each other. People are pleasantly welcoming in their exuberantly colored dress and brightly lit face paintings. A moment of joy flows all over my body—what a marvelous day! What a wonder of life! Around noon, I take a ride on a local bullock cart, the only transportation into the cliff of Ghats, four miles to the east of the bay and step into the deeply entrenched jungle. The temple of Ajanta is my destination afoot on the top of Ghats. Geographically, the elevation of altitude among Buddhist temples in India, Japan, and China is commonly seen. The elevated, deserted location of those natural cave complexes provide the devoted and the monks with monastic isolation and a lifestyle that is far away from temptation. The monasticism in Buddhism is necessary for them to fully enhance their spiritual Niruritti in order to reach Nirvana, aka. the enlightenment.

On the site of Ajanta, the semi-circular cliff sweeps a range of half a mile, erected firmly 250 feet

above ground. Reaching beyond the curvature of the cliff is a roaring waterfall named “Sat-Kund,” or seven pools. Here, the only sounds that pierce through the meditative air of silence are the splashing sound of the waterfall, chirping and chiming of exotic birds, and the distant howling of monkeys. Directed by the locals, I climb up to get a closer look of each individual cave. Thirty caves in total, the caves of Ajanta are divided into two types based on their functionality. The Chaitya (or temple), were once dedicated for worshipping only; and the Vihara (or monastery, dormitory) were the residences of the monks, or so called “cells.” The facades and interiors in each of the stone caves were unevenly carved out and ornamented. For instance, caves I and II were elaborately painted inside and out with figures of bodhisattvas, the guards of Buddha, figures from mythical narrations, organic ornamental motifs, and images of Buddha. Cave I alone occupies sixty-four square feet. Twenty pillars, each ten feet wide, lead to a colossal statue of Buddha. A fanciful ancient world rests beyond the wooden doors and shutters. The


shutters were added at the later stage of conservation by Mr. Griffiths to keep away bats and birds. The totality of Ajanta cave painting is a collective orchestra of the Hindu allegorical and religious narratives. Despite the repetitive appearance of Buddha, and Ajanta’s dualistic presence and influences from Buddhism and Hinduism, one should not confuse the visual imageries in Hinduism with those of Buddhism. The complexity and intricacy of Hindu system made Hinduism a polytheistic religion which celebrates multifaced deities. Whereas Buddhism devotes only to the “enlightened one,” the Buddha. A sense of tranquility in nature, humanity, and spirituality is depicted through mixing representation of genre scenery—everyday mundane Hindus feasting, singing, and dancing—with the exotic jungle beasts—especially elephants—and the divine shrine of Buddha, surrounded by the Hindu polytheistic deities, demi-gods, demons and Bodhisattva.

A systematic, comprehensive tour of Ajanta is a labor, a time-consuming task for the viewers.

Nevertheless, simply examining the small decorative details of Ajanta are equally interesting and fanciful. For instance, the decorative, small details like fruity fig trees and blooming lotus are commonly portrayed as iconography of Buddha. The detailed floral Lotus motifs, resembling purity, vary in different species— specifically that of Small Blue Lotus ( Nymhaa Steleta), the red and white lotus ( Nymphaa Lotus), and the large pink sacred lotus of India ( Nelumbium speciosum).

After spending an entire day sojourning in Ajanta, I returned to the village of Bombay. The next

day I am meeting Mr. Griffiths in his office at Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai School of Art. I am curious about the methods and purpose of his conservational works—given the field of art preservation among ancient ruins and monuments is a relatively recent realm, so much is unknown to us.

Mr. Griffiths starts the interview with a background story of the project. He explains to me that he

got permission to recreate copies of murals in Ajanta around 1844, when the directors of East India Company reached out to the Royal Asiatic Society and aided them handsomely for the conservation. Later on, in 1872, directed by the government of Bombay, Griffiths himself started the field conservation. An annual grant assigned to him lasted from 1881 till now. Regarding the conservation methods, under his personal, careful supervision, a team of art students from the Bombay School of Art follow instructions step by step. First, they trace the wall painting directly out of the mural stone. Then, they transfer the tracing onto canvas correctly and accurately. The style of Ajanta is questioned by Mr. Ferguson, who visited the cave between 1838 to 1839. According to Mr. Ferguson, “the style (of Ajanta), however is not European, but more resembles Chinese art, particularly in the flatness and want of shadow.”

By the end of our conversation, I was instructed to sail back to England with Mr. Griffiths for an

art reception in the Indian Museum at South Kensington. Before we depart, he jokingly tells me that he would rather have all the duplicated wall paintings placed here in Bombay, India, than ship them all the way to England. It is simply because they would have better care under his supervision. I could tell from his eyes that he is deeply attached to the art of Ajanta and the spirituality of the cave paintings. It is truly remarkable to see how art, especially the masterpieces and artistic treasures like the cave paintings of Ajanta, can penetrate one’s mind and soul, and gradually become a part of you.


The Dutch Man Mr. Lawrence Alma Tadema and Archeological Revivals 1885, April 10 th , from St. John’s Wood, London

It is the time of great grief as the nation of Great Britain lost General Gordon, who was beloved and well-respected due to his victory of Tel-el-Kebir three years ago. Her Majesty shares our loss and pain. As the nation’s condolence and remorse continue, Her Majesty sends a message to the guards of the British Empire who are sailing off to Egypt. Seemingly, Her Majesty the Queen takes great interest in the affairs of Egypt. European curiosity about Egypt and oriental lands, started to become an artistic trend about a century ago, during the Napoleonic expedition of 1798. For instance, the Egyptian Orientalism was already embedded in the beginning of the 19 th century. French Classical master Antoine-Jean Gros produced Napoleon in the Plague House at Jaffa in 1804, which gives its audience a sense of Egyptomania during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign. The finding of the Rosetta Stone hands us the key to decode and comprehend the echo and ghost that is buried in the ancient World. Another archeological discovery—the excavation of Pompeii, just a few decades ago, together with the Rosetta Stone, ignited contemporary Egyptian revival, or Egyptomania, with a mixed blend of Greco-Roman taste. Nowadays, any art lover can easily grasp the essence of Egyptomania in Sphinx decorations and the Victoria Embankment’s oak and pine furniture—dressers, cupboard, and sofas—and carvings of hieroglyphs, papyrus-shaped ornamentations and columns, and cartouches. For readers in London who are curious and intrigued to model and decorate their home in Egyptian style, please refer to The Principles of Decorative Design (1873), written by Christopher Dresser; and Grammar of Ornament (1856), written by Owen Johns.

Besides waves of home décor in the style of Egyptian Revival, the Greco-Roman style is equally

fashionable among Victorians. Thanks to the handsome and generous recommendation from South Kensington Museum, I had the pleasure to pay a house visit to the famous and delightful painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema—who works extensively in the style of Egyptomania and Greco-Rome—and interview him on works of his archeological revivals. It was such a pity that a decade ago, our good sir lost his Townshend House in Regent’s Park in a tragic, mysterious fire. Nonetheless, I could not help but to imagine how splendid it would be to host this interview in his “Pompeian Palace.” Mr. Tadema describes his once majestic residence as: “fitted up to appear as much like a Roman villa as was consistent with the peculiarities of the English climate and the comforts of English homes.” Nevertheless, with the help from the museum, I attended Mr. Tadema’s studio in his London home, located on Grove End Road, St. John’s Wood (also was the former residence of French artist J. J. Tissot).

Mr. Tadema welcomes me with his thick Dutch accent, which, frankly, is hard to comprehend. He

is, as I heard from friends who attended his exhibition and “At Homes'' event, indeed a warm-hearted, charming gentleman, with a rather child-like genuine easy-goingness. He then starts to explain to me how his early experience paved his achievements now. He used to be an assistant to Baron Hendryk Leys, a history painter, and lived with Louis de Taye, an archaeologist, through whom he came across Egyptologist Georg Ebers. It is the archeological discoveries from the ancient ruins of Egypt and Rome that synthesized and finalized the aesthetics and subject matters in his art. As the first person who utilizes the archeological evidence in Victorian art, Mr. Tadema has a remarkable attention to details and craftsmanship. His treatment of luminosity on the surface of paintings and magnificent illustration in


texture of marble shocks is praised by contemporary artists and critics. Under the pen of Mr. John Ruskin, “Tadema’s technical perfection was in inverse ratio to the importance of the subject he was portraying.” Even Her Majesty the Queen is exceptionally fond of Mr. Tadema’s pieces. I wonder if it will only be a matter of time until Her Majesty knights this great artist. His hundreds of paintings are currently in storage and for shows. They are the true testament of his impeccable work ethic. I had the honor to see two of his finished, gallery-ready pieces with my bare eyes: Expectations and A Reading from Homer.

Both paintings are staged along the shoreline of the Bay of Naples. Gazing beyond the silky,

white marbles, the peaceful, deep-blue sea is shimmering under the bright sunlight. The brightness is enhanced, according to Mr. Tadema, by the aluminum ceiling above us. Unlike ordinary glass, aluminum reflects lights exceptionally well. The former piece captures a classic Tadema-esque setting: a youthful girl dressed in Roman attire, longing for her lover’s return and sitting beside a blooming tree. They say there is a delightful olfactory sense in Tadema’s painting—as I started to lose focus on the miniscule details in marble, the scents of sweet flowers creeping out of canvas are immersive. As for the latter piece, besides the unbelievable treatment of marble and the trace of sweet smell from scattered petals, the musical quality of the painting is hinted by the Greek girl’s tambourine. Sounds of poetry, scents of flower, and warmth from the sunlight create a timeless afternoon delight of the Mediterranean past.

Another painting which Mr. Tadema shows me is his Cleopatra, which he painted three years

ago. In this piece, he intertwined the Egyptian Orientalism and Greco-Roman Classicism with allegories which are commonly known to our fellow Victorians. The motifs and objects—instruments, insignia, fail, crook—in the Egyptian Queen’s royal barge are incredibly precise. I can’t believe my eyes. Mr. Tadema catches my bewilderment with a grin and directs me to a pile of modified artefacts and books. They are the keys to his accuracy and artistry. By using hands-on modification and a collection of archeological artefacts and illustrations from excavation sites, he observes the objects meticulously, and modify them accordingly to his needs.

After spending such a lovely afternoon in his exquisite, exotic studio, with laughter, tea, and his

lavish paintings, I am immersed in awe for his creativity and draftsmanship. Hats off to Mr. Tadema, the Dutch man who represents the High Victorian taste of Britannia. I cannot wait to see his future production and the fame with which this great man is going to overload in the Victorian art world. Best wishes to his health and his art! Works Cited Ash, Russel., and Bernard Higton. Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. London: Pavilion Books Limited, 1989 . Arnstein, Walter L. "The Warrior Queen: Reflections on Victoria and Her World." Albion: A Quarterly

Journal Concerned with British Studies 30, no. 1 (1998): 1-28.


Dehejia, Vidya. “Hinduism and Hindu Art.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hind/hd_hind.htm (February 2007)

Dehejia, Vidya. “Buddhism and Buddhist Art.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/budd/hd_budd.htm (February 2007)

Griffiths, John. The Paintings in the Buddhist Cave-Temples of Ajanta Khandesh, India. Delhi: Caxton

Publications, 1983. Prettejohn, Elizabeth, Peter Trippi, Jan Dirk Baetens, Ivo Blom, Petra ten-Doesschate Chu, Markus

Fellinger, Charlotte Gere, Daniel Robbins, Marlies Stoter, Eline van den Berg, Carolyn Epps Dixon, Alistair Grant, Anne Helmreich, Ian Jenkins, Stephanie Moser, Wendy Sijnesael, Robert Verhoogt . Lawrence Alma-Tadema: at home in Antiquity / edited for the Fries Museum. Munich, London, New York: Prestel, 2016.

Pantazzi, Michael, and Ziegler Christiane. Egyptomania: Egypt in Western Art , 1730-1930: [exhibition]

Paris, Musée du Louvre, 20 January-18 April 1994; Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada, 17 June-18 September 1994; Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, 16 October 1994-29 January 1995. Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada; Paris: Réunion des Musées Nationaux, c. 1994.

Tartakov, Gary Michael. 2003 "Ajanta." Grove Art Online. 9 March. 2019.

http://www.oxfordartonline.com.ezproxy.stedwards.edu/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/97818844460 54.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000001337 .

Wilton-Ely, John. 2003 "Egyptian Revival." Grove Art Online. 12 Mar. 2019.

http://www.oxfordartonline.com.ezproxy.stedwards.edu/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/97818844460 54.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000025629 .

“Building the Museum Produced as part of Queen Victoria & Prince Albert´s Bicentenary” Victoria and

Albert Museum, London, Accessed March 3 rd , 2019. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/building-the-museum

“V & A Search the Collections Copy of painting in the cave of Ajanta” Victoria and Albert Museum,

London. Accessed March 3 rd , 2019. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=ajanta


http://www.oxfordartonline.com.ezproxy.stedwards.edu/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000001337




https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/building-the-museum

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=ajanta

A Narrative to Negate Nightmares: A Criticism of Kavanaugh’s Testimony By Madison Cramer Introduction

Americans and politicians alike banned together to judge Brett Kavanaugh for his allegations of sexual assault in September of 2018. In the year of the Me Too movement, the judge had to work hard to make his narrative convincing for two incredibly varying groups of people; the conservative republicans, who prefer a depiction of classic American ideals in their representatives, and the liberal democrats, who typically express empathy for survivors of sexual assault. Kavanaugh attempted to make his speech convincing for the members of these two groups; for the conservatives, he expressed himself as the ideal depiction of American values. For the liberals, he depicted himself as a protector of women. In addition, he directly contrasted the narrative of him being an abuser by making himself out to be an actively persecuted victim.

In this paper, I will discuss Kavanaugh's successes through three varying depictions of himself: Kavanaugh as the AMERICAN DREAM , Kavanaugh as a PROTECTOR OF WOMEN , and Kavanaugh as a PERSECUTED VICTIM . I hope to reveal how Kavanaugh was able to do the unthinkable through his self-composed narrative; he was able to convince America that he was innocent, even without proper evidence, alibis, or composure. Presentation of Artifact and Context

Before the hearing of Brett Kavanaugh in September of 2018, Republicans and senators alike had already made their decision. The hearing mattered little; in their minds, Kavanagh was not only innocent, but an asset in controlling laws in the Supreme Court. Kavanagh being seen as guilty would set conservatives back and hurt their public image.

Kavanagh gave an emotionally charged testimony where he lost his temper multiple times, broke down in tears, and made many charged statements attacking the “liberal accusers” who desire to “destroy his name.” Kavanaugh went on long discussions on aspects of his life that do not pertain to the hearing or his defense, listing names of women he is friends with, calendars his father keeps, and elite basketball camps he frequented as a child. Both politicians and publications considered this evidence weak.

Dr. Blasey Ford had her own emotional yet composed testimony. After the testimony, favor regarding the hearing seemed to shift. Even republican Fox News anchor Chris Wallace stated that Ford’s testimony was “extremely emotional, extremely raw, and extremely credible (Kim et al.).” Still, many conservatives stood behind Kavanaugh, expressing sympathy for his “victimization” in the media and for his “courage” in his defense, which put him in a similar role as Dr. Ford as a “victim.”


In the end, Kavanaugh convinced the court that he was innocent, thereby becoming the next Supreme Court Justice. Kavanaugh was able to secure himself as innocent in the minds of the public through his narrative depictions of himself. He created an image of him being the AMERICAN DREAM , a PROTECTOR OF WOMEN , and a PERSECUTED VICTIM. These narrative strategies are why Kavanaugh now retains a seat as a Supreme Court Justice. Description of Critical Method

The lens I will be using to dissect Kavanaugh’s rhetoric will be through narrative criticism. I consider Kavanaugh’s speech to be the perfect artifact to inspect because of the nature of narrative criticism. Sonja K. Foss describes narrative criticism through four primary defining features in her book, Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice .

First, narratives contain both an active and static condition (Foss 307). Kavanaugh’s narrative can be summarized in the following statement: I did not sexually assault Dr. Blasey Ford; In addition to that, I am an exemplary candidate for this job. This statement has both an active and static condition.

Secondly, in narrative criticism events are categorized in order. Kavanaugh goes through his testimony in a structured order. He begins by describing his character with his job experience. Then, he goes into the specific, chronological details. When he describes the party and what led up to that circumstance, Kavanaugh is using a chronological timeline.

Next, a narrative must include a relationship among the story’s events. Every story Kavanaugh tells relates back to the event of the story. The detailed calendars he keeps directly influences his story pertaining to how he could not be at the party Dr. Ford was attending. Kavanaugh’s relationship with the women in his life directly correlates with his general attitude towards women. Everything he states has purpose.

Lastly, the story must be about a thematically consistent subject (308). The subject that Kavanaugh continuously returns to is the depiction of his innocent character. Kavanaugh continuously molds his character through his ramblings regarding his high school friends, his family stories, and his list of names of women friends. Every random shift in subject is, in fact, incredibly calculated.

I will use narrative criticism to analyze and break down Kavanaugh’s composed images of himself as AMERICAN DREAM , a PROTECTOR OF WOMEN , and a PERSECUTED VICTIM. In breaking down these consistent narrative themes, I hope to shed light concerning the power of image and story. Presentation of Analysis

Brett Kavanaugh convinced an audience of his qualifications (and with it, a supposed innocence) through the use of his narrative rhetoric. I will be focusing on three common themes: Kavanagh as the


epitome of the AMERICAN DREAM, Kavanaugh as a PROTECTOR OF WOMEN , and Kavanaugh as a PERSECUTED VICTIM .

Kavanaugh desired to depict himself as a relatable, all-American figure that was understandable and idyllic for the American people. Kavanaugh showed himself as the AMERICAN DREAM though relating himself to the audience and the country, describing himself as a lover of the nation and justice, and embodying masculine traits and aspirations in his youth.

In one of Kavanaugh’s opening statements, he tells his audience that “no one has seen a draft [of his testimony] except for one of [his] former law clerks.” When Kavanaugh states this, he is attempting to sound genuine, down to earth, and humble. His speech is his own feelings, untarnished by the corporate interests of politics. The words he is stating are his own. In addition, he describes himself as an “optimistic guy” who will never quit in the face of attack. He is building himself to be relatable to the audience. He is a fellow man, worthy of sympathy. Kavanaugh also ends his speech with the plea for the audience to judge him “by the standards that you would want applied to your father, your husband, your brother, your son.” In stating this, Kavanaugh is attempting to link himself familiarly with the people judging him. He is creating a connection of empathy between himself and his viewers.

Kavanaugh also relates himself with the law, further establishing his connection with the idyllic AMERICAN DREAM . He shows that he is a supporter of the president and primarily concerned about the tarnishing of politics in his statement that his hearing is a “calculated and orchestrated political hit… with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump.” In addition, he shows that he is a man of authority in law and respect for the proceedings when he mentions that he has served “at the highest levels of American government.” Near the end of his testimony, he reiterates his patriotism with his “graciousness to the president” and “reverence to the constitution.”

The most apparent appeal to the AMERICAN DREAM is his depiction of himself in a role typical of a hyper-masculine white individual. According to his testimony, he is a family man who has a deep respect for his father and follows in his father’s footsteps with his reverence of organized calendars. Kavanaugh participates in pro golf tournaments, football training camps, and “legendary five-star basketball camps.” Apparently, he has no time for parties because of his intense training regime. He portrays himself as academic when he mentions taking his high school achievement test in his Catholic Jesuit all-boys high school. He is also apparently spiritual, stating that “going to church on Sundays was like brushing [his] teeth.” He also claims to be ethically virginal, stating that he had “never had sexual intercourse… during high school or for many years after that.” He mentioned having beers with friends while talking about “life and football and school and girls.” Kavanaugh is, in this narrative, the epitome of a clean-cut Catholic school boy. This portrait depicts Kavanaugh as someone not worthy of slander; he is the epitome of masculinity and American ideals. Tarnishing him would hurt the ideal vision of the American Dream.

Kavanaugh also desires to depict himself as a PROTECTOR OF WOMEN . During the time of his trial, the Me Too movement was relevant and women’s accusers in society were being brought to light. Kavanaugh had to navigate how to make himself seem like an ally to women while also negating Dr.


Ford’s statements. Kavanaugh does this by not attacking Dr. Ford, speaking in length about the women in his life, and discussing his impact on equality in the workforce.

Kavanaugh understood that he could not call Dr. Ford a liar. If Kavanaugh blamed Dr. Ford, he would paint himself in a negative light with his attitude pertaining to women. Instead, Kavanaugh artfully danced around the blame, saying that “Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person… but I have never done this to her or anyone.” Kavanaugh repeats this statement repeatedly in his testimony. Kavanaugh depicts her as a misguided and politically controlled pawn. He treats her with softness, because he knows that if he attacks her, his image will be tarnished.

Throughout his speech, Brett Kavanaugh repeatedly discusses his relationships with women throughout his life. He begins with discussing his mother, a lawyer who dealt with workplace harassment and was an “inspiration” for Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh calls her a “trailblazer,” which directly links himself with her triumph over sexism. In addition, Kavanaugh states that his mother “taught [him] the importance of equality and respect for all people…” In stating this, Kavanaugh is alluding to him being a feminist without using such language. He mentions his wife Ashley multiple times during the speech, stating that she “has been a rock. I thank God every day for Ashley and my family.” Kavanaugh links his own stability and personhood with women. In addition, he speaks of his daughter Liza, and gets emotional while doing so. Near the end of his speech, Kavanaugh states that Liza said “we should pray for the women…” Kavanaugh depicts his family as a unified coalition of feminists. Even more so than his family, Kavanaugh mentions the female “friends” in his life. Near the beginning of his speech, Kavanaugh states that “one of [his] closest friends… was sexually abused… and confided in [him] about the abuse and sought [his] advice.” He depicts himself as having many female friends, even going so far as to list them out by name. He claims that he has their direct support, and that through this process they have been sending him messages of love and validation. Kavanaugh claims that a “liberal, feminist” woman sent him a message that he was a good man. Kavanaugh is attempting to change the public perception of him; he is a friend of feminists, and therefore an ally to feminists. He claims that the women who support him are brave, because they are aware they will be “vilified.” In saying this, Kavanaugh is showing these women as being courageous and just; they are women who believe in their cause and see him as a suitable person to put their faith behind.

Kavanaugh also brings up the many socially liberated policies and deeds he supported in his career. Kavanaugh claims that he supports women as equals even before the wake of Title Nine, and that he has helped women rise in ranks. In particular, Kavanaugh goes into detail regarding his four women law clerks. He claims that he noticed there were no women clerks and that he made the distinct decision to act upon the injustice. In describing this, Kavanaugh depicts himself as an active supporter of women.

Kavanaugh uses language in his testimony that depicts himself as a PERSECUTED VICTIM. Kavanaugh notices that he is perceived as an abuser, and he attempts to juxtapose that by using victimization language. He often mentions how this ordeal has been hurting his family, claiming that his “family and [his] name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations,” and that the “delay has been harmful to me and my family.” He also mentions that people have been physically threatening his family, sending violent messages to his wife, and are attempting to


“blow [him] up and take [him] down.” He calls the hearing the “worst experience of [his family’s] lives,” connecting him and his family as a suffering unit. Through his depiction of his situation, not only is he being attacked, but so have the innocent women in his family. Kavanaugh is painting the people that have hurt him as being abusive towards women, which flips the blame on the accusers. He also discusses the extremist narrative of others; he mentions how people call him “evil” and “nightmarish.” He calls the hearing a “grotesque character assassination” multiple times throughout the speech. In addition, he references other “attacks” from liberal accusers, calling the accusations “nonsense reported breathlessly.” Kavanaugh depicts his accusers as animalistic, unintelligent liars with no respect for the law. In Kavanaugh’s narrative, the accusers are the dangerous people. Conclusion

Kavanaugh is able to convince the American public that he is a supporter of women, a family man, an idyllic vision of masculinity, and a victim of the liberal agenda. In doing this, he continues to be seen as a politically righteous figure. With this speech, Kavanaugh became the next judge in the Supreme Court. His use of narrative storytelling is the key component to the depiction of himself he desires for the world to see. A well formatted narrative allowed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to retain his power after horrific allegations and little to no evidence to deny it. Narrative structures are perhaps the most powerful rhetorical skill we can implement, and often we don’t even notice their presence. Works Cited Foss, Sonja K. Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration & Practice . 4th ed. Prospect Heights, IL:

Waveland, 1989. Print. Hallemann, Caroline. “Full Transcript.” Town and Country,

www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a23491057/brett-kavanaugh-hearing-ope ning-statement-transcript/. Accessed Feb 15 2019.

Kim, S. M., Marimow, A. E., DeBonis, M., Viebeck, E. “Kavanaugh Hearing.” The Washington

Post , www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kavanaugh-hearing-christine-blasey-ford-to-give-sena te-testimony-about-sexual-assault-allegation/2018/09/27/fc216170-c1c3-11e8-b338-a328 9f6cb742_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.183106030518. Accessed Feb 24 2019.


That’s A Man’s Job: Female Politicians and the Rhetoric of News Coverage By Carolynn Dunn

In the wake of the controversial 2016 election where Trump, to some degree, based his campaign off disparaging comments towards the gender of his running mate Hillary Clinton, female politicians are left in a unique situation. Never has a woman come so far in an American presidential election and as a consequence the role of the relationship between femininity and authority has been brought to the forefront of the American consciousness. Female politicians locally and internationally have faced the issues of public opinion, especially as propagated through news and media. So how do these women attempt to negotiate the boundaries between traditional masculinity in politics and their gender? And how does rhetoric of news and media perpetuate gender stereotypes about female politicians?

The following review of the literature establishes a correlation between women's perceived

authority in relation to gender and the perpetuation of these stereotypes directly and indirectly through news and media. First, studies determining masculine and feminine stereotypes in relation to news and candidate coverage will be discussed. Then, the physicality of female politicians in media coverage and the implications this coverage on female authority will be synthesized through case studies. Finally, literature commenting on female politicians and their role in advocating for women’s issues will be used to establish potential causality to overall sexist stereotypes.

Studies past the turn of the century focusing on the challenges of female politicians have

unsurprisingly linked these issues to gender. Many of these studies have set out to conduct a case study on an individual or a set of female politicians to examine the roles which media or stereotypes have played in their campaigns. Often these studies indicate that traits typed as masculine and feminine are related to perceived competency, especially in media. One study asked participants to rate images of Hillary Clinton and an imagined female politician on warmth and competence. The study related warmth to feminine traits such as honesty, faithfulness, and courtesy while competency was related to masculine traits such as independence, industriousness, and intelligence. The study found that ratings for female politician’s warmth were much lower than women outside of political contexts, though consistently higher than male political counterparts. Karen Johnson and Hillary Clinton were both found to also be perceived as having higher competence in a family setting than in a political setting (Brown, et al). Other studies have found that a woman's “likeability is inverse to her leadership status,” an idea which reinforces the stereotypical warmth traits (Marr). A woman embracing feminine traits then comes at the expense of their perceived competence, potentially explaining why female politicians are considered more competent when fulfilling a traditional role.

Additionally, studies have typed political issues as masculine and feminine, feminine being

“abortion, childcare, education, and the environment” and masculine as “the economy, national security, and military affairs” which again lean in to these warmth and competence stereotypes, as women’s issues


are also viewed more as “social” issues (Wasburn). Media coverage has been found to profoundly perpetuate these stereotypes. In a study of media coverage between Sarah Palin and her running mate for Vice-President Joe Biden, Palin was found to have extremely different coverage. More than 58% of Palin’s coverage were of “trivial” topics (also indirectly commenting on these traditional roles) including “her childhood, family, physical appearance, and personality.” While Biden was found to have zero coverage in the same media sources of his childhood, domestic life, and physical appearance (Wasburn). Similarly, another study found that after one of the debates from the 2016 election coverage of Clinton by commentator Chris Matthews concerned mostly Clinton’s “stamina and ability to keep up,” and made no comment of Trump, who was significantly older than Clinton. These smaller moments of media coverage are detrimental to reversing these stereotypes about female politicians competence, insinuating that for a woman it is harder to keep up on the topics of a debate which a masculine figure would naturally exceed at. They are insidious as they could be unintentional, but by giving a national platform through media these ideas will continue to be perpetuated in the public consciousness. Additionally the types of topic covered about women relate to perceived feminine traits, which could contribute to a perception that women are not making stances on ‘masculine’ typed issues even when it is news coverage which skews this perception.

There is a complex relationship between women's appearance and their perceived authority. This

form of physical rhetoric has been highlighted in the past several decades when women are running for office, as it is often a topic in which women are disproportionately scrutinized in news and media. Studies found that this is not a partisan issue either, as media companies on both sides of the party lines spend time deconstructing or questioning female candidates about their clothes (Marr). Media coverage of a female candidate’s image is also more subtle than the outright commentary. A case study of Sara Palin’s election found that her image was used more frequently and more prominently than her male counterpart Joe Biden (Wasburn). Washburn also found that less coverage disadvantaged candidates to voters, their picturing of women in the media provides another set of complexities. The study which analyzed the relationship between “warmth”- or feminine perceived traits- and competence when viewers rated pictures of female politicians might also indicate a negative visual perception of women in politics (Brown, et al). A case study of Angela Merkel found that while she resisted commenting on her personal style, commentary shifted, looking “underneath” her womanly exterior to the candidate (Ferree).

This provides an interesting introspection into the concerns with female wardrobe. Studies

discussing wardrobe were focused on femininity of that wardrobe. In the bipartisan study of Clinton and Palin, it presented a dichotomy between the fashion purposes for the two candidates. The study described how Palin embraced femininity in her wardrobe and was consequently chastised by the media for being too girly. Clinton, on the other hand, wore only pantsuits and the study described this choice as trying to present a more masculine presence. The general media consensus of her appearance was that she was “inaccessible” to the public (Marr). The concept of “accessibility” was a common critique within the case studies of news coverage for female candidates. Shifts in their developed images, such as one study described in the second half of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, also presented issues to media commentators, who determined her wardrobe change was intended to “show a gentler, more personal side” and was condemned as being politically minded (Marr). This seems to propagate this concept that women must not politicize their image, though it is constantly done through media coverage.


Media coverage also has a tendency to fuel a double standard between female politicians and women’s issues. Nearly all studies provided some commentary of media questioning whether, based on their political stances and background, these female politicians ‘represented’ women well. One of the main issues concerning media coverage for Merkel according to a case study of her electoral campaign, was that commentators claimed that she did not, or even could not represent the interests of women. Media claimed this on the basis that Merkel was not a mother, that she had been divorced, that she was part of the CDU (the Christian Democratic Union), the fact that she did not take hard stances on feminist issues (and did not identify as an early feminist, though this critique came mostly from the western hemisphere), and even on the basis that she did not make an issue of her womanhood during the election cycle. This study found, as others echoed, that media coverage finds the issue gender as it’s own sort of “special interest.” The study found that the press was actively trying to get her to speak on more women’s issues and claimed that she was missing out on appealing to women (Ferree). This is a common theme in the studies of American politicians as well, though typically candidates such as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton were more inclined to promote policies on women’s issues and their roles as ‘family’ women were publicized. This was found to be just as complicated for media commentators to digest. Both Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton were reprimanded through the campaign through news media for being ‘bad mothers,’ Palin for her teenage daughter’s pregnancy, and Clinton for bringing her daughter to campaign with her. Both were deemed bad mothering due to their mothers dedication to their political careers (Marr). Additionally, the consensus of Merkel’s study seems to echo into Palin and Clinton’s studies. Both, despite each taking different approaches on women’s issues, were consistently questioned on their ability to represent women. This is another finding from these studies which stereotypes women through the media. It would seem absurd for news to ask if male politicians did a good job of representing men. Yet the marginalized status of women in politics has become something toxic, that somehow each women campaigned must obtain representation of all women and has clearly been perpetuated as an issue through media sources.

Due to the relevancy of more women becoming political figures, the discussion over gendered

stereotypes in media coverage is active. The twenty-first century has become an unprecedented era for changes in communication, and at least in America, women have not had the opportunity to actively practice politics until the previous century. These combined factors are creating a burgeoning area of study. The subject of political rhetoric from the news media- even narrowed to female politicians- is massive and nearly impossible to study in its entirety. The discourse community is an intersection of gender studies, politics (both local and international), news and media, and rhetoric. The diversity of this topic compounds the idea that it can be approached with many academic angles. Another limitation is that it is difficult to extract concrete data from the field, as it is constantly evolving and bias can play a role in coding. What news sources may have felt comfortable saying during the 2008 election (such as comments about Palin being “hot” on Fox News) may no longer be acceptable, but may also just be said in more indirect terms. Because of the pace of these changes it can be difficult for academia studying gender stereotypes in the media to ensure relevancy. However, the fast-paced nature of media coverage and the onset of the 2020 election, there is a gap opening for new research to measure the changes within gendered coverage of female politicians.


The moves which seem effective in measuring these stereotypes is research and data collection. These studies mostly collected data from major media sources past coverage and created a system of coding valid information. This could include specific terms, quality of coverage of candidates, or frequency of discussion for particular issues. Potential further study would need to determine either a candidate to study, as multiple sources implemented, or a particular event and the coverage of women that surround it. Perpetuation of gender stereotypes was found by this research to be a bipartisan issue, so this information could be collected for partisan and nonpartisan Media sources. Or, because of the partisan rhetoric of the 2016 election, the question of bipartisanship could be reexamined in further research. However, sources would need to be carefully chosen to represent News and media which are highly influential to the public, as these are sources which would most powerfully perpetuate gender stereotypes.

One of the issues that the discourse community seems to disagree vehemently on is what the

implications are of their findings. While some believe gendered rhetoric cannot be shifted and is something that must simply be overcome with time, others believe that there is value in calling out media companies for their perpetuation for these stereotypes. Nearly all source writers were women, so even the academic surrounded gendered rhetoric seems to have itself become a gendered issue. In general though, the personalities involved are distinctly feminist voices, as those involved must first believe that there are gender stereotypes which disadvantage female politicians. Because it is a distinctly feminist issue, this does influence the audience of this discourse community as mostly people interested in feminist issues. One academic writer was even aspiring to become a politician in the future.

Underlying the disciplinarity of this topic is the idea that women are still disadvantaged in

leadership positions and that the media represents a vicious cycle of public opinion which maintains that handicap. The niche discussion of female politicians such as Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, and Angela Merkel has become a way to examine the existing barriers to women in general through the hardships that these specific individuals face. The media frenzy over these individuals becomes a microcosm for the larger scale stereotyping of women. This discourse community seems to provide an indicator for women’s equality by searching media sources for moves which indicate that women in particular lack electability, and therefore encourages this mindset in the public.

Some methods to expand this discourse community could include re-examining the bipartisanship

of gendered rhetoric in the media, or to examine more modern situations to see if the issue of stereotyping is still as rampant as previous studies suggest. The most acute problem in this field is how quickly media shifts. There are more women than ever entering politics, and several women already starting bids for the 2020 election. This area of study is constantly becoming vaster in scope and potentially more subtle- though no less problematic- within media coverage. Future examination of how gendered stereotypes affect female politicians though news and media coverage will provide insight into trends and potentially indicate an increasing acceptance of women into the political arena. Works Cited Brown, Elizabeth R., et al. “Ain’t She a Woman? How Warmth and Competence Stereotypes about

Women and Female Politicians Contribute to the Warmth and Competence Traits Ascribed to


Individual Female Politicians.” Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy , vol. 18, no. 1, Dec. 2018, pp. 105–25.

Marr, Drue Allison. “Three Networks, Two Candidates, One Problem: Sexist News Commentary During

Hillary Clinton’s Presidential and Sarah Palin’s Vice-Presidential Campaigns.” Young Scholars in Writing: Undergraduate Research in Writing and Rhetoric, vol. 16, no. 1, University of Nebraska, 2019, 39-50.

Marx Ferree, Myra. “Angela Merkel: What Does It Mean to Run as a Woman?” German Politics and

Society , vol. 24, no. 1, Berghahn Books, Inc., 22 Mar. 2006, pp. 93–107. Wasburn, Philo C., and Mara H. Wasburn. “Media Coverage of Women in Politics: The Curious Case of

Sarah Palin.” Media, Culture & Society , vol. 33, no. 7, SAGE Publications, Oct. 2011, pp. 1027–41.


La Cuestión de Memoria Colectiva y Olvido Social en Cien Años de Soledad By Jessica Enriquez

Uno de los temas centrales en la novela Cien Años de Soledad escrita en 1967 por el colombiano Gabriel García Márquez es la relación entre memoria y olvido reflejada en distintos aspectos de la narrativa – tanto en la personificación de los recuerdos, como en las plagas que azotan Macondo, y la repetición que caracteriza a la novela. Esta correlación entre memoria y olvido, a su vez, representa la realidad histórica de Colombia desde un marco social donde los recuerdos y la omisión de ciertos acontecimientos constituyen una experiencia en común. En esta investigación, pretendo explicar la conexión entre memoria y olvido desde una perspectiva social y analizar su función como símbolo de la memoria colectiva y el olvido social en el tiempo histórico.

