A New Multidisciplinary Journal by and for the Students of USI

Beginning in the Spring 2006 semester, the College of Liberal Arts published the first issue of Amalgam, a new multidisciplinary journal by and for the undergraduates of USI.

Check out the submission information...

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Spring 2007 Publication

Preface:

As someone somewhere surely once said, "Sustaining something old inflicts greater pain than creating something new." Now that Amalgam is in its second issue, we can attest to that unknown (and most likely fictional) person's assessment. We should mention, however, that we did not bear the burden of sustaining alone. We would like to thank our faculty advisors–Dr. Kearns, Dr. Bloom, and Dr. Aley–for vetting and editing the submissions. We would also like to thank Dean Glassman and the Liberal Arts Council for supporting and funding the issue for the second year in a row.

In our second issue, we offer an even more varied selection than last year. In the first essay, Michael Phegley discusses the future of Haynie's Corner–a former refuge for Evansville's "hippie" counterculture–and the efforts made by the city to transform the neighborhood into a thriving arts community. From there, we move to Rachel Whitledge's contribution, which compares and contrasts the Mormon and Oneida ideologies while arguing that they are similar but not identical. In a unique reading of Othello, Corey Halbig assesses the reader's role in creating meaning, positing the possibility of Emilia as play's true villain. Derek McGraw, balancing post-structuralist theory and the visual arts, examines the origins of the "global capitalist system," paying close attention to the example of slavery.

Also indulging in some post-structuralism, Krystal Krocker evaluates the roles of binary oppositions, especially brotherhood and sisterhood, in the classic poem "The Goblin Market." Jesse Sandlin's essay, in contrast, looks romantic relationships and how they affect social triangles. And finally, in our second Shakespearean essay, Samuel C. Bowles looks at Shakespeare's Elizabethan audience and dispels many of the myths about them held by the modern man.

We should also acknowledge the students who offered their essays for consideration–three times as many as in our first year. With the increasing interest and support of the students, we know our sustaining will continue to inflict pain for years to come.

Craig Fehrman and Jon Webb

Table of Contents:

• Michael Phegely, "Hippies Come Home: The Future of Haynie's Corner" (download paper)

Michael Phegley wrote his essay in Dr. Gillam's ENG 316: Critical and Investigative Writing. He is a non-traditional student who returned to college last fall after seven years in the workforce; in his free time, he enjoys reading, running, and, of course, writing.

• Rachel Whitledge, "Saving Race: Sex, Marriage, and Family in the Early Mormon Faith and the Oneida Community" (download paper)

Rachel Whitledge is a senior History and Social Science Secondary Education major. She wrote her essay in Dr. Pitzer's Communal Studies class. Rachel is a member of the History Club and Phi Alpha Theta and enjoys reading, writing, and most of the liberal arts.

• Cory Halbig, "Shakespeare's Othello and the Insidious Creation of an Unwilling Villian" (download paper)

Cory Halbig is an English major more days than not. He wrote his essay for Dr. Michael Kearns's "English Studies & Ways of Reading," a class he recommends for anyone interested in adjusting their world perspective. Among his interests are reading, writing, and birdwatching.

• Derek McGraw, "Globalization and Modern Art" (download paper)

Derek McGraw wrote his essay in Dr. Hilary Braysmith's ART 490: Art and Identity. He is a studio art major, yet works as a lab analyst.

Derek also enjoys painting, hiking, and biking.

• Krystal Krocker , "Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market' and Binary Oppositions" (download paper)

Krystal Krocker, a graduating senior majoring in English, wrote her essay in Dr. Wooden's 19th-century Literature class. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta and several national honors societies, but plans to take the summer off to read, write, and ride her Arabian horse.

• Jessee Sandlin, "Triangular Relationships" (download paper)

A junior majoring in communications, Jessee Sandlin wrote "Triangular Relationships" in Dr. Durham's CMST 312: Interviewing: Principles & Practices. Jessee plans to attend graduate school, with the long-term goal of becoming a professor.

• Samuel C. Bowles, "Shakespeare's Elizabethan Audience" (download paper)

Samuel C. Bowles is a junior, majoring in English. He wrote his essay in Dr. von Loewenfeldt's Shakespeare course. He enjoys traveling and hopes to teach high school or junior high (English, of course).

