The Measure: An Undergraduate Research Journal
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Living in the Space Between: Finding the Modern Fight for LGBT+ Equality in Benjamin Alire Sáenz’ Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Full text linkThroughout history, queer identities have been fundamentally linked to disease. This paradigm complicates the process of identity formation for many in the LGBT+ community who have learned that leaving the closet often means being seen as threatening and diseased. These concepts have been exacerbated by moments in queer history like AIDS Epidemic and the fight for marriage equality. This struggle is exemplified in Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, a story of two queer boys, Ari and Dante, growing up in El Paso, Texas, during the late 1980s. Through a historical examination of the text, a message of hope is found within the throws of the AIDS Epidemic for the young queer people who, in 2012, were bearing witness to one of the longest standing fights of queer history
Examining the Lived Experiences of Children of Incarcerated Black Males
Full text linkWith the use of standpoint theory, this study seeks to uncover the livedexperiences of children with formerly or currently incarcerated blackfathers. Standpoint theory acknowledges a person’s social position andhelps the researcher understand that a person’s location in society has amajor impact on how they respond to everyday realities they encounter.Traditionally, standpoint theory has been used to bring voice to womenin a feminist framework. Our hope is to encourage the voice of childrenwith formerly or currently incarcerated black fathers; specifically,because this phenomenon has been a consistent bi-product of theircommunity and family structure for far too long. In-depth interviewerswere conducted with adult children (18 years or older) who selfidentifiedas having a formerly or currently incarcerated black fathers.Participants ranged in age from 21-46 and included four women andfour men. Findings indicate three overarching themes: (1) ability to beloved/ability to love; (2) bad men; and (3) filling shoes
A Comparative Study of West Germanic Language Histories: Varying Degrees of Inflectional Syncretism in English and German
No full textIn this paper, I explore the relationship between two languages withinthe West Germanic branch of the Indo-European (IE) language family:English and German. I begin with an overview of each language’shistory, with special focus on Old High German (OHG) and OldEnglish (OE), Middle High German (MHG) and Middle English(ME), and Modern German (MG) and Present-Day English, in orderto address the increased inflectional syncretism exhibited in Englishas compared to the relatively conservative inflectional preservation ofModern German. The Lord’s Prayer will be used to illustrate the casesyncretism exhibited in English and the contrastive preservation ofthe case system in German. I will focus on changes in morphology,but will also discuss phonological changes as they relate to inflectionalsyncretism throughout the history of these languages. I will also explorethe syntactic repercussions of these changes and relevant factors whichhave contributed to the conservation of many inflectional aspects inGerman no longer active in the English language
Constantinople as an Imperial Capital: Mehmed II and the Making of the Ottoman Empire
Full text linkWhen Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453, the city was merelya shell of what it had been during its height. While Mehmed II seemed tounderstand the importance that Constantinople could play for the emergingOttoman Empire, the city still resembled a Byzantine capital. MehmedII aimed to transform the city into the seat of his new empire throughpolicies he would implement. Canonical historical views argue that theOttoman Empire was formed immediately after the siege of Constantinople.However, this paper claims that the Ottoman Empire was notformed overnight, but rather through a series of policies implemented byMehmed II that helped shape the empire. Some of these policies wouldaffect the architectural landscape of Constantinople, making it morerecognizably Ottoman while allowing for remnants of Byzantine idiomsto remain. Other policies would transform the role of the sultan, affectingthe bureaucratic hierarchy and the power the Ottoman Grand Viziers had
Costumes in Star Wars: The Recreation of Rey’s Costume from The Force Awakens
Full text linkWhile many people like the idea of dressing up as their favorite film or comic-book hero, there are others who turn this idea into a reality with costuming. This process-analysis paper analyzes Rey’s Scavenger costume from the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, examining the techniques and skills generally needed to accurately replicate a costume seen in a film. This paper focuses first on the assistance offered by online costuming communities, and the type of research needed to begin a costume, which often includes working with a limited number of references. This paper then delves into a process-analysis of the costume’s construction, from fabric types and dye to leatherwork and aging. The costume’s wear-ability as an actual outfit is also discussed
Preservation of a Dying Culture: A Study of Sorbian/Wendish Poetry
Full text linkThis research outlines the history and culture of the Texas Wends.The Wends are a Slavic group that originated in East Germany andimmigrated to the United States in order to preserve heritage. Theyare bilingual, speaking both German and the Wendish language. Thehistory and culture of the Wendish people have rarely been studiedoutside of Germany, and only a small amount of their literature hasbeen translated into English. Due to the interaction with both Germanand American cultures, the Wendish language and culture have nearlydisappeared in Texas and Germany. One common way that Wendishculture has been expressed is poetry. This research outlines how Wendishpoems are sites where ideas important to the Wendish culture can beregistered. Primarily, I uncovered ideas relating to religious faith andculture, which are extensively discussed in Wendish poetry. Moreover,my work shows how translating these poems, makes Wendish poetryaccessible to English-speaking audiences, thereby, preserving Wendishculture for a new audience
Portrait of a Woman: The Utilization of Women in Fascist Propaganda during the Years of the Nazi Occupation
Full text linkThe role of women within the various resistance movements to liberateFrance and the French capital of Paris has been reiterated across mediasince the end of the Second World War. Women acted as attachés andagents, often communicating secrets and plans to both domestic andinternational agencies. However, since the relatively recent inceptionof gender and feminist studies, few works have emerged that analyzethe role of everyday women in occupied Paris and how their femininityand actions were perceived and interpreted by occupying troops. Thepurpose of this paper is to deconstruct the everyday presence of Parisianwomen as captured by the collaborationist photographer André Zuccaand interpret these images through a modern gendered lens within arobust historical context, so as to provide a holistic understanding ofthe relationship between Parisian women and German troops duringthe occupation of Paris (1940-1944). The concept of the male gaze, itsrole in the establishment of fascist masculinity, and how Parisian womenfought it will be discussed, and the continuance of these concepts infuture scholarship in other areas of the occupation of France will besuggested. Upon its completion, this paper will further the dialogue ofthe efforts of French women during the occupation and contribute tothe fields of both history and gender and feminist studies
The H.L. Hunley and Confederate Ideals in Modern America
Full text linkIn February 1864, the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley madehistory by sinking the USS Housatonic, after which the H.L. Hunleysank with all hands lost. The submarine would drift into Confederatememory as a fascinating piece of advanced technology that manybelieved could help win the war. With the resurgent interestin Confederate memory, the search for this lost submarine wasundertaken successfully by Clive Cussler and the National Underwaterand Marine Agency. Many organizations and individuals, from statesenators to archaeologists, helped raise the wreckage. The raising of thishistoric submarine brought a renewed resurgence in Confederate idealsthat influenced elections, especially the 2000 presidential election.Confederate memory and iconography remained heavily influentialin Charleston, South Carolina. The Confederate battle flag was stillflown proudly over the capital and people were still proudly thinkingof themselves as “Confederate” allies of sorts. The H.L. Hunley was animportant piece of history but also was a weapon in Confederate “LostCause” ideology. This piece of archaeological history keeps the CivilWar memory glowing in the minds of Americans, especially those inCharleston, South Carolina, where the submarine awaits conservation