En primer lugar, es importante comprender tanto el concepto de memoria colectiva como el de olvido social. Según Jorge García Mendoza, maestro en psicología social por la UNAM y autor del libro, El conocimiento de la memoria colectiva , “tanto la memoria como el olvido se inscriben en la arena social y son polos opuestos de un mismo proceso” (García Mendoza 1). No obstante, si bien es cierto que ambos ocurren en el ámbito social y por ende son producciones sociales, cada uno cuenta con sus propios recursos – es decir, se desarrollan de diferente manera y a través de diferentes medios. Como explica García Mendoza en su artículo, “Exordio a la memoria colectiva y el olvido social,” la memoria colectiva se desarrolla a través de “marcos sociales, artefactos, el lenguaje y la comunicación.” Por su parte, el olvido social se manifiesta a través del “silencio, la imposición, y la censura” (García Mendoza 1). De esta manera, se puede decir que mientras uno avanza el otro retrocede – la memoria posibilita la continuidad mientras que el olvido constituye una ruptura. Como se expone en el artículo, “cuando la memoria se incrementa, el olvido se minimiza (y viceversa)” (García Mendoza 2) – produciéndose de esta forma, una conexión entre memoria y olvido. Sin embargo, ¿cómo se relacionan estos conceptos a Cien años de soledad ? En su artículo, “El recuerdo y el olvido en Cien años de soledad” Jasmina Ma rk ič afirma que los términos recordar/acordarse de y olvidar se repiten a lo largo de la novela enfatizando su significancia dentro de la historia. En otras palabras, la novela se centra en la relación entre la memoria y el olvido. Esta correlación se puede observar a través de distintos eventos, personajes, y elementos de la narrativa – todos los cuales ocurren dentro de un marco social.

Como se había establecido anteriormente, tanto la memoria colectiva como el olvido social son producciones colectivas y por lo tanto funcionan dentro del ámbito social – de esta manera, las instancias de recuerdo y olvido expresadas en la novela funcionan como un reflejo de estos dos conceptos ya que no solo se desarrollan en un marco social, sino que emplean recursos propios de la memoria colectiva y el olvido social para subsistir. Por ejemplo, los pescaditos de oro creados por el coronel Aureliano Buendía como método de supervivencia tras el término de la guerra, se convierten en un tipo de artificio con valor histórico. Al registrar la casa de los Buendía en busca de posibles fugitivos (testigos de la masacre bananera) un oficial tropieza accidentalmente con uno de los pescaditos de oro fabricados por el coronel Aureliano Buendía e insiste en conservarlo afirmando que “es un recuerdo invaluable” ( CAS 372). El


oficial relaciona el recuerdo que mantiene de la guerra y/o de la grandeza del partido liberal con los pescaditos de oro porque fueron creados por el coronel Aureliano Buendía, quien peleo contra el gobierno conservador y es símbolo de las fuerzas revolucionarias. De este modo, el objeto llega a convertirse en un símbolo de la memoria, no solo del oficial, sino del colectivo, ya que se puede decir que representa una época/evento o un conjunto de ideales. De la misma manera, el silencio que penetra a Macondo después de la matanza de los trabajadores encarna el olvido social al que el pueblo es sometido por temor a las represalias. Habiendo presenciado la masacre y sido dado por muerto, José Arcadio Segundo logra escapar del tren cargado de cadáveres y refugiarse en casa de una mujer. Sin embargo, al comentar sobre el incidente, encuentra que esta no lo recuerda y que de hecho deniega la veracidad de tal suceso – “La mujer lo midió con una mirada de lastima. <<Aquí no ha habido muertos,>> dijo ( CAS 368). La respuesta de la mujer ante un hecho que pareciera ineludible expresa el funcionamiento del olvido social ya que este se inicia y se sostiene desde el silencio. A diferencia de la memoria colectiva, el olvido social “ejerce principalmente desde el poder” y, por ende, se manifiesta de distinta manera. Como explica García Mendoza, “para arribar al olvido, hay que pasar primero por la memoria” (García Mendoza 10). Por lo tanto, el olvido social en la novela se inicia desde un recuerdo (memoria) y se percibe y entiende desde el silencio que se instaura en Macondo y que crea una especie de vacío en la vida de sus habitantes.

Ahora que he explicado como el concepto de memoria colectiva y olvido social se aplica a Cien años de soledad, expondré como las instancias de memoria-olvido presentadas en la novela representan su función como símbolo de estos dos conceptos. Como previamente se había mencionado, el artículo de Jasmina Markič, “El recuerdo y el olvido en Cien años de soledad” se centra en la cuestión del paso del tiempo, la memoria, el recuerdo y el olvido. Markič declara que “el tiempo es cíclico y se repite en todos los niveles de la novela” – creando la sensación de un mundo mítico (Markič 163). De acuerdo con Markič, esta noción del tiempo se vincula a los conceptos de memoria; recuerdo y olvido (Markič 164) – elementos que se manifiestan a través de diferentes aspectos de la narrativa y que sostienen una correlación con los conceptos de memoria colectiva y olvido social, ya que manifiestan una lucha contra el olvido y el paso del tiempo. Por ejemplo, el articulo habla sobre la personificación de los recuerdos, evocando la escena de una solitaria Rebeca en la casa que compartiere con José Arcadio Buendía – “(Rebeca) había encontrado la paz en aquella casa donde los recuerdos se materializaron por fuerza de la evocación implacable y se paseaban como seres humanos por los cuartos clausurados” ( CAS 129). Si bien es cierto que el realismo mágico permite y fomenta esta fusión entre lo real y lo fantástico, también debe tenerse en cuenta su funcionamiento como símbolo de la lucha contra el olvido dentro de la novela. En otras palabras, estos recuerdos vívidos, lúcidos y tangibles representan la lucha de los personajes contra el olvido ya que al materializarlos se conserva la memoria impidiendo que esta se disipe. Markič señala que esta lucha se puede observar a través de la forma en que los personajes lidian contra el olvido. Por ejemplo, siendo víctimas de la peste del insomnio, el pueblo recurre a marcar cada cosa con su nombre como método contra la desmemoria – “Entonces fue más explícito. El letrero que colgó en la cerviz de la vaca era una muestra ejemplar de la forma en que los habitantes de Macondo estaban dispuestos a luchar contra el olvido: Esta es la vaca, hay que ordeñarla todas las mañanas para que produzca leche y a la leche hay que hervirla para mezclarla con el café y hacer café con leche” ( CAS 64). Mientras que la peste del insomnio conduce irremediablemente hacia el olvido total (tanto del sentido del pasado, como de la identidad misma) el sistema inventado por Aureliano Buendía se impone contra sus efectos, de esta manera apoyando el argumento de García Mendoza respecto a la relación entre memoria colectiva y


olvido social que sugiere que mientras uno avanza el otro retrocede. En la escena ejemplificada, mientras los efectos de la peste del insomnio avanzan, el sistema inventado por Aureliano Buendía se vuelve más complejo para contrarrestarlos.

Similarmente, la repetición empleada en la novela también parece ejercer una función contra el olvido. Como explica Markič, la historia de la familia Buendía se ciñe en “un engranaje de repeticiones irreparables” (Markič 164). Esencialmente, Markič argumenta que tanto la estructura circular, como el acto de repetir los nombres exhiben un esfuerzo por preservar la memoria. Esto se puede observar a través de los hábitos y comportamientos que ciertos personajes parecen replicar a lo largo de la novela. Por ejemplo, mientras todos los Aurelianos son retraídos, solitarios y de mentalidad lucida, los José Arcadio son impulsivos y emprendedores, pero están marcados por un signo trágico” ( CAS 221 ). Esta constante repetición convierte a la novela en un tipo de espejo donde tanto eventos como personajes se transforman en un reflejo de algo que ya ha sido vivido. De esta forma, se puede decir, que a través de los nombres los personajes heredan parte de la memoria y la historia familiar. Por ejemplo, Aureliano Segundo reconoce de inmediato a Melquiades cuando este se le aparece mientras intenta descifrar los manuscritos porque aquel recuerdo era hereditario y “se había transmitido de generación en generación” llegando a él desde la memoria de su abuelo ( CAS 224). Por lo tanto, la repetición de los nombres simboliza la preservación de la memoria y por ende la lucha contra el olvido.

Para recapitular, he explicado como elementos particulares en la novela funcionan como una alusión o símbolo de la memoria colectiva y olvido social. No obstante, no es solo a través de estas instancias de memoria y olvido inscritos en ciertos aspectos y eventos de la narrativa que Gabriel García Márquez logra transcribir estos dos conceptos. En su artículo, “Memory and the Quest for Family History in One Hundred Years of Solitude and Song of Solomon,” Susana Gonzales Vega explica que Cien años de soledad emplea la memoria como método para reescribir la historia de los oprimidos (Gonzales Vega 2). En esencia, las instancias de memoria presentadas en la novela ofrecen al lector otra perspectiva de la historia colombiana, dando voz a las personas y/o eventos que la historia oficial a elegido ignorar o negar. Como Gonzales Vega afirma, dado que la histografía ha sido dominada por la cultura euro-descendiente, la representación de ciertos grupos ha sido tergiversada. Por ejemplo, la escena de la masacre bananera que causa un total de tres mil muertes ilustra como la historia tiende a ocultar ciertos hechos y/o versiones – de esta manera proporcionando una visión subjetiva de la realidad. Esto se puede interpretar como una forma de negar y por ende borrar una parte de la historia. Como hemos discutido anteriormente, tras la matanza de los trabajadores, un silencio perturbador se extiende sobre Macondo disipando el recuerdo de la masacre – “No hubo muertos, los trabajadores satisfechos habían vuelto con sus familias, y la compañía bananera suspendía actividades mientras pasaba la lluvia.” Como expone Gonzales Vega, “(it is) the fear of the reprisals (that) creates a web of collective amnesia” (Gonzales Vega 3) – por lo tanto y como ya se había señalado, el olvido social en la novela se inicia desde el poder y se impone a través del silencio y el temor, evitando que el recuerdo de la memoria sea comunicada y difundida. Por su parte, y de manera similar, Abu Abdullah argumenta que, al recontar la historia desde otra perspectiva, Gabriel García Márquez revela que la historia nunca es factual e imparcial, sino que sirve el interés de aquellos que la determinan. En otras palabras, Abdullah afirma que, a través de ciertos sucesos en la novela, tales como la masacre de las bananeras, García Márquez expone la forma en que la historia oficial fabrica y distorsiona ciertos eventos. De esta forma, la novela intenta presentar al lector la realidad del pueblo tal como este la


presenció y la vivió. Por ejemplo, conservando el recuerdo heredado de José Arcadio Segundo, Aureliano Babilonia advierte que todos los libros de historia muestran una representación equivoca de la compañía bananera. De esta forma, mientras la novela parece transmitir el concepto de memoria colectiva por mediante recuerdos heredados, exhibe el olvido social al resaltar la imparcialidad de la historia. Como señala Abdullah, “…official history excludes the sufferings of the poor, and creates a sense of social, historical and political dominance. Here, Márquez is playing with the concept of denial by taking it to an extreme level where it is turned into complete ignorance” (Abdullah 60). Por lo tanto, podemos decir que, mediante la deconstrucción de la historia, Cien años de soledad e xpone tanto el concepto de memoria colectiva como el de olvido social ya que al representar a la historia como algo relativo, evasivo y fragmentario, muestra como esta a menudo niega la realidad de ciertos grupos.

En conclusión, a través de las instancias de memoria y olvido retratados en diferentes elementos de la narrativa y la deconstrucción de la historia, Cien años de soledad intenta mostrar al lector una historia alternativa, de esta manera, funcionado como un símbolo o alusión de la memoria colectiva y el olvido social

Obras citadas

Abdullah Abu Shahid. “Rewriting Rural Community and Dictatorial History through Magical Realism in Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude .” Journal of Language and Cultural Education, vol. 3, no. 2, SlovakEdu, May 2015, pp. 55–65, doi:10.1515/jolace-2015-0014.

Markič, Jasmina. “El recuerdo y el olvido en Cien años de soledad. ” Ars & Humanitas, vol. 12, no. 2,

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Jan. 2018, pp. 163–75, doi:10.4312/ars.12.2.163-175. Mendoza García, Jorge. “Exordio a La Memoria Colectiva y El Olvido Social.” Athenea Digital, no. 8,

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Nov. 2005, pp. 1–26. Vega-González, Susana. “Memory and the Quest for Family History in One Hundred Years of Solitude

and Song of Solomon .” CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture, vol. 3, no. 1, Purdue University Press, 2001, doi:10.7771/1481-4374.1102.


So Much Reading and so Much Writing: Reading and Writing are Woven into Everything a First-year Student Does By Madeline Flores

Abstract As a first-year college student in WRIT 1301, I have logged 10 of my reading and writing assignments and habits from a week during my first semester. I then studied and analyzed the logs, which consisted of explanations of my instructions, purpose, actual work, and feedback, and I noticed that even as a STEM major, I have a lot of overlap between reading and writing and that reading and writing are woven into my personal life as well as my academic life. I noticed in many of my logs I was reading in order to write or writing for my professor or peers to read. I gathered these ideas through studying the instructions, purpose, actual work, and feedback mentioned on my logs. I realized that even though these logs come from courses in disciplines from all across campus they are all requiring me to do the same thing and that I would not be able to participate or even be evaluated in the course without reading and writing. Therefore, I found that reading and writing are an integral part of first-year college students’ lives no matter the discipline of their major. The analysis of my logs and the implications they have are important for professors to see that students are reading and writing across campus and are using techniques from one course to complete assignments for another course. Also, my logs and the analysis of them help people to see that reading and writing are not just done in a writing class; they are done in courses all across campus and even part of a student’s personal life. Let’s recall that time when you were sitting in the library in your first semester of your first year

of college when you were reading and writing for all your courses. Let me guess: you didn’t just think of one specific time; instead, you thought of a collective memory of many times. I’m sure as a graduate student studying writing—and more specifically focusing on teaching writing to first-year college students—you can remember your time as a college freshman. You probably had reading and writing in all of your courses regardless of what discipline they were in. I’m sure you remember having to think about reading and writing even outside of an academic setting. You probably had to read or write almost everyday for your courses.

As a first-year college student in “Writing and Rhetoric I”, I have logged 10 of my reading and writing assignments and habits from a week during my first semester. I then studied and analyzed the logs, which consisted of explanations of my instructions, purpose, actual work, and feedback, and I noticed that even as a STEM major, I have a lot of overlap between reading and writing and that reading and writing are woven into my personal life as well as my academic life. Through the examination of my logs, I have found that reading and writing are an integral part of first-year college students’ lives no matter the discipline of their major.

As I studied my logs, I noticed that I had a lot of assignments that were writing assignments that required me to read texts in order to do the writing. I had a total of five logs that were writing assignments that required some form of reading before the writing. For example, to prepare for an exam for my


General Chemistry I class, I was focused on reading and reviewing notes and sections of the textbook in order to write and perform calculations on the exam (Gen Chem Exam). I wasn’t reading a textbook in my log for my Science Seminar class; instead, it was a summary of a science presentation, but, like the Gen Chem Exam, it too was a time when I had to read or listen to information in order to do the writing. I had to read or listen to texts so that I could be in the conversation on the exam and in the summary that was meant to show I listened to a guest speaker (Science Seminar Presentation Summary). In her text, “Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly Sources,” Karen Rosenberg explains how students need to gain an understanding of texts they are reading in order to enter into the conversation in college classes. Throughout many of my logs, I had to read rhetorically to enter into the conversation of the class or professional field presented to me: “Rhetorical reading refers to a set of practices designed to help us understand how texts work and to engage more deeply and fully in a conversation that extends beyond the boundaries of any particular reading” (Rosenberg 212). In my case, the extension for my Gen Chem Exam was focused on explaining the why behind certain ideas discussed in class or in the notes. For example, I had to explain why the ionization energy increases across a period and decreases down a group on the periodic table rather than just memorizing the periodic trend. The extension for the Science Seminar Summary focused on why I decided to go to that specific guest presenter and what I learned from that presenter. Reading is necessary for writing because when we read rhetorically it helps to actively engage in the conversation of a class or field.

Engaging in conversations requires students to know not just what they read but also what it means; this is why instructors require students to write to show understanding. Another common theme in the exigence section among my logs was the idea of writing to prove that I had knowledge of information. For example, my two logs for my Chemistry Lab included information about demonstrating what I learned: “To show understanding of lab” (Experiment 4 Lab Report) and “ To prepare us and give students an idea of what the lab will cover” (Experiment 5 Pre-Lab). It is essential in these labs that I reveal my knowledge of the type of lab we were conducting. I know this because Dr. Kopecki tells us that we need to understand the chemistry that is happening in the lab. This is similar to the goals of my writing class because my professor wants us to grow in our understanding of reading and writing, especially at the collegiate level. The inferred purpose for Praxis Archive #7 is similar to the labs’: “ To gain knowledge and research for our WP2” (PA #7) which suggests the idea that my instructors want to push me and see proof that I am learning. I need to know the material in order to be learning. In Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing , the authors are explaining that students need to develop “habits of mind” in order to grow as writers. The authors suggest that teachers can foster and encourage students to gain and use these habits in their writing. In my Chemistry Lab Logs’ my instructor is pushing us into the “engagement” habit of mind because, in our lab reports, we are acting upon new knowledge that we have discovered in the lab through the post lab questions and graphs that we are making ( Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing ). We aren’t just repeating learning; we are doing something with the learning. In my PA#7 Log for writing, my instructor was trying to push the habits of mind of “openness” and “curiosity” because we are asked to question the texts we read and look at them from a different perspective—maybe look at reading and writing from a different perspective or from the perspective of the text ( Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing ). Writing to prove knowledge in a course can also be a way an instructor is trying to get students to grow in their writing abilities.


Instructors pushing their students in their writing is also a social activity and a way for instructors to learn more about their students. Instructors are trying to engage their students in the conversation and get them to engage in conversation with each other, making the students’ writing a social activity. Additionally, I found in two of my logs that writing is a social activity that explains who you are and your ideas about different topics. In this case, I was either writing to my instructor or in response to my peers. For example, In my Journal 6 entry for my Science Seminar class, I am writing to my instructor to tell him more about myself and reflections on my week. There is no required content. I’m just supposed to write about my week and anything that stuck out to me during the week (Science Seminar Journal 6). In my log for my Responses to my Peers Informative Speech Topics for my class Speaking Truth to Power course, I am telling my peers what I think of their topics and what I think would be interested to hear about their topics (Responding to Peers’ Informative Speech Topics). In both cases, the “social activity” idea is simply me expressing myself and my beliefs to both my instructor and my peers through my writing. In Kevin Roozen’s “Writing is a Social and Rhetorical Activity”, readers learn that writers are connected, that writing is not a solitary activity, and that writers tell audiences what they want/need to hear. In both of these logs I am “addressing the needs and interests of [my] audience[s]” (Roozen 17). In my journal entry, I am addressing Dr. Morris’ need to learn more about me and what I am reflecting on for the week as a way of helping him better understand his students. In my response to my peers’ topics, I am addressing their need for audience feedback and seeing what the audience thinks about their topic. I am just being a listener who is engaged. Writing is social. Responding to others and telling them more about yourself and more about what you think and believe is required because you are not an island and sharing your ideas helps you grow.

Reading and writing are linked together, show understanding and push for growth, and are a social activity that first-year students must learn. As you can see, a first-year college student reads and writes everyday for a variety of reasons both in academia and in their personal life. There is a lot of overlap in a first-year student’s life. I was taking practices I learned in my writing class and applying them to my reading and writing for my chemistry course. Maybe I was not directly applying the ideas discussed in my writing course, but as I analyzed my logs, I realized that these ideas about reading and writing can be applied everywhere. Reading and writing are not just important for a first-year composition class but in all disciplines. Also, good reading and writing practices students learn in their first-year composition class should carry over and become good practices in all of their courses because students are reading and writing in all of their classes. Reading and writing are even important in first-year students’ personal lives.

Reading and writing play a huge role in the academic life of a first-year college student, but they are also present in their personal lives. I also found in one of my logs that not all reading is academic, but it still involves reflection and mental writing. In my log for my Daily Devotional I wrote, “In the book, each day has a verse or two from the Bible that then has a small reflection following it, and I try to internally reflect on and pray on. I give mental feedback to the reflection written in the book. I think about how it relates to my life or how maybe I’m not quite sure what they are saying has to do with me” (Daily Devotional). I was mentally interpreting the text as written in the book and writing my own reflection on it in my head. I had a different interpretation than the author may have because of my personal experiences similar to the ideas discussed in Jeanette Harris’ “How Writers and Readers Construct Texts”. Readers and writes sometimes have different interpretations of texts because they come from different


backgrounds and have different experiences (Harris 99). There is an underlying message in each Bible verse that most people see and interpret and put unto their own words and experiences. The reflections in the devotional are from different people and are about the different ideas that the particular verse for that day makes them think of, so it encourages me to think of what the verse makes me think of and what their reflection brings to mind. Also the mental text for readers and that readers internalize when reading an author’s text are going to be different than that of what the author had in mind (Harris 100). As a reader I have a different mental text than what the author may want me to have because I came from a different background.

Reading and writing also has relevance in first-year students’ lives because it helps them to practice some of the ideas they learn in a writing class about authors and how authors and readers are not always on the same page. Each person has their own idea when they read or write a text that is not always what is transferred over to all readers. This happens within academia as well. Students may read a text for a chemistry course and they may think one thing of it and write a mental text that is different from what the instructor wanted the student to think and write. There are so many different reading and writing assignments that STEM students have to juggle between academics and personal things. It would be so much easier and take a little bit of a load off if STEM professors could explain the why of different theories in class instead of expecting students to find it. There is only so much rhetorical reading a student can do, and students can only write a mental text so close to what the author meant.

Works Cited Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, and

National Writing Project. Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing . CWPA, NCTE, and NWP, 2011.

Flores, Madeline. “Daily Devotional.” 15 Oct. 2019. Flores, Madeline. “Experiment 4 Lab Report.” 16 Oct. 2019. Flores, Madeline. “Experiment 5 Pre-Lab.” 16 Oct. 2019. Flores, Madeline. “Gen Chem Exam Log.” 15 Oct. 2019. Flores, Madeline. “PA #7.” 16 Oct. 2019. Flores, Madeline. “Responding to Peers’ Informative Speech Topics.” 16 Oct. 2019. Flores, Madeline. “Science Seminar Journal 6.” 16 Oct. 2019. Flores, Madeline. “Science Seminar Presentation Summary.” 16 Oct. 2019. Harris, Jeanette. “How Writers and Readers Construct Text.” The Subject is Writing: Essays by


http://wpacouncil.org/files/framework-for-success-postsecondary-writing.pdf.

Teachers and Students , Wendy Bishop, Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc., 1993. pp. 99–100.

Roozen, Kevin. “Writing Is a Social and Rhetorical Activity.” Adler-Kassner, Linda, et al. Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies , Norman: Utah State University Press, 2015. pp. 17–19.

Rosenberg, Karen. “Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly Sources.” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing , edited by Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky, Parlor Press, 2011, pp. 212.


Video Game Toxicity: A Remastered Outlook By Trent Fowler

It is a well-documented fact that rude and hateful behavior while playing video games, otherwise

known as toxicity, is a huge problem in the games industry. Not only does it create negative experiences for the players, but it also can massively affect the reputation, and thereby sales, of games or game series. So why, when there is both an outcry from the general populace and a financial incentive, has very little been done to combat the issue? It is because the experts still don’t understand how to do so. This is, perhaps, because they are misjudging the true cause of the problem, and because their current attempts to resolve it only address the effects.

The problem itself may seem simple to some, but it is actually rather complex. Many articles and events have made it clear that women and minorities are some of the most common targets for this cyber aggression, such as those by Jesse Fox and Ina Liukkonen. A lot of people see these statistics and don’t look any further. Obviously the answer is that gamers are misogynistic, homophobic and racist, right? Actually, that is incorrect. While this may be true in some cases, it doesn’t make much sense that the simple act of playing video games would create these sentiments in players. Certain studies have looked further into the issue and determined that the environment of online competitions is hugely impactful. A stress-filled, anonymous environment can cause players to feel entitled to say things that they normally would not. This effect has been labeled ‘Online Disinhibition’, as seen in a study by Daniel Fu. This unto itself does not seem to explain the whole situation, however.

To see the whole picture, it is important to put the two views together and examine them through a psychological lens. Think about it this way: can good people have malicious and irreverent thoughts? The answer is obviously yes. Everyone has thoughts that they don’t want to have, and thus they suppress them and don’t voice them in public. The problem with online gaming is not the presence of the thoughts, but the lack of a filter for them. People playing an online game are likely focusing intently on it and are quite possibly stressed by what is happening. They also cannot see the people they are talking to, so the impact of their words can be lost on them. All of this combines to create an environment where people aren’t thinking before they are speaking. Where a rude and hurtful comment might be caught before reaching the mouth in normal day-to-day conversations, it comes out without remorse in an online environment. Unfortunately, that sort of hateful speech has become so frequent that some have begun considering it to be ordinary behavior in the online environment, which only serves to further the issue, as shown in a study by James Niell in accordance with Science Direct.

Community managers for game companies have largely been looking at the problem as being entirely based around the people causing it, but that is only true in some cases. Though the behavior is unacceptable, quite a few of the people perpetrating it are unaware of the effect that their actions have, and some are likely unaware that they are even exhibiting this toxic behavior. This must be considered when looking for a solution.


As for what games companies are currently doing to try to curb the issue, it tends to all revolve around one somewhat temporary solution: banning. Most companies (who have the resources to do so) will kick troublesome players out of the online environment and not allow them to reenter it for a set amount of time or even indefinitely if the offense was extremely severe (Maher). This method, however, has its downfalls. Firstly, hiring the necessary staff to monitor complaints and execute these bans can be quite costly. This means that only the biggest and wealthiest games companies are able to maintain a sufficient level of response to toxic behavior. A second issue is that these bans rarely last for more than a few days. They are meant as more of a slap on the wrist than a weeding out of problematic players. Though this may be because the companies recognize that the hurtful words are a product of the gaming environment, it doesn’t change the fact that people who are more prone to exhibiting aggressive online behavior are being filtered back into the fray.

The worst problem with the banning methodology, however, is that by the time the process has run its course, the damage has already been done. It takes one event for the offense to be reported, but that does not help with the several verbal assaults that may have gone unreported before. To add to this, the banning process tends to take a few days, so even more instances of toxicity can take place in this time, and for free games banned individuals can just make new accounts and continue playing. Overall, the banning solution is short-sighted. Its non-preventative nature and impermanent effect lead to it being only a partial fix.

There seems to be a disconnect between the study of what causes online toxicity and the proposed solutions for it. If both areas were to converge and also acknowledge that the players need to be managed before an issue occurs, not after, then a proper fix might come up that would cut the problem at its source.

Research Archives

Maher, Brendan. "Good gaming: scientists are helping to tame toxic behaviour in the world's most popular online game." Nature , vol. 531, no. 7596, 2016, p. 568+. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine ,https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A448338496/HRCA?u=txshracd2555&sid=HRCA&xid =cecf1a26. Accessed 3 Oct. 2019.

Fox, Jesse, and Wai Yen Tang. “Sexism in Online Video Games: The Role of Conformity to Masculine

Norms and Social Dominance Orientation.” Science Direct , Elsevier, 2 Aug. 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563213002525?via%3Dihub .

Liukkonen, Ina. “Hate Speech in the Gaming Community and Social Media.” BrandBastion ,

info.brandbastion.com/hate-speech-in-the-gaming-community-and-social-media. Neill, James T., and Zorah Hilvert-Bruce. “I'm Just Trolling: The Role of Normative Beliefs in

Aggressive Behaviour in Online Gaming.” Science Direct , Elsevier, 12 Sept. 2019, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563219303310 .

Fu, Daniel. “A Look at Gaming Culture and Gaming Related Problems: From a Gamer’s Perspective.”

ucla.edu , UCLA, smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/gaming.pdf.


http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563213002525?via%3Dihub

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563219303310

Smith, Noah. “Racism, Misogyny, Death Threats: Why Can't the Booming Video-Game Industry Curb

Toxicity?” The Washington Post , WP Company, 26 Feb. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/02/26/racism-misogyny-death-threats-why-cant-boo ming-video-game-industry-curb-toxicity/ .


http://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/02/26/racism-misogyny-death-threats-why-cant-booming-video-game-industry-curb-toxicity/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/02/26/racism-misogyny-death-threats-why-cant-booming-video-game-industry-curb-toxicity/

Human Too By Yenifer Fuentes

Abstract Homelessness is not a disease that can be swept under the rug. Most people don’t see the homeless as individuals, people that are human like us. My goal with this project is to reveal the humanity of people experiencing homelessness. Human Too utilizes the form of the zine, a portable, small, easy to distribute medium, containing illustrations and thoughts addressing this issue. I want other people to gain awareness about what homelessness is, to have a different perspective, and to see people as people. My zine will be a starting point to change the negative perspectives and stereotypes that we and society have about a person who is experiencing homelessness.

Click here to access Fuentes’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWWU9QDdbBkmUgzG1AkdtaU7QC8nI10u/view?usp=sharing

Substance Abuse: A Comparative Analysis of Psychosocial Factors Unique to Latinx Immigrants By Isabel N. Garcia Barrera

Abstract

Addiction is a condition characterized by the compulsive drug seeking behavior that monopolizes the person’s time and health, and in severe cases, their life. Classical research done in this field has strictly surveyed white American citizens on their drug use habits, neglecting large transnational populations who face discriminate-related problems that strongly correlate with substance abuse. This meta-analysis explores unique risk factors faced by Latinx immigrants, such as stress, stigma, and inability to maintain healthy coping mechanisms through the psychosocial model of addiction.

Introduction

As of 2017, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 70,000 people in the United States died due to overdosing on both illicit and licit drugs (Scholl, Seth, Kariisa, Wilson, Baldwin, 2019). Despite prevention plans such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) and new restrictions on obtaining opioids from medical professionals, there has been a steady climb in substance abuse related deaths within the United States. People from all backgrounds are affected by this condition, however, due to cultural and social standards, stigma surrounding this growing problem had hindered implementing progressive policies despite what research has found to be proactive solutions.

Initially viewed as a character flaw, addiction is a condition defined by the person’s compulsive seeking behavior that harms both the addict and their community. Decades worth of research explain addiction is not rooted by a person’s lack of self-control, but instead a disease influenced by one’s biology, psychology, and environment. What has expanded research of addiction are the approaches different psychologists and neuroscientists use to understand and treat addiction.

Brain Disease Models of Addiction

Following the detrimental effects of the character flaw model, technological advances in neuroimaging provided further change in treating addiction. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) are instruments used to map out the brain to find any abnormalities. Early 2000s research found significant neural changes when comparing an addicted brain and a non-addicted brain (Volkow, Fowler, Gene-Jack, 2003). With new physical evidence of the effects of addiction of the brain, approaches of addiction changed from a character flaw model to a brain disease model. This model relies on understanding that addiction, at its core, is a brain disease like Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s, and should be treated as one (Leshner, 1997). Unlike the character flaw stereotype that placed fault on the afflicted person, disease models shift societal perspective, defending the person’s


integrity and explaining that over time, substance use becomes abuse and cannot be inhibited solely by choice.

Paralleling biological diseases, addiction progresses from one incident of use to abuse over a span of time. Repeated use of foreign substances causes the brain and body to become dependent on the drug, deregulating neurological pathways and natural chemicals such as dopamine. Stimulants, like cocaine, induce an unnatural spike of dopamine to be released within the brain, which is highly addicting. This molecular reaction reroutes the natural reward circuit over time, causing naturally rewarding activities, like socializing or eating, to no longer be pleasurable due to the desensitization of the reward pathway (Volkow, Koob, and Mcclellan, 2016). Once the reward pathways essentially become numb, it is difficult for the diseased person to be motivated to accomplish goals outside of their addiction, changing their cognition and behavior as well (Garland, Boetigger, Howard, 2011). If the diseased person stops using, the body will develop symptoms of distress, triggering drug seeking habits to alleviate the discomfort (Volkow et al, 2016).

Although widely accepted when first created, clinicians have condemned this model due to the total removal of will power and personal accountability on the diseased person (Bell, Carter, Mathews, Gartner, Coral, Jayne, Hall, 2014). Psychological and environmental factors are also ignored in this model, though are crucial in the development of addiction (Garland et al, 2011).

Integrated Models of Addiction

While brain disease models reflect the nature theory of psychology, integrated models connect the nature and nurture aspects of addiction. Integrated models account for psychological and sociocultural factors while incorporating parts of the disease model when treating a patient (Garland et al, 2011). Risk factors for a population are divided into three categories: biological risk factors, sociocultural risk factors, and psychological risk factors. Common risk factors include age, previous mental health problems, and family history of substance abuse (Stone, Becker, Huber, Catalano, 2012). Conversely, protective factors are preventative elements that discourage substance use; high distress tolerance, financial stability, and having a strong social support are important in curbing addictive habits (Stone et al, 2012). Although key in this approach, having certain risk or protective factors do not guarantee becoming or not becoming addicted to substances. Due to the breadth of this model, we cannot discern which factors influence a population more, hence the tailoring of integrated models per study. Popular integrated models when treating substance abuse are the Self-Medication Hypothesis and Stress Vulnerability Model, both bridging the gap between external social factors and the biology changes.

Self-Medication Hypothesis

Rates of comorbidity is common between mood and anxiety disorders, and substance abuse disorders (Turner, Mota, Bolton, Sareen, 2017). Some researchers believe that those who suffer from mood and anxiety disorders create habits to relieve their symptoms, in this case abusing illicit substances, that then cause a positive feedback loop (Garland, Pettus-Davis, Howard, 2013). Whereas disease models focused on the desensitization of reward pathways as the reason for relapse, self-medication theory concentrates on social factors that trigger one mental disorder which in turn triggers the use of substances.


Common psychological triggers include visiting places where a patient uses often, remembering traumatic experiences, or are prone to compulsive behavior (Garland et al, 2013).

Stress Vulnerability Model

Whereas the Self- Medication Hypothesis measures multiple psychosocial factors contributing to addiction, the Stress Vulnerability Model only assesses stress as the primary motivator in substance abuse. Amount of stress is quantified by the causes of the stress (e.g. environmental factors: peer use), and vulnerability is measured by pre-existing factors such as gender and mental disorders Anderson, Ramos, Brown, 2006). Compared to other psychosocial or integrated models, measuring stress allows researchers to discover challenges that are faced by certain minority groups that majority populations do not experience.

Psychosocial Models of Addiction

Whereas integrated models provide a more holistic view of addiction, psychosocial models identify only psychological, social, and cultural factors that could trigger and facilitate addiction. Psychological factors include rates of comorbidity and lacking healthy coping mechanisms (Stone et al, 2012). Social factors such as stigma, drinking culture, and community stability are also assessed for their severity in facilitating substance abuse (Rastogi, Massey-Hastings, Wieling, 2012). When comparing minority populations to those previously researched, primary differences stem from history of experienced stress In the case of immigrants, the experience of migrating to a new country leaves them vulnerable to unique stress factors that are not experienced by natives, such as reestablishment and disruptive social ties (Kissinger, Alhoff, Burton, Schmidt, Hembling, Salinas, Shedlin, 2013).

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to explore risk factors unique to Latinx immigrants through the psychosocial addiction model. After analyzing 23 peer reviewed articles, 3 types of psychosocial risk factors were found: stigma, experienced due to immigrant and substance abuse identities; stress which was experienced through migration trauma and acculturative stress; and inability to maintain healthy coping mechanisms due to the influence of perceived strict work environments and binge drinking culture. This research is not proposing a new treatment model for this population but providing evidence that their marginalized history and unique cultural experience differentiates them from their Caucasian counterparts, which most addiction research is based upon.

Methodology

The psychosocial model is a theoretical framework of addiction that focuses on the effects of psychological and social factors on addiction. Key words such as Substance abuse, Latinx, and Psychosocial risk factors, or a combination of phrases ( i.e., Substance abuse and Latinx ) were searched through the Munday Library Database at St. Edward’s University. A total of 23 peer reviewed articles were picked to find psychosocial factors repeatedly addressed for Latinx immigrants. Factors were then


compared to common psychosocial risk factors already known by previous research which analyzed white majority populations.

Discussion

The following factors discussed are unique to Latinx immigrants due to their experience with migration. The 3 “umbrella” risk factors, stigma, stress, and inability to maintain coping mechanisms, were used to best describe the specific risk factors found for immigrants.

Stigma

Stigma is the act of ostracizing a group due to them possessing deviating traits that do not fit the cultural norm (Florez, Derose, Breslau, Griffin, Hass, Kanouse, Stucky, Williams, 2016). Though often classified as another stress factor, this study separated stigma due to the psychological mediating effects on other external stresses, as well as the intersection of two identities within this population: the immigrant identity, often viewed as a threat to native-born citizens; and the substance abuse identity, commonly related to violence and instability (Mendoza, Masuda, Swartout, 2015; Birtel, Wood, Kempa, 2017). Within this context, the cultural norm within the United States is to be a native-born citizen, and one that does not participate in taking illicit substances (Mvhjvhjendoza et al, 2015).