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Spring 2006 Publication

Preface:

After assembling the inaugural issue of Amalgam, we can attest that starting something from scratch–whether a journal, a republic, or a pie–is an arduous process. One of pathbreaking's few benefits, however, is the (relatively) fewer persons to thank. That said, a few acknowledgements are in order. First, we would like to thank Amalgam's academic advisors, Dr. Kearns, Dr. Aley, and Dr. Bloom, for their meticulous work in judging and editing submissions. In addition, it was in Dean Glassman's student advisory council that Amalgam was first discussed, and he provided insight and encouragement at each step. We would also like to thank USI's Liberal Arts Council, who committed the requisite funding to Amalgam, and the USI professors who offered advice and encouraged students to submit.

Our biggest debt, however, is to the contributors, and we could not ask for a more eclectic group in Amalgam's first issue. In our first essay, Daniel Frank uses Chaucer's fictitious Knight to study medieval chivalry. From testosterone-laden knights, we turn to literary representations of needlework, and Candice Thomas shows how this motif allows women to create a "paradoxical barrier" to navigate through various conflicts. While Mitch Harden's essay is egalitarian–mentioning neither testosterone nor estrogen–he does discuss the effect of the brain's chemicals on the study of ethics and morality. Fortunately, here our straining segues end, but Clinton Omohundro offers an enlightening examination of the political milieus of novels by Don DeLillo and E. L. Doctorow. Blake Benham's research ranges further back, constructing a detailed and accessible look at a local Civil War regiment and its various brands of notoriety. Finally, Elizabeth Coverdale presents her essay on the effect of gender in Online Chat Communities, part of her ongoing research.

We trust you will enjoy and learn from these excellent essays; we know we did. And we hope you will join us in anticipating next year's issue, when we will likely have more persons to thank.

Craig Fehrman and Jon Webb

Table of Contents:

• Daniel Frank, "The Knight Dismounted" (English)  (download paper)

Daniel Frank is a senior, majoring in English. He wrote "The Knight Dismounted" in Dr. Elizabeth Passmore's "Chaucer" course. Daniel has also published creative writing in the Aerie. In addition to writing, he enjoys rock climbing and backpacking. He hopes to attend graduate school to study creative writing.

• Candice Thomas, "Through the Eye of Her Needle: Examining Needlework in Contemporary Fiction" (English)  (download paper)

Candice Thomas is a junior, majoring in English/Creative Writing. She wrote "Through the Eye of Her Needle" for Dr. Susanna Hoeness-Krupsaw's Contemporary Fiction class and presented it at a conference in Bloomington, Illinois, last September. Candice is a member of Sigma Tau Delta and the Student Writers' Union, and she works as fiction editor for The Aerie. 

• Mitch Harden, "Chimps Don't Read Kant" (Psychology)  (download paper)

Mitch Harden is a graduating senior, majoring in psychology. He wrote "Chimps Don't Read Kant" in Dr. Julie Evey's "History and Systems of Psychology" course, and later revised it for presentation at the Mid-American Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference at Franklin University in 2005. Mitch is the President and Founder of the USI Discordian society, contributes the Gadget Geek column to the Shield, and is an officer in USI's Psychology Club.

• Clinton Omohundro, "Politics and Contemporary Literature" (English)  (download paper)

Clinton Omohundro is a graduating senior majoring in English. He wrote "Politics and Literature" for Dr. Susanna Hoeness-Krupsaw's "Contemporary Fiction" course. He plans to attend graduate school to continue his study of Literature.

• Blake Benham, "'The Largest Men We Have Seen': The Twenty-Seventh Indiana Infantry, 1861-65" (History)  (download paper)

Blake Benham is a junior majoring in Social Science Secondary Education. He wrote "'The Largest Men We Have Seen': The 27th Indiana Infantry 1861-1864" in Dr. Darrell Bigham's "Civil War America" course in the Fall of 2005. He enjoys traveling to historical sites in his spare time, especially Civil War battlefields. In addition, he is an avid fan of Major League Baseball and dedicated viewer of the sitcom "Seinfeld."

• Elizabeth Coverdale, "Cyberculture and Gender Identification in Online Chat Communities" (English)  (download paper)

Elizabeth Coverdale is a senior, majoring in English Literature. She wrote her Amalgam essay, "Cyberculture and Gender Identification in Online Chat Communities," in Dr. Dominic Micer's "Advanced Composition" course. After graduation, she plans to pursue a doctoral program in Cultural Studies and emerging technologies. In addition to all manner of books, she enjoys obscure music, third world travel, and participating in interactive, online endeavors with creative people.

Faculty Advisors and Staff:

• Faculty Advisors: Dr. Ginette Aley (History) and Dr. Michael Kearns (English).
• Student Editors: Jon Webb and Leah Weinzapfel.
  (If you are interested in working with the staff of Amalgam in any capacity (editing, layout, promotion), contact Jon at jawebb3@usieagles.org.)