Marginalized populations experience stigma in 3 distinct ways: internalized, perceived, and experienced. Though stigma has been extensively researched within psychology, there are serious gaps of knowledge in terms of immigrant and substance abuse identity intersections.

Internalized

The threatening nature of stigma has grown with the emergence of mental health treatment, causing people who are a part of marginalized groups to self-stigmatize (Mendoza et al, 2015). Internalized stigma is the process of self-applying negative beliefs about one’s identity, often related to low-self-esteem, weak social support, and poor mental and physical health (Birtel et al, 2017). Although considered a mental health disorder, individuals struggling with substance abuse experience higher levels of internalized stigma than any other mental health disorder (Birtel et al, 2017). Internalized stigma of substance abuse has been connected to the intensifying fears of authority, which is a preexisting and common fear from immigrants (Florez et al, 2016). Latinx immigrants have been continuously devalued due to the perceived economic and physical threat from native-citizens; this social exclusion discourages help-seeking attitudes, perpetuating self-isolation (Mendoza et al, 2015) .

Perceived

Stigma is often noted as a mediating element for other external stress factors. For example, perceived lack of social support experienced by immigrants was mediated by internalized stigma (Birtel et al, 2017). In essence, if someone believed they did not have a supportive social group, internalized stigma would rise. Perceived stigma is the act of believing out groups (usually the more powerful majority) believe and apply negative stereotypes to a certain minority. Unlike internalized stigma, which is linked to poorer mental health and isolation, perceived stigma may alter someone’s behavior to become more


aggressive (Birtel et al, 2017). For example, Latinx immigrants face perceived stigma when under acculturative stress, the process of assimilating into a culture due to migration (Florez et al, 2016).

Experienced

Experienced stigma is commonly referenced as overt discrimination. Immigrants and people struggling with substance abuse both face housing, employment, and social discrimination (Birtel et al, 2017). Discrimination directly impacts acculturative stress; the more experienced stigma an immigrant faces, the more stressed they become, making reestablishment more difficult (Paulus, Rodrigues-Cano, Garza, Ochoa-Perez, Lemaire, Bakhashie, Viana, Zvolensky, 2019). Migrating to a new country makes one vulnerable to experienced stigma and other external stress factors, such as violence, a risk factor that positively correlates substance abuse (Poquiz, Fite, 2016).

Stress

As understood through integrated and psychosocial factors, stress is experienced in multiple forms. Through the immigrant identity however, there were two specific stress risk factors that correlate with substance abuse: migration trauma and acculturative stress.

Migration Trauma

Migration can be separated into 3 distinct parts: per-migration, migration, and post migration- otherwise known as reestablishment. Pre-migration is the phase where immigrants are still in their home country and are about to leave. Moving from one country to another is no simple feat; this type of relocation is difficult and inability to smoothly transition can cause severe stress on the individual or family. If families or individuals are fleeing from a hostile home, stress is more severe than immigrants who left their home willingly. The most common reason as to why Latinx immigrants from Central America- Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala- leave is because of the pervasive and constant violence that occurs there (Kirmayer, Narasiah, Munoz, Rashid, Ryder, Guzder, 2011). This type of unrelenting stress can cause symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder before people leave, making the journey aspect more difficult as well as reestablishment more stressful (Keller, Joscelyne, Granski, Rosenfeld, 2017). Immigrants are also more susceptible to violence while migrating; the instability of traveling leaves them at risk of sexual assault and torture; both are known to also cause depression, anxiety, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (Maier, Straub, 2011). Lastly, immigrants who manage to establish themselves within the United States also face stresses that accompany a new environment, most of which stems from stigma and acculturative stress.

Acculturative Stress

Acculturative stress is strain felt by new immigrants in their efforts to adjust to the new culture. New cultures often invoke insecurities about one’s identity, in this case the foreign immigrant identity. Immigrants experiencing stigma commonly find it more difficult to reestablish themselves, increasing the effects of acculturative stress (Paulus et al, 2019). Repeated exposure to stress overall is unhealthy to stable populations; unstable populations like Latinx immigrants are more at risk to develop mental


disorders and emotional dysregulation, leaving them at increased risk of adopting maladaptive coping mechanisms (Paulus et al, 2019).

Inability to Maintain Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Coping mechanisms are skills learned and utilized when under psychological or social stress (Paulus et al, 2019). However, creating and using these skills takes time, practice, and resources like medical professionals. Minorities, including immigrants, usually do not have access to resources nor seek them out due stigma surrounding substance abuse (Florez et al, 2016). Upon reviewing sources that covered coping mechanisms, two risk factors were discovered in their effects of inhibiting the implementation of healthy coping mechanisms: perceived strict work environment and binge drinking culture.

Work Environment

When entering the United States, new receiving communities of Latinx immigrants typically do not have the correct infrastructure to take them in, leaving immigrants to take jobs that left them vulnerable to abusive employers). Immigrant employees responded that they felt uncomfortable asking for days off or negotiating for pay, afraid of negative repercussions that would leave them unemployed (Kissinger, Althoff, Burton, Shmidt, Hembling, Salinas, Shedlin, 2013). This type of work environment does not accommodate for medical leave; if an immigrant decided to seek help for experiences of mental distress, they would not be able to connect to the right resources due to this threat (Alvarez, Jason, Olson, Ferrari, Davis, 2007). Coupled with a mounting mental stress with lack of social support due to stigma from both identities, immigrant workers are left extremely vulnerable to substance abuse (Turner et al, 2017).

Binge Drinking Culture

Although considered a risk factor to most college attending young adults, binge drinking and alcohol use was commonly researched for Latinx immigrants (Alvarez et al, 2007). Binge drinking is the act of consuming an excessive amount of alcohol in a short time frame; men on average drink about 5 standard drinks to be considered binge drinking, whereas women drink about 4 (Shields, Archiopoli, Bentley, Weiss, Hoffmann, White, Kimura, 2016). United States culture projects alcohol with positive expectancies, meaning that when people- and immigrants who are trying to assimilate- drink, they associate the pleasurable effects of being drunk to drinking, which overtime causes positive association (Paulus et al, 2019).

Conclusion

Limitations of this study are primarily based on the lack of research on Latinx immigrants. Research using this term often does not state the origin of the studied population, neglecting the cultural differences from each country. This disregard not only skews possible psychosocial factors experienced by certain Latinx immigrants, but also perpetuates the idea that all Latinx immigrants are the same, which is untrue. Related, generational status of an immigrant is important because stress factors like reestablishment do not affect second or third generation immigrants, but cultural disparity between


generations does (Kissinger, Althoff., Burton, Shmidt, Hembling, Salinas, Shedlin, 2013). Lastly, as seen across studies about substance abuse, it is difficult to discern which risk factors are more influential.

Overall, this research presented prevalent and dangerous risk factors for Latinx immigrants in terms of substance abuse, but also proved how little is known at the intersection on both identities. It has become apparent how at risk this population is, proving the need of more research in this field. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies on Latinx immigrants, measuring acculturation and substance abuse. Measuring perceived and internalized stigma surrounding both substance abuse and Latinx immigrant identities could be used to prove the significant effects on future substance abuse problems and help seeking behavior. Understanding the unique risk factors experienced by this population could help curate better outreach programs that could prevent already struggling people. Bibliography

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UNC-33, a Protein that may Link Genetic and Environmental Factors Underlying Schizophrenia By Bianca Garcia-Gonzalez with Christine Johansen, Hailey Trombley, and Andrea Holgado

Abstract Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that affects over 2.6 million Americans. Research shows that Schizophrenia may result from neurodevelopmental defects as well as environmental factors such as prenatal stress. Work from Lee and colleagues determined that prenatal stress induced via starvation results in decreased levels of DPYSL2 in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus of rats. UNC-33, the C. elegans homolog of DPYSL2, mediates axonal formation, transport of presynaptic proteins, and the nematode’s neuronal connectome. To test the hypothesis that environmentally induced prenatal stress affects neuronal expression of UNC-33/DPYSL2 and thereby interfere with the development of a normal connectome, we studied an unc-33 transcriptional reporter. First, we crossed a strain containing an integrated transgene with the unc-33 promoter driving GFP with mutants possessing varying levels of autophagy, a molecular pathway activated in response to nutritional stress. Next, we grew nematodes under conditions of high temperature or conditions of induced autophagy and monitored GFP expression using confocal microscopy. Preliminary analysis of the unc-33 transcriptional reporter denotes that neuronal expression is decreased in animals developing at high temperature, a stress condition for C. elegans. Surprisingly, as high temperatures negatively impact the GFP expression in neurons, glial expression of GFP is increased. This suggests that temperature has the potential to regulate expression of unc-33 in vivo by negatively modulating its transcription in neurons and thus the low levels of unc-33 in neurons may lead to the development defects underlying schizophrenia.

Click here to view Garcia-Gonzalez’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KlbiaAExYqPBM-RrAXwS6jYWK5Km38q5/view?usp=sharing

Analyzing the Antimicrobial Effect of Terminalia calophylla & Terminalia leandriana Extracts on Staphylococcus aureus Using Bacterial Cytological Profiling By Cristobal Garcia-Quiroz

Abstract One of the biggest threats in the modern landscape of healthcare is antibiotic resistance which has rendered many modern antibiotics ineffective. As a result, a major focus in research has shifted towards studying the antimicrobial effects of natural compounds to discover novel mechanisms of actions (MOA) which bacteria have not yet developed resistance for. One focus has been plant species which have pharmacological potential as antibiotic compounds. Two plant extracts endemic to Madagascar, Terminalia calophylla and Terminalia leandriana, were studied to quantify and analyze their antimicrobial properties and MOA. The bacterial species used, Staphylococcus aureus, has been reported to have high rates of resistance and is responsible for causing infective endocarditis and bacteremia in humans. Antibiotics which inhibit cell wall synthesis, would normally be sufficient in destroying the cell. However, many strains have become resistant leading to higher mortality rates which has prompted an increased response in the research of antibiotics with novel MOAs. Through the usage of Kirby-Bauer disk diffusions and minimum inhibitory concentrations, the antimicrobial activity of two extracts, T. calophylla and T. leandriana, were analyzed and quantified as 125 and 250 g/ml respectively. In order to postulate the mechanism of action of the extracts, bacterial cytological profiling (BCP) was performed. BCP has the ability to produce quantifiable profiles of bacteria based on the way they are affected by different classes of antibiotics. This ongoing study will obtain the BCP of S. aureus in relation to the plant extracts and identify which MOA they possess.

Click here to view Garcia-Quiroz’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/15QWWijf3s9iJ9tMsrJlfMdnlpG7t-sRu/view?usp=sharing

Seether By Victoria Gonzales

Abstract

The Seether comic is a psychological horror series centered around Shane Navarro, a reluctant anti-hero who discovers that she has powers to heal the trauma that she sees in other people, all while battling her own inner demons. The larger subject matter of the series pertains to not only how Shane copes with her struggles, but also how the rest of society views the topic of mental illness and how those affected by it view their world. Because if this, there is a central theme/question: What if every panic attack or negative emotion that you’ve ever felt was meant to save your life, and the lives of those around you?

Click here to view Gonzales’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BwSI7Gb6fOxRBRYFPFfLELRk8Rc9xktr/view?usp=sharing

Mary Shelley’s Creature and the Rewriting of Patriarchal Ethical Narratives By Annalyse Granowski

In the epic poem Paradise Lost (1674), John Milton claims that he elaborates on the Garden of Eden story to “justify to ways of God to men” (1.26). Milton uses God’s masculine perspectives to emphasize the importance of obedience; at the same time, Milton seems to advocate for principles rooted in compassion and sympathy. In his elaboration of the biblical narrative, his characters seek redemption only after compassion is shown to them. Over two hundred years later, I believe that Mary Shelley deliberately and ironically builds on Milton’s precedent in her novel Frankenstein (1818). That is, she advocates for Milton’s implication of the importance of compassion with female characters, modifying this patriarchal text in order to emphasize its more “feminine” perspectives. Ironically, Shelley uses Milton’s modifications of Genesis-- a patriarchal text that emphasizes obedience--to criticize the English patriarchal social system. In the end, I wish to claim that Shelley’s use of alternative perspectives in Frankenstein enables her to portray a uniquely feminine struggle, modifying the values of the patriarchy that restricted social outcasts.

In Paradise Lost , Milton’s God initially appears as cruel when he elaborates on the punishments that Adam and Eve receive after they sin and eat the fruit. Echoing the original Genesis narrative, God (through the Son) gives the punishments to Adam and Eve that all of humanity must suffer. Eve punishment is that “children thou shalt bring / In sorrow forth, and to thy husband’s will / Thine shall submit” (10.194-196), to Adam he decrees that “thou shalt eat the herb of the field, / In thy sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread / Till thou return unto the ground” (10.204-206). In contrast to the original biblical narrative, however, Milton adds to the story of Eden by inserting scenes within the narrative that demonstrate God’s compassion towards humanity. For instance, God finds a way to console Adam and Eve after they are tormented with their guilt for their sin in the Garden. Adam falls into a state of despair when he realizes all of humanity will be punished for his sin and he states, “For what can I increase / or multiply but curses on my head? / Who of all ages succeeds but, feeling / The evil on him brought by me” (10.731-734). And yet, Milton elaborates on the story of Genesis to show that God’s punishment involves both cruelty and compassion. God tells Adam and Eve the story of how he will eventually save humanity, and God eventually accepts their prayers of repentance. Milton deviates from the traditional narrative of Genesis to emphasize the importance of compassion and sympathy that is needed for justice.

Likewise, Milton continues to emphasize the importance of compassion by humanizing and

creating a sympathetic Satan. Milton follows the traditional story of Satan’s fall as determined by the early Church Fathers, but he deviates from the narration by creating Satan’s perspective of the fall, invoking pity for him. Milton implies the negative consequences created when indifference is shown instead of compassion. Embodying a more traditional stance of the Christian tradition, Milton’s God treats Satan with cruelty and insists that he had no responsibility in the fall. God states, “Whose fault? / Whose but his [Satan’s] own. Ingrate, he had of me / All he could have” (3.96-98). God insists he will never


forgive Satan for his actions. Milton slowly begins to weave in the effects of pitilessness. God will only give compassion to humanity because they were deceived, but Satan had free-will in his decision. God claims, “man, therefore, shall find grace, / The other [the fallen angels] none” (3.131-132). Yet again, however, Milton creates sympathy for Satan even amidst God’s harshness. Satan debates about repenting and reconciliation, however, he knows it will not improve his situation. Milton acknowledges multiple points where Satan does not exhibit true evil; he hesitates before he tricks Eve and he wants to repent for his actions. God’s unwavering cruelty towards Satan ultimately causes him to commit himself to evil. Satan realizes his state and becomes hopeless: “ so farewell hope and, with hope, farewell fear”, he concludes “Farewell remorse. All good to me is lost. Evil be thou my good” (4.108-110). Perhaps, Milton implies that if God had been kinder towards him then Satan would not have given himself over to evil. Milton shows the importance of sympathy here: when it is shown the characters become redeemable, but indifference only leads to further cruelty. Milton emphasizes the importance of kind-heartedness with Adam and Eve’s outcome, in contrast, to that of Satan.

Shelley, I believe, builds on Milton’s interpretation of the patriarchal text. Shelley had a deep

knowledge and had read Paradise Lost, and this influenced her character of the creature.This is noted in Leslie Tannenbaum’s article “From Filthy Type to Truth: Miltonic Myth in ‘Frankenstein.’” Tannenbaum states that “Mary Shelley is engaged in a continual dialogue with Milton, expressed by directed and oblique allusions to Paradise Lost”, and that “the presence of this dialogue is hardly surprising and perhaps inevitable… given Shelley’s reading of Paradise Lost aloud and Mary’s own reading of the epic during the gestation of her novel” (Tannenbaum 2). The epic poem is referenced several times throughout her novel; the creature himself reads the novel and begins to draw parallels between himself, Adam, and Satan. Shelley is in some ways indebted to Milton; she cleverly connects her characters to Milton’s characters to allude to the moral implications from these similar identities. After reading the novel, the creature states, “Like Adam, I was created apparently united by no link to any other being in existence” (143). Shelley uses Milton’s novel to shape the characters' identities, and she parallels Adam to the creature to emphasize that they were both born with goodness. Then she deliberately has the creature to connect himself to Milton’s Satan “Many times I considered Satan as the fitter ensemble of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me” (144). Shelley uses the creature’s connection to create a more sympathetic creature and allows for Victor Frankenstein [the creature’s creator] to be condemned. Shelley creates a complex identity with the creature, allowing for the creature to be pitied and for the creature to be understood as someone who was not born evil.

Shelley skillfully references Paradise Lost, shaping her characters with the biblical narrative and

with her own beliefs regarding feminine ideas. She also modifies certain characters to internally display the patriarchal values society prioritizes, with the characters that internalize more feminine perspectives, to advocate for a more progressive society with a female agency. The first feminine perspective that Shelley displays is that of Elizabeth. She has known Victor Frankenstein since her early childhood and eventually is promised to marry him. Elizabeth criticizes the cruelty that society shows in different professions. Her perspective contrasts with her uncle’s, for instance, about which type of careers are more honorable. Whereas her uncle favors (along with society more generally) careers such as lawyers and judges, whose job it is to condemn and sentence others. Elizabeth believes that humanity and society


should prioritize more constructive endeavors, and she suggests a career like farming. She states, “It is certainly more creditable to cultivate the earth for the sustenance of man than to be the confidant, and sometimes the accomplice, of his vices; which is the profession of a lawyer” (89). Elizabeth thinks that focusing on constructive professions allows people to display more compassion than careers that encourage condemning others. She also feels that society doesn’t have the authority to condemn others and she states, “a judge, whose misfortune it was always to meddle with the dark side of human nature” (89). Elizabeth believes that if society encourages these professions then society is also encouraging people to display indifference towards others, and society displays its cruelty when it condemns others. To Milton, compassion is needed for proper justice, because compassion allows for God to accept Adam and Eve’s prayers of repentance. Shelley builds on Milton’s implication by using feminine perspectives that are largely ignored in society, and she criticizes the English society’s inability to give compassion or sympathy in judgment.

Shelley also builds on Milton’s implication for the importance of compassion in punishments with feminine perspectives. An unjust and cruel punishment is first seen with Justine, who came to live with the Frankenstein family years ago. Justine serves as a housekeeper, but she’s treated more like a family member. Justine is falsely accused of murder and put on trial, and she is sentenced to death. Elizabeth is the only person who displays compassion for Justine during her trial and vehemently proclaims her innocence. However, no one displays any sympathy for Justine, and her friends ignore her because of “fear, and hatred of the crime which they supposed her guilty rendered them timorous, and unwilling to come forward” (105). Shelley criticizes society’s emphasis on cruelty that causes a lack of compassion when giving punishments. Society becomes obsessed with vengeance and this causes them to give unfair punishments and stray away from justice. Shelley and Milton both have similar implications about the display of indifference rather than compassion. She uses this implication to emphasize that society’s encouragement for cruelty creates an unjust system that only harms people with punishments, instead of encouraging redemption. Society is angered by the idea of pitying or not giving Justine a cruel punishment and the “public indignation was turned with renewed violence” (106). Elizabeth’s perspective criticizes how society disregards compassion altogether because this allows for society to justify their cruelty in the condemnation of others. Turning once more than Milton, we find that God likewise limits his compassion to Satan to justify his cruel punishments; just as he emphasizes that injustice that results from a lack of compassion, Shelley attributes society’s violence to the encouragement of cruel punishments. She emphasizes that society would become fairer and more balanced if society listened to women and allowed for compassion, which would’ve created a society more focused on redemption rather than vengeance.

Shelley builds on Milton’s underlying implication that cruelty and lack of compassion are what

ultimately cause someone to commit to evil. For Milton, when Satan receives no compassion from God he turns to evil. For Shelley’s creature, when no love or kindness is given by his creator he turns to evil. Shelley creates a feminine narrative for the creature with Safie and the De Lacey family. The De Lacey family is affected by poverty, after losing everything and being forced to leave France. However, the family is kind and accepting of people. After the De Lacey family promised to help Safie’s father escape prison but was caught and banished from France, Safie eventually returned to Felix, her lover. Safie is happily embraced by Felix and the rest of the family, and she begins to become educated and learn their


language and culture. The creature listens to her lessons, and this is how he becomes educated. Shelley uses the feminine perspective of Safie inspires the creature to believe that he can also be accepted by the family. Safie’s identity and acceptance cause the creature to question his own identity, with Safie representing the good that comes from the display of compassion. The creature’s only desire is to be accepted and he states that “the more I saw of them [The De Lacey family], the greater became my desire to claim their protection and kindness; my heart yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures” (145). However, the creature is very harshly rejected by the De Lacey family and by all the members of society, even after he displays his goodness, and this causes him to give up hope. After being violently wounded when he saves a girl from drowning, he claims, “The feelings of kindness and gentleness, which I had entertained but for a few moments before, gave place to hellish rage… I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” (153), and he gives up hope of receiving any form of kindness. Identical to Milton’s narrative with Satan, once hope is lost for the creature this causes him to perpetrate acts of evil. Milton implies that when only cruelty is displayed this is what causes true evil to emerge. Shelley builds on this Miltonic narrative, with Safie’s perspective contrasting with the creature’s. Shelley criticizes society’s prejudices, and in a certain way, the creature becomes an embodiment of a female struggle to gain acceptance in society.

Both Shelley and Milton advocate for the importance of compassion because of the effects it had

on people and society. Shelley expands and modifies these implications with feminine perspectives to demonstrate society’s lack of kindness. Shelley attributes the flaw in society to her main character Victor Frankenstein. If Victor had not followed society’s tendencies and had been loving and kind to his creature, then evil never would have been created. Shelley emphasizes that with society’s lack of compassion, society is enabling, and in some ways responsible for evil. The creature’s perspective becomes feminized feminine, in a way, in the form of a social outcast that society rejects. He becomes the image of society’s failure to modify their social norms and attitude, or to change their morals with female influence. Works Cited

Milton, John, et al. Paradise Lost . Hackett, 2007. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, et al. Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus . Broadview Press, 2012. Tannenbaum, Leslie. “From Filthy Type to Truth: Miltonic Myth in ‘Frankenstein.’”

Keats-Shelley Journal , vol. 26, 1977, pp. 101–113. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/30212806. Accessed 20 Apr. 2020.


Forestry Service A work of fiction

by Jillian Horton I sent Fern texts that I was outside her door while I was still walking up the stairs in her apartment

building, knowing it would take her a second to get to the door. She wasn’t even there by the time I had made it all the way down the hallway, so I was left stranded outside Door 208 in a building reeking of jasmine anyway. Caramel seemed to sigh with me from inside his kennel as I set him on the floor— I knew I was right in thinking my Familiar hated travelling more than I did. Today alone we’d gone from the school to the train station, from the train station to the storage place next door to drop off my moving boxes, from the storage place to get some take out, from take out to the Rideshare place, from the Rideshare place to the right apartment complex but the wrong floor, and now the right floor….

“Sis-t-ter!” Fern shrieked, slamming open the door, and tackling me in a full body hug. I groaned in protest against the hug, but was glad to see her smiling again. She released me with a bout of giggles and happy signs: I missed you , I’m so happy. I like your

new contact. It looks much better than the… She paused, struggling for a word, quickly deciding to place a hand over her eye to indicate “eye patch” instead.

“Thank you— it’s enchanted, so I can at least see phantoms out of this eye now.” “Where’s the…” she started, not quiiite able to find the last word for what she was trying to say. She started to make a “c” sound, so she was probably working on the word “cat”— but her eyes

promptly found Caramel’s kennel and she stopped. She reached down and opened it with an excited hum, proclaiming “happy fuzzy t-tabby baby” as she picked up and cradled the fickle feline in her arms. The spoiled little butthead was infinitely more relaxed in this situation than I was. I picked up the empty kennel and followed the pair inside, being careful not to close the door on my backpack or my suitcase as I wheeled it in behind me.

As I walked into the living space, I noticed that for once the curtains had actually been pulled

back a considerable amount. When I had visited over the summer, all of the windows had been closed, and the entire apartment had felt like sadness. I hoped the change in lighting meant Fern was enjoying sunlight again, or really anything again.

But there were also still unopened letters and bills on her island, so I couldn’t be sure. Mom probably would’ve commented on it if she were here, so I intentionally didn’t.


I’d told lots of half-truths to Fern about why I was moving in with her, instead of staying at school. Of course I’d told her that I missed her pancakes, and that I felt like Uni just wasn’t right for me, but that wasn’t all of why. Bringing up that Caramel would be coming back with me had kept me from having to come up with more lies. I knew she was worried about me, I just wished she’d stop asking about why I didn’t want to continue my education anymore. She knew as well as I did that I could spend my whole life looking up spells and research papers on New Medicine online, but trying to become a Neopsychologist without a degree was just impossible. I couldn’t make myself talk about it— hopefully the cat would continue to be a good distraction.

We talked for a while in the living room, mostly about Fern’s slew of new plants perched on her

windowsill. But when we moved to what was going to soon be my room, the subject changed to school again. Much to Fern’s distaste, I danced around the subject as I set candles up by the window and sage in the closet doorway. I liked my rooms fortified, and I knew Fern at least wouldn’t mind that bit.

“Hey, Electra? Where’s the… U-uh…” she trailed off for a moment before her eyes lit back up.

“Caramel! Where is he?” It seemed to be a very off-and-on again day with her aphasia. “Weren’t you just holding him? I thought he came into the room with you.” But as we both looked around, I realized that definitely wasn’t the case. I wasn’t too worried,

Caramel liked to explore new places— but as I walked back into the living room, I noticed a formerly closed window had somehow been opened, and a sturdily potted plan had been knocked over. By the state of the capsized pot I couldn’t imagine the wind was the culprit— and with the fire escape just outside, I unfortunately understood what was going on.

This was beyond exploring, this was an intervention. Caramel was a good cat, even if his personality consisted entirely of whining about not being

held. He never strayed too far from his Favorite Human Underling, which admittedly unnerved my Mom the night I brought him home. Once he knew his surroundings he would always come right back to me, and promptly assert himself as close to me as possible. But he never left his surroundings without me there to follow him.

I glanced at Fern, who looked like she was about to burst into tears and was fumbling with the

first syllable of an apology. Instead of waiting for her to find what she was trying to say, I stepped through the window and promptly left the apartment. Of course my stupid cat would be summoned by the Forest Spirit the second I was back in the city, he’d told me he’d call Caramel and I back to him eventually. I just didn’t expect now to be eventually. Maybe he had waited for Fern and I to be back together. But why would he do that?

I climbed down the fire escape like an American Ninja Warrior, Fern following close behind. I

talked to her over my shoulder as we went, assuring her I wasn’t actually angry with her, and that I just had somewhere to be. I didn’t want to tell her why, or where I was going, it wasn’t any of her business.


The fact that she was following me made me even more tense as we descended through the sunset and into the alleyway.

Once on the ground I quickly headed towards Autal Street, in the direction of the sun as it fell just

below the horizon, beyond the bridges. My sister continued to follow me, I could feel her urgent need to chew through hard words and ask me questions about what was going on. I glanced back at her, and could see her cheeks were puffed out like she was physically trying to keep words held in her mouth. I turned to face her then, slowing back down to a regular pace. I knew that if I just left her in my dust she would feel abandoned and like she had done something wrong, which I definitely wanted to avoid. It seemed like the Forest Spirit had waited to call Caramel until Fern and I were together, so it was probably better if she came along. Maybe there was less harm in this than I anticipated.

“E-electra, where are we even going?” She signed as she talked this time, maybe to ensure her

words would stay with her, or that she wouldn’t stutter and fall all over them. “We’re just going to visit a friend of mine, he’s— well, he’s through a magic portal under the

bridge. I think that’s where Caramel went, to visit him. I think my friend wants to talk to us.” Fern gave me the most incredulous look I think I’d ever seen, moving her hands to sign you’re

crazy when her tongue got stuck on a y sound. My throat closed up for a moment— she was doing what Mom always said she would do, she

wasn’t going to believe me. Fern wouldn’t have any reason to believe a hidden world existed, not even New Science could prove portals existed in most cases. I swallowed my fear— Fern would follow me for the cat at the very least, and then she would meet the Forest Spirit, and for the first time in my life I wouldn’t be ‘crazy.’

“I know it sounds nuts, but listen— I just need you to trust me, okay?” Fern’s gaze turned to one of suspicion as she stuttered through an “okay.” I started to continue

walking then, trying to keep my anxiety down, and assure myself that Fern would believe me soon enough. It wasn’t going to be like what Mom always told me it would be. Soon after I resumed walking, I was quickly grabbed by my upper arm and yanked back a step.

Now Fern was concerned again, but as she signed to me it became clear that she had accepted my

vague and seemingly insane plan for finding the cat: Wouldn’t it be faster if we rode bikes? The bridge is… Not close.

I hadn’t stopped to consider that. But I could do much better than bikes— hopefully my idea

would give Fern more smiles. I bent down to conjure two skateboards out of the sidewalk using the chalk in my bag, sketching fairly simplistic runes into the cement. As I laid down the base of my spell I thought back to when Fern and I were kids, and we used to skateboard through the streets: we had loved the


activity, only stopping after an incident when I was thirteen where I forgot how hard it was to balance with only one eye. I broke an arm, and Mom banned us from skateboards for life.

I felt defiant and empowered as I stood, conjuring the identical boards out of the concrete. Fern

tried to look disapproving at first, but she couldn’t hide her excitement from me. I grinned back at her contagious smile. Did you learn that at school? she asked.

“Nah. YouTube,” I grinned. “RunesEZ is a way better teacher than Professor Barley was. They

start all their runes with erosion protection, so only cancel charms can break up the chalk.” I’d tried to sound proud as I spoke, but I felt my expression fall as I brought up my former

teacher. I prayed Fern didn’t notice the change as we kicked off and headed down the street towards the bridge, flying over into the bike lane to avoid hitting any pedestrians as we whizzed past. When we reached the bridge my foot caught on a stone and I nearly tripped— if Fern hadn’t grabbed my arm again I probably would’ve tumbled face first into the concrete walkway below. Fortunately, it seemed all of the bridge’s usual groupies had gone home for the night already. I didn’t know what I would’ve done if they were still hanging around for some reason— the last thing I needed today was a bunch of community college alchemists who were illegally practicing explosive party tricks to laugh at me as I tripped down a hill. I said a quick “thanks” to Fern for grabbing me, and carried our runic skateboards with me down under the bridge. If they were still around by the time we were done with the Forest Spirit maybe we could keep them, but I would probably end up deactivating the runes used to conjure them later anyway.

Fern gasped when she turned to look at the walls supporting the bridge. She seemed mesmerized

by the bright and sprawling graffiti that coated every inch of space, leaving hardly any dreary gray cement untouched. I just felt kind of numb, not even uncomfortable anymore. The portal was here. I wasn’t going in alone this time. I walked up to the wall, my eyes fixated on a large tree painted into the middle of the surface. As I walked I heard an un-Familiar meow from the bottom of the graffiti's trunk, and then spotted a cat almost identical to Caramel, but not quite— this one was pale like an unbaked pastry, and I could see the bark behind him through his fur. He pawed at the ground for a moment before beginning to wind around our legs, herding us towards the graffitti. He was much easier to see with my good eye closed.

I turned to see what Fern thought of the un-Familiar, and was met with a confused squint. My

guess was she probably couldn’t see him very well at all, and was unnerved by the strange pull she felt towards the much-more-visible graffitti.

“It’s one of Caramel’s past lives,” I explained. “They watch the rest of the city for him.

Sometimes Caramel calls them up just to caterwaul at me about wanting chicken, though.” “Oh, uh-h, okay— are you sure Caramel…” the word she wanted never seemed to come around.

She grimaced and signed an apology, I waved it off and picked up the un-Familiar in response. “I still think I’m right, about Caramel coming this way— his other lives don’t usually get all

corporeal like this unless he’s around,” I explained, handing the now purring ghost cat to Fern. “I know


he’s a little hard to see, but try holding him— he’s super snuggly, just like the normal one.” She nodded along to my answer and purred back at the cat as I set him down in her arms, seemingly content once again with our spontaneous adventure.

Turning back to the wall the phantasmic cat had been herding us towards, I couldn’t help but feel

the opposite of content. I didn’t want to know what the Forest Spirit wanted from me, but I knew I couldn’t just ignore him either.

Why did he want Fern to come along? I reached out towards the graffiti, my fingers slowly extending towards the imitation of a live oak.

I felt Fern inch closer to me, curious about what I was doing, as my nails began to slip through the dried paint. With my free hand I grabbed onto her wrist, pulling her past the runes keeping the image clean of other artists work, past the charms keeping the barrier closed to unwanted visitors, and with me into Neauxwaire.

* * *

I didn’t hear Fern gasp as I began to phase through the graffiti, but I felt her tense up and clutch

Caramel’s past life closer to her chest like she had. Pastry kept purring anyway. I lead Fern and the un-Familiar through the darkness, my feet remembering the path towards the Forest Spirit better than my mind did. Fifteen paces through the tree the darkness turned to grayness, the faint hum of chortling birds beginning to stir the air. Thirty paces in and Fern’s shoulders finally loosened, and she paused to put the un-Familiar on the ground. She moved closer to me again, so we were walking side-by-side, and held my hand instead of letting me hold her wrist. I wondered if she was worried we were going to get lost.

The un-Familiar trotted ahead of us, meowing happily and occasionally glancing back to ensure

we were still following him. He led us through a dove-gray field, leaving tiny pawprints in the pewter grass and blissfully closing his eyes at the foggy sky. The silver wind blew through him whenever he waited for Fern and I to catch up.

She squeezed my hand for attention, so I could turn my head and see her smile. “Are we awake?” she asked, fascinated by the unconventionally vibrant landscape. “Yeah,” I responded, letting myself relax enough to smile back. “We’re just in a different part of

the city right now.” Pastry eventually came to a stop at the beginning of a pathway flanked by trees the color of

clouds and smoke, making himself cozy in a flattened bed of grass. A nearby sign read “here you are bound by truth.” I didn’t think Fern saw it.


“Bye bye-e, k-ki… baby,” Fern cooed as she waved goodbye to our guide. Even my brain remembered the way to the Forest Spirit from here. I tugged on Fern’s hand to indicate that I was going to keep moving, readjusting my backpack and taking a deep breath.

Twenty more winding paces down the path and we reached a familiar clearing— and there, sure

enough, lay the Forest Spirit, Caramel rubbing up against his back legs and purring. He looked just like I remembered. Antlers sprouting from his head, growing sideways like

confused saplings, and harrowing button eyes sewn into his leather fur. Front paws ablaze and back legs encouraging the sporadic blossoming of the roses they created, the fountains of water from his tail blessing them with magic and dousing the fires his front legs made when they grew too large. He sat like an overgrown lap cat, opening his fang-filled mouth in a seam-ripping smile as he saw Fern and I approach.

You have come again! , he mused to me, extending his head so I could pet it as he spoke to our

thoughts. Fern jumped a bit, surprised by his voice. She seemed unsettled once again, probably because the Forest Spirit’s mouth still hung open in his torn grin.

“Only because the cat made me,” I replied, releasing Fern’s hand to scratch the Forest Spirit’s

flopping muzzle. He chuckled at my reply, a dusty sounding wheeze slipping through his smile as he turned to Fern. For a moment she looked terrified, but relaxed again after hesitantly patting the Forest Spirit’s nose. Big baby , she signed to me. I nodded in agreement, telling her He’s very gentle , in response.

I had thought I would feel more nervous once I was in his presence again, yet here I stood, calm.

Maybe it was because Fern had been smiling more than I’d ever seen, or maybe it was because Caramel was back in my sight, lazily batting at a rose hip and stretching as though he was ready to take a nap.

You shouldn’t blame My Helper , the Forest Spirit complained. I needed to see you. You

need repairs. “Re-pairs?” Fern questioned, furrowing her eyebrows. “Elec-c-ctra isn’t broken.” Her heart hurts, he explained. Her last trade went unwell, she is too sad. I must fix my

friend. Help me fix our friend. “Sad isn’t broken. S-s-sad is just sad,” Fern argued. “Well I’m not even sad ,” I muttered, avoiding looking the Forest Spirit in the eyes, and instead

fixing my gaze on my Familiar. I wanted to get away from this conversation, I didn’t want to cry today. He had seriously called me here to talk about what, why I was upset? I didn’t want to make Fern sad, she deserved more smiles. She’d had four today.


Then why aren’t you at school? You traded it for something, just as when you gave me your sight. I felt my chest tighten, I didn’t want to talk about this— the Forest Spirit moved his hind legs, creating a large rose hip that I knew Caramel would crawl inside of and take a nap in. Out of the corner of my eye I felt Fern sign the word “plant” to herself in amazement. Maybe the Forest Spirit thought this or the gentle nudge he gave me with his snout would soothe me. Yet I remained tense and unwilling to expose myself.

But I knew Neauxwaire would eventually make me. “I th-thought your eye was— bad,” Fern questioned with a tilt of her head. “No, that’s just what Mom told you,” I sighed in response. “There’s no way I would ever put a

stick in my cornea, I can barely put a contact in without flinching. I made a trade with the Forest Spirit.” Fern began to say the word “with?” but eventually lost the will to— instead she just stared at me,

looking hurt. I knew she’d think I was lying, I just knew she hadn’t seen the sign. You never told your sister? I thought you wanted her to think you smart, Lovve. Isn’t that

why you went to a University in the first place? Now I could feel my blood boiling. I knew I should respect the Forest Spirit after all he’d done

for me, but he was taking my words from me. He wasn’t giving me chances to say what I had to, he was making me have to discuss things I had never wanted to discuss to begin with— es pecially with Fern, she didn’t need to know, I just needed her to believe—

“When I was bad.” I snapped back out of my thoughts at Fern’s words— she hadn’t stuttered. “I got better too qu-quick. The uh... “ she patted her head for a moment, thinking. “Skull rock-k,

it left. M-mom wouldn’t-t… say.” My heart kept sinking, I didn’t want to talk about this. This was my secret. Mom had already been

telling me for years that I should keep my “crazy excuses” to myself. Maybe the Forest Spirit thought I would feel better if I knew someone would finally believe me, and that’s why he called for Fern— but I didn’t, I felt twisted.

Fern could know I never lied about the Forest Spirit as a kid, sure. If I was honest with myself,

Mom had probably kept her so in the dark on the matter that Fern probably didn’t even know I was accused of lying. But I couldn’t bare Fern knowing I had wasted a semester, thousands of dollars, not being smart enough for University. Not being smart enough to save her from everything the Forest Spirit and I hadn’t been able to fix for her. I had unenrolled, now I could never know enough for her.


That was mine to hold onto, it had to be. Sure enough, Caramel had curled up inside of the massive rose hip the Forest Spirit had made

with his hind paws, I tried to find comfort in knowing at least my Familiar was fine. Sure I felt like the world was falling down around me, but at least Caramel was having a good time.

Yes, she came to me, we made a trade to help you. Electra gladly exchanged her sight

for your safety. Now she has done something similar, even without my help— a trade in habitat for a trade in availability. For you.

Fern stayed silent as I turned to stare at the Forest Spirit. My insides continued to feel twisted.

Fern turned to me then, out of the corner of my eye I saw her holding her hands open like she was inviting me to hold them— I shook my head ‘no’ in response.

Yet she held them out further, whispering “Why-y are you sad? You s-saved… Fern.” I placed

one of my hands on hers, the other gripping onto the end of my shirt. I hadn’t realized I’d been doing that. I am alive, she signed. You saved Fern. I watched her out of the corner of my eye, I thought she told me ‘thank you’ after I placed my

hand on hers, but it was hard to hear— my thoughts were too loud. I was thinking about how scared I had been the first time I came to Neauxwaire, by accident. I had run from home because I didn’t want to lose my big sister, stumbling into the graffiti and wandering until I found the Forest Spirit, who gave me a Familiar that could see every part of the city, and who took a tumor out of Fern’s brain, just for the sight in one of my eyes.

I hadn’t given up enough to keep all of her abilities intact, when I came home Mom called me

stupid for going out and seeking answers on my own. She took me to an Old Medicine psychiatrist who told me I was delusional, that I was making up excuses for damaging my own eye and bringing a street cat home. He had avoided education involving magic, so of course he called me crazy. Mom was a sorceress and gave up magic to call me crazy. Fern’s survival was a Miracle and I was delusional, I cried for years. All I wanted was for Fern to think I was intelligent or strong enough to help, for her to know that I was always there to help, but I couldn’t even make her feel normal without the Forest Spirit or a degree I would never be able to get—

I sniffled in confusion, she was giving me a hug. Fern had wrapped me up in her arms even

though I had said nothing, even to her comment about being ‘saved.’ Lifting my eyes a little I could see why the Forest Spirit had helped me again. He’d rested his snout on my head, I guess some time ago, and was making steam with his front paws and his tail. Through the steam I was watching my memories— I saw a little girl with brown pigtails, too many freckles, and a black eyepatch picking up a kitten and walking home in the dark, Fern was watching her too. Now she was waiting for me to talk, to comment on the steam or why I was crying, her head tilted to the side like she was already listening to me.

“I wanted to be smart,” I sniffled. Why? She signed.


I tried to wipe my eyes, to clear my head, to get my thoughts in order— the Forest Spirit had stopped making steam and instead rested his head on the floor. Waiting, observing.

“You are smart. You go to Un-niversit-ty,” Fern reassured me, somehow finding words even when I couldn’t. I didn’t want to cry more.

I didn’t want to cry more.

“But now I don’t, I gav-ve it up. I can’t help you.” I wanted to tell her how I hadn’t been smart enough to save her before and now I never would be, I couldn’t explain that I wanted to make it easy to talk, that I hadn’t been smart or quick enough and it would never be easy now and I was dumb I was dumb I was dumb.

“You st-till won’t-t say why. Tell-l me,” she said, with a firm and determined stare.

She had seen through my half-lies, of course she had. Neauxwaire forced a reply.

“I was scared you were going to get too lonely, and would have to leave again. I wanted to be with you, but smart enough to save you, but I can’t— I can’t be at school and also be here with you— “

“T-that’s okay,” Fern reassured me, interrupting my shaking explanation and patting my head. “You-u don’t have to… have a smart head, to s-save Fern. I’m proud st-till. Just—” I could feel her turning her head to look around, like the right word would appear before her.

“Be a plant.”

I was so baffled at that point that I had to turn to look at her. What did that even mean ?

She pointed at the rose hips the Forest Spirit’s hind legs kept making, and made a motion like a ball expanding, followed by moving her hands up and down like she was feeling a tube. I was still confused.

But then I saw the Forest Spirit move his back paws again, and I understood— he was making flowers grow, helping them blossom into something more beautiful. Maybe that was what Fern wanted me to do, too. “Let’s-s go home and be plants,” she smiled.

Yes, be a Plant, Lovve, the Forest Spirit thought to us with a gentle smile. I couldn’t be sure if he had known this was how this conversation would end, but the relaxed shuffling of his hind legs told me he was content. Was I ‘fixed’ now?

I guessed he expected me to feel like I could rely on my sister like how I had relied on him so long ago. He had shown Fern that I was capable of that, of relying, or helping— this visit wasn’t about exposing my decisions, it was preparing me to talk.

Caramel trotted towards me excitedly before lying down across my feet, like he expected to be held, a nudge from the Forest Spirit’s muzzle encouraging him to leave his cozy rose hip den.


Fern and I were together again. I hadn’t intended to go back to school to begin with— I had missed her too much to even consider it. As a bittersweet bonus, the Forest Spirit seemed to support my decision to leave University behind in some way. He wanted me to rely on her, maybe he believed Fern could “fix” me. Make me feel happier, like my decision to leave school was as good as I thought it was. Make me realize I didn’t need a degree to be worth something to my sister. I picked up my stupid Familiar, it was time for everyone to return home.

As Fern and I began to leave we waved goodbye, Fern signing a cheery nice to meet you! as she walked away. The Forest Spirit laid down and let out a deep, rumbling hum as he bid us goodbye, almost like he was singing to us.

Come again whenever you like, I’ll call if I have a need. Your sacrifices will bring you the benefit of joy, eventually.


The Effect of Suppressed Anger on Women’s Equality By Grace Horvath Introduction

As a woman, my mother and our culture indoctrinated me to believe that my effort would always fall victim to a stronger male. I was indirectly taught that if I ever were in a situation of 9

crossed-boundaries, I couldn’t do much about it. If I had the option to learn self-defense, my mother would have said, “Why would you do that? All it would lead to are violent habits and anger management problems.” These responses told me that I should not have anger because I will want to express it and I might hurt someone in the process. And while I do believe acting on anger in appropriate times is really important, this all-or-nothing expectation restrained me. A further effect of this response was that I believed I had innate incompetence for self-defense sports and self-worth determined by those around me. As one would expect, I had difficulty sculpting my personal identity.

Half a year ago I realized the up swell of emotions like anger, hurt, and hate that have been suppressed my whole life. I believe these emotions have been suppressed in women for centuries because of the emotions’ poor stigma from our emotional culture. Most of us, women, have never been allowed to feel these “negative” emotions, let alone express them; actually, all emotions are neutral and very human, we only perceive them as negative because our emotional culture sees anger as negative and destructive. Our mothers would not let us feel angry, perhaps because they were never allowed to, and probably learned from their mothers that it was “unlady like.” Women are indirectly taught and expected that their gender role is to be submissive in all situations, instead of using anger to protect themselves or others, like men are raised to respond with.

In my house, we never talked about anger directly. Through the influence of the adult figures around me, I learned how to be angry: yell, curse, or pretend like everything was fine until the anger kept mounting. I was taught explosive movements directly correlated to violence and only affected people and myself negatively. Never was I taught that violence onto others, whether verbal or physical, could actually protect my sexual well-being. I was raised to conceal

9 As a disclaimer, I want to clarify which angle I am speaking from for this topic. I speak from the cultural roles and expectations of the United States of America, in which I live. I, by no means mean to discriminate from any person or cultural norm when I discuss this matter. For my topic, I aspire to respect anyone involved in this issue and I am supportive of anyone moving through their fight for equal opportunity.


anger. It was not until I turned twenty-two that I began to let myself feel these emotions and put self-care before cultural preferences of me.

Boxing heavy bag training became my saving getaway–a ticket where I could let any emotions run free–shielded by safety and in an encouraging environment. It has become my method for managing the surface level of anger and actively moving until my mind feels clear enough to think about what this anger is communicating to me. I can emotionally dump whatever I am feeling, no matter good or bad, and never think to use it in violent or ruthless ways against others. Though, I am reassured to know that these skills and practices can keep my physical body safe if I am ever in a situation where that is threatened. My safety resides in my own hands now, and that is an affirmation. This sport teaches the art of self-defense, and from first-hand experience, I am empowered to be capable on my own. As a woman subscribed to a boxing gym, I directly see the benefits it has for empowering women in their fight for equal expression of emotions and equal representation.

Method and Research Question

In this feminist criticism, I will be using the method of criticism called ‘reframing’ to shift culture’s perspective of anger as a negative emotion to the new vantage point that anger is communicating information. There is a general imbalance of emotions that women are given the right to express. Women are allowed to feel surprise, happiness, sadness, disgust, and fearfulness–but anger garners aghast reactions. My focus for this feminist criticism is the suppression of anger because it is the emotion that responds to hate and hurt. Suppressing anger is to dismiss people’s hate and silence their hurt. By not allowing women to feel and express anger, the gender as a whole is silenced and risks physical, emotional, and sexual mistreatment. When women find their emotional balance, they become capable of anything. For this reason, I am using the power feminist movement to frame my criticism. This movement's perspective aligns with encouraging women’s ownership of emotions. Power feminists believe women create their own identities and don’t have to succumb to traditional womanly roles. These feminists encourage women to seek physical power to boost their confidence. Women self-actualizing breaks traditional expectations for how women should behave differently. Increasingly, women rights movements are prioritizing self-care treatment over men’s decisions for us. Power Feminism is the perfect sect of the feminism movement to take on and reframe this new perspective.

Marylin (Maz) Schirmer is the founding director of Institute of Woman International and founder of CREATIX® who has spent her life helping women overcome their emotional turmoil and break the cycles of sabotage present in their lives. Her definition of suppressed emotions frames this entire criticism, “Suppressed emotions are only ‘suppressed’ because your unconscious mind doesn't think you are ready to deal with them… at a very deep level… feeling


anger and rage is most likely hurt, feeling fear and inferiority” (Schirmer par. 5). According to her research, hate and hurt are the most suppressed emotions because they are the most denied and lead into anger. Just like anger is a dirty word, so is hate because “we’ve been TOLD it’s bad… We think it’s ‘evil’” (par. 7). Schirmer questions, “Could it be so denied for so many decades that it is festering away beneath all of the anger, fear, resentment, anxiety, self-loathing, low self-esteem, suppression, overwhelmed, and all the many things” woman's behavior shows (par. 7)?

Another women’s activist named Soraya Chemaly is the author of the book Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger. She is also the director of the Women's Media Center Speech project whose goal is to “expand women's freedom of expression” (Chakrabarti, Chemaly par. 2). In a 2018 ‘On Point’ NPR interview podcast between Meghna Chakrabarti and Soraya Chemaly, Chemaly talks about what women’s anger looks like, the double standard of women and men’s expression, and how to manage it for positive change. The largest form of anger suppression has come from socially accepted gender roles. For example, men’s anger “is valorised particularly when applied to protecting or leading others. But girls are taught from birth to prioritize the feelings of others and that being angry is undesirable” (Chakrabarti, Chemaly par. 23).

The artifact I will use for this analysis of empowerment and emotional balance is the About page for Society Nine, a modern women’s boxing lifestyle brand. Women’s boxing and heavy bag work training is underrepresented and under-encouraged because of the negative stigmas attached to women expressing anger, owning their power, and acting against male’s expectations of them. These societal ideals from men are based on old gender rules that culture perpetuates. As Chemaly says it so elegantly, “we experience anger internally, it is mediated culturally and externally by other people's expectations and social prohibition” (par. 16). Society Nine’s mission is to break apart that cultural view and bring inclusivity and encouragement to any woman who wants to try boxing or has boxed for years. Women have fought in the ring since the late 1800s, their activist movements fuel Society Nine forward to continue the fight and prove women’s unstoppable capability. I will analyze how Society Nine’s About page encourages women to express all emotions, which includes anger, and the direct correlation that has on women owning their full power.

Contextualization

Women have been fighting for equal rights and opportunities for centuries. The reality of our socially constructed rules of femininity have prolonged women’s social, political, and personal suppression. The feminist rights movement began in the 1800s as women’s social circumstances slightly allowed them to fight in political ways to attract attention about their unequal treatment (history of women). Unlike men–who can display anger, reaffirm gender


norms by doing that, and gain power from it–women who display anger violate gender norms and are left powerless because of it (Chakrabarti, Chemaly par. 3). Every step in the feminist rights movement has unlocked more equal treatments. In the 21st century, emotions are integrating into the fight for equal treatment. Rage has become a more normal occurrence in feminism, especially after the #MeToo Movement. Like Chemaly said, “Anger is a ‘doing’ emotion,” and feelings like outrage, indignation, and resentment, “tell us when a line has been crossed, when we have been violated and when we should say ‘no’” (par. 22). Cultural suppression of women’s emotions have caused them to become more disgusted, outraged, upset, and even swear more. According to Judith Hosie and Alan Milne’s study at the University of Aberdeen, “Women who hold back feelings of anger may end up more irate in the long run” (Graham par. 1). Women’s anger is not suddenly rising; the increase of rage shows that women have been suppressed for centuries and are finally owning up to their power.

According to Martha Rampton, a history professor and director of the Center for Gender Equity at Pacific University, the feminist movement is showing its determination for equal rights and opportunities through four waves of feminism (Rampton par. 2). The first wave of feminism arose out of urban industrialism and politics that did not allow women to vote. Their protests mainly consisted of fighting for suffrage, a right these women gained in 1869, even though disenfranchisement among colored women still posed unequal rights for many. The second wave of feminism took place during the civil rights and anti-war movement; these women rejected objectification and sought equal rights regardless of sex. The third wave of feminism destabilized the idea of a “universal womanhood” and ushered in Grrrl-feminism. Grrl feminists are “strong and empowered, eschewing victimization and defining feminine beauty for themselves as subjects, not as objects of a sexist patriarchy” (Rampton par. 7). These women celebrated transversal politics and fought for Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments Act.

Title IX states, “ No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (U.S. Department of Education). Title IX not only allows women equal education at federally funded schools but also requires those institutions to equally invest in male and female athletes alike. The article “Amazing Things Happen When You Give Female Athletes the Same Funding as Men” by Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak, a chair member of Global Vice, and Donna de Varona, a member of the Women’s Sports Foundation, appropriately describe the spike of success that women experience when their sports are as equally funded as men’s. The statistics of this statement are as follows: “Since 1972, thanks to increased funding and institutional opportunities, there has been a 545% increase in the percentage of women playing college sports and a 990% increase in the percentage of women playing high school sport” (par. 7). In 2016, women competitors in the Olympics “captured a majority of the US medals (54%) and nearly two thirds (61%) of the US gold medals… [Women] continued to stun in gymnastics, swimming, basketball, boxing, rowing,


triathlon, wrestling, cycling, and shooting” (par. 3). Grrl and Power feminists (third wave of feminism) generate activist measures to continue these breakthroughs in women’s potential in 2020 and the future. The United States is currently in the fourth wave of feminism where topics like violence against women and unequal pay are present in national and international conversations. These topics are becoming more visceral for change (Rampton, Pacific University Oregon Magazine).

Title IX affected women's boxing too, although that came later. Boxing activism started in 1954, 150 years after the feminist rights movement started in 1800. The first publicized women's boxing match did occur 78 years before that though with Nell Saunders and Rose Harland fighting. The match ended in no celebration, the highest prize was a silver butter dish, a sad prize compared to men’s prizes of physical cash (WNYC). The first women’s protest for equal treatment in boxing was by Marian Trimiar in 1987. Trimiar staged a month-long hunger strike to raise recognition for female fights. She said, “Unless women get more recognition, we will be fighting just as a novelty for the rest of our lives. There will be no future” (WNYC). Her truth still holds strong today. Even though we have female boxers today and boxing workout classes popularized in cities, we have not achieved the equal expression and equal recognition that women fighters spent their lives reaching for.

Analysis

Society Nine encourages women to express any emotion, which includes anger, because they know this free expression directly correlates to women finding their full power. Society Nine encourages women to do this because they already know suppressing all the emotions leads to more anger and toxic anger at that. For most women, allowing themselves to look at their anger and feel its full fury causes apprehension. This is because women rarely learn how to be angry and express it. We usually learn how to be angry based on our exposure to how adults around us have acted when they were angry. For some, this looks like rage and physical hurt. For others, this looks like a cheerful household with passive aggressive anger. These lessons teach suppressing mechanisms for anger instead of fully expressing them and learning from what the root cause of the anger is. Chemaly’s interview also delves into how most parents do not often teach lessons for how to express or manage anger: “While parents talk to girls about emotions more than they do to boys, anger is excluded” ( Chemaly, Rage Becomes Her excerpt ). She comments that we learn “troves of information” through how these adult figures express their anger. Through a personal experience with her mother throwing prized China out the window but with a smile on her face, she reflects on what the particular moment taught her, “anger was experienced in isolation… That furious feelings are best kept to oneself. When they do inevitably come out, the results can be scary, shocking, and destructive” (par. 12). This lesson also


perpetuates an improper way of managing anger. Merely coping with the feeling just suppresses it more, “Coping often involves self-silencing and feelings of powerlessness” (par. 14).

Stuffing down hurt, hate, and anger hinders what people are capable of, which is why Society Nine’s mission is to show what women can be and are capable of. Society Nine doesn’t want people to be hindered. They encourage women to empower themselves and act out every emotion they have by providing gear and apparel for women, made by women, so that they can use it for their expression. With their boxing wraps, boxing gloves, protective gear, and athletic apparel, she will feel more included and accepting of the parts within herself that are expressed through anger, ferocity, and action. By having this gear, she can become active and train in self-defense so that if a situation were ever to present itself, she would have a choice to actively determine her safety if they find themselves in a threatening situation. This empowerment encourages women anywhere to be their own source of self-defense, adding a buffer of safety in protecting themselves.

Society Nine is doing their duty to give the physical resources women need to feel supported and confident to take that culture-defying step and physically act out their emotions in safe boxing training environments. This leads us to our next question: what does managing and utilizing anger look like? Using boxing as a means of protection when one feels angry, or if their personal space has been violated, is crucial for women owning their full power and feeling capable of anything. As Chemaly puts it, “it's the way we perceive and manage anger that yields these bad effects.” She continues by explaining that anger is the emotion necessary for our survival since it detects risk or threats, “we need people to consider what their anger is telling them and then to strategize how to utilize that anger” (par. 6). The more self-defense empowers women, the more aware women will become about their potential and apparent strength for standing against culture and gender norms.

Through providing materials for women to manage their anger in healthy ways, Society Nine is reframing how culture and gender norms ought to see women's potential as vast. With the right resources, women can express all of their emotions and gain full ownership of their power.

Implications & Conclusion

It was at this point in my research that I understood why my mother had never taught me how to appropriately express my anger. It is quite possible that she too learned how to be angry through her adult figures’ examples as opposed to being taught. And, if women have had anger suppressed for centuries, my mother’s mother may have been silenced in her anger too and never taught too. From a very early age women are rewarded when they hide their emotions, act polite, and stay quiet. Unfortunately, women have curtailed their anger for centuries, as the stress has been passed down from one generation to the next. I decided to focus on anger in this paper to show the rich benefits that result after owning it, learning to get rid of it, and then letting it go.


Listening to anger and utilizing its power is a sure way for women to notice their full potential and capable nature. My anger taught me I needed quick and powerful workouts to express all of my emotions and let go the emotions that culture and gender norms have kept inside me for years. Society Nine’s brand mission and boxing gear gave me that confidence to overcome my negative cycle.

Society Nine encourages women to find their whole spirit and take their fight up themselves. No matter what, they are a company who stands by their inclusivity policy and encourages every woman, no matter where she is, in her fight for greatness.

Works Cited

Brooke-Marciniak, Beth A., Varona, Donna de. “Amazing Things Happen When You Give Female Athletes the Same Funding as Men.” World Economic Forum , 25 Aug. 2016, www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/sustaining-the-olympic-legacy-women-sports-and- public-policy/ . Accessed 24 Jan. 2020.

Chakrabarti, Meghna. “‘Rage Becomes Her’: The Current Conversation Around Women’s Anger.” NPR:

On Point , Chemaly, Soraya, WBUR, 12 September 2018, www.wbur.org/onpoint/2018/09/12/rage-becomes-her-soraya-chemaly . Accessed 24 Jan. 2020.

Graham, Sarah. “Study Shows That, for Women, Suppressing Emotions Increases Anger.” Scientific

American , 15 Jan. 2002, www.scientificamerican.com/article/study-shows-that-for-wome/ . Accessed 24 Jan. 2020.

History.com Editors. “Women's History Milestones: A Timeline.” HISTORY , A & E Television

Networks, 5 Feb. 2020, www.history.com/topics/womens-history/womens-history-us- timeline . Accessed 24 Jan. 2020.

Lynn. “About Society Nine.” Society Nine , 2020, societynine.com/pages/about . Accessed 24 Jan.

2020. Rampton, Martha. “Four Waves of Feminism.” Pacific University Oregon Magazine , Fall 2018,

www.pacificu.edu/magazine/four-waves-feminism . Accessed 24 Jan. 2020. Schirmer, Marylin. “The Most Common Suppressed Emotions in Women.” Institute of Women

International™, 4 February 2015, instituteofwomen.com/the-most-common-suppressed- emotions-in-women/ . Accessed 24 Jan. 2020.

"Title IX and Sex Discrimination." U.S. Department of Education , Office for Civil Rights, 10 Jan.

2020, www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html . Accessed 24 Jan. 2020. WNYC News. “A History of Women's Boxing.” WNYC , 28 Jan. 2012, wnyc.org/story/183864-

history-womens-boxing/. Accessed 24 Jan. 2020.


https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/sustaining-the-olympic-legacy-women-sports-and-public-policy/

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/sustaining-the-olympic-legacy-women-sports-and-public-policy/

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2018/09/12/rage-becomes-her-soraya-chemaly

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2018/09/12/rage-becomes-her-soraya-chemaly

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/study-shows-that-for-wome/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/study-shows-that-for-wome/

http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/womens-history-us-timeline



https://societynine.com/pages/about

https://societynine.com/pages/about

https://www.pacificu.edu/magazine/four-waves-feminism

https://www.pacificu.edu/magazine/four-waves-feminism

https://instituteofwomen.com/the-most-common-suppressed-emotions-in-women/



https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

The Story of the ‘Incel Saint’: A Rhetorical Analysis of Elliot Rodger’s My Twisted World By Whiteaker A. James

Abstract

Involuntary celibates are men online who claim their inability to find an attractive sexual mate is not their fault. The story that incels tell themselves and one another is one where the social outcasts are the protagonists and those they are attracted to are the enemy. Feminism has allowed for the autonomy of women. Something that many incels question due to their position that women choose ‘brutish’ men over ‘intellectuals’. This group has become increasingly problematic over the course of the last six years, in part due to the mass shooter Elliot Rodger. Rodger killed six people in Santa Barbara, California before ending his own life in May of 2014. He released a video and 141 page essay manifesto detailing the reasoning behind his crimes. In both the video and essay, Rodger explains that he has been unfairly treated throughout his life. His murder spree would re-establish his role in society, one that had been taken by women through their withholding of sex. After the release of his manifestos Rodger became an incel icon. Many throughout the forums would reference him, with some making his image their profile picture. The term “going ER” even came into popularity. How Rodger became so disillusioned to commit his spree and why this killer became the faux god-head of an online hate group are the two questions that I hope to answer in this thesis through rhetorical analysis rooted in theory authored by Kenneth Burke.

Involuntary celibates are men who are unsuccessful sexually and use unhealthy coping

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mechanisms to rationalize that failure. The story these men tell themselves in order to cope with that internal strife is one where external forces are to blame. In the case of incels, the oppressive force is feminism. This story has created a community pressure cooker of violent rhetoric online concerning women. Those who defend Incel culture/ideology deflect criticism by claiming the rhetoric seen on the forums is satirical and often self-deprecating. Many on the forums claim that this type of rhetoric is a form of community support for their trauma . Whether or not incel rhetoric is satirical, the story they

11

have created features the incel as the protagonist fighting against feminism. Though their negative attention is primarily on attractive women (Stacys ) and the men who have sex with them (Chads ).

12 13

These culturally lionized people have supposedly caused a life of trauma for the incel by deriving them of sex. Hence, they presented as the antagonists.

10 Some women have claimed the title of ‘femcel’, though this subgroup is not near as populated as the incel group. 11 Incel websites are attractive to these men for many reasons. For Eric, they offer access to an empathetic community that he can visit from inside his own home, where he feels most comfortable because no one can see his “ “subhuman” face.“I don’t even like most of the people there. They’re very self-centered and you know, they’re kind of assholes. But I guess it’s nice to have someone to talk to,” he said. “That’s mainly why I did this interview so I could talk to somebody.” Cook, Jesselyn. “A Toxic 'Brotherhood': Inside Incels' Dark Online World.” HuffPost , HuffPost, 27 July 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/incel-toxic-brotherhood-online-misogyny_n_5b490e5fe4b0bc69a7873ff0. 12 See Vocabulary in Appendix 13 See Vocabulary in Appendix


This incel alternative to the Hero's Journey of normative masculinity has become so popular that there are numerous forums on the internet where incels congregate. One of the top incel forums was reddit.com/r/incels before it was removed by Reddit in 2017. It had over 40,000 subscribers at the time it was banned. Currently, incels.me is one of the most popular unmoderated forums. Meaning that the

14

rhetoric can be as violent or toxic as the incel pleases. According to Huffington Post’s Jesselyn Cook in 15

July of 2018, “...nearly 6,900 members of Incels.me have exchanged well over a million messages since the website’s creation in November (of 2017)”. Anti-feminist sentiments on the internet have become

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the norm for many in the contemporary digital space. In April of 2018, self-proclaimed incel Alek Minassian drove a van through a crowd of people in Toronto. Minassian’s actions ended the lives of ten people and injured sixteen others. He would go on to claim that his actions were intended to spark an ‘incel rebellion’. That same year Oxford dictionary dubbed ‘toxic’ the word of the year.

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It would seem that masculinity in the digital space has become warped. This separate kind of

masculinity, toxic masculinity, is a term with baggage for many. Many in popular media would like to refer to toxic masculinity and masculinity as being one in the same. Though, according to The Problem with a Fight Against Toxic Masculinity by Michael Salter, this could be a fatal misrepresentation of the term:

(Raewyn )Connell and others theorized that common masculine ideals such as social respect, physical strength, and sexual potency become problematic when they set unattainable standards. Falling short can make boys and men insecure and anxious, which might prompt them to use force in order to feel, and be seen as, dominant and in control. Male violence in this scenario doesn’t emanate from something bad or toxic that has crept into the nature of masculinity itself. Rather, it comes from these men’s social and political settings, the particularities of which set them up for inner conflicts over social expectations and male entitlement.

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In this context, I am referring to toxic masculinity as being totally separate from traditional masculinity. One that can warp a historic culture of masculinity to justify their hatred for women. In this thesis, I argue that rhetorical analysis based on the Burkian theory of dramatism will reveal the ways in which narrative themes endorse this toxic masculinity and goad adherents of the narrative toward possible physical violence. Dramatism is a theory of communication that suggests people see the world as though

14 Solon, Olivia. “'Incel': Reddit Bans Misogynist Men's Group Blaming Women for Their Celibacy.” The Guardian , Guardian News and Media, 8 Nov. 2017, www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/08/reddit-incel-involuntary-celibate-men-ban. 15 See Appendix under Incels.me posts. 16 Cook, Jesselyn. “A Toxic 'Brotherhood': Inside Incels' Dark Online World.” HuffPost , HuffPost, 27 July 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/incel-toxic-brotherhood-online-misogyny_n_5b490e5fe4b0bc69a7873ff0. 17 Mandel, Michele. “Toronto Van Attack Killer Alek Minassian Hoped to Inspire Others Online to Join His Incel Rebellion.” Toronto Sun, 28 Sept. 2019 torontosun.com/news/local-news/toronto-van-attack-killer-alek-minassian-hoped-to-inspire-others-online-to-join-his-incel-rebelli on. 18 Salter, Michael. “The Problem With a Fight Against Toxic Masculinity.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 27 Feb. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/02/toxic-masculinity-history/583411/.


they are the protagonist in their own film. This allows for analysis of rhetoric that reveals the motive of 19

the protagonist that the rhetor creates. In the case of Rodger, he is the ‘tragic hero’. In order to examine and understand the incel's rhetorical adaptation of the Hero's journey, this paper focuses on analysis of Elliot Rodger’s 141-page manifesto using the theory of the dramatist Life Cycle. My hope is that a pattern of thought can be outlined so that there is a more in depth understanding of the group.

Background

Multiple Western domestic terrorists have been identified as incels in the last two decades. Timeline of Terrorists

Marc Lepine : December 6th, 1989 20

Location: Montreal’s Polytechnique Engineering School.

Crime: Killed 14 women and injured 14 others before killing himself.

Motivation: “ Marc Lépine’s page-long suicide note, written in French, made his motivations clear: “Feminists have always enraged me,” he wrote. “I have decided to send the feminists, who have always ruined my life, to their Maker”.

21

Manifesto: Yes

George Sodini : August 4th, 2009 22

Location: L.A. Fitness Center in Collier Township, Pennsylvania.

Crime: Killed 3 women and injured 9 others before killing himself.

Motivation: " In his online journal, which has since been taken off the Internet, Mr. Sodini, a programmer-analyst at a local law firm, said that he had not had a girlfriend since 1984 and that he had not had sex since July 1990, when he was 29. “I actually look good,” Mr. Sodini wrote in an entry dated Dec. 29, 2008. “I dress good, am clean-shaven, bathe, touch of cologne yet 30 million women rejected me over an 18- or 25-year period. That is how I see it. Thirty million is my rough guesstimate of how many desirable single women there are”.

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19Page 367, Foss, Sonja K. Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice. Waveland Press, 2018. 20 Lindeman, Tracey. “'Hate Is Infectious': How the 1989 Mass Shooting of 14 Women Echoes Today.” The Guardian , Guardian News and Media, 4 Dec. 2019, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/04/mass-shooting-1989-montreal-14-women-killed. 21 Ibid. 22 Hamill, Sean. “Blog Details Shooter's Frustration.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Aug. 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/us/06shoot.html. 23 Ibid.


Manifesto: Yes

Elliot Rodger : May 23rd, 2014 24

Location: University of Santa Barbara, California.

Crime: Stabbing three men and shooting three others before killing himself. 14 others were wounded.

Motivation: Discussed later in depth.

Manifesto: Yes

Christopher Harper-Mercer : October 1, 2015 25

Location: Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.

Crime: Killed 10 and killed himself. Wounded 17 others.

Motivation: “ ‘I have always been the most hated person in the world,’ Harper-Mercer wrote. ‘Ever since I arrived in this world, I have been under siege from it. Under attack from morons and idiots.… My whole life has been one lonely enterprise. One loss after another. And here I am, 26, with no friends, no job, no girlfriend, a virgin. I long ago realized that society likes to deny people like me these things. People who are elite, people who stand with the gods.” The people like him — the ones who stand with the gods — he said, were ‘Elliot Rodger, Vester Flanagan, the Columbine kids, Adam Lanza and Seung Cho’ “.

26

Manifesto: Yes

Alek Minassian : April 23rd, 2018 27

Location: Downtown Toronto, Canada.

Crime: Ran over 10 people with a rented van and injured 16 others

Manifesto: No. Posted a two sentence post online the day of the incident and later confessed motives of wanting to start an incel revolution to police.

24 Woolf, Nicky. “Chilling Report Details How Elliot Rodger Executed Murderous Rampage.” The Guardian , Guardian News and Media, 20 Feb. 2015, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/20/mass-shooter-elliot-rodger-isla-vista-killings-report. 25 Anderson, Rick. “'Here I Am, 26, with No Friends, No Job, No Girlfriend': Shooter's Manifesto Offers Clues to 2015 Oregon College Rampage.” Los Angeles Times , Los Angeles Times, 24 Sept. 2017, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-school-shootings-2017-story.html. 26 Ibid. 27 Cecco, Leyland. “Toronto Van Attack Suspect Says He Was 'Radicalized' Online by 'Incels'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 Sept. 2019, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/27/alek-minassian-toronto-van-attack-interview-incels.


Tobias Rathjen : February 19, 2020 28

Location: Hookah bars popular amongst the Kurdish/Turkish peoples of Hanau, Germany.

Crime: Killed 11 including himself and his mother.

Motivation: “Tobias Rathjen appears to have been driven by a toxic mix of racist, conspiracist, and incel ideology, and likely suffered from serious mental health problems, experts say. ‘His manifesto and videos display a very wild mixture of conspiracy theories, racism, and incel ideology,’ Daniel Koehler, director of the German Institute on Radicalization and De-Radicalization Studies, told VICE News”.

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Manifesto: Yes.

After the actions of Elliot Rodger, these kinds of attacks have increased. It seems this story, when constantly reinforced through memes, forum participation, and/or participation in incel ‘Discord’ chat rooms, can create a rigid, extremist perspective. Though this perspective has ranges. Not all incels are going to commit murder. I do argue in this thesis that the more popular this group becomes in the shadows, the higher the likelihood that someone with sociopathic tendencies finds the group and attaches their want for violence to this established narrative. This new type of worldview based entirely in the digital sphere that can inspire violent action deserves rhetorical analysis.

If this group continues to be clandestine due to the lack of public knowledge, then their rhetoric will continue to be a toxic pressure cooker of anti-feminist rhetoric. This thesis is an effort to analyze the ways in which powerful narrative can incite the venture into potential extremism. While many news outlets are eager to claim this group is a right-wing terrorist organization, this attempt may be misguided. \Incels.me discussion threads related to the Toronto attack show that incels feel misrepresented in the media, being framed as white conservatives: ‘I’m sick of these Ameritards trying to label us all as white and right wingers. They don’t want to learn about inceldom all they want to do is push their narrative and political agenda.

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Most of these people-the majority of whom are men- seem to be deeply hurt by past trauma and

are using unhealthy coping mechanisms to handle their pain. Though unhealthy coping mechanisms and poor mental health seems to be all too common in men across the globe. “Men have a shockingly high rate of death by suicide compared with women. Across all countries reporting these data (except China and India) males show a suicide rate that is 3.0 to 7.5 times that of women”.

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28 Hume, Tim. “'Not a Classical Neo-Nazi': What We Know About the German Hookah Bar Terrorist.” Vice, 20 Feb. 2020, www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7jdak/race-hate-mind-control-and-incel-ideology-what-we-know-about-the-german-hookah-bar-sh ooter. 29Ibid. 30 Jaki, Sylvia, et al. “Online Hatred of Women in the Incels.me Forum.” Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict , vol. 7, no. 2, July 2019, pg 11 ., doi:10.1075/jlac.00026.jak. 31 Bilsker, Dan, and Jennifer White. “The Silent Epidemic of Male Suicide.” BC Medical Journal , vol. 53, no. 10, Dec. 2011.


It is hard to measure how many incels are out there due to the secretive nature of the membership. The subscriber count on the forums is one thing. There could be thousands more who visit the page and do not post or subscribe. These people are commonly referred to as ‘lurkers’ on sites like Reddit. Based on my research, I would estimate that there are over 140,000 people who are incels . Not only are they

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clandestine, but they have been driven underground by website hosts who do not endorse the rhetoric that is produced by these forums. Joking about sexual assault or violence against women as well as praising domestic terrorists who identify as incels are common forms of incel rhetoric. There appears to be a clear story that is agreed upon by incels, one that inspired and continues to fuel a toxic pressure cooker of anti-feminist rhetoric. The Most ‘Edgy’ Group of All: The Divided Factions of the Digital ‘Manosphere’

To give context to the incel movement, two factors about those who follow the ideology must be addressed. Both the context of where the group congregates as well as the constant debate of the ideology play a role in how incels communicate. Incels gather exclusively via the internet, by way of internet forums, chat rooms, and memes. Digital communication has become key for the groups popularity, according to former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao:

Technology plays a central role for these hate groups, as a career and as a weapon. On incel forums, they pride themselves on their tech contributions; they joke that the world would collapse without them to maintain network infrastructures, and that their companies would fail without them. They move seamlessly among online hate group forums where racism and misogyny feed on one another.

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The online anti-feminist movement is not simply the incel movement. Some, like scholar Debbie Ging, describe the widespread anti-feminist sentiments online as the ‘manosphere’. This collective is divided but, as per Ging, they have a central tenet of belief. “The Red Pill philosophy purports to awaken men to feminism’s misandry and brainwashing, and is the key concept that unites all of these communities”.

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While there may be some worthwhile critiques of this generalization, this kind of labeling is important in the analysis of these anti-feminist online groups. There are few things groups in the ‘manosphere’ agree upon other than the Red Pill. This metaphor from the 1999 film The Matrix is central to the anti-feminist collective online and thereby the incels.

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32 Based on the membership numbers of r/MGTOW, the lowest on the scale of incels. Sourced from https://web.archive.org/web/20191225004558/https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/ as the current subreddit is ‘quarantined’ by Reddit. Meaning that one cannot see the current membership and is warned of the toxic nature of the group if they are not currently subscribed to it. 33 Pao, Ellen. “Ellen Pao Explains Why Incels Thrive at Tech Companies.” Wired , Conde Nast, 19 June 2018, www.wired.com/story/ellen-pao-the-perverse-incentives-that-help-incels-thrive-in-tech/ . 34 Ging, Debbie. “Alphas, Betas, and Incels: Theorizing the Masculinities of the Manosphere.” Men and Masculinities , vol. 22, no. 4, 2017, pg. 22., doi:10.1177/1097184x17706401. 35 “Central to the politics of the manosphere is the concept of the Red Pill, an analogy which derives from the 1999 film The Matrix, in which Neo is given the choice of taking one of the two pills. Taking the blue pill means switching off and living a life of delusion; taking the red pill means becoming enlightened to life’s ugly truths”. pg.22, Ibid


https://web.archive.org/web/20191225004558/https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/

http://www.wired.com/story/ellen-pao-the-perverse-incentives-that-help-incels-thrive-in-tech/

Members of groups that believe in ‘taking the red pill’ may feel a certain pride or sense of identity in this rejection of what ‘normal’ society is accepting. This rejection gives the group ‘special’ insight into how the world ‘really works’. Those who do not share this worldview are blind to these truths. Why there is the ‘disorder’ of feminism and how to cope with this apparent disorder appear to be the two defining factors for groups within the ‘manosphere’ described by Ging. As she notes, the ideological act of ‘taking the red pill’ and the unique perspective it provides. Everything else is up for debate. Debate that these online posters do not shy from. It could be that this vociferous argument combined with violent and toxic satire (also known as ‘edgy’ content) is one of the ways these groups further establish their position in the group:

Messages that proliferate misogyny or incite crime help a user to cement his reputation as an alpha user. As a result, the Incels.me forum brims with subcultural language, partly composed of in-group terminology for much-discussed agents, and partly composed of youth language in general.

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This kind of special vocabulary may boost the value of identifying as an incel. By incorporating vocabulary the individual goes from a simple social outcast to a member of a ‘special’ group. Shared values of isolation and sexlessness help in this persuasion to think like other incels. Persuasion, according to Burke, is predicated on this attachment to commonalities. “ You persuade a man only insofar as you can talk his language by speech, gesture, tonality, order, image, attitude, idea, identifying your ways with his”. Want for identification seems to be most

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powerful in the incel movement, whose membership is predicated on the view that one is an outcast laden with life-long trauma from their oppressors.

Even within the incel movement there are subgroups and infighting within those groups. In the paper Online Hatred of Women in the Incels.me Forum: Linguistic Analysis and Automatic Detection, researchers explore the language used by incels using computer analytics. Their findings reveal the dynamics between the incel subgroups:

They also engage in intergroup rudeness (Kleinke & Bös, 2015: 50) such as the construction of a majority outgroup outside the forum (normies vs incels) and persecuted outgroups within the ingroup (i.e., users who are not truecels). However, there is one major and important difference to other hate communities: the community is more heterogeneous than other hate communities, because users are not united by a common goal, but by a feature that its individuals share, i.e., not being able to engage in social and/or sexual contacts.

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36 Jaki, Sylvia, et al. “Online Hatred of Women in the Incels.me Forum.” Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict , vol. 7, no. 2, July 2019, pg. 25, doi:10.1075/jlac.00026.jak. 37Pg. 55, Burke, Kenneth. A Rhetoric of Motives . University of California Press, 1950. 38 Jaki, Sylvia, et al. “Online Hatred of Women in the Incels.me Forum.” Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict , vol. 7, no. 2, July 2019, pg. 27., doi:10.1075/jlac.00026.jak.


Yet the shared trauma provides a sense of community for incels that they seem to be unable to find elsewhere. The ‘manosphere’ is diverse, and Incels seem to feel unfairly maligned owing to a lack of

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understanding of differences within that sphere. Fatalism Leading to Potential Violence: The Black Pill

A distinguishing characteristic of Incels is their propensity to take the idea of ‘taking the red pill’ one step further. ‘Black pill’ is a term that is not to be taken lightly. It takes the idea of the perspective shift of the ‘red pill’ and claims that this ‘issue’ of feminism will never be solved. In the ‘black pill’ perspective, the individual is destined to be forever alone due to their ugly appearance, personality, or a combination of the two. Many blackpill incels, including Youtube user ‘First Last’, believe that there are genetically inferior and superior peoples. This kind of faux-science about predetermined fate based on

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genetics is referenced often in incel vocabulary, but it is something for the incel to overcome rather than succumb to.

When an incel reaches the point where they have ‘taken the black pill’, then concern could arise for that individual to commit a range of actions: from sexual assault to mass murder. While other incels may still attempt to ‘achieve’ sex through various coping mechanisms, black pill incels have given up.

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This pit of despair could lead to dire consequences if not addressed by a loved one or psychologist.

An example of someone who ‘took the black pill’ is Elliot Rodger is often praised by incels as an ‘incel saint’. He sought to kill sorority girls and did so after killing his three male roommates on May 23rd, 2014. After he stabbed his roommates and their friend, Rodger drove to University Santa Barbara.

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Before he left his car to continue his spree, Rodger recorded a ten minute video outlining his ‘struggle’ and articulating an incel ideological narrative to express his trauma. Like many domestic terrorists,

39 For most, the Internet was used to create a sense of community and to fill emotional needs”. This is what Dholakia & Bagozzi (2004: 258) refer to as the “companionship motive” for participating in virtual communities. This motive is also true for Incels.me, where users turn to because they feel isolated. One user remarks: “if it wasnt for incel forums id have 0 social interaction whatsoever”. The users feel part of an in-group, which creates a sense of community between like-minded people. Pg. 24, Ibid . 40 “She spent four years with that virgin. Then she was alone with a genetically superior male for two days. And he fucked her brains out, she didnt give a shit about the loser she dated for four years. Because he was genetically inferior.” Quote from Youtube video Take the Black Pill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tuf59ex-U0&t=356s 41 However, we must add that there is also a clearly visible faction among the users that objects to violence and in particular mass killings (“I don’t condone violence. Especially mindless violence against innocent people”). They see a dangerous trend in the incel movement: “The spreading of the blackpill would no doubt increase shooting (and suicides) because some young men lose control”. Jaki, Sylvia, et al. “Online Hatred of Women in the Incels.me Forum.” Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict , vol. 7, no. 2, July 2019, pg 23 ., doi:10.1075/jlac.00026.jak. 42Branson-Potts, Hailey. “How Elliot Rodger Went from Misfit Mass Murderer to 'Saint' for Group of Misogynists - and Suspected Toronto Killer.” Los Angeles Times , Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2018, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-elliot-rodger-incel-20180426-story.html.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tuf59ex-U0&t=356s

Rodger wrote an essay manifesto. This manifesto expanded on the content of the video and was linked in the video description on Youtube. He had dropped off the essay at a local TV news channel that morning.

After uploading this video, Rodger continued his killing spree that ended in his suicide. Youtube took down the video manifesto a few days after the shooting. Yet hundreds of thousands who were interested in this killer’s mindset for one reason or another viewed his Youtube page. “ However YouTube left up over a dozen of Rodger's other videos -- in which he wanders Santa Barbara alone, complaining about life's unfairness, his loneliness, and frustration that girls don't want him, often while sitting at the wheel of his BMW. The videos had garnered hundreds of thousands of views and hundreds of comments from people debating Rodger's actions over the Memorial holiday weekend ”. As evidenced by the video

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and his 141 page manifesto, Rodger has an evident feeling of self-importance. Why did he feel this way? What in Rodger’s life may have influenced this path to violence? Hopefully the beginnings of these answers will be revealed by way of rhetorical analysis. Method

Kenneth Burke’s method of dramatism is a useful tool for conducting a rhetorical analysis of ER manifest. Used as a form of rhetorical psychoanalysis, the theory suggests that one can analyze rhetoric through the perspective of drama. Two tools of analysis that derive from this theory will be used to analyze Rodger’s manifesto: the dramatist life cycle and narrative analysis. How does the rhetorician see themselves in their own movie? What context is the rhetor, or ‘protagonist’, acting in”? These are all questions that this kind of rhetorical analysis seeks to answer. Every ideology relies on a story. The protagonist fighting against the oppressive ‘Other’. It would seem that Elliot Rodgers and other incel mass shooters took this metaphorical ‘fight’ to the extreme.

The dramatist cycle has four parts. First, there is order. Order is what the rhetor views as the correct worldview. Order is then followed by Pollution, which sets the order into disarray. The rhetor is displaced from their role due to this fracture in the norm. Coping mechanisms rise up in an effort to explain this appeared disorder. This is referred to as the period of Purification. If efforts of purification are successful, then the rhetor has the opportunity to redeem themselves. This Redemption restores the order to what it once was. This makes the efforts of purification worth it. Incels, in large part, view their role as dejected outcasts. Their order has come into disarray and they seek answers. In analyzing their view of what is a ‘hero's journey”, the

43 Hill, Kashmir. “Elliot Rodger's Videos Were Removed From YouTube, But Only Temporarily.” Forbes , Forbes Magazine, 28 May 2014, www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/05/27/youtube-finally-takes-down-all-of-elliot-rodgers-videos/#4fe9187e779a.


possibility arises of discovering the underlying cause of their internal strife. Analysis using this 44

approach will hopefully yield answers as to how these involuntary celibates think and why they think this way. Their purpose is far more complex than just the base level of celibacy. The dramatist cycle will serve to discover this purpose. Analysis

The Dramatist Life Cycle

To review, Burke’s adaption of the Hero’s Journey is the analytical framework inspired by his own theory of dramatism. This framework provides a classical story outline to explain the motives of the rhetor based on their rhetoric. The cycle posits that every story begins with order. A state of being that is desired by the protagonist. This state can be a number of dominant factors. In the case of incel analysis, the dominant factor is sex. What follows order is pollution, the variable that causes the order to come into chaos. The protagonist’s path is greatly disturbed by this pollution, and they must find a way to overcome this disruption. This is the period of purification. After trial and error, the protagonist comes to discover what will restore the desired order. Or at least an image of what once was. If they complete this act motivated by the want to restore order, it is referred to as the redemption part of the cycle. The goal of analyzing the dramatist cycle of the story Elliot Rodgers tells of his life in his manifesto is to discover the deeper reason behind his actions. Many people do not have sex over long period of time, so why did Elliot Rodgers react to this common reality by going on a shooting spree that ended in his suicide?

Order Acceptance and desired social interaction from the opposite sex is accessible to all who want it.

Pollution The refusal of sex by women. Women as gatekeepers of mates/sexual selection.

Purification Isolation with only a few friends in a similar boat. Anger at those who deny him sex and those who succeed with women. Fueled by the anger, escalation of actions against the ‘oppressors’ begins.

Redemption Reclaim the ideal order either through violence or ‘acheiving’ sex.

Order

Rodger seems to place a high amount of personal value on his time as a child. In the story that he tells himself, this was the only time when the world was in balance. The idea of sex had not entered the

44 The two dimensional aspect in which they see the world leads me to believe that their lack of socialization causes them to derive social expectations from film and pornography, though more qualitative research needs to be completed before making that claim.


conversational paradigm between children of the oppositre sex. I posit that this time is Rodger’s ideal order. Wherein his abilities to ‘acheive’ sex were not in question:

I repeat, that as children we all play together as equals in a fair environment. Only after the advent of puberty does the true brutality of human nature show its face. Life will become a bitter and unfair struggle for self-worth, all because girls will choose some boys over others. The boys who girls find attractive will live pleasure-filled lives while they dominate the boys who girls deem unworthy. 45

These romanticized times for Rodger represent his ‘fair’ beginnings. If he had no reasonable base from which his journey began, then he could not create the imagined conflict of this childhood order versus the ‘bitter and unfair struggle for self worth’. The use of language like ‘unworthy’ is also of note.

Deterministic language that claims there is no hope is rife throughout the manifesto. Disorder 46

has arisen due to feminism. A historic movement that allows the social and financial autonomy of women to choose whether or not they sleep with a man. Rodger seems to imply that this new order has allowed for women to deem men ‘worthy’ or ‘unworthy’. Later in the manifesto, he justifies this distaste for the autonomy of women by claiming that they are intellectually inferior to him.

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Pollution

According to his rhetoric, Rodger believes that his inability to ‘garner’ sex from women is what caused his internal disorder. From that moment on his life would be full of despair, tending to a wound that had no salve. Rodger describes his initial reaction to discovering sex in similar negative language that is seen throughout his writings:

This was among the very first glimpses I had of sex. Finding out about sex is one of the things that truly destroyed my entire life. Sex… the very word fills me with hate. Once I hit puberty, I would always want it, like any other boy. I would always hunger for it, I would always covet it, I would always fantasize about it. But I would never get it. Not getting any sex is what will shape the very foundation of my miserable youth.

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His characteristic dramatic prose places sex as the bane of his existence. Similar to that of a hero on a hero’s journey, Rodger views himself as a displaced protagonist. One that was removed from the balance

45 Pg. 25, Rodger, Elliot. “My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger.” DocumentCloud , NYDailyNews, 23 May 2014, www.documentcloud .org/documents/1173808-elliot-rodger-manifesto.html. 46Determinism: A theory or doctrine that acts of the will; occurrences in nature, or social or psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws. 47 “Females truly have something mentally wrong with them. Their minds are flawed, and at this point in my life I was beginning to see it. The more I explored my college town of Isla Vista, the more ridiculousness I witnessed. All of the hot, beautiful girls walked around with obnoxious, tough jock-type men who partied all the time and acted crazy. They should be going for intelligent gentlemen such as myself. Women are sexually attracted to the wrong type of man. This is a major flaw in the very foundation of humanity”. Pg. 84, Ibid. 48 Pg. 39, Ibid.


due to the very idea of sex. This idea is one of winners and losers. Those who ‘get it’. And according to Rodger, he never ‘got it’. A key explanation of this lack of sex for Rodger is the improper value system women have on sexual attraction. His physical prowess should not come into question, yet it does. The ‘cruel world’ he lives in never relents, according to Rodger. He consistently references his outcast nature throughout the manifesto:

The very last day of Ninth Grade was the worst. I was having P.E. at the gym, and one of my obnoxious classmates named Jesse was bragging about having sex with his girlfriend. I defiantly told him that I didn’t believe him, so he played a voice recording of what sounded like him and his girlfriend having sex. I could hear a girl saying his name over and over again while she panted frantically. He grinned at me smugly. I felt so inferior to him, and I hated him. It was at that moment that I was called to the office. When I got there, my mother was waiting for me to take me home. I cried heavily as I told her about what happened earlier.

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I was completely and utterly alone. No one knew me or extended a hand to help me. I was an innocent, scared little boy trapped in a jungle full of malicious predators, and I was shown no mercy. Some boys randomly pushed me against the lockers as they walked past me in the hall. One boy who was tall and had blonde hair called me a “loser”, right in front of his girlfriends. Yes, he had girls with him. Pretty girls. And they didn’t seem to mind that he was such an evil bastard. In fact, I bet they liked him for it. This is how girls are, and I was starting to realize it. This was what truly opened my eyes to how brutal the world is. The most meanest and depraved of men come out on top, and women flock to these men

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What was once in order is now in disarray. To Rodger, the fairness of youth has been plagued by the competition of sex. A competition that Rodger despises yet craves more than anything. Those who succeed in this endeavor are people that deem him unworthy of social interaction. They inflict harm upon him, a ‘innocent, scared little boy’. The gatekeepers of what he desires most choose these ‘mean and depraved’ men over him. This base ‘injustice’ becomes the driving force. How will he succeed in this ‘world of despair’? Purification

How Rodger copes with this perceived mass injustice is a large portion of the manifesto. Self improvement in this sphere is near-impossible. The ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ titles referenced prior seem to carry an absolute tone. This kind of cemented injustice leads Roger, at the age of 16, to believe the only way to gain power is through removing the autonomy to choose who is fit to have sex:

I began to have fantasies of becoming very powerful and stopping everyone from having sex. I wanted to take their sex away from them, just like they took it away from me. I saw

49Pg. 47, Ibid. 50 Pg. 48, Ibid.


sex as an evil and barbaric act, all because I was unable to have it. This was the major turning point. My anger made me stronger inside. This was when I formed my ideas that sex should be outlawed. It is the only way to make the world a fair and just place. If I can’t have it, I will destroy it. That’s the conclusion I came to, right then and there.

I formed an ideology in my head of how the world should work. I was fueled both by my desire to destroy all of the injustices of the world, and to exact revenge on everyone I envy and hate. 51

As he understands it, the system in which Rodger was raised in values sex over everything else. It is what grants one social power. Without it, Rodger is at the whim of those who have it. The only social association Rodger would have was with others who were social outcasts. Rodger has crafted himself a

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story that leads him to believe this social currency of sex is the absolute truth. Even with his feelings of hatred toward the system, Rodger claims he tried to succeed. This effort failed as well. Failure that

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furthered Rodger’s belief that there was no hope for his sexual endeavors. It may have been this belief that drove him to begin to act against those he viewed as his ‘oppressors’. These following passages are excerpts from the manifesto in which Rodger describes his acts of assault against random couples:

A few moments later, when I looked up from my drink, I saw a young couple standing in line. The two of them were kissing passionately. The boy looked like an obnoxious punk… The girl was a pretty blonde! They looked like they were in the throes of passionate sexual attraction to each other, rubbing their bodies together and tongue kissing in front of everyone. I was absolutely livid with envious hatred. When they left the store I followed them to their car and splashed my coffee all over them… I had never struck back at my enemies before, and I felt a small sense of spiteful gratification for doing so. I hated them so much.

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All of the girls were scantily clad. Rage boiled inside me as I watched those people who thought they were better than me enjoying their pleasurable little lives together. The rage was so intense that I couldn’t take it. I was insulted too much. I couldn’t leave them without getting some form of revenge, so I drove to the nearby K-mart, bought a super-soaker, filled it up with orange juice that I bought at the same store, and drove back to the park. They were still there, having the time of their lives, and I wanted to ruin it for them. I wanted to ruin their fun just like they ruined mine, as they would never accept me among them. I screamed at them with rage as I sprayed them with my super soaker. When the boys started to yell and chase after me, I quickly got into my car and drove away. I

51 Pg. 57, Ibid. 52 “After school, every day, I fully indulged myself in my addiction to WoW. My only social interaction was with my online friends and with James, who would occasionally come over to my house to play WoW with me”. pg. 49, Ibid. 53 No effort I made in the last few months changed the way the world saw me. The world still viewed me as a weak and undesirable loser, even though I changed my wardrobe and started working out. What was the point anymore? I asked myself. I couldn’t help but feel anger and hatred. Life was too unfair to me. pg. 65. 54 Pg. 87, Ibid.


was giddy with ecstatic, hate-fueled excitement .I wished I could spray boiling oil at the foul beasts.

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The fantasy surrounding sex and women has turned fully violent at this point for Rodger. It is at this juncture that the downward slope of sociopathic allowances begin. If this kind of action gives him such ecstacy, then why not consider fulfilling more horrendous desires? The story that Rodger has crafted himself has become reality for him. His assaults against others reflect that. After these actions of assault begin to occur, then the concern for larger scale crimes come to the fore.

Redemption

At this point in Rodger’s story, he has exhausted all resources. He has tried to play by the rules of the ‘depraved’ to ‘acheive’ sex. These efforts proved fruitless. After which comes the sociopathic ideals of how to restore power. If he cannot win through the normal rules of the competition, then he will cement his role of power through violence:

I realized that I would be a virgin forever, condemned to suffer rejection and humiliation at the hands of women because they don’t fancy me, because their sexual attractions are flawed. They are attracted to the wrong type of male. I always mused to myself that I would rather die than suffer such an existence, and I knew that if it came to that, I would exact my revenge upon the world in the most catastrophic way possible. At least then, I could die knowing that I fought back against the injustice that has been dealt to me.

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Rodger continues to use language like ‘forever’ to justify his actions. If he is doomed to a life of trauma, then he is right to go out as a martyr against this sexual injustice. The idolization of Elliot Rodger in incel forums is no accident. He intended on becoming the symbol for the ‘downtrodden and deprived outcast who fought back’. The grandiose nature of his ideals for his vengeance upon the world at the end of his writings becomes even more narcissistic and surreal than what the audience has become accustomed to in reading the manifesto:

I am not part of the human race. Humanity has rejected me. The females of the human species have never wanted to mate with me, so how could I possibly consider myself part of humanity? Humanity has never accepted me among them, and now I know why. I am more than human. I am superior to them all. I am Elliot Rodger! Magnificent, glorious, supreme, eminentâ€¦ Divine! I am the closest thing there is to a living god. Humanity is a disgusting, depraved, and evil species. It is my purpose to punish them all. I will purify the world of everything that is wrong with it. On the Day of Retribution, I will truly be a powerful god, punishing everyone I deem to be impure and depraved.

57

55 Pg. 107, Ibid. 56 Pg. 101, Ibid. 57 Pg. 135, Ibid.


The culmination of Rodger’s trauma has reached a boiling point. After years of fantisizing about violence against women and the men who date them, he decides that it is his destiny to commit an act of terror. One that will solidify Rodger’s role as ‘the closest thing to a living god’. In this want for supreme levels of power, Rodger’s feeling of powerlessness is revealed. The story he has created for himself tells him he has lived a life of trauma. Wherein the world around him is full of those who are ‘impure and depraved’. In this reality he is not at fault for the actions he commits at UCSB. He is inflicting pain on the system that was seemingly stacked against him.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis, Rodger’s justification for his actions are predicated on the unfair nature of his reality. This absolute perspective is not from one source. Themes of sexism, narcissism, fatalism, and nihilism appear in this narrative he has concocted over the course of 141 pages. The sexism and narcissism may be self-evident. I say his ideals are fatalistic due to how absolute everything is for him. He has no hope due to his ‘unworthiness’. A designation he did not choose, but was chosen for him from those who he desired most. Attractive gatekeepers of sex that destined him for a life of meaningless.

That meaninglessness is inherently nihilistic. This preordained fate combined with this overwhelming tone of hopelessness throughout the manifesto creates a wicked motivation. One that seeks to end what has caused these feelings of fatalism and nihilism. These themes are concerning as the text seems to be designed, in part, so that other social outcasts reading it could relate to it. Rodger knew that his ‘Day of Retribution’ would end in his death. The media played soundbytes of his video manifesto on the news. Both those who were morbidly interested in this mass killer and those who related to him could access his video manifesto and the essay that coupled it. The video was a preview to the essay. Based on his narcissitic tendencies, it is safe to say that this manifesto is a suicide note that details a life of tragedy that culminates in the ultimate revenge. A warped sort of screenplay designed to stoke fear in those he hated and inspire those like him. Otherwise, he would not have included his entire history of trauma. One who may be swayed by the ideals of incels may empathize with this ‘tragic hero’ at some point during the 141 pages. Herein lies one key issue of the incel movement. The common approach to this issue is to lambast those who have been swayed by groupthink and the writings of Rodger.

Instead, I argue that more empathetic anaylsis needs to be conducted by researchers in communication, psychology, gender, terrorism, and more scholarly spheres. There needs to be more explicit paths for self-help for men. Ones that have done research into the driving motivations and underlying trauma fueling those motivations. If there were, groups like involuntary celibates may not feel so empowered by their ‘unique’ perspective of being a culture of outcasts in an unfair world. Less than twenty scholarly papers have been written about an issue that requires the coalition of multiple schools of scholarly thought to develop a solution that could be accepted by incels who wish to improve themselves and stop associating with that ideology. This is a problem. As of now, there are few support groups that offer emotional support for men who feel that they do not meet their societal sexual standards. Perhaps if this was more commonplace and widely accepted, such extremist ideologies like inceldom would not have such widespread popularity.


Closing Thoughts These men in the incel community are clearly unhappy. To a radical degree. A degree that makes

them feel correct in expressing rhetoric that is violent beyond words. I assume that violence like this is not someone’s initial choice. I wish to help these people as they are hurt by a system of expectations about sex and shifting their blame to the female gender and those who are sexually involved with them. This blame shift is subtle and can go unseen by parents when their child is isolated in their room on their phone and/or computer. I think that further research will reveal that the over coddling of the American child has given children the intense need for independence that they find online. And that when combined with mental health issues like anxiety and depression that are skyrocketing in the demographic of teens to young adults, this nasty brew of anti-feminism begins to boil.

Men who view women as objects to be exalted or despised instead of nuanced humans are now able to find a large group of like minded people in the involuntary celibate online forums. They are not told their thought patterns are incorrect. Rather, they are encouraged to continue a two-dimensional perspective on women. Wherein the female gender is something to be attained and kept like a prize to show off to your comrades. In my five years of off-and-on research into this group, I can say with near certainty that this is the goal of the everyday incel.

This thesis was an earnest attempt to discover why they feel this hate towards the opposite sex and help them out of this pit of despair. Involuntary celibates deserve respect as much as any other human. Respect as defined by the acknowledgement that one has yet to learn the lessons you have learned. As life is long, but far too short to discredit someone based on their lack of knowledge. We must show this group the respect and grace that humans deserve. The chance for redemption is a valuable thing.

Appendix

Incel Vocabulary

Term Definition

Beta “A man who is not "alpha". They lack charisma and shy away from confrontation. The words come from biology, where they're used to describe wolves, among other animals. They've been misapplied to humans for a while, most prominently by Men's Rights Activists and Pick-up Artists. Some incels identify as omega" males, implying they are below even the betas”.

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BetaBuxx “Term used to describe a man who manages to find a partner. Incels believe this only

58 Squirrell, Tim. “A Definitive Guide to Incels Part Two: the A-Z Incel Dictionary.” Tim Squirrell, PhD, Tim Squirrell, PhD, 31 May 2018, www.timsquirrell.com/blog/2018/5/30/a-definitive-guide-to-incels-part-two-the-blackpill-and-vocabulary .


http://www.timsquirrell.com/blog/2018/5/30/a-definitive-guide-to-incels-part-two-the-blackpill-and-vocabulary

happens due to that partner hitting the "wall", which refers to an imagined time at which women suddenly start to lose SMV (sexual market value) and decide to settle for a man who can support them (usually financially)”.

59

Blackpill The Red Pill's nihilistic cousin. The idea behind "redpilling" is that men recognise that the world is unfair and stacked against them in favour of women. From there, they can game the system by becoming an "alpha" male, going to the gym, treating women poorly, and so on. The blackpill rejects this,saying that there can be no personal solutions to systemic problems, and that the world was, is and always will be stacked against men who are "genetically inferior", and that women are inherently wired to prefer men with particular kinds of facial features, bone structure, and body type.

60

Chad “A chad is a man who is sexually successful, who is charismatic and handsome and clever. Incels have an odd relationship with chads, simultaneously loathing and worshipping them (see mogs). Their theory is that even women who eventually marry "betas" will still want chads, and will almost invariably cheat on ("cuck") their husband with Chad”.

61

Cuck “A man whose wife/girlfriend is having sex with another man. There are racial overtones, with the word often referring specifically to women cheating with black men. There are also BDSM-like connotations, asthe man supposedly gets off on the humiliation”.

62

Currycel “Man who isinvoluntarily celibate because he is of Indian or similar descent”. 63

Femoid/Foid

Heightcel An incel who believes that their height is the reason why women are not sexually attracted to them.

Hypergamy A term used to suggest that women only go after the top 3% of males in a population group. This is one reason incels claim they do not have sex: the distribution is unfair.

JBW ‘Just be White’ is a term used by non-white incels to justify their inability to ‘get laid’. Implies that all female attraction involves racial hierarchy.

64

59 Ibid. 60 Ibid. 61 Ibid. 62 Ibid. 63 Ibid. 64 However. race is an extensively treated topic in the forum, but primarily in relation to which race has more incels and which race has more (dis)loyal women. There is a general consent that unattractive non-white men have a harder time than unattractive white men (“Ethnic subhumans like me […] are either instantly rejected or friendzoned”), which is referred to as the “just be white theory”. Jaki, Sylvia, et al. “Online Hatred of Women in the Incels.me Forum.” Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict , vol. 7, no. 2, July 2019, pg. 19., doi:10.1075/jlac.00026.jak.


Mog To be dominated by another man's looks. E.g.” this chad mogs me with his muscular body". Often used semi ironically,such as "his eyebrows mog me", or "Elliot Rodger mogs me".

Redpill See ‘Blackpill’

Roastie “A woman whose labia have stretched as a result of having sex with multiple men. The idea is that the labia subsequently look like roast beef. Some incels use this term "ironically", whilst others appear to genuinely believe that labia change shape as a result of the partners that women have”.

65

Ricecel Man who is involuntarily celibate because he is Chinese or of other Asian descent. As with some other incel terms, this manages to come remarkably close to a structural critique of racism and white supremacy, but the underlying reasoning that ricecels use is almost always grounded in the evolutionary psychology of women, rather than socially constructed structures of oppression”.

66

Stacy “Used to denote a woman who has sex with a lot of men (usually chads) and is stereotypically air-headed, unintelligent, beautiful and promiscuous”.

67

Sui Suicide

Truecel “True incel. Reflecting debates around authenticity and the purity of the incel label, this is used to denote someone who is really incel. This might mean that they have never kissed/touched a woman, or that they genuinely could not have sex even if they tried”.

68

65 Squirrell, Tim. “A Definitive Guide to Incels Part Two: the A-Z Incel Dictionary.” Tim Squirrell, PhD, Tim Squirrell, PhD, 31 May 2018, www.timsquirrell.com/blog/2018/5/30/a-definitive-guide-to-incels-part-two-the-blackpill-and-vocabulary . 66 Ibid. 67 Ibid. 68 Ibid.


http://www.timsquirrell.com/blog/2018/5/30/a-definitive-guide-to-incels-part-two-the-blackpill-and-vocabulary

Incel Memes 69

The incel vs. chad meme.

The becky and stacy meme.

69 Sourced from knowyourmeme.com


Popular posts in the most mild incel forum, Reddit.com/r/MGTOW. 70

https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/g3ms2d/the_average_woman_would_be_an_incel_if_she_ was_a/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/fqf5z3/take_responsibility_for_your_actions/

70 Top posts from the months of March and April, 2020.


https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/g3ms2d/the_average_woman_would_be_an_incel_if_she_was_a/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/g3ms2d/the_average_woman_would_be_an_incel_if_she_was_a/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/fqf5z3/take_responsibility_for_your_actions/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/fxidw0/men_are_so_fragile/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/ftu6bi/a_special_meme_for_our_female_lurkers/


https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/fxidw0/men_are_so_fragile/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/ftu6bi/a_special_meme_for_our_female_lurkers/

Manuka Honey Works Synergistically With Gentamicin Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa By Samuel Kenyon

Abstract Antibiotic resistant (AR) bacterial infections sicken over 2.8 million people each year and kill more than 35,000 in the US and 700,000 world-wide. It is estimated that the global deaths caused by AR infections will reach 10 million within 30 years. Possible ways to address AR include careful stewardship of current antibiotics, surveillance and control of AR bacteria, and additional treatment options such as synergistic combinations of drugs. Synergism is the cooperation of multiple substances to produce a stronger effect together than the sum of their separate effects. This study tests manuka honey for possible synergism with current antibiotics. AR strains of S. aureus (0218, 0219, 0221) and P. aeruginosa (0230, 0239, and 0241) were obtained from the CDC and compared with sensitive strains S. aureus ATCC 29213 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853. An agar spot plate minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay showed an MIC of manuka honey against S. aureus ATCC 29213 was 4%. MH agar plates alone and those infused with 3% manuka honey used in a Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay showed that P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 treated with gentamicin had a zone of inhibition of 27mm with honey compared with 21mm without. To quantify more specifically how manuka honey interacts with gentamicin, checkerboard assays including different combinations of of honey and gentamicin were performed. These demonstrated that manuka honey decreased the amount of gentamicin needed to inhibit P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The MIC for manuka honey alone was 18.75% and 3.42% with gentamicin, whereas gentamicin’s MIC alone was 1.375 ug/mL, and 0.5 ug/mL with honey. The Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI) score for measuring synergy was under the threshold of 0.5 with a score of 0.4, indicating manuka honey and gentamicin work synergistically against P. aeruginosa. These results suggest manuka honey is a promising candidate to help combat AR.

Click here to view Kenyon’s SOURCE 2020 Slide Deck submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B7Z9xfIgrAHuT1SyUqSZrunKgvUaRdwf/view?usp=sharing

Planning a Shared Meal: Adding a Pinch of Thyme By Nathaniel Leech

Abstract

We consider the game of Ethiopian Dinner in which two players uniquely give value ratings to a finite set of food morsels and then take turns choosing a morsel to eat based on their value ratings. This continues until no morsels remain, with the ultimate goal of attaining the highest value from the dinner, or set of morsels. Specifically, we seek optimal strategies, in which the players will achieve a better outcome in the game than if they were to employ a different strategy. Research has found that a strategy termed the crossout strategy is an optimal strategy for Ethiopian Dinner. We alter this game to include a depreciation of the value ratings of morsels over time; specifically, the value of the morsels is halved after every round. In this new game form, we find that the crossout strategy is no longer an optimal strategy. Instead, we find that what we call the "look-ahead" strategy is optimal for all dinners up to size six. We conclude with alterations to this strategy and consideration of new strategies in search of an optimal strategy for dinners of all sizes.

Click here to view Leech’s SOURCE 2020 full-draft submission.

Leech’s manuscript is being distributed as the original .PDF to preserve formatting

essential for reading the included mathematical equations.


https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tL-qlL6aXyXIV39nxHMrwYj8pSvvK-tw

The Abuse of the Sacred Image in Contemporary Art By Gianna Ligotino

Abstract This paper will explore issues surrounding the abuse of Catholic imagery, or more specifically the sacred image, in contemporary art. Under the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century, the Church reexamined the value of art and the standards for the correct use of sacred imagery. Artists at the time, like Lucas Cranach the Elder and Peter Paul Reubens, crafted images with personal expression while maintaining the sanctity of the sacred image. In the advent of contemporary art styles, the use of Catholic imagery has been proliferated as a means to challenge and degrade the religious ideologies of the Church. One of the most prolific, and universally known, sacred images is the crucifixion of Christ on the cross. This paper will look into the history and the Catholic doctrine of the sacred image and its relation to suffering. Two specific contemporary examples of the crucifixion, by Jani Leinonen and Andres Serrano, will be analyzed. These examples will help to illustrate that these contemporary appropriations of the crucifixion are an abuse of the sacred image. Due to the social and cultural value placed on art in the western world and the increasing influence and popularity of contemporary art forms, this topic is the abuse of various religious images in the contemporary context is a source of ethical tension within the art world. Lastly, it raises the broader questions of aesthetics and the definition of art that could provide insight into the validity of completely “free” expression.

Introduction

Through the use of the sacred image, suffering is understood to hold an important role in both Catholic and early Lutheran theology. During both the times of Counter Reformation, including the time of Martin Luther, and Contemporary culture, the crucifixion, a sacred image of suffering, has been used and appropriated. In the understanding of the sacred image, particularly the crucifix, contemporary appropriations abuse the sanctity of the image and devalue the suffering of Christ on the cross.

The Sacred Image and Religious Art

The sacred image in the Christian tradition, more particularly Catholic, has long been one of instruction and veneration for the masses. For centuries in the Catholic faith, a majority of the populous was illiterate and relied on images to understand the theology of the church and for a source of connection to the biblical stories in veneration. During the Counter Reformation, the Catholic Church met under the Council of Trent to address many issues in the church of which the image and idol worship were included. The Catholic Church decreed that images were a part of the episcopal duty of instruction and the act of prayerful praise. 1 The images themselves were decided to hold no divinity or virtue but rather act as a powerful symbol for the references in which they represent. 2 The images were to contain a certain level of “benefits and gifts bestowed on them by Christ” and “through the saints, the miracles of God, and salutary examples are set before the eyes of the faithful.” 3 It is in the images that both the artist and the viewer can “give God thanks,” and “fashion their own life and conduct in imitation” as they are “moved


to adore and love God and cultivate piety.” 4 The sacred image, particularly in the depictions of Christ and the Saints, is aimed to lead the faithful beyond the normal scope of comprehension at a material level to perceive the invisible in the visible image. 5 The image itself is at the service of a the liturgy of the Catholic Church in its ability to manifest the power and the teachings of theology.

In reference to the Lutheran perspective of the sacred image, or religious image, Martin Luther

held an evolving perspective that ultimately favored the use of images. He began teaching that the image was religiously indifferent, meaning they are neither good nor bad but can lead to potential miss use. 6 After a brief period of iconoclasm in the early 16 th century, his teachings changed to profess that the sacred image is not prohibited and that it can be a gateway to God’s teachings and love. 7 It is also important to note that Luther warned that the image can be detrimental when it becomes “objects of superstition or where they departed from the Scriptures.” 8

Religious art holds a slightly different standing in both the Catholic and Lutheran Church. The

sacred image is unable to come from isolated subjectivity and it must presuppose that the subject was formed within the context of the church. 9 Sacred art must open the faithful to visibility and speak to those of any religious denomination. 10 Religious art differs only in that the creation does not always hold a definitive subject in the church and follows the artistic guidelines of the individual perception of the faith. Religious art can be pieces that contain a sacred image or a religious subject matter. However, religious art is still held to the same standards of respect in the Catholic and Lutheran Churches if it contains a sacred image. 11

In connection to suffering, the sacred image is meant to inform the viewer of the salvation and

redemption in the suffering of Christ. The faithful can gather from the sacred image the inner unity of God’s actions, meaning the connection between the stories of the Lord and the faithful themselves. Religious art is to do the same but with a far greater breadth of creative impulse and sources of inspiration.

The Evolution of the Crucifixion as a Sacred Image

Prior to the Renaissance and the Baroque Period of art, the crucifixion was an object that was used for teaching the passions of Christ for all the faithful in the Catholic Church. In the advent of the new expressive artist of the Renaissance and Baroque periods came the rise of the crucifixion paradox. The paradox is the combination of the humanity and divinity of Christ as well as the defeat and the victory of Christ in the act of the crucifixion. The artist now must decide how to hold that balance, for if one of the characteristics is lacking then the orthodoxy of the image suffers in representation. 12 There are two main forms of the crucifix, one of which is theomorphic and the other anthropomorphic. Theomorphic is the depiction of a glorified Christ in the garbs of an emperor or a king, while anthropomorphic is human Christ depicted semi-nude, often with his genitals clothed, and with a crown of thorns. 13 In the artist finding the balance between the Christ as human and Christ the king, there has been more of an emphasis on the image of the crucifixion to be more one of visible passion as well as instruction. In contemporary times of individualized images, there is a combination of the sacred and the


profane, and the validity of the image as sacred is detrimentally seen as determined by the artist themselves. 14

The doctrine of Martin Luther determines that the “true theology and true knowledge of God is in

the crucified Christ,” meaning that the only true power is in the suffering of Christ on the cross. 15 In regard to the suffering of the crucifixion, what do new contemporary images that combine the sacred and profane do to the value of suffering? The following two sections, on the Lutheran and Catholic theology of suffering, will outline examples that have succeeded in the use of the sacred image in religious art through the depiction of suffering in conjuncture with the theology of the two belief systems.

Lutheranism

Under the teachings of Martin Luther in the Lutheran tradition, suffering is an incomprehensible necessity that is not the direct work of God. Suffering is not defined as a great salvific act in and of itself but rather it sends humanity to the slaughterhouse of potential moral destruction. Suffering can create a gateway for the human soul to receive salvation and the blessing of the resurrection of Christ. 16 Humankind is to receive God or to choose their own path away from God in rebellion of the incomprehensible and perceivably senseless.

God is understood to not be the cause of evil and suffering, but rather an observer of its existence.

In the Lutheran attempt to understand suffering is the notion of a role reversal between humankind and its Creator. The Creator “who is the judge, now becomes the defendant, while the creature now becomes the judge over the Creator,” and instead of “God justifying man, man now attempts to justify God.” 17 The act of trying to comprehend the intention or origin of suffering is to inadvertently elevate the human mind to the same credibility to that of its Creator. This contradicts the Lutheran understanding of the “hidden God” which is to remain incomprehensible to the human understanding of metaphysics.

The “hidden God” is to be understood as that which is not explained by the word of God:

“without the Word there is neither faith nor understanding. This is the invisible God.” 18 By nature of Christ being the Word there is value inherently granted to the act of suffering but there is not understanding. The cross “does not make suffering holy but teaches that it is holy by virtue of Christ’s own suffering.” 19 We can see the significance of the suffering of Christ through our own in that he is understood as the Word. However, there is no explanation of suffering in its entire context, thus it is more a part of the “hidden God.” All attempts at understanding suffering will fail and “for those stretched out on the cross, all attempts at constructive theology finally crumble, deconstruct, under the reality of suffering.” 20

The actual experience of suffering is beyond our scope of comprehension, however, God “wills

what is not –suffering, punishment, and death—into an existence enlivened by the Holy Spirit,” 21 as a form of potential redemption of the human spirit. Humankind may not be able to wholly understand suffering but can perceive suffering to be that of a chance at redemption and of growing a personal relationship with Christ himself. God who is revealed to us purifies us in “sin and death…He sends his


son to heal us.” 22 God is revealed in the Word though it is not limited to the literal interpretation. The revealed God is humankind’s only focus for it is what provides us with mercy and love, but is also that which is to be worshipped.

Lutheranism distinctly delineates between the suffering of the individual and worldly suffering.

Humans are “stuck in a world where suffering knows no end…where it seems for all the world that God has abandoned us completely and forever.” 23 It is in our suffering that it is revealed “God’s preference to save the weak, broken, and poor, and to resurrect the dead.” 24 Through collective suffering, we are drawn closer to God in both action and in prayer. As individuals we are given the choice of “self-chosen spirituality” and the prospect of pushing God away in suffering is far greater. 25


The validity of suffering through Christ is established through the synonymous nature of the

Word and Christ. In the Lutheran artistic tradition, which developed in the late 16 th and early 17 th century in northern Europe, the crucifixion of Christ became the most prolific way by which to symbolize the synonymous relationship. Figure 1.1, an image of the crucifixion done by Lucas Cranach the Elder, combines the teachings of the tradition with an explicit depiction of Christ’s suffering. To the right of crucified Christ is St. John the Baptist, Lucas Cranach the Elder, and Martin Luther; Martin Luther reads out “The blood of Christ cleansth all of sin” as the blood of Christ sprays on the head of Lucas Cranach the Elder like that of a fountain for bathing. In this phrase, he is reiterating the redemptive nature of Christ’s suffering for humankind; it is in the presence of the Word that Martin Luther speaks the Word. In the reception of Christ’s blood on the head of Lucas Cranach is the potential symbolism of the blood cleansing creation. The same symbolism can likely be applied to the robes of Jesus the Conqueror on the left. The red robes are indicative of the power of Christ’s suffering that transcends death and the evil of the devil which Christ destroys below him. Christ is both victorious over death in his resurrection and defeated by man in temporary death; Christ is both human in his suffering on the cross as he is barely clothed adorned with a crown of thorns, as well as divine in his conquering state over death and Satan as he wears the garbs of a mighty king. Christ, like man in their original state, is innocent, as seen through the white lamb, and yet he still suffers. The suffering is a source of redemption and hope for salvation for those who will follow in the Lutheran tradition of Christ.

In Figure 1.2 above there is the veneration of the image of Christ in the depiction of the patron

family in prayer. The triptych was an altarpiece, meaning its main function was to act as a direct connection to God in the sanctity of the Crucifixion image. The patrons on the wings of the triptych kneel in shared suffering with Christ while most likely praying for their own salvation. Oftentimes in the late Northern Renaissance, patronage in the world of religious art was seen as a form of worship just as it often was for the artist himself to participate in the act of painting or crafting the image. This image thus fulfills the Lutheran understanding of the sacred or religious image for it instructs the viewer on the story of Christ while also evoking prayer and personal reflection.


Catholicism

In the tradition of the Catholic church, suffering is understood to hold both salvific and redemptive purposes by the nature of unifying man with Christ through the shared suffering of the cross. In its occurrence, suffering can feel inevitable and “particularly essential to the nature of man” for it is “as deep as man himself” and belongs to “man’s transcendence.” 26 Human suffering is an universal occurrence that unites man in a commonality, and in this common experiences it evokes compassion, respect, and intimidation. Intimidation facilitates the collective fear of another’s suffering or the fear of the individual to face any form of suffering. There are two forms of suffering, one physical and one moral, and both can be interpreted using the notion of pain. Physical suffering is pain of the body, whereas moral suffering is the pain of the soul or consciousness. 27

In the commonality of suffering in the human experience, there is a universal notion of an

incomprehensible or inexpressible nature to suffering. Humankind is deeply connected to the world of suffering through both the experience and the question of why we suffer. Suffering is simultaneously individual and worldly in that it is experienced through the eyes of the individual but is beyond the scope of comprehension and accessibility of the single person.

A widely accepted understanding of suffering is that it is a form of punishment for a wrongful

moral or physical act. Another understanding is that there is a degree of good in which one does not share with others that causes a different degree of suffering for each individual. 28 Suffering as understood in the Catholic tradition is a result of a transcendent and powerful love between the Creator and his creation. As spoken by Christ in conversation with Nicodemus “for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 29 Through humankind's own search for salvation they are to share in the suffering of Christ. Christ, the Son, conquered sin by his willing submission to death which he also conquered through his resurrection. 30

The image by Peter Paul Rubens below is one that showcases the Catholic theology of salvific

suffering. The viewer is to share in the suffering of Christ for his own redemption as a sinner. The expressive nature of Christ’s face suggests a glimpse of the power of the love between the Creator and his creation, as he is allowing the pain and detriment of his only son in order to save humankind. The painting captures the sacred image of Christ who is experiencing both moral and physical suffering, for his body is dying while his soul lies in anguish due to his forsaken state. The absence of those traditionally surrounding Christ in the image, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, etc., allows for the viewer to take their place. The viewer is to experience the death firsthand to connect closer to God in empathy, shared suffering, and recognition of His love.


The image of the crucifixion by Peter Paul Rubens was constructed during the Post- Tridentine

era of Catholic art, a time where the sacred image was expanded upon by the Council of Trent. Rubens himself was a devout Catholic who lived in Antwerp and took his Catholic faith as motivation to challenge the representation of the sacred image. 31 Rubens captured both the naturalism and realism needed for the instructive aspect the sacred image, but also the power of suffering through an emotive and expressive style of painting. Rubens, as seen in Figure 2.1 above, presents a solitary Christ on the cross in a moment of immense anguish as he looks up to God. Christ’s hands are curled in pain and his feet are soiled with blood as they are both explicitly impacted with nails. His body is arched and taught with pain, and emphasis is placed on the form of his body and face using chiaroscuro (the use of sharp contrast in shadows and light). Rubens uses a more anthropomorphic image of Christ that focuses on the need for human collaboration in redemption. 32 He connects a solitary Christ to each viewer individually by allowing the piece to personally instruct on and share the suffering of Christ with the viewer. The image of the crucifixion remains sacred in this painting for it is treated as an instrument for instruction, veneration, and prayer. The image remains pure in the sense that the suffering of Christ is still the sole focus and it warrants the viewer walking away in self-reflection while sharing the suffering of Christ. 33 Contemporary Appropriations of the Sacred Image

In contemporary times, the use of the Christian sacred image has evolved from holding the purpose of veneration to that of personal gain. The question to be answered is: in the quest for the artist’s personal gain, how do they abuse the sacred image of the crucifixion and devalue the suffering in the image? The use of the sacred image is seen as “appropriations” in that the art no longer holds the same validity in the image. The following paragraphs will analyze two images of appropriations of the


crucifixion, McJesus by Jani Leinonen and The Piss Christ by Andres Serrano, and the original intention or purpose of the art piece according to the artist. Both artists claim to be in favor of religion; regardless, the abuse of the sacred image occurs and will be explained in the context of both the images as well as an answer to the question stated above.

The first appropriation is McJesus, pictured below, which was created by Jani Leinonen in 2015

as one of many pieces attacking aggressive capitalism. There is little known of the artist or his work but there is sufficient information on a relatively recent controversy surrounding the image above. For decades, in modern art the use of Christ as a consumer has been a canon for criticizing the prominence of capitalism in western culture. 34 Leinonen is both an artist and a political activist who has used the more obvious product labels in his work to make his anti-capitalism statements, many of which have included crucifixes. Recently, this piece was displayed in an exhibition called “Sacred Goods” at the Hafia Museum of Art in Israel in the beginning of 2019. The piece, with the previously stated intention, raised massive controversy among the small population of Christians in the nation who stated that the piece is a misuse of the sacred image. The artist himself used the image to push his political and social agenda by demanding its removal from the exhibition to show his support for the Islamic Palestinians, who are in conflict with Israel, and to promote anti-capitalism. 35 Though political agendas are typically of a collective mindset, to hold a specific belief or even to share a belief with others is still a personal matter or ideology. Consequently, the controversy around the piece granted the artist and the work more popularity, which further championed the artist’s message.


The second appropriation is Piss Christ , seen below in figure 3.2, by Andres Serrano which is a photograph of a plastic crucifix submerged in the artist’s urine. Andres Serrano himself was raised Catholic and struggled with his view of the Church. As a mature artist, Serrano began to use the sacred images of Catholicism to deal with unresolved feelings of his Catholic upbringing in order to help him to redefine his own personal relationship with God. 36 Due to the intensity of his obsession with the Catholic Church, he surrounded himself with various symbols of the Church. 37 In a blend of commercialization and fine art, Serrano aimed to combine the “sacred and the secular in such a way that one cannot easily tell if he is profaning the sacred or raising the parochial to a divine level.” 38 Serrano frames his works on the concept of aesthetic beauty instead of the sanctity of the symbol presented and he relies on the reproducible energy that stems from the controversy his work creates. 39 The intentions of his works, including Piss Christ , he states are to highlight that the Church is “oppressive, as far as dealing with women, blacks, minorities, gays, lesbians, and anyone else who doesn't go along with their program." 40 Serrano also placed a great amount of emphasis in his work on changing the perceptions of bodily fluids as he sees the Catholic Church as “obsessed with the body and blood of Christ” and he aims to “personalize this tension in institutional religion by revising the way bodily fluids are idealized.” 41

In direct relation to Piss Christ , Serrano’s intentions are varying, but all are of the motive of

personal gain in the spreading of his own criticism against the theology of the Catholic Church, as well as the fight for artistic fame. His first stated intention of the Piss Christ is to aestheticize Christ, meaning in the use of urine he aimed to “aestheticized this very base material… it's something very beautiful, it's a beautiful glowing light." 42 Serrano then states that the image was a means to challenge his own sense of


propriety, and that the overt reaction against the piss is actually an aversion to our own bodies. 43 For the artist, using urine or bodily fluids in the piece has been a way for him to personalize his relationship with God. In actuality, the objective of the artist in creating these easily commercialized religious images is sensationalism that could lead him to obtain notoriety.

Criticism on Contemporary Abuse of the Sacred Image

The Piss Christ and McJesus are direct abuses of the sacred image and ultimately devalue the suffering of Christ on the cross by nature of the intention of the image being for personal gain. The aim behind McJesus was to use the image as a critique on consumeristic culture taking the place of religion in western culture. The sacred image of the crucifix holds no theological instructive purpose in its meaning as set by the Church’s standards. In conjunction with the already existing works of art created by Leinonen that also critique consumerism, the image loses its value by nature of being a pawn in the narrative of the artist. The image is used to obtain a secular and judgmental response of a single individual. The focus of McJesus is the veneration of the artist rather than the image or symbol in the sensationalistic nature of the work; the work follows the notion that “the artist admired himself, and everyone admired the artist.” 44 The image of the crucifixion should be adored with latria, the supreme worship allowed to God alone, and in the image it is only Christ that should receive the adoration. 45 Thus, the value of the suffering of Christ is negated in the use of this image, and the Piss Christ, in its sensationalism, secular motive, and the nature of the image being one of many in a narrative, fails to provide Christ with the adoration that is warranted.

Similar abuses of the image occur in the Piss Christ in that use of the sacred image to push for

Andres Serrano’s own agenda. The Piss Christ makes no attempt to instruct on the Catholic theology but only criticizes the practice and institution of the Church. Serrano aims to cast judgment on the Church by sensationalizing the sacred image which he refers to as “aestheticizing”. Serrano, too, uses the image as a pawn in his series that is meant to shock the viewers and focus the veneration and praise on himself as an artist rather than on the power of Christ’s suffering.

The Piss Christ and McJesus are representations of how the abuse of the image can be

detrimental when they are used as “objects of superstition” against a faith. 46 The Council of Trent heeded against such abuse in saying that “all superstition shall be removed, all filthy quest for gain eliminated, all lasciviousness avoided” to prevent the image from being “adorned with a seductive charm.” 47 In the use of the sacred image there is to be “no representation of false doctrines as such as might be occasion of grave error to the uneducated,” who could misinterpret the appropriations as truth in the theology. 48 The power of both God and his suffering is removed from the images for the artist no longer discerns Creator Spiritus , or the Creator Spirit, but rather tries to take the Creator’s place in creation only to construct the arbitrary and the vacuous in the absurdity of man as a creator. 49 In a flood of commercialized images, the world of images collapses and no longer surpasses the bounds of sense and appearance, for the images become absurd, radicalized, and common place in mass production. Mankind no longer has a notion of power in the image, sacred or otherwise, because the image is everywhere and loses all meaning.


The crisis of the sacred image and of art in general is the crisis of man’s existence in his mastery of the material world. As man grows in his ability, he grows in hubris and seeks to exceed the ultimate Creator. Man obtains a “blindness of spirit” that leaves him unable to see the “questions of life’s meaning that transcend the material world”: questions like that of the purpose or reason of suffering or the redemption of man in sharing the passion of Christ. 50 Art in and of itself is a gift which one cannot bring to its renewal in faith through money or sensationalism, for it requires the gift of a new kind of faithful seeing to regain value in the face of abuse.

Conclusively, the suffering of Christ on the cross is a sacred image that holds purpose in

instructing others of the value of suffering and offering a source of reverence with which to pray to God. During the Counter Reformation, the sanctity of the sacred image was maintained and exemplified despite the artistic liberties taken. In the face of contemporary dissention towards religion, particularly Christianity with focus on Catholicism, the sacred image of the crucifixion has been manipulated to suit secular purposes and have rejected the value of sharing in the suffering of Jesus Christ. 51

Bibliography

Besançon Alain. The Forbidden Image: An Intellectual History of Iconoclasm. University of Chicago Press, 2009.

Hobbs, Robert. “Andres Serrano: The Body Politic.” In Andres Serrano: Works 1983-1993. Philadelphia:

Institute Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, 1994; pp. 17-43 Kiekegaard, Soren. “VI.” Practice in Christianity, edited by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong,

Princeton University Press, 1991, pp. 254–257. Littman, Shany, et al. “'McJesus' Affair: In Israel, Culture Is Now a Dirty Word.” Haaretz.com, 14 Jan.

2019, www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-regev-s-mcjesus-response-proves-culture-is-a-dirty-wor d-associated-with-leftists-1.6831764?v=4D51C19116FB88FAB8EC37E6DEE5A3EF.

Pless, John T. Answering the Why Question: Martin Luther on Human Suffering and God’s Mercy.

Answering the Why Question: Martin Luther on Human Suffering and God’s Mercy, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 2015

Pope John Paul II. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Ed. Vaticana, 1997. Pope John Paul II. “Salvifici Doloris (February 11, 1984): John Paul II.” Salvifici Doloris (February 11,

1984) | John Paul II, The Vatican, w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1984/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvi fici-doloris.html.


Schroeder, Reverend H. J., translator. “On the Invocation, Veneration, and Relics of Saints, and on Sacred Images.” The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, TAN Books, 2011, pp. 218–220.

“The Question of Images.” The Spirit of the Liturgy, by Pope Benedictus and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Ignatius Press, 2014, pp. 115–135.

Viladesau, Richard. “Counter-Reformation Theology and Art: The Example of Rubens's Paintings of the Passion.” Toronto Journal of Theology, vol. 28, no. 1, 2012, pp. 29–42., doi:10.1353/tjt.2012.0013.

Viladesau, Richard. The Triumph of the Cross the Passion of Christ in Theology and the Arts, from the Renaissance to the Counter-Reformation. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Wengert, Timothy J. “‘Peace, Peace … Cross, Cross.’” Theology Today, vol. 59, no. 2, 2002, pp. 190–205., doi:10.1177/004057360205900203.

Artwork Bibliography

Cranach the Elder, Lucas, and Lucas Cranach the Younger. The Herderkirche Weimar Cranach Altarpiece.

1555, Kirchgemeinde St. Peter und Paul, Weimar. Leinonen , Jani. “McJesus.” Jani Leinonen, 2019, janileinonen.com/mcdonalds/2-14/. Rubens, Peter Paul. “The Complete Works - The Crucified Christ 1610-11.” Rubens,

www.peterpaulrubens.org/The-Crucified-Christ-1610-11.html . Serrano, Andres. “Piss Christ.” Andres Serrano, 2019, andresserrano.org/series/immersions.


http://www.peterpaulrubens.org/The-Crucified-Christ-1610-11.html

SafeWalkSEU By Lauren Louk

Introduction

SafeWalkSEU is a night-time service that provides golf cart rides and escorted walks around campus to students, staff, and faculty. During the spring 2019 semester, SafeWalk ran on a modified Monday-Thursday schedule from 8:00pm-12:30am. In the future, SafeWalk SEU is designed to be implemented as a seven day-a-week program, facilitated by a Student Coordinator, Student Dispatchers, and Student Volunteers. This report will outline the key features of the program, milestones that were reached during the trial run period, and goals for the future. Timeline to Implementation


Week of January 14th, 2019 Focus: Developing the Program

During this week, a student coordinator, Lauren Louk, was hired and tasked with creating the program. Student Dispatcher positions were posted on Handshake, and advertised to students. A training program was designed and set up for the Dispatchers and Volunteers. A volunteer sign-up form was created and branding of the program began. Week of January 20th, 2019 Focus: Recruiting

During this week, student dispatchers, Valentin Padilla, Jazel Pineda, Erica Turner, and Priscilla Stevenson were hired; background checks and fingerprinting was completed for student workers. Training began for dispatchers and the volunteer sign-up form was published and advertised to the student body. Week of January 27th, 2019 Focus: Logistics

The volunteer sign-up form continued to be utilized by students to sign-up and submit paperwork. For volunteers, a “vetting” process was established that included: criminal background check, driving record check, and a student conduct check. Student volunteers were also asked to submit one University staff/faculty member reference. For dispatchers, the vetting process was the same, except dispatchers were required to interview for the position, and they were required to be fingerprinted. A shared drive, a google calendar, nametags, vests, whistles, and flashlights were all secured during this time. Standard Operating Guidelines were written and put into effect, as well as a Student Feedback survey was created to collect student’s opinions. A client concern form was also developed to ensure legitimacy and establish the reputation of being a program that wants to listen to concerns and improve. Week of February 3rd, 2019 Focus: Advertising the Program

During this week, training with It’s On Us and Campus Safety was scheduled and secured for student dispatchers and volunteers. SafeWalk SEU was also featured in HilltopViews as an attempt to gain more interest, both in the service and in securing volunteers. A logo and branding was developed that was consistent with the University’s branding process, and meetings with the Student Government Association and It’s On Us were conducted in order to promote the program and gain awareness.


https://drive.google.com/a/stedwards.edu/file/d/15c60EkVSlc-KJs9eaaqEpeoTom-lSNRs/view?usp=sharing

Week of February 10th, 2019 Focus: Developing the Team

During this week, golf cart training was completed by volunteers and dispatchers, as well as training with It’s On Us and Campus Safety. The first “All Hands” meeting was held and attended by volunteers, dispatchers, the student coordinator and the Associate Vice President of University Operations, Jim Morris. The primary goal of the meeting was to introduce the team and create a plan for SafeWalk’s launch. At the time of launch, 15 volunteers were vetted, trained and had submitted the necessary paperwork to get started. Week of February 17th, 2019 Focus: SAFEWALK SEU LAUNCH!

SafeWalk SEU launched on February 17th at 8:00pm. In attendance were Jim Morris (Associate Vice President of University Operations), Lauren Louk (Student Coordinator), Valentin Padilla, Jazel Pineda, Erica Turner, and Priscilla Stevenson (Student Dispatchers), and Denise Mares, Dylan Desai, Samuel Barrios, and Tomas Alvarez (Student Volunteers). During the week of launch, SafeWalk SEU received 12 calls and transported 16 students safely across campus and to where they needed to go. Week of February 24th, 2019 Focus: SAFEWALK SEU LAUNCH!

During this week, an instagram page @safewalkseu was established to promote the program and spotlight student dispatchers and volunteers for the excellent work they were doing. All volunteers consistently showed up for their shifts, and many volunteered more hours than they had signed up for. This week, 12 calls were received and 17 students were transported safely across campus and to where they needed to go. Week of March 2nd, 2019 Focus: Establishing SafeWalk SEU as a resource

During this week, SafeWalk SEU received 38 calls and transported 44 students safely across campus and to where they needed to go. Week of March 9th, 2019 Focus: Establishing SafeWalk SEU as a resource

During this week, SafeWalk SEU received 11 calls and transported 17 students safely across campus and to where they needed to go. We were not aware that this would be our last week in operation for the spring semester.


Data Collected During Pilot Run (February 17th, 2019 - March 12th, 2019)

Total number of rides given: 74 rides Total number of students transported: 98 students Total number of Volunteer Hours: 154.50 Average Safety Rating given by riders: 4.7 / 5.0

Average Response Time: 2.89 minutes

Other Findings

Based on our Student Feedback Survey that is completed after a student has been picked up and transported, 9 students indicated that “My volunteer escorts were professional and comforting during our time together.” 6 students indicated that “I feel safer on campus as a result of this program.” We also received 5 comments and suggestions that indicated that the resource was useful and appreciated. We also received suggestions on how to make the program even better, including having the dispatchers include a “Estimated Time of Arrival” so the student knows what to expect, as well as having blankets on the cart for students who might get cold from the wind while riding the cart, and the addition of better lighting inside the cart. Goals for the Future

SafeWalk SEU was designed to run seven days a week so that students always have a safe way to get around campus, and know they have a right to feel safe. Our goal is to be able to implement a seven day a week program, as we receive more volunteers and dispatchers interested in the program. SafeWalk SEU currently utilizes one golf cart, but as interest grows, we would love to be able to add a second golf cart to the rotation. We hope to expand our volunteer pool moving forward, and be able to provide weekly,


intentional and meaningful training, both for the position itself, and for the student to have professional development opportunities. We also hope to help further build the relationship between UPD and SafeWalk SEU, as well as the larger student body. Thank You To Our Team!

Dispatchers : Valentin Padilla, Jazel Pineda, Erica Turner, and Priscilla Stevenson

Volunteers : Ashley Nassy, Denise Mares, Dylan Desai, Gracie Watt, Jessica Riley, Michael Longoria, Maria Baltazar, Miki Nguyen, Ryan Talbot, Ryan Lamson, Nicholas Meeker Salinas, Samuel Barrios, Tomas Alvarez, and Kate Tyler

Student Coordinator : Lauren Louk

Associate Vice President of University Operations : Jim Morris

Director of Campus Safety : William Atkins

Operations Systems Manager : Don “Fish” Vandsandt

Business Process Specialist | University Operations : Frank Saucedo

Business Manager | University Operations : Corrina S. Acevedo


An Analysis of How Non-Profit Organizations Recruit Volunteers By Anna Martinez

Introduction

The United States has the capability to help people experiencing poverty. Not only does the government have the means to help, but the people of the nation also have the power to help. By advocating, calling and emailing legislators, the people have the power to place importance on foreign poverty. However, the problem lies in motivating people to contribute to a solution. Organizations work toward igniting movements and they work electronically to reach as many people as possible. Thus organizations are tasked with motivating people to reach said solution. But how do organizations reach out to people?

Every day we encounter campaigns asking us to sign on an example being change.org, I receive emails from them almost daily but why do I sign the petitions? I will explore one of the reasons why we volunteer through an ideological analysis. I will analyze the values that companies target and how these values contradict companies’ goals.

Artifact & Method

In order to explore this question, I will focus on the video presented on the “The Borgen Project” “about us” page. I am choosing to focus on the video because it is the center of the page and is what initially draws in the browser.

The video provides a two-minute explanation of what and how the Borgen Project operates. The Borgen Project is an organization that focuses on relieving poverty. They claim to reduce poverty mainly by advancing policies; they work at the political level. The organization mobilizes people to call and email their representatives and asks them to lobby for policies that will help countries facing poverty develop. In addition to lobbying, the organization helps implement technology such as irrigation systems that can help with issues such as food insecurity. Lastly, the organization stations citizens all over the world to help operate such technologies and help relieve some of the injustices facing many countries today.

The video presents a series of images, messages and is accompanied by the song “The dog days are over.” The images presented in the video are both American people and government buildings as well as images of those who are being helped, primarily shown as people of a darker skin tone.


Method

My analysis will be guided by the method of ideological criticism. This criticism will work to dissect the underlying values used in the rhetoric of the Borgen Project to coordinate action.

The values found will explain how the marketing campaign of the website is drawing in users. Ideological criticism focuses on identifying the ideology that the presented elements belong to. For the analysis, we will take the definition of ideology to be “a system of ideas or a pattern of beliefs that determines a group’s interpretations of some aspect(s) of the world” (Foss, 248). The criticism also identifies how the presented ideology functions for the audience. Ideological criticism is valuable here because ideologies that are “privileged over others, and ideologies that present perspectives different from the privileged ones are sometimes repressed”(Foss, 239). The ideologies that would benefit the poor are trumped by the ideologies of self-interest. The artifact selected highlights an ideology: the importance and strength of America- that the company wants the audience to believe and agree with based on how they help aid foreign poverty. Therefore, through the guidelines of ideological criticism, we are able to highlight the non-explicit values and determine the effect they have on the piece and the audience. As Sonja K Foss states, the ideological criticism can help us identify whether the artifact will “encourage the audience to accept a particular position on a social issue” (Foss, 248). Through this analysis, I will explain what values the Borgen Project is targeting in order to gain support toward solving the world's poverty issue.

Findings of the Analysis

The Capitol Building vs. Images of the Underprivileged

The video tasked with presenting the Borgen Project is constructed by images accompanied by short sayings in between the images. The presented clip switches between images of the countries being


helped by the Borgen Project and images of the United States government building such as the Capitol Building as shown above. The Capitol building is presented under a storm; the image is dark and grey with thunder rolling in. The dark thunder paired with the government building creates an image of darkness, and the building looks almost detestable. This is a feeling that can come from the American government not giving enough. Therefore the darkness in the background serves as a pressing image and a reminder that America can and should give more. Therefore the comparison that targets the American feeling of superiority is also a motivator to draw people in. The images of those being helped consistently highlight a smile of gratitude rather than images highlighting disparities. Alongside said images, there are comforting expressions such as the project expressing themselves as the “ally”. These images suggest that there is a ‘them’ to help: the people expressing gratitude. Additionally, they suggest that there is an “us”: the ally. The placement of the issues works to provide a divide between those who need assistance and those who are able to help. The American nation takes pride in knowing that they are able to help others which is why the organization targets the divide. In order to gain the help and support the organization needs, they feed into the values of the American nation -- they help make them heroes. What is seen here is the underlying value of being “better off” than others that then makes it your duty to help. Making America and American individuals a hero makes them feel needed- in time or money. When people who feel needed are able to give time and money they feel accomplished. This mentality creates a cycle that is fed solely on feeling superior and essential. One of the biggest underlying values is indeed maintaining a us and them divide.

The video also includes images of male political figures. Men in governmental buildings are a signifier of legitimacy and duty. Similarly, images of governmental buildings inspire unity and power. As a society, we value individual rights and collective action, two values which oppose one another. Might it be that America values its ability to help more than collective action?

Through the images presented it is clear that the organization is targeting the fact that Americans like to feel superior. This superiority makes it then feasible for Americans to unite collectively against a cause. This is because in order to unite there needs to be a shared identity if there is no shared identity there is nothing to unify people towards a cause. American superiority is an underlying identity that every citizen feels to some extent. The unifying identity then leads to collective action. However not collective action towards any cause but again one that benefits America. If this belief was not first ingrained into American society, it would be harder to participate in collective action. Thus, it is not collective action that Americans value but the superiority that allows Americans to do so. We are a society who prides


itself on our development and democracy. The society of the United States is one who believes they are the government; this society has long celebrated the power they have in the government.

Historically the United States has inserted itself in countries in need of development. The state has helped other countries with methods used in their own country. Since the end of WW2, the U.S has taken it upon itself to be the center of development and has made it its duty to extend democracy and development. This history directly ties into the usage of governmental buildings. By presenting images of governmental buildings the organization is reminding American people of their duty: to help the “others” develop.

The responsibility felt by the United States is reflected in its citizens. Just as the state does, the people have historically taken social responsibility. Non-profit organizations and protests for a better society fill the history of the United States. Such movements are notably attributed to the voice people are given in this country.

Nonetheless, the helping hand extended by the United States has never come back empty. Where the U.S has provided help, the U.S has received something in exchange. Like all other responsibilities and beliefs, this ideal is to be projected onto the civil body of the United States. By inserting these images the organization is again targeting the value that America has of being superior by making the divide between “us” and “them” even bigger. The government buildings are not just a tactic to influence unity and duty but a reminder that America is superior and therefore must help.

The History of the United States in a Two-Minute Video

The video presented by the Borgen Project is targeting the values of social responsibility and the underlying selfishness that comes with it. Images of governmental buildings remind society of the voice it has been given and how it is expected to be used. The Borgen Project is proudly presenting itself through ideals of social responsibility. Nonetheless, underlying these face values is the United States’ history of exploitation.

The Implications of Poverty Images

Images of people experiencing poverty are not a new commodity in the media of the United States. Before Netflix, individuals could not get through an hour of watching television without viewing a campaign that was fighting to end world hunger. Facebook posts are plagued with images reminding you of your fortune with no other real end in sight. But where do we see these images most? In the campaigns fighting to end such poverty.

Why is it important to include images of the people facing poverty? Is the minority presented merely a motivator? A reminder of our privilege? Maybe, but to what end? To inspire action or to celebrate our success?

The images are included not only to target those who value helping others but are placed accordingly to highlight the difference between America and the rest of the world. Underlying the video


is the idea that America will always be superior and therefore has a duty to help. The video then targets this value to gather volunteers. The video appeals to the ideal of American superiority to 'inspire' people to act for them.

Discussion

While the Borgen Project presents itself as a selfless organization celebrating social and collective responsibility, there are underlying values still closely tied to the individualistic mentality.

In the promotional video of the Borgen Project there is an underlying ideology of American superiority. The underlying ideology is the driving cause of getting people to sign on. Why? Because most of the volunteers are American therefore the organization needs to target the identity which all Americans share. The way of life in America automatically makes every American “better off” than others. The organization is taking this lifestyle and convincing the American people that it is their duty to help because of it. The majority of people signing on are not doing it for the well being of the others they are doing it because they are superior and therefore they must.

The face of the Borgen Project is selfless, and it is presented as an organization committed to the betterment of others. However, hidden in the video is the idea of self-interest. The organization re-enforces the individualistic mentality of the United States through the images of the United States government but images of the poor.

Society today prides itself on the progress it has made. In addition, the U.S society does not associate individual rights as self-interested. This is a harmful mentality for those receiving the “help”. When America reaches out their hand only to aid themselves it inevitably harms the other countries more, they become dependent and are on a road to be exploited. If America and American people helped for the good of others then countries would not be left owing the country something. Even so, individuals in this society are only becoming more self-interested. This value is even integrated into the organizations meant to help others with no expectations in return. The United States is already lacking in the help they provide, and this will only get worse. As people are motivated by the benefit to themselves, the importance of social issues diminishes. Now, if these issues are overseas their importance will lower even more. As a nation, the United States needs to invest more in its neighbors, not for what it will do for itself but for what it will do for others. To get here, the society of the United States needs to be self-aware of its tendency to be self-interested. The deconstructing of this ideology will allow the nation to be a trustworthy ally to those in need.


Effects Of Alcohol Drinking And Exercise Behaviors On Working Memory Performance In College Students By Jacqueline Mendoza with V. Redman, C. Altimont, and A. Gordon

Abstract

Problematic drinking continues to be an issue on college campuses and has been shown to have health and cognitive consequences. Evidence suggests there is a positive association between alcohol drinking and physical exercise. Previous studies have shown reductions in working memory performance due to problematic alcohol consumption, whereas exercise appears to improve working memory performance. It is possible the positive benefits of exercise may obscure the negative effects of problematic drinking in individuals who engage in both behaviors. In this study, we investigated the effects of alcohol drinking and exercise behaviors on both spatial and non-spatial working memory performance.

50 college-aged participants provided 2mL of saliva and completed a questionnaire over their drinking and exercise habits. These questions assessed whether they drank alcohol or exercised, the frequency of both behaviors, what types of exercise they engage in, and how they would label their drinking behavior. Additionally, they were administered the Corsi block and Sternberg tasks on a computer to assess spatial and non-spatial working memory.

Participants who exercised and reported to drink alcohol performed significantly better on the non-spatial Sternberg task compared to those who reported to not exercise or drink alcohol. Drinking and exercise behaviors did not have a significant effect on spatial working memory performance during the Corsi block task. The improved working memory performance of those who report drinking alcohol may be related to estradiol, which increases alcohol preference in working memory performance. We plan to assess this relationship in the future.

Click here to view Mendoza’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SRZ5IX1tZebLORlxc3mP4MNX3AH3o27Q/view?usp=sharing

Children of Color Leading Communities Towards Mural Activism: A Comparison of Two Picture Books By Marissa Pelayo

Community art projects engage the people of the neighborhood to create art that will be

publicly displayed in their community for people to enjoy. The children’s books, Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood and Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community both detail stories of young children wanting to create change in their community after they realize either part of their community or the entire neighborhood needs beautification. Both children, Angel and Mira, use their artistic abilities as a way to unite their neighbors in a community art project. Readers of these books learn about the impact of art in a neighborhood when people work together.

In Maybe Something Beautiful , a picture book co-authored by F. Isabel Campoy and

Theresa Howell and illustrated by Rafael López, readers follow a young girl named Mira who lives in a dull, gray city that does not match her spirit and creativity. She uses her paintings to try and bring color to her neighborhood but is unsuccessful in doing so alone. With the help of a muralist, Mira is able to showcase her artistic talents and attract others in the neighborhood to join them. The two of them are able to start a community-wide project that brings color by painting vibrant colors across boring, old buildings while bringing smiles to everyone’s faces at the same time. In the end, Mira learns she has the power to enact change using her art.

Both authors, Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, have worked on numerous children’s

books as both authors and editors. Campoy’s work goes beyond children’s literature and, “as a researcher, she has published extensively bringing to the curriculum an awareness of the richness of the Hispanic culture,” according to the book’s website. Another note on the website includes how Howell “began her career in publishing as a children’s book editor with Rising Moon, where she helped to establish the bilingual imprint, Luna Rising.” Rafael López, the illustrator, grew up in Mexico surrounded by the culture that would eventually motivate his style of art. From these short bios about the authors and the illustrator, there seems to be a common theme of working with Hispanic/Latinx cultures.

While it shares many similarities with Maybe Something Beautiful , there are some key

differences in Hey, Wall, a picture book authored by Susan Verde and illustrated by John Parra. Readers are introduced to the main characters Angel and the wall, as the main relationship of the


story. Angel is a young boy who wants to change the forgotten wall that was once reflective of the beautiful neighborhood but is now plain and boring. The sidewalk next to the wall is littered with trash and is neglected in the winter as snow piles up against the wall. Angel doesn’t feel the connection he has with his family, friends, and neighbors is properly reflected on the wall across the street and decides to change that. With the assistance of his friends and grandmother, he devises a plan to paint a mural. He then calls on his community to help him fulfill his dream with paints, ideas, and imagination from everyone. In the end, Angel reclaims the wall as the peoples after establishing himself as a wall changer.

According to his website, illustrator John Parra’s “Hispanic roots and heritage provided a

rich cultural palette of inspiring imagery and customs. Mexican murals, surrealism, outsider folk art, regional cuisine, music & dance costumes are all visual influences seen in his work.” His illustrations in other children’s books have been nominated for the Pura Belpre award, which recognizes Latinx authors and illustrators for exemplifying the Latinx experience in their work. While he was born in California, he now resides in Queens, New York. Sharing a New York connection, author Susan Verde was raised in Greenwich Village in New York City. Her books range from her famous I am… series and a calming retelling of The Three Little Pigs that includes the pigs doing yoga on the cover. Parra and Verde’s shared New York experience come through the book’s illustrations as someone native to New York could easily point out.

Since the art in both books is muralism, background information about the history of

murals, specifically Mexican Muralism, will help guide my argument. According to Angie Kordic in the article, “Mural: The History and The Meaning,” they provide the origin of the word mural as deriving “from the Latin word “murus”, meaning wall,” and a current definition of murals as, “any piece of artwork painted or applied directly onto a wall, ceiling or other larger permanent surfaces, flat, concave or convex, to be precise.” This current definition is the one I will be using when referencing murals. I specified the history of Mexican Muralism because of the influence it had on both Rafael López and John Parra, the illustrator of their respective books. Their shared background of becoming inspired by famous Mexican muralists, such as Diego Rivera, creates a common thread to view their illustrations through. Besides artistic inspiration, the content of Mexican Muralism is important to acknowledge as it is important to my use of postcolonial lens notes. Another connection Mexican Muralism has with Hey, Wall and Maybe Something Beautiful is the ethnicity of the characters. While neither child is explicitly stated as Mexican, their names (Mira and Angel), their darker complexion, the variety of skin tones in their respective neighborhoods, and references to salsa dancing suggest a possible Latinx culture is present in their lives. As a young Mexican-American girl born and raised in San Antonio’s Westside, both of these books that include murals and take place in low-income communities hold a special place in my heart. I felt a personal connection to the characters, Mira and Angel, since they reminded me of myself and their neighborhoods are a reflection of the one I grew up


in. The vast amount of graffiti, street art, and murals in San Antonio’s Westside that I grew up surrounded by has always brought lively, spirited energy that embraces our culture to my community. Now that it has been established what murals have the possibility to do, especially Mexican muralism, I will begin comparing the actual mural art in the two books and what they imply.

Both books depict community art that is publicly shown for all to see. In Maybe

Something Beautiful , the art is composed of vibrant colors and geometric shapes that make up the mural as well as bright, multi-colored buildings. Keeping in mind that Maybe Something Beautiful is based on the true story of López’s mural art for the Urban Art Trail is important when comparing the murals. The vibrantly saturated geometric shapes from the book parallel the real murals in San Diego. They were created by López in an outline form which was a guidance for others to use to follow his aesthetic. This is a major difference in comparison to the mural in Hey, Wall , which is paintings of different people from the community that readers could distinguish from earlier pages. Also, the wall is not entirely covered. In the background, there are some hints of weathering that are still left behind. The art style follows that of the book’s illustrations and resembles childlike drawing. A small but important difference to note about the murals is that Angel signs his name at the bottom of the mural which Mira does not do.

In this paper, I use Appleman’s postcolonial lens notes as a lens to use when critically

reading each of my books. When using this lens, I am framing my analysis of the differences in mural art and what they imply about minorities’ responsibility in mural activism. The way postcolonial lens helps me with my argument is with the following questions: In the references to colonization (current or past), how are colonized people portrayed? How is the “process” of colonization portrayed? What images of “others” or processes of “othering” are present in the text? How are others portrayed? How does the text deal with cultural conflicts between colonizing culture and the colonized or traditional culture?

Using these questions while I read Maybe Something Beautiful , I found that even as a

young girl, Mira felt the pressure placed on her shoulders to do something about the places she walked past every day. I can assume Mira has been “othered” by those that live in part of the city not as underdeveloped. In the real-life neighborhood of East Village, the conditions of that part of the city were unlike the rest of San Diego. According to Lisa Halverstadt’s 2016 article, “How East Village Became the ‘Homeless Ghetto’,” she describes how in the 1980s, city officials “wanted downtown homeless residents to move to East Village, and they decided pushing the city’s homeless providers to East Village would make that easier.” The city based its relocation of the homeless population on the fact that the East Village was mainly old warehouses at the time with little hope to be developed any further. Since this book is based on the real story surrounding the Urban Art Trail that first started in the East Village, Mira’s community could be


a reflection of the San Diego area without explicitly stating it in the book. Community members are mostly people of color and based on systematic racism, have been “othered” by and through segregation which still has lasting effects in some neighborhoods today. This could be the reason for most of the characters in the book to be majority people of color, as well as the authors’ and illustrator’s Hispanic/Latinx influences.

In Hey Wall , a majority of the characters are people of color, with white characters as the

minority. There is a wide range of shades of brown; from deep brown to an olive skin tone. These characters have a rich tradition with each other despite varying backgrounds. There is a two-page spread of art that depicts a diverse group of people getting ready to share dinner and enjoying each other’s company, “When we are inside with family, friends, and neighbors, there is love; there is joy.” (Verde 11). The portrayal of the community is positive but there are subtle background images that call attention to the environment these people live in. The people in the neighborhood are playing the trumpet on the street for money, kids are jumping rope, the ice cream truck stops by, people are riding their bikes, dance on the roof of their building, and seem to know each other well.

However, in the background, there is trash littering the sidewalk of the wall and when it

snows no one shovels the snow on that sidewalk. It is explicitly stated that there has been a shift in how the neighborhood looks, “...Grandma Addy drinks iced tea on the stoop. She talks of a time when our neighborhood was beautiful.” between Angel’s grandma’s youth to the present day (Verde 7). The wall is called “cold, old, empty” by the main character (Verde 3). It is visibly weathered and shows signs of vines growing on it and cracks in the building. Before it is painted, the wall seems to be a representation of the type of neighborhood the main character lives in. At first glance, one could assume it’s lower class and underfunded based on the appearance of the wall. The wall, obviously weathered, has an old event poster that is starting to tear off, an unkempt vine is growing along the wall, and there is some graffiti. However, the young boy doesn’t think this accurately shows people (who don’t have the time to get to know each person in the community) who they are. When people feel collectively targeted they want their neighborhood to reflect who they are, “You don’t share our stories,” and not what others may see them as (Verde 14). The processing of othering occurs by the negligence of the upkeep of the sidewalk. The local city officials could have been a driving force that took part in the downfall of the beautification of the neighborhood. Without the funding, it would be hard to maintain the same look that upper-class white communities have.

An interesting take on “othering” I choose to focus on is the “othering” of the respective

wall or buildings in each story. In Hey, Wall , Angel talks to the wall, using the pronoun “you” to refer to the wall on multiple occasions. He sees it as part of the community, “Now you tell the real story of us . And together we are somethin’ to see!” and makes it known that he already had


pride in where he lived and only wanted others to see how he felt the wall should include their stories (Verde 26). In 2018, President Donald Trump spoke out at a rally claiming the Mexican border wall had begun undergoing construction. Later that same year, Hey, Wall was released. Since Trump began his presidential campaign, walls have been a controversial topic in the United States. The basis for the conversation was the effectiveness the wall would have to stop undocumented immigrants from coming into the country without the proper forms. With chants such as “Build the wall!” growing in popularity among Trump supporters, there was sure to be a strong reaction every time someone mentioned “the wall.” However, a review by The Horn Book of Hey, Wall notes the way the book redefines what a wall can do, “Walls do not just create barriers and divide spaces. They can be canvases for artmaking; opportunities to shape a community.” An important factor to keep in mind is the population of the community in the book, which is predominantly people of color. In this sense, Hey, Wall gives power back to the people blatantly discriminated against by our president with harmful rhetoric about walls. A powerful line is when Angel proclaims, “You are our wall now,” as an American flag waves behind the wall and directly above this sentence (Verde 21).

In comparison, Mira never talks to the walls like Angel does. This is mainly in part to the

way Maybe Something Beautiful is written in third person and Hey, Wall is written in the first person (using “we” instead of “I”). Also, Mira’s voice is rarely heard and most of the book describes her actions. Nonetheless, she nor the neighbors and the muralist personify the walls of the buildings in the city. This comparison of “othering” the walls in their neighborhood brings out the difference in motivation for creating the murals. In Mira’s case, she began putting up the pictures to make the city pretty and no longer gloomy. Mira didn’t consider to uplift community voices because that was not the goal. (Side note: Mira’s voice needed some serious uplifting as well, but that’s another conversation.) The main goal was to bring color back to their city. Not only did they paint a mural, but the community members also painted poetry, painted utility boxes, etc. They did more than just paint one wall since Mira’s entire neighborhood was the focus of spreading the art.

As I was comparing the “othering” of the wall, I began to unravel another layer to

compare. People use graffiti, street art, and murals to show that they exist when people in power try to silence them or paint their own pictures of the neighborhood. However, it is important that we ask ourselves the following. Why should certain communities have to create murals to attract others to want to participate in their neighborhood? What are stereotypes about the people that live there? Why do certain communities have to paint murals that reflect people in the community? Why can’t they just paint something cool or pretty? The last two questions bring me to my main central focus when comparing both of the book’s depiction of mural art. As stated before, both illustrators had an influence from early Mexican muralists and their work. The Mexican revolution in the 1920s and the Chicano art movement of the 1960s both played key


roles in developing a deeper layer of mural art, “as a powerful visual communication tool, meant to promote the opinion of the people and to transmit social and political messages towards unity” (Kordic). This implies that both illustrators could have been subconsciously aware of these influences as they drew the illustrations of the book. While Maybe Something Beautiful is based on a true story and uses the real-life mural as the book’s illustration, there can still be implications of what message the mural was trying to convey. Parra’s art follows the idea of Mexican muralism as a social and political message. The depictions of community members is a proper representation that gives credit to those who usually go unappreciated by painting them in the mural. In comparison, López’s art is more abstract with no explicit community representation and doesn’t seem to follow the message of early Mexican muralism. However it is stated in the author’s note, that the impact of creating a community-wide art project went beyond bringing light and inspiration to the people since, “some of the painted benches were auctioned off, and the money provided classes and scholarships for at-risk students who had an interest in art” (Campoy and Howell 30).

According to the book Toward a People’s Art: The Contemporary Mural Movement ,

“While some of the new murals...reflected the drive of artists (mainly from oppressed groups)...to express the people’s heritage and experience…[o]ther murals...assert[ed] an aesthetic presence in the midst of the realities of urban chaos…” (Cockcroft, E., Weber, & Cockcroft, J. 28). Is it a bad thing when murals are not overtly political? Shouldn’t minority artists be allowed to create art for the sake of creating art and not to spread a message? The weight of being an activist for one’s community sometimes is pressure placed upon minorities because of the power structure created by those in power. Maybe Something Beautiful implicitly shares with its readers that not everything we create must be political or send a powerful social message. Instead, it’s okay to sometimes create something beautiful with the same right a white person could create something beautiful for any reason. Works Cited

Appleman, D. (2015). Critical encounters in secondary english: Teaching literary theory to adolescents . New York: Teachers College Press.

Campoy, I., Howell, T. (2016). Maybe something beautiful: How art transformed a

neighborhood . Illustrated by López, R. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Cockcroft, E., Weber, J., & Cockcroft, J. (1977). Toward a people’s art: The contemporary mural

movement. New York, NY: Dutton.


Halverstadt, L. “How East Village Became the 'Homeless Ghetto'.” Voice of San Diego , 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/how-east-village-became-the- homeless-ghetto/.

Kordic, A. (2015). Mural: The history and the meaning . Widewalls.

https://www.widewalls.ch/what-is-a-mural-the-history-and-meaning/ Simon & Schuster. (2019). Hey, wall: A story of art and community.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Hey-Wall/Susan-Verde/9781481453134 Timm, J. (2018). Fact check: Trump says his border wall is under construction. It's not .

NBCNews. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-trump-say-his- border-wall-under-construction-it-n88837

Verde, S. (2018). Hey, wall: A story of art and community. Illustrated by Parra, J. Simon &

Schuster Books for Young Readers.


Agonistic Behaviors in Capuchin Monkeys in Relation to Visitor Traffic By Sofia C. Rodriguez

Abstract Exposure to visitors has the potential to influence the behavior of an animal in captivity. Inspired by previous studies suggesting that visitors increase stress and influence abnormal behaviors in primates, this naturalistic observation study observed agonistic behaviors (i.e., behaviors related to aggression including displays and threats) in capuchin monkeys in relation to visitor traffic in captivity. Capuchin monkeys were observed at the primate enclosure at the Austin Zoo. Two scan sampling observations of one hour each were conducted at the same time on different days. The first day was a relatively high visitor traffic day, Saturday, and the second day was a relatively low visitor traffic day, Monday. A total of 12 behavioral categories were defined and organized as general or exclusive to the enclosure fence. The results showed a higher display of agonistic behavior on the high visitor volume day than on the day with a lower visitor volume. The capuchin monkeys were three times more likely to display aggressive behaviors when visitor volume was high. The use of enclosure space was also affected, such that the capuchins were more likely to be near the fence when more visitors were present. Overall, with more visitors present, the capuchins tended to make themselves more visible but tended to display aggressive behaviors. Animals in captivity are often exposed to conditions that do not resemble their natural environment. This research could help understand capuchin behavior and ultimately help improve enclosure conditions to benefit the animals’ well being.

Click here to view Rodriguez’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_CkvuYTE-S55NvE4K8PR4T_uryYWBRTo/view?usp=sharing

69 Years after Jackie Robinson: The Legacy of Racism in Baseball Continues By Joshua Saldivar

Abstract In 2016, the City of Philadelphia apologized to Mrs. Jackie Robinson for the racist treatment her husband received during a visit to the city in 1947. This paper analyzes how the city’s apology transforms baseball’s legacy of racism into an opportunity for improving race relations. Using the theory of reframing by communication scholar Erving Goffman, this analysis presents race relations from the perspectives of Jackie Robinson, Ben Chapman, and the media. The findings revealed that baseball can improve race relations by raising awareness of the disparities between races with team owners and by teaching people how to respond to racist words and behavior. By honoring the legacy of Jackie Robinson, the city of Philadelphia proved that baseball can overcome racism one action at a time.

Sixty-nine years after baseball player Jackie Robinson encountered racism, the city of

Philadelphia apologized to his family for the treatment he received during his visit (Wang, 2016). During a 1947 visit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Robinson endured racist taunts from residents. Although not limited to just this city, Robinson’s racist treatment included death threats, denied hotel access for him and his teammates, and verbal abuse from fans and managers. Instead of succumbing to the taunts, Robinson responded with perseverance and sportsmanship. In 2016, Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym introduced a resolution honoring Robinson and gave a copy to his widow, Rachel Robinson (Wang, 2016). Councilwoman Gym explained that “it’s important to understand that time doesn’t blunt that hate – that people remember that in ways that are lasting and painful” (Wang, 2016). Although racism continues today in baseball, people can choose how to respond. With each apology, people can heal the wounds of the past. Baseball’s legacy of racism can be transformed as healing for all members involved. The city of Philadelphia’s apology transforms baseball’s legacy of racism into an opportunity for improving race relations by honoring Jackie Robinson’s legacy, amending the past, and providing hope for the future of baseball to overcome racism.

Baseball has historically discriminated against Africans Americans. After the Civil War, Jim Crow laws were enacted to prevent people of color from equal access to opportunities (“African-American Baseball”). Black players were forced to join all-black teams in order to play baseball. In 1890, the National Association of Base Ball rejected black players from the sport. Their reasoning was to prevent “some division of feeling, whereas, by excluding them no injury could result to anyone” (“African-American Baseball”). Known as a “gentleman’s agreement,” black players were segregated from playing professional baseball. Then in the twentieth century, the black population began to move in droves from the South to more urban areas in the North, a phenomenon known as the Great Migration. Teams such as the “Philadelphia Giants, the Indianapolis ABCs, the Bacharach Giants of the Atlantic City, and the Chicago American Giants” were established during this time period (“African-American Baseball”). In 1920, “Rube” Foster, owner of the Chicago American Giants, and the leaders of other Midwestern black teams partnered together to create the first black league called the


Negro National League (“African-American Baseball”). The Negro Southern League was also created later that year. In 1923, the Eastern Colored League was established and then in 1924 “the National and Eastern leagues faced each other in their own World Series” (“African-American Baseball”). With limited resources, black players improvised in playing baseball; they worked around the rules placed upon them. The Great Depression forced the Negro National League to dissolve, and they recreated the league afterwards. (“African-American Baseball”). From the 1920s to the 1940s, African American players did their best to play baseball despite being racially segregated and tried not to let it prevent them from achieving. Finally, on April 15, 1947 Jackie Robison became the first African American MLB baseball player (Pak, 2019). This was the first time that a person of color received honorable recognition for playing a professional sport. Despite racist treatment from fans and other members, Robinson earned his place in the MLB as Rookie of the Year and won the National League Most Valuable Award (Pak, 2019). Through his presence in the MLB, Robinson dispelled stereotypes and improved race relations in the country. He persevered despite the odds (Pak, 2019). His contributions to the sport had a lasting effect for the country. In fact, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. credited Robinson for paving the way for the civil rights movement (Nightengale, 2016). His legacy in baseball was that he promoted the end of segregation and allowed other baseball teams to integrate people of color into their teams.

Although the city apologized, the media’s perspective emphasized that this was just one individual (Wang, 2016). The media depicted authority figures as passive in addressing the racism that Jackie Robinson experienced. Media coverage of the city’s apology implied that baseball and city officials were negligent in confronting racism. As the situation got gradually worse for Robinson, there was little accountability for racist behavior. Even today, racist behavior continues in the sport of baseball. Despite the apology, authority figures did not correct the real issue which is that racism is still happening in baseball across the nation. Racist behavior receives no discipline, accountability, or punishment. Today, baseball officials can correct the ongoing racism in the sport. Following the city of Philadelphia’s example, the baseball league can recognize the legacy of racism in baseball and take the necessary steps to rectify it. Although it was just an apology, the city of Philadelphia provided baseball an opportunity to amend, rectify, and overcome the legacy of racism in the sport.

Framed by the person who viciously harassed Jackie Robinson during his first year, Ben Chapman states that baseball banter was normal in those days (Nowlin, n.d.). When interviewed about his racist remarks to Robinson, Chapman responded by saying that “everyone used those kinds of words back then. Heck, we said the same things to Joe DiMaggio and Hank Greenberg” (Barra, 2013). Dodgers Secretary Harold Parrott wrote that “Chapman mentioned everything from thick lips to the supposedly extra-thick Negro skull, which he said restricted brain growth to almost animal level when compared to white folk. He listed the repulsive sores and diseases he said Robbie’s teammates would be infected with if they touched the towels or combs he used. He charged Jackie outright with breaking up his own Brooklyn team. The Dodger players had told him privately, he said, that they wished that the black man would go back into the South where he belonged, picking cotton, swabbing out latrines, or worse” (Barra, 2013). As negative publicity increased for the team, Chapman and Robinson were asked to “pose for a photograph” (Nowlin, n.d.). Chapman perceived that the photograph and his banter was for the media; he didn’t see Robinson as a person, but as an opponent.


Framed from Jackie Robinson’s perspective, this event was the opposite from chapman (Wang, 2016). In his autobiography I Never Had It Made, Robinson writes that “There were times after I had bowed to humiliation like shaking hands with Chapman, when deep depression and speculation as to whether it was all worthwhile would seize me” (Wang, 2016). He further writes that taking the photograph with Chapman was “one of the most difficult things I had to make myself do” (Wang, 2016). Chapman’s racist words had a detrimental effect on Robinson. This was not an event for one individual; the legacy of racism didn’t address the pain experienced by Jackie Robinson and other minorities. Racist incidents persist today. In August 2019, a Texas Rangers fan spoke “racist comments and made derogatory gestures at a Hispanic family” (“Rangers”, 2019). In May 2017, Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was reportedly “called the N-word” and was thrown a bag of peanuts by Red Sox fans (Desmond, 2017). The police ejected 34 people during the game at Fenway Park between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles (Desmond, 2017). The Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner, the Boston Mayor, and even the Red Sox team president issued statements condemning the fans’ behavior. Despite the blatant racism, the fans received no disciplinary action. Jones expressed his disappointment with the lack of severity in punishment saying that it was “a slap on the wrist” (Desmond, 2017). In another incident, in October 2017, Houston Astros’ Yuli Gurriel made a slant eye gesture at Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Yu Darvish who is of Japanese descent (Ortiz, 2018). Also, racial gestures against Asians are not taken seriously. Although the MLB wanted to ban Gurriel which would have hurt the team, the Major League Baseball officials and the players association worked out a compromise: Gurriel would be suspended for five games and receive an eight-hour “sensitivity training” session (Ortiz, 2018). In professional baseball, racist actions are not perceived seriously. The lack of action from MLB officials encourages racist incidents to happen again. In effect, the fans, the players, and the MLB’s silent response towards racism has implied that racism is part of the mainstream culture. Without examination, racism continues inside the sport of baseball. Despite the achievements of Jackie Robinson, blatant racism persists in the baseball culture as covered in social media.

Social media illustrates racism in baseball. For example, social media users frequently comment racist remarks toward players (Bogage, 2019). In April 2016, racist social media messages were sent to Chicago Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr.’s Instagram account (Bogage, 2016). Racism can also take the form of hate speech. Sometimes it is even the very MLB players who tweet something racist. For example, in 2018, it came to light that Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb, Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner, and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader tweeted racist and homophobic comments in 2011 and 2012 (Pearlman, 2018). Hader tweeted in 2011 words such as “KKK” and the N-word; in 2012 he reportedly tweeted “I hate gay people,” and “white power lol” (Pearlman, 2018). Most disturbingly, when Hader played during his next game, audience members gave him a standing ovation for arriving on the field (Pearlman, 2018). Although it is unclear whether the fans were intentionally supporting his actions or not, the treatment towards Hader highlights the covert racism in baseball. Hader became a symbol of racism and was celebrated for his actions. The racial ignorance demonstrated by baseball players points to the underlying problem of racism in the MLB. Although Robinson made great improvements in the baseball league, blatant still exists. One apology from the city of Philadelphia is not enough to address the problem of racism in baseball.


To further exacerbate the matter, according to the 2017 Racial and Gender Report Card for the Major League Baseball conducted by Dr. Richard Lapchick, Director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, found that 57.5% of the MLB players on opening day were white, 31.9% were Latino, 1.9% were Asian, and 7.73% were African-American (Lapchick, 2017). Despite improvements in race relations, the number of African American players in the MLB has declined (Chang, 2017). In another example, the 2017 Racial and Gender Report Card for the Major League Baseball ranked the MLB a grade of “B for racial hiring practices, a C for gendering hiring practices, resulting in an overall grade of a C-plus” for diversity efforts (Lapchick, 2017). There is still more work to be done to combat racism in the MLB.

Through the city of Philadelphia’s apology to Jackie Robinson, baseball has an opportunity to amend the legacy of racism. Although racism still exists, people can choose how to respond. Jackie Robinson’s provided the best example of overcoming racism. He pressed forward and received recognition for his perseverance. His legacy is in giving hope for overcoming racism in baseball. His actions empowered others and provided an example for future generations of people to respond to racist treatment. His story allowed baseball fans to reconsider racial inequalities in the United States. He proved to the world that he was just as good as any other athlete. He strove to be the best athlete he could be. Although racism didn’t dissipate, he didn’t let it stop him. Compared to the National Football League and the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball has much more work to do to combat racism. Having more discussions about race, gender, and prejudice can improve race relations in baseball. Seventy-two years after Jackie Robinson’s entrance in professional baseball, baseball has been silent in discussions on social inequalities. As a sport, baseball has not engaged in Colin Kaepernick protests’ or shown support for other social issues. Perhaps future discussions on racism will hopefully change the culture of baseball. As once a driving force of the civil rights movement, baseball has now remained stagnant. It is underutilized in its ability to bring awareness to social issues. As a symbol of American culture, baseball can represent the strength of American values. The sport of baseball has the capacity of improving race relations in the United States through its legacy in initiating civil rights and through its ability to raise awareness of racist gestures and hate speech. Some things should not be forgotten; the apology from the city of Philadelphia to the Robinson family allowed healing. The healing allowed the Robinson family to move beyond the racism of the past. With each act of remedy, baseball can look to the future for improving race relations in the United States. Although the future can look bleak, an apology can make a difference. The city of Philadelphia, although it cannot change the past, decided to change the future for race relations. Jackie Robinson demonstrated perseverance and sportsmanship through his response to racism. Instead of reacting to the situation, he chose to demonstrate his inner strength. Despite the racist treatment around him, he continued to play baseball with the best of his ability. It was not how he lived but how he responded to the environment around him. He gained his honor through not giving in to the taunts from Chapman and others. He rose above his adversaries and did not succumb to the racist treatment from hotel managers, fans, and opposing teammates. With a generous heart, he continued to demonstrate good sportsmanship till the end of his career. Robinson’s legacy gives hope for baseball to overcome racism. Through open discussion on race, baseball can raise awareness of inappropriate behavior, one person at a time.


Works Cited

African-American Baseball History Detectives. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/african-american-baseball .

Barra, A. (2013, April 15). What Really Happened to Ben Chapman, the Racist Baseball Player in 42?

Retrieved from https://www.thearatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/04/what-really-happened-to-ben-chap man-the-racist-baseball-player-in-i-42-i/274995/.

Bogage, J. (2019, April 16). MLB investigating racist Instagram messages sent to Cubs’ Carl Edwards Jr.

Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/04/16/mlb-investigating-racist-instagram-messages -sent-cubs-carl-edwards-jr/ .

Chang, A. (2017, October 24). This is why baseball is so white. Retrieved from

https://www.vox.com/2016/10/27/13416798/cubs-dodgers-baseball-white-diverse. Desmond, B., Boren, C. (2017, May 2). Mayor, Red Sox apologize to Adam Jones, who says he was

'called the n-word' by Boston fans. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/05/02/orioles-adam-jones-says-he -was-called-the-n-word-by-fans-at-fenway-park/ .

Lapchick, R., Mueller, M., Currie, T., & Orr, D. (2017, April 18). The 2017 Racial and Gender Report

Card: Major League Baseball. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. PDF. Nightengale, B. (2016, September 12). Adam Jones on MLB’s lack of Kaepernick protest: ‘Baseball is a

white man's sport’. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2016/09/12/adam-jones-or ioles-colin-kaepernick-white-mans-sport/90260326/ .

Nowlin, B. (n.d.). Ben Chapman. Retrieved from https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/0fe7f158. Ortiz, J. L. (2018, April 2). Yuli Gurriel: MLB suspension for slurring Yu Darvish was ‘worth learning

from’. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2018/04/02/yuli-gurriel-mlb-suspension-yu-darvish-h and-surgery/478265002/.

Pak, E. (2019, August 9). Jackie Robinson and 10 Other African American Pioneers in Sports. Retrieved

from https://www.biography.com/news/jackie-robinson-black-athletes-first-sports .


https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/african-american-baseball

https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/african-american-baseball

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/04/16/mlb-investigating-racist-instagram-messages-sent-cubs-carl-edwards-jr/



https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/05/02/orioles-adam-jones-says-he-was-called-the-n-word-by-fans-at-fenway-park/



https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2016/09/12/adam-jones-orioles-colin-kaepernick-white-mans-sport/90260326/



https://www.biography.com/news/jackie-robinson-black-athletes-first-sports

Pearlman, J. (2018, August 1). Baseball players’ racist tweets are not the whole story. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/01/opinions/baseball-players-racist-tweets-are-not-the-whole-story -pearlman/index.html .

Rangers ban man for racist behavior at game. (2019, August 9). Retrieved from

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27356485/rangers-ban-man-racist-behavior-game . Wang, H. L. (2016, April 2). Decades After Insults To Jackie Robinson, Philadelphia Extends An

Apology. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2016/04/02/472816786/decades-after-insults-to-jackie-robinson-philadelphia -extends-an-apology .

Wang, Y. (2016, April 1). Philadelphia apologizes to Jackie Robinson for the ‘unconscionable abuse’ he

once suffered there. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/01/philadelphia-apologizes-to-j ackie-robinson-for-the-unconscionable-abuse-he-once-suffered-there/.


https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/01/opinions/baseball-players-racist-tweets-are-not-the-whole-story-pearlman/index.html



https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27356485/rangers-ban-man-racist-behavior-game

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27356485/rangers-ban-man-racist-behavior-game

https://www.npr.org/2016/04/02/472816786/decades-after-insults-to-jackie-robinson-philadelphia-extends-an-apology



Confronting the Ephemeral and Conditional Nature of Love through Lineation and Sound in Poetic Language By Jennifer Slavik

Abstract

In poetry, there is a space to push the boundaries of language and attempt to convey meaning through untraditional modes of expression. I am currently compiling a chapbook for Poetry II where I explore new ways to express emotion through lineation and sound. In the work I’m crafting, I navigate areas in my life where one expects to find love but rather confronts the ephemeral and conditional nature of it from the subject of a mother and a lover. For my presentation, I’d like to discuss a few of my poems in their craft and how techniques such as lineation and sound can complement content. In workshop, I’ve been discovering which poetic techniques are the most effective in conveying particular sentiments. I’ve learned how to tune into certain elements of craft that allow me to express ambiguous emotion through the suspension of meaning held at the end of a line or through harsh and soft sounds in language. Poetry doesn’t follow the strict rules of everyday grammar but rather allows one to express meaning through untraditional techniques and communicate abstraction. In addition, I’d also like to speak on how writing poetry has improved my ability to analyze work as a literature student. I’d like to highlight the discoveries I’ve made from shifting my perspective from primarily content to mostly craft.

Click here to view Slavik’s SOURCE 2020 Slide Deck submission. To hear the embedded audio files, which include Slavik reading poetry, you will need to

download the PowerPoint presentation from the link.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k6dRdjFrrwb__KafBBsgI2P46MA2782a/view?usp=sharing

GQ Across Time: An Analysis of GQ ’s Evolving Place in the History of Men’s Magazines By Madeline Stanfield

Abstract This report examines the evolution of “men’s magazines” by analyzing GQ–beginning with its start in 1931 as Apparel Arts and ending with the modern-day magazine. As the oldest men’s fashion magazine and one of the leading publications today, GQ has undergone many changes throughout its lifespan. Despite existing at a time when many magazines have struggled to stay in print, modern-day GQ has maintained readership. By following this history, I gain insight into the position that men’s magazines hold within the constantly-evolving magazine industry and outline how GQ has remained successful. This report follows this evolution by focusing on GQ’s timeline and comparing the magazine with its competition. This timeline primarily focuses on the bigger-picture moments within GQ’s evolution, such as rebrandings or other, more drastic changes. Data have been collected from archives, newspapers, encyclopedias, and GQ magazine itself. This analysis shows how the evolution of GQ closely mirrors the evolution of the industry as a whole. Since it was the only men’s fashion magazine for a large percentage of its existence, GQ either led changes for men’s magazines or was forced to change in order to remain competitive with industry newcomers. This included having to change its early ideals of “masculinity” from the American gentleman to a modern form of “masculinity” that manages to appeal to both male and female audiences. These shifts within the industry and GQ are reflective of changes within society as a whole.

“To be GQ is to be forward-looking, progressive and cutting-edge,” reads the Conde Nast 71

website overview of GQ U.S. And indeed, at a turbulent time when many magazines are considered to be “failing” or are switching to an entirely digital presence in an attempt to avoid closing doors– GQ has proven its ability to look to the future and maintain readership. It’s estimated to have about 5.4M readers in print alone, with another 11.4M unique readers across its digital platforms. Despite being the oldest

72

“men’s magazine,” GQ has proven its ability to adapt to cultural changes and evolve while leading the way within its genre. From its start as Apparel Arts all the way to modern-day GQ , the magazine has established itself as an authority in the fashion industry. Additionally, GQ ’s evolution is exemplary of the evolution of the entire genre of men’s magazines.

Men’s Magazines

The phrase “men’s magazines” is generally used to describe magazines that are focused on “masculine” interests and therefore, marketed to men. Although what “masculine interests” implies has evolved over time, men’s magazines have typically focused on topics such as men’s fashion, sports, sex, and business. These magazines have historically been associated with the stereotype of a “gentleman,”

71 “Gq.” Condé Nast. Accessed February 20, 2020. 72 Ibid., 2020.


one who drinks bourbon, wears a suit, and smokes cigars. Some of the most popular men’s magazines today include Esquire , Maxim , and of course, GQ .

GQ from the 1930s - 1960s

Before there was an entire genre of magazines devoted to men’s interests, there was Apparel Arts . This magazine was founded in 1931 by Arnold Gringrich as a publication for men’s clothing wholesalers and retailers. Apparel Arts established itself as a “class” magazine of the trade, with issues including

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untranslated French and Latin in the editorial columns, and clothing swatches attached to the pages (similar to a catalog). The finest men’s styles at the time were featured via illustrations, where men were shown lounging about, a cigar in one one hand. Even the advertisements revolved around this image of sophistication. For example, one for Kaynee’s Boys Clothes in an early issue contained no text other than a poem from E.E. Cummings’s “Tulips and Chimneys.”

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Apparel Arts paved the way for all of the men’s magazines that came after it. For the first several

years of its existence, there were no magazines marketed specifically to men. The only option for consumers was to steal issues of this publication from wholesalers when they could. However, in 1933,

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Gringrich (the founder and publisher of Apparel Arts ) took notice of this gap in the market. He and another publisher created Esquire , hoping to “exploit the ‘new leisure’ of the New Deal,” which would leave leaders with a larger disposable income. Prior to the New Deal’s union rights, Social Security, and

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other tools, the majority of Americans had no means to rise out of poverty. Combined with national 77

mobilization for World War 2 and the explosion of jobs and opportunities this created, America’s middle class grew and flourished.

Esquire , catered and marketed to the “everyday gentleman,” cost 50 cents an issue–the equivalent of about $10 today. This would have been an exorbitant amount given the economic state of the country at the time. 1933 was the Great Depression’s lowest point in the United States and about 15 million Americans were unemployed.

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Esquire stayed with the same level of sophistication and “class” that Apparel Arts was known for,

and the magazine was an instant success, selling out on newsstands almost immediately. 79

Even though Apparel Arts existed in Esquire’ s shadow for many years, this enabled the magazine

to further establish itself as the key authority on fashion within the genre of men’s magazines. Whereas Apparel Arts was focused entirely on fashion, Esquire was more generally interested and focused on

73 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “GQ.” Encyclopædia Britannica . Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., August 17, 2017. 74 Carmody, Deirdre. “Arnold Gingrich, 72, Dead; Was a Founder of Esquire.” The New York Times . The New York Times, July 10, 1976. 75 The Editors of GQ. “All the GQ Covers from the 1950s and ‘60s.” GQ . Conde Nast, October 27, 2017. 76 Carmody, Deirdre. “Arnold Gingrich, 72, Dead; Was a Founder of Esquire.” The New York Times . The New York Times, July 10, 1976. 77 Hightower, Jim. “The Rise and Fall of America’s Middle Class.” Other Words . January 10, 2018. 78 History.com Editors, “Great Depression History.” History.com . 79 Ibed., 1976.


works by famous authors of the time. This distinction between the two magazines enabled them to work together in order to cover all men’s interests, and few other magazines were created that could compete. In the fall of 1957, this partnership was made more official after Apparel Arts rebranded as Gentlemen’s Quarterly– a quarterly “fashion supplement” for Esquire readers who were becoming even more interested in personal style. The all-new Gentlemen’s Quarterly began to focus more on the style of individuals, and especially of famous figures instead of focusing on men’s fashion from a wholesale and clothing-retail perspective.

Over the next several decades, Gentlemen’s Quarterly saw several more changes before it transformed into GQ as it is today. The abbreviated title came in 1967, around the same time that the magazine changed from being a quarterly publication to a monthly one–a change that was likely due to the publication’s success and the desire for more fashion-content in the space of men’s magazines. From

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the beginning, GQ has proven its ability to adapt and evolve–not only by changing its fashions to match the times but also by changing its overall marketing and strategy.

From the 1970s - Early 2000s

One of the largest changes across GQ’s evolution came when Condé Nast purchased the magazine in 1983. Up until this point, the publication had never strayed from its fashion-focus. Under the rule of Condé Nast, GQ was no longer in direct association with Esquire and therefore, it shifted to compete with its former partner. Additionally, it began to veer from the stereotypical “gentlemen”

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stereotype that men’s magazines had come to be associated with, as it sought to appeal to a younger audience.

GQ outsold Esquire for the first time in 1993. Once it had surpassed this competition, “GQ was revamped again...to compete with the British “lad” magazines FHM and Maxim .” These “lad mags”

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were newcomers within the magazine industry, but had quickly gained popularity. They differed from men’s magazines in that they followed more pop culture trends and information on current events. Maxim , the most famous of the “lad mags,” became known for its articles about sex and famous women.

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However, GQ ’s strategy was to maintain its level of “class,” but in a more attainable, or aspirational way for younger men.

In 1994, reporter Mark Simpson attended a style exhibition hosted by GQ in London. In his article in the UK Independent where he wrote about the event, Simpson coined the term “metrosexual”–a phrase that GQ was closely associated with into the 2000s. The metrosexual man is one who is young,

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vain, and is willing to spend a large sum of money on his appearance. The term did not take off globally until 2003, proving, as Simpson stated, that the future was indeed metrosexual. This article was a

80 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “GQ.” Encyclopædia Britannica . Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., August 17, 2017. 81 “Advertising.” The New York Times . The New York Times, February 16, 1979. 82 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “GQ.” Encyclopædia Britannica . Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., August 17, 2017. 83 Swanson, Carl. “The Rise of Maxim Magazine.” Observer. Observer, February 1, 1999. 84 Simpson, Mark. “Here Come the Mirror Men - Why the Future Is Metrosexual.” marksimpson.com. The Independent , November 15, 1994.


testament to GQ ’s progressive, trendsetting abilities, and its ability to successfully transition to a young but still sophisticated audience. At the turn of the century, the concept of masculinity was changing within men’s magazines and in society as a whole, and it would no longer be enough to market a magazine for “gentlemen.”

Modern-day GQ

Today, GQ is once again poised on the precipice of change. After standing strong for many decades, the publication has not only found itself at one of the most difficult times for magazines in general, but especially for men’s magazines. Not only are magazines losing advertisers due to” Facebook, Google and more nimble online competitors,” but men’s magazines in particular are faced with the

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quandary of existing in the #MeToo era (or as GQ ’s editor has dubbed it, the “Shut Up and Listen moment”).

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Although GQ ’s subscriber numbers have dwindled in the past several years, the magazine still

does not seem to be at risk of failure anytime soon. In the U.S., GQ still has about 5.4M readers in print alone, with another 11.4M unique readers across its digital platforms. This doesn’t include the millions of readers across its global audience (the magazine is published in 19 countries). 83% of GQ readers are considered to be high income and above-average income, with about 63% of its audience male and 37% female. Additionally, the majority of these readers fall in the age range of about 16-34 years old–the largest age range with a disposable income.

Where many magazines have failed to change and adapt to stay relevant in the magazine space, GQ has proven its staying-power–not only as a men’s magazine but also as a fashion magazine in general. One of GQ ’s answers to existing as a men’s magazine in 2019 was to shift its depiction of masculinity to be more gender-fluid. The November 2019 “New Masculinity” issue addressed this by stating that GQ was “making a magazine that isn't really trying to be exclusively for or about men at all”–a far shift from the publication’s roots as Apparel Arts . However, GQ has proven its ability to evolve and shift to mirror

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changes in society, and so far, this dramatic change has not been unsuccessful. Of all largest, historic men’s fashion magazines today (with reader demographics available), GQ has the closest ratio of male-to-female readers. About 66% of Esquire readers are male and 34% are female. Meanwhile,

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Maxim’s audience is estimated to be about 78% male. 89

85 Ember, Sydney, and Michael. “The Not-So-Glossy Future of Magazines.” The New York Times . The New York Times, September 23, 2017. 86 Williams, Alex. “As Men Are Canceled, So Too Their Magazine Subscriptions.” The New York Times . The New York Times, November 2, 2019. 87 Welch, Will. “Introducing GQ’s New Masculinity Issue, Starring Pharrell.” GQ . Conde Nast, November 5, 2019. 88 “Demographics.” Hearst . Accessed February 20, 2020. 89 Blogger, Posted By Guest. “12 Blogging Lessons I Learned From Maxim Magazine.” ProBlogger , October 9, 2019.


Conclusion

From its beginnings as Apparel Arts throughout its evolution, GQ managed to change while maintaining its core sense of identity as an authority on fashion and “class” magazine. GQ was the only men’s fashion magazine for a large percentage of its existence, and therefore either led changes for men’s magazines or was forced to change itself in order to remain competitive with industry newcomers. This included having to change its early ideals of “masculinity” from the American gentleman to a modern form of “masculinity” that appeals to both male and female audiences. These shifts within the industry and GQ are reflective of changes within society as a whole. Bibliography

“Advertising.” The New York Times. The New York Times , February 16, 1979. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/02/16/archives/advertising-conde-buys-a-mens-magazine.html.

Blogger, Posted By Guest. “12 Blogging Lessons I Learned From Maxim Magazine.” ProBlogger ,

October 9, 2019. https://problogger.com/12-blogging-lessons-i-learned-from-maxim-magazine/. Carmody, Deirdre. “Arnold Gingrich, 72, Dead; Was a Founder of Esquire.” The New York Times . The

New York Times, July 10, 1976. https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/10/archives/arnold-gingrich-72-dead-was-a-founder-of-esquire .html .

Ember, Sydney, and Michael. “The Not-So-Glossy Future of Magazines.” The New York Times . The New

York Times, September 23, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/business/media/the-not-so-glossy-future-of-magazines.html

“Gq.” Condé Nast . Accessed February 20, 2020. https://www.condenast.com/brands/gq . Hightower, Jim. “The Rise and Fall of America’s Middle Class.” Other Words . January 10, 2018.

Accessed April 20, 2020. https://otherwords.org/rise-fall-americas-middle-class/ History.com Editors, “Great Depression History.” History.com . Accessed April 20, 2020.

https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history “Demographics.” Hearst . Accessed February 20, 2020. https://www.hearst.com/-/audience-demographics. Simpson, Mark. “Here Come the Mirror Men - Why the Future Is Metrosexual.” marksimpson.com. The

Independent , November 15, 1994. https://marksimpson.com/here-come-the-mirror-men/. Swanson, Carl. “The Rise of Maxim Magazine.” Observer . Observer, February 1, 1999.

https://observer.com/1999/02/the-rise-of-maxim-magazine/.


https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/10/archives/arnold-gingrich-72-dead-was-a-founder-of-esquire.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/10/archives/arnold-gingrich-72-dead-was-a-founder-of-esquire.html

https://www.condenast.com/brands/gq

https://otherwords.org/rise-fall-americas-middle-class/

https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “GQ.” Encyclopædia Britannica . Encyclopædia Britannica , inc., August 17, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/GQ .

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Esquire.” Encyclopædia Britannica . Encyclopædia Britannica ,

inc., August 17, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Esquire-American-magazine . The Editors of GQ. “All the GQ Covers from the 1950s and ‘60s.” GQ . Conde Nast, October 27, 2017.

https://www.gq.com/gallery/gq-covers-1950s-and-1960s . Welch, Will. “Introducing GQ's New Masculinity Issue, Starring Pharrell.” GQ . Conde Nast, November

5, 2019. https://www.gq.com/story/masculinity-is-changing-editors-letter-november-2019. Williams, Alex. “As Men Are Canceled, So Too Their Magazine Subscriptions.” The New York Times .

The New York Times, November 2, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/style/mens-magazines.html .


https://www.britannica.com/topic/GQ

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Esquire-American-magazine

https://www.gq.com/gallery/gq-covers-1950s-and-1960s

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/style/mens-magazines.html

Cien años de soledad y el determinismo tecnológico By Ana Isabel Torres

Abstract As Gabriel García Marquez’s masterwork, Cien años de soledad, has been analyzed in many forms and from various literary and sociological perspectives. However, the novel has not been viewed from a technological determinist perspective nor has great attention been given to the pivotal theme of modernization. If it is true that García Márquez’s novel is an allegory of Latin American history and identity, then an important component of said allegory is the technological development of post-colonial Colombia. This essay intends to explore Cien años de soledad from a contemporary point of view using the theories of technological determinist Marshall McLuhan. McLuhan’s publications relating to the global village and his theories on the interrelation between dominant cultures and technological privilege make his work applicable for this analysis. Furthermore, McLuhan and García Márquez coincided time periods, both publishing their most notable works in the late sixties and seventies. For the purpose of this essay a criterion for analysis was developed based on the ideas and elements of technological determinism. The criterion identifies common deterministic elements and their literary counterparts such as how the author fames industrialization, urbanization, technological privilege, and the symbiotic relationship between technology and history. Having implemented the criterion to deeper investigate the meaning of the novel, one can then tie in the history and true events that the novel is based on. Upon reading further about technological development in Latin America as a whole, it becomes evident that what García Márquez describes in his obra maestra is economic imperialism, extractivism, and the difficult transition from third world to developing nation. Ultimately this essay intends to evaluate the intention of the author and conclude with reason that García Márquez’s ideals are in line with those of other technological determinists.

La obra maestra de Gabriel García Márquez, Cien años de soledad ha sido analizada de muchas

formas, entre ellas se pueden encontrar análisis culturales, retóricos, postmodernos, feministas, históricos y una variedad de análisis literarios. Como fue publicada hace cincuenta años, proponemos que la novela requiere un análisis contemporáneo que relate la narrativa y moraleja actual. En este trabajo se aplicarán las teorías del determinismo tecnológico a la novela Cien años de soledad . Usando un criterio de análisis literario, basado en los temas y elementos de dicha teoría, se explorará la novela desde una perspectiva determinista tecnológica. Por último, se evaluará la intención del autor, es decir; si García Márquez se puede identificar como un autor determinista tecnológico.

La modernización es un tema central en Cien años de soledad . En su obra, García Márquez critica los avances tecnológicos y el impacto que tiene la modernización en el pueblo ficticio de Macondo. ¿Será posible que García Márquez, sin intención, esté alineado con el determinismo tecnológico? Primero, se definirá el determinismo tecnológico, que servirá como fundación de este trabajo. Como hay varios pensadores deterministas fue integral escoger el pensador que mejor concierne a los temas de Cien años de soledad . Marshall McLuhan es una de las figuras más conocidas del determinismo tecnológico. Sus libros Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man y War and Peace in the Global Village se consideran textos fundamentales del determinismo tecnológico. Escritos durante los años cincuenta y sesenta, los estudios de McLuhan coinciden con los años más productivos de García Márquez. Como McLuhan tuvo


gran interés en el impacto mundial de la modernización, en específico en los llamados países en vías de desarrollo, escribió extensivamente sobre el juego de poder entre culturas dominantes y culturas minoritarias. McLuhan acuñó el término ̈global village¨, que se refiere a la interconectividad del mundo como resultado de la propagación de la tecnología por los países con el poder tecnológico, afectando-invadiendo los medios de comercio, comunicación y transporte en los países en desarrollo, lo que crea un nivel de globalización en el que ya no se pude distinguir la identidad cultural (McLuhan 157-158). McLuhan se cuidó de no decir si este fenómeno sería positivo o negativo socialmente. Sin embargo, en su libro publicado póstumamente, The Global Village: Transformations in a World Life and Media in the 21st Century , McLuhan dice, “in our long striving to recover for the Western world a unity of sensibility and of thought and feeling we have no more been prepared to accept the tribal consequences of such unity than we were ready for the fragmentation of the human psyche by such innovations¨ (McLuhan 42).

Para este trabajo se referirá al determinismo tecnológico como fue definido por McLuhan; la tecnología como el eje central de los motivos por los que se producen cambios sociales en el transcurso de la historia, por lo cual la considera el factor determinante de progreso y desarrollo social (McLuhan 18). Los siguientes son los criterios del análisis determinista.

● La obra atrae la atención o se enfoca en el rol de los medios (ejemplo: comunicación, transporte.) ● Formula la idea de que la tecnología es un riesgo fundamental para la sociedad. ● Sugiere que el desarrollo tecnológico es inevitable. ● Un tema recurrente es la relación simbiótica entre la tecnología y la historia. ● ¨La conquista técnica¨ (Conniff) enfrenta la modernización con la naturaleza y la vida rural. ● Crítica del poder de la cultura dominante, su control sobre las innovaciones modernas y privilegio

tecnológico.

El primer criterio se cumple en Cien años de soledad cuando uno de los diecisiete hijos del coronel Aureliano Buendía cataliza la modernización de Macondo. Aureliano Triste Buendía organiza la llegada del ferrocarril a Macondo e inconscientemente expone a Macondo por primera vez a un mundo moderno. “El inocente tren amarillo que tantas incertidumbres y evidencias, y tantos halagos y desventuras, y tantos cambios, calamidades y nostalgias había de llevar a Macondo” (García Márquez 222). La llegada del ferrocarril es un evento critico porque marca una transición de la tradición rural a las novedades industriales. Aureliano Triste heredo la ambición de su Abuelo José Arcadio, el mismo impulso caótico que los motivan a avanzar, conquistar, y dominar el mundo que los rodea. McLuhan identifica este instinto humano en su criptograma llamado ̈The Ten Thunders¨. Los “thunders” representan diferentes etapas en la historia humana, cada etapa marca un avance tecnológico y el cambio social relacionado. En la cuarta etapa o ̈ thunder¨ McLuhan describe, ̈paterns of nature submited to greed and power¨ el intrínseco deseo humano de dominar la naturaleza (McLuhan, 74). La cuarta etapa del criptograma se basa en el dominio del ser humano sobre la naturaleza y se asocia con innovaciones que iniciaron la revolución agrícola. En la novela este cambio sucede cuando la compañía bananera implementa ciertos cambios en Macondo. Los científicos e ingenieros de la compañía bananera usan “recursos que en otra época estuvieron reservados a la Divina Providencia [que] modificaron el régimen de lluvias, apresuraron el ciclo de las cosechas, y quitaron el río de donde estuvo siempre y lo pusieron con sus piedras blancas y sus corrientes heladas en el otro extremo de la población” (García Márquez


269). Aquí queda reflejado de nuevo ese mismo instinto destructivo, un deseo que solo se realiza con ayuda de la tecnología.

Esto nos lleva a los dos próximos criterios, la idea que el desarrollo tecnológico es inevitable y que hay una relación simbiótica entre la tecnología y la historia. La conexión al texto literario es más temática. Es cierto que Cien años de soledad es una alegoría de la historia latinoamericana. Macondo como ciudad es una representación de los cambios históricos en Latinoamérica, por consiguiente, también representa el impacto de la intervención extranjera. Macondo se funde como un paraíso agrario, se describe como un edén donde hay igualdad social y económica. Cada vez que se introduce una innovación en Macondo se produce un resultado negativo. José Arcadio con las “maravillas” de los gitanos, más de una vez arriesga la salud o bienestar de su familia. Al principio del libro, el laboratorio alquímico presagia el impacto de nuevos inventos. José Arcadio y sus descendientes buscan solucionar todos los problemas de Macondo en el laboratorio, pero se quedan aislados en una misión inútil sin enterarse de los problemas reales que enfrenta la comunidad de Macondo. No es sorprendente que los residentes de Macondo reciban la modernidad con tanta ansiedad, por ejemplo, la instalación del teléfono, “era como si Dios hubiera resuelto poner a prueba toda capacidad de asombro, y mantuviera a los de Macondo en un permanente vaivén entre el alborozo y el desencanto, la duda y la revelación, hasta el extremo de que ya nadie podía saber a ciencia cierta dónde estaban los límites de la realidad.” (García Márquez 224).

La forma en que García Márquez posiciona los intereses extranjeros en su novela respalda las ideas del determinismo tecnológico. García Márquez usa la historia de la compañía bananera en su novela para aclarar la larga historia del extractivismo, ̈ [la] característica propia del dispositivo colonial, y lo que aquí denominamos colonización de la naturaleza¨ (Bohórquez). La compañía bananera, que pertenece a una cultura con poder tecnológico, se aprovecha de la inestabilidad social y económica de Macondo y toma control de los medios de producción. La compañía, con apoyo extranjero, soborna el gobierno local, se aprovecha de los humildes jornaleros y extrae los recursos locales sin invertir en la comunidad. De esta manera un poder extranjero influye en el desarrollo de un país soberano y explota a la gente común. Históricamente el extractivismo ha sido una práctica sinñonimo del imperialismo (Bohórquez). Se nota la consecuencia del extractivismo en la forma en que se desarrolló la infraestructura colombiana. En zonas como la península Guajira y los estados al sureste del Amazonas y la Guainía, áreas con abundantes recursos naturales, las carreteras no fueron construidas con el propósito de servir el tránsito vehicular sino como vías directas a los puertos de Barranquilla, Cartagena y Buenaventura (Horna). Es decir, que el objetivo de mejorar el tránsito en estas zonas fue sacar ganancia al corto plazo, sin consideración a las necesidades de un país en vías de desarrollo. Estos casos sirven como ejemplo de las consecuencias del privilegio tecnológico. La educación, nivel social, la proximidad a zonas urbanas, el idioma e la identidad son todos factores que miden el nivel de privilegio. (Skidmore 23). Todos estos factores sufren el impacto de la tecnología y por ello McLuhan supone que el privilegio tecnológico es el factor más importante en el desarrollo de un país contemporáneo (McLuhan 154). Usaremos el mismo ejemplo del tránsito: facilita la conexión entre zonas rurales y zonas urbanas y; por consiguiente, se relaciona al acceso a recursos médicos, oportunidades educativas e intercambio cultural. McLuhan razona que la tecnología no tiene una postura moral a pesar de que, ̈ it is a tool that profoundly shapes an individual’s and, by extentions, a society’s self conception and realization¨ (McLuhan 157).


El privilegio tecnológico empata con el quinto criterio, la ̈conquista técnica¨ o la hegemonía de países o poderes con control o acceso a medios tecnológicos (Conniff). Parte de la mentalidad de la conquista técnica es la autoimpuesta idea de que una cultura es mejor que otra, o que merece ciertos poderes por ser una cultura más avanzada (Conniff). Se debe notar que el significado de “avance” es autoimpuesto también. El imperio español usó el argumento de la conquista técnica para justificar la conquista indígena; la supuesta superioridad tecnológica de los españoles era evidencia de la superioridad cultural de Europa y justificaba el tratamiento del indígena como un ser subhumano (Suganya). McLuhan indica en los “Ten Thunders” que el desarrollo tecnológico es inevitable y como tal, la conquista técnica es un fenómeno que recurrente en la historia. Macondo, aunque fue fundado con una visión diferente, empieza ser influenciada por el mundo “avanzado” después de el descubrimiento de la carretera a la ciudad civilizada de Riohacha. Los Buendía quieren cada vez con mayor desesperación modelarse como las ciudades civilizadas. La comparación de Macondo con el mundo moderno resulta en la transformación de Macondo en una ciudad irreconocible. García Márquez captura en su libro la inconsistencia de la conquista técnica. Cuando una cultura dominante define para los demás lo que significa ser “avanzado” está estableciendo un estándar imposible. En este caso, el modelo de la modernidad europea simplemente no pudo ser recreada en Latinoamérica. Esta incongruencia es igualmente malentendida tanto por parte extranjera como latinoamericana, “las optimizadas imágenes que del proceso modernizador europeo han construido los latinoamericanos y cuyo origen se halla en la tendencia a definir la diferencia latinoamericana en términos del desplazamiento paródico de un modelo europeo configurado por un alto grado de pureza y homogeneidad, esto es como efecto de la parodia de una plenitud” (Barbero 282). Considerando las ideas y definiciones de McLuhan de puede decir que el concepto de la conquista técnica esta bien representada en Cien años de soledad .

Cien años de soledad cumple con cada uno de los criterios deterministas de este trabajo. Macondo es un escenario donde se desarrolla la historia postcolonial de Colombia y se ven los cambios tecnológicos tras seis generaciones. La novela explora la relación entre el ser humano y la naturaleza, la relación entre la tecnología y la historia y el desarrollo humano. Con relación a la tecnología y los poderes extranjeros, García Márquez usa su narrativa para reprochar los abusos de poder y la intervención extranjera en base al desarrollo. En línea con el pensamiento determinista, el autor insinúa que la desigualdad tecnológica es un problema humano y que la distribución e implementación de la tecnología refleja nuestra estructura social. Con base en la forma en que García Márquez presenta la tecnología en su novela, se concluye que García Márquez se puede considerar un determinista tecnológico.

Bibliografía

Abdullah, Abu Shahid. “Rewriting rural community and dictatorial history through magical realism in Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude.” Journal of Language and Cultural Education 3.2: 55-65. Web.

Barbero, Jesús Martín. “Modernidad y posmodernidad en la periferia.” Escritos: Revista del Centro d Ciencias del Lenguaje . No. 13-14. (1996) pp. 281-288.


Bohórquez Caldera, Luis Alfredo. “COLONIZACIÓN DE LA NATURALEZA: UNA APROXIMACIÓN DESDE EL EXTRACTIVISMO EN COLOMBIA” El Ágora U.S.B., 13(1), 221-239. Retrieved December 02, 2019. Web.

Conniff, Brian. “The Dark Side of Magic Realism: Science, Oppression, and Apocalypse in ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude.” Modern Fiction Studies 36.2 (1990) Web.

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Waste No More! By Amy Truong

Abstract It's a growing issue across college campuses in the US about 30% of college students are food-insecure and are worried about if they can afford their next meals. Supply isn't necessarily the issue, our dining halls have more than enough food, but a lot of it is just getting thrown out at the end of the day. Waste No More! is a mobile application that will allow students and staff to be notified when and where excess food is available across campus. In partnership with on-campus vendors and departments, this mobile application will help redistribute leftover food from campus dining halls and events to students in need. During my research, I began looking at the issues of food-accessibility in college communities, starting at St. Edward's. With this project, my goal is not only to reduce food waste, but also to dive deeper into our relationship with food, look closer at our perceptions of how valuable food is, how food plays a role in our daily lives, and how that influences our decision-making.

Click here to view Truong’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PXseSaoRhWxn9nJd-f2HzOJAtdy_rfGA/view?usp=sharing

2018 Greenhouse Gas Inventory for St. Edward’s University By Andi Utter with Cristina Bordin

Abstract Universities serve the role of educating the next generation of leaders, and therefore should lead by example when it comes to mitigating and managing their carbon footprints. Tools such as SIMAP, the Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform, allow institutions to quantify their carbon footprint by source, and then make informed changes based on those values. For my senior internship, I used SIMAP to quantify the 2018 carbon and nitrogen footprints of St. Edwardâ€™s University in Austin, Texas, and identified areas where we could reduce emissions. I found that a significant amount of the universityâ€™s carbon footprint came from purchased electricity, most of which was from non-renewable energy sources. Nitrogen values totaled 14.1 tons for year 2018, over half of which came from the food used in the on-campus dining facility. My results will be used by university staff when considering pollution mitigation strategies, and thus contribute to campus sustainability.

Click here to view Utter’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UIjqN26rYUQKHTyfTb71-FWUIITUeZJg/view?usp=sharing

Holy Cross Values: Relic of Our Past, or, Requisite for Our Future? By Albert Valverde

Abstract Understanding culture is essential to our existence whether it is our family, society, work, or in this case the culture of St. Edward’s University. The roots of our university go the beyond Sorin Oak, to their origins in Le Mans, France. During my semester abroad in Angers, I had the opportunity to conduct research on Holy Cross culture, and interview the head priest and rector of the Basile Moreau shrine in Le Mans. The interview covered specific questions including: â€œWhat is the idea of family in the eye of Moreau and why is it so important today? Moreau was dedicated to higher education. Now, almost 200 years later, universities like St. Edwards are still alive and thriving. Through the years, what steps has the Congregation of Holy Cross done to make this possible? The Congregation of Holy Cross perspective is to begin with what is there and combine with human potential with the help of god to achieve anything, can you expand with your own take on the meaning? Upon my return to Austin, I used the interview data gathered, to investigate how (or, if) Congregation of Holy Cross values are still prevalent on campus. From curriculum, faculty, and students alike, do we understand and live out these Holy Cross values?

Click here to view Valverde’s SOURCE 2020 Slide Deck submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y0UJvyus3qyopqNS_QMmBeDITLId5oW3/view?usp=sharing

Eye Contact: How Much is Too Much? By Gracie Watt

Photo by: Gracie Watt

Abstract In this paper, I will explore eye contact and how it impacts our relationships. I will discuss how we behave normally with our eyes based on context and relationship with the person we are interacting with. I will also touch on recommendations and studies of how much eye contact is socially acceptable and why this is. I have researched the topic extensively and gathered sources which I think will reflect and support the discussion of eye contact in Mark Knapp’s communication textbook, “Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction.” I will focus on this text and in particular, chapter 10: “The Effects of Eye Behavior on Human Communication,” and further explore how eye behavior impacts our daily life and conversations.

Eye contact is so important in our interpersonal relationships, probably more so than we might

realize. Of course, context matters. Depending upon with whom you are speaking, what you are speaking about, and a lot of other factors, eye contact patterns will vary. In our everyday relationships, sometimes we are aware of our eye contact. We notice when someone is giving us really intense eye contact, and we pay attention when someone may be giving us too little contact, assuming that they are not listening to us. Our unique eye contact has developed as a mixture of many things such as culture, upbringing, and other factors, which I will go more into detail about. However, no matter how old and experienced someone may be, it can be difficult to assess the situation and judge how much eye contact is socially appropriate and acceptable. I will explore theories and findings from different scholars upon the subject of eye


contact, the reasons we have different eye contact behaviors, how we can improve upon our eye contact patterns in our interpersonal relationships, and the benefits of eye contact.

The visual-dominance ratio is a theory explored by Koch in 2010, which Knapp incorporated into

Chapter 10, “The Effects of Eye Behavior on Human Communication.” Visual-dominance theory is kind of like an equation, as many theories surrounding eye contact patterns are. This equation is the percentage of time spent looking at someone while you are speaking divided by the percentage of time spent looking at them while you are listening. This theory also explains that people with higher status, or bigger egos, tend to gaze more when speaking and gaze less when listening, or not listening. (Koch, 2010). Visual dominance is a very interesting theory, as sometimes I find it relates in my personal life. My boss is more likely to make intense eye contact with her employees, as she has with me before, but always seems a little scatter-brained when I respond, and not completely engaged. Whether this is intentional or not is hard to say, but the visual dominance theory explains that it may be because she holds a higher position than me.

A study by Argyle and Dean of Oxford University from 1965 introduces the intimacy-equilibrium

model (1965). This model helps explain why and how much people gaze while partaking in interpersonal interactions. The model suggests that intimacy is a function, similar to the visual dominance theory, in which the amount of gazing, proximity, and smiling are all variables. As one component of this model is altered, another will change in the opposite direction to compensate for overall desired intimacy. This is if the relationship is platonic and both parties intend for it to remain that way. For example, if one participant gazes too intensely or too long, the other person may feel compelled to move back, smile less, or avert their gaze in order to get the desired intimacy level back to equilibrium. However, if one party is attracted to the other, they may reciprocate this behavior with smiling more and gazing back intensely.

Argyle and Dean explain the norms of eye contact during an interaction, “People look most

while they are listening for about 3-10 seconds in length. When gazes are longer than this, anxiety is aroused. Without eye contact, people do not feel that they are fully in communication” (Argyle & Dean, 1965). I thought that this measurement of eye contact time was interesting because I have had many conversations where if I am not genuinely interested, I will try to seem more engaged. I do this by increasing eye contact because typically someone will engage in more eye contact if they are genuinely interested. Also, I have noticed before in conversations that my mind may wander and I will think more about if my amount of eye contact is acceptable rather than think about what that person is actually speaking about. This is a bad habit, but it is very common, as many people struggle to know what a proper amount of eye contact may be in a social interaction.

To explore this, we must first understand why some gaze more than others, and why some feel

different levels of comfort in being the subject of one's gaze. Green and Frandsen find that self-esteem is one of the main answers to this mystery. In a study they conducted, they concluded that when receiving favorable feedback, people with high self-esteem made more eye contact, and negative feedback reduced their gaze. For those with low self-esteem, they gazed more while being criticized and less when being praised. (Green & Frandsen, 1979). Other factors play a role in our eye behaviors too such as extraversion, openness, and agreeableness, Knapp explains on page 311 of our text. Another factor is


intelligence. People who scored higher on IQ tests were found to engage in more interpersonal gaze. (Knapp, 2014).

This explanation as to why some engage in more eye contact in conversation than others makes a

lot of sense to me, as I was taught to always look people in the eye from a young age by my parents. However, I realize that not everyone had a similar upbringing, and cultures have many differences when it comes to eye contact and respect, also. Naturally, a lot of people display different eye contact behaviors. I consider myself to be good at eye contact, and effectively show the other person speaking that I am listening, as this is what good eye contact typically means in America. It may also be because I am extroverted and agreeable that Knapp’s and other scholars’ discoveries make sense when aligned with my own behaviors.

According to Jodi Schulz of Michigan State University, it is okay if a person does not identify as

an extrovert or was not raised to give lots of eye contact, because it is a skill which, like anything else, can be learned with practice. She explains that there are a few helpful tips you can remember to improve your eye contact. The first piece of advice she gives readers is to remember the 50/70 rule. This means to maintain eye contact for 50 percent of the time while you are speaking, and 70 percent of the time while you are listening. Along with this, be sure to only maintain for 4-5 full seconds because, as discussed before, this may signal one of the extremes of aggression or desired intimacy. Schulz also explains that it is important to not have darting eyes when you break eye contact. Instead, slowly look to the side. Darting eyes tend to lead others to perceive us as shy or nervous, while looking down can cause people to believe you lack confidence or integrity. Although this may not actually be the case, people are quick to draw assumptions when it comes to nonverbal behaviors, especially eye contact. (Schulz, 2012).

Now that I have discussed the reasons for our eye contact behavior, theories behind eye contact,

and how to adjust our eye contact patterns, the next topic is why. Why would you want to adjust your eye contact behaviors, and why does it even matter? Science journalist from Psychology Today, Lydia Denworth, states that “making eye contact signals to another person that you are paying attention. It is one way we share intention and emotion” (Denworth, 2019). She goes on to explain the scientific reasoning why good eye contact behavior makes us more trustworthy and seemingly interested. She discusses how eye contact triggers the limbic mirror system in our brain, which controls our ability to recognize emotion, and is important for the development of our capacity for empathy. During an interaction, when blinking is somewhat synchronized, shared and equal attention is symbolized. This is some of the scientific reasoning behind why eye contact is so crucial in each of our interactions, and helps explain why eye contact is desired in interviews, first dates, deeply personal conversations, and romantic interactions.

In conclusion, there is much reasoning and studies behind why eye contact is different for many

people. Theories such as the visual-dominance ratio teach us that in general humans gaze more while listening than while speaking, with exceptions to those in powerful positions. The intimacy-equilibrium model goes deeper into the whys and hows of eye contact. There is also evidence as to how we can improve our eye contact and even research on why we should take these steps and become more effective communicators with our eyes, such as the facts that eye contact helps us develop empathy and leads us to


be seen as more trustworthy and open-minded. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, so always be sure to make a good impression in every interaction with good eye contact. References

Argyle, M., & Dean, J. (1965). Eye-Contact, Distance & Affiliation (3rd ed., Vol. 28). p. 289. Sociometry. Denworth, L. (2019, February 25). How Eye Contact Prepares the Brain to Connect. From

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-waves/201902/how-eye-contact-prepares-the-br ain-connect .

Green, J.O.., & Frandsen, K. D. (1979). Need-fulfillment and consistency theory: Relationships between

self-esteem and eye-contact. Western Journal of Speech Communication, 43, 123-133. Knapp, M. L., Hall, J. A., & Horgan, T. G. (n.d.). Chap. 10: The Effects of Eye Behavior on Human

Communication. In Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction (Eighth, pp. 295–310). Wadsworth, Engage Learning.

Koch, S.c., et. al. (2008). Visual dominance and visual support in groups. Schulz, J. (2012, December 31). Eye contact: Don’t make these mistakes. From

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/eye_contact_dont_make_these_mistakes .


Re/Imagining the American Dream: From Hamilton to Spare Parts By Anisa Zepeda

Abstract I wrote this paper for an assignment for my class, Analyzing Rhetoric taught by Professor Pina. The assignment was to produce a narrative criticism, and I did so on two artifacts that mirror each other: Hamilton the musical and Spare Parts. This criticism allows the American Dream to be viewed as still achievable through a different lens and approach. It answers the question: What are the purposes of these stories being told? What do they say about the modern American Dream? This concept is important to address now at a time where Americans feel helpless. The method I used was a narrative criticism and I utilized additional research to further my knowledge and reiterate my claims. Through my research I found that the American Dream is still achievable through a new approach. In 1776, Europeans that immigrated to America didnâ€™t have social structures so they were free to achieve different goals. Now, thereâ€™s many social structures that make dreams feel out-of-reach. One must embrace their culture and background and utilize it as motivation to achieve their dreams. I believe people should care about this paper because it relates to minorities and to people who are in search of some type of hope for a better future. This topic is relative to current day and allows for the reader to feel inspired and hopeful.

Click here to view Zepeda’s SOURCE 2020 Poster submission.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A-bDzsQOsqf_Oau9ijElJPgUX6S_VSKv/view?usp=sharing

Conference Proceedings St. Edward's University

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