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.

Issues: Current 2008 2007 2006

Check out the submission information... Faculty Advisors

---

Spring 2009 Publication

Preface

When reviewing the selected articles for publication in the Amalgam, a similar purpose appeared throughout the variety of topics and subjects covered by the student authors.  From ethnography to literary analysis, these writers were examining the many ways in which we interact with each other, within groups and larger realms of society.  The opportunities for these students to propose their thoughts and works to the community, however, would not have been possible without the guidance and assistance of many people within the USI College of Liberal Arts.  Thanks and recognition is extended to the faculty advisors—Dr. Kearns, Dr. Aley, and Dr. Hitchcock—for reviewing and revising this year’s submissions.  Our gratitude also includes Dean Glassman and the Liberal Arts Council for supporting and funding the Amalgam for the fourth consecutive year.           

The fourth issue presents a diverse collection of ideas and research from many different areas of study within the College of Liberal Arts.  Christopher Westfall examines the themes of short stories published in Harper’s Weekly during the Civil War and how the rhetoric of these narratives influenced the reader’s perception of the war.  From the first essay we move on to Sarah Matlock’s analysis of women’s health as well as how this influenced societal views of women in the 19th and early 20th centuries.  Madeline Heine discusses her research and observations of a USI men’s fraternity and the hierarchies that shape these social groups.  Matt Hotz weaves the texts of T.S. Eliot, Alfred Tennyson, and Robert Browning together in the authors’ varying portrayals of King Arthur and the legend of the Fisher King.  Ashley Mewes explores how the female characters in Jane Eyre, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles interact with the religious and education circumstances of the Victorian era.  Kayla Roark investigates the ways in which advertisements influence and leave a lasting impact on one’s memories.  In the journal’s final selection, Elizabeth Richardson questions how faculties interact outside of their specialization by describing and critiquing current research in the field of rhetoric.

We would also like to thank the students who submitted their essays for publication.  Throughout this current volume of the Amalgam, academic excellence is displayed through the study of interactions between individuals and society as well as texts and their historical influence.  Their motivation and endeavors published in this volume will encourage others to explore interactions in the future.

Leah Weinzapfel

Table of Contents

• Christopher Westfall, "Influencing Northern Ideologies: The Short Stories of Harper's Weekly during the Civil War"
  
  

  Christopher is a junior at USI majoring in history. His research into these stories was done as an Honors Project for Introduction to American Literary History. Christopher was fortunate enough that Dr. Hoeness-Krupsaw allowed him to blend his love of the American Civil War with the theme of the class.
  

• Sarah Matlock, "Progress of American Womanhood, 1800-1920:  Tracing the Ties Between Women’s Role in the Public Sphere and Medical Findings Concerning the Effects of Menstruation on Women’s Health"
  
  

  Sarah is a senior at USI graduating in May 2009. She is a history major with an emphasis on American History. This essay was written for her senior seminar, Women and Gender in the US to 1920. She volunteers with College Mentors for Kids on campus, works as a student worker in Rice Library and as a Resident Assistant for Housing and Residence Life. She enjoys reading, camping, and recently took up knitting. She plans to pursue her education in Museum Studies and help others find their love of history hidden within.
  

• Madeline Heine, "Fraternal Hierarchy:  A Study of Hegemonic Masculinity"
  
  

  Madeline is a senior communication studies major.  This essay was written for Dr. Leigh Anne Howard’s class, Communication Criticism and Analysis.  She is currently very excited about graduation and anxiously awaiting responses from graduate schools, which she will be attending in the fall.  Madeline enjoys spending time with her fiancé and two dogs in her downtown home. 
  

• Matt Hotz, "Wanderers in the Waste"
  
  

  Matt is a senior currently working toward a degree in English literature. This particular paper was a research essay for his English 255 class with Dr. Elizabeth Passmore last semester. He enjoys reading, writing, watching movies, playing with his dogs Atlas and Hera, and listening to classic rock music.
  

• Ashley Mewes, "A Religious Shift:  The Individualized Religion of Jane Eyre, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles"
  
  

  Ashley is a senior at USI majoring in English education. She wrote her paper for Nineteenth Century Literature with Dr. Wooden. She enjoys reading, writing, working with youth, 4-H, and being outside.
  

• Kayla Roark, "How Do We Remember Advertisements?"
  
  

  Kayla is a senior anticipating graduation in May 2009 with a degree in public relations and a marketing minor.  She wrote her paper for a Liberal Arts Capstone course, “Memory and the Creative Mind,” with Dr. Evey.  Kayla is on the executive board of the Public Relations Club, PRSSA, on campus and was on the USI women’s golf team for two-and-a-half years.  Kayla would like to thank Dr. Evey for all of her support and words of wisdom she has provided over the past year.
  

• Elizabeth Richardson, "An Application Overhaul of 'The Idea of a University—As Seen by a Rhetorician'"
  
  

  Elizabeth is a senior English major with an emphasis in literature. Her paper
  was written for Dr. Patrick Shaw's class, Contemporary Issues in Rhetoric. She plans to attend Indiana University to attain both a Master’s Degree and a Doctorate in English. Her goals are to teach at the university level after graduate school. In her spare time she enjoys journaling, traveling to new places, and making progress on her reading list.

---

Spring 2008 Publication

Preface

Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated that “In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.” While compiling the Amalgam, we have discovered this meaning and purpose through the wide selection of articles contained in this third issue. We were not alone, however, in our search for these rejected thoughts. Thanks and recognition belongs with our faculty advisors—Dr. Kearns, Dr. Bloom, and Dr. Aley—for reviewing and revising this year’s submissions. Our appreciation also includes Dean Glassman and the Liberal Arts Council for supporting and funding the Amalgam for the third consecutive year.

The third issue offers a diverse collection of ideas from many different areas of study. Ryan DeLaney explores the conventional views of creativity and how these notions are constantly being reassessed, developed, and defined. From the first essay we move on to Andrea L.C. Henke’s discussion of life for Jewish minorities in displacement camps after World War II, which offers an array of personal accounts and historical fact to enlighten the reader. Chris Schwenk’s essay considers the role of society and political parties and how these factors contribute to a person’s views on singular issues, such as abortion. Sara Elpers considers the role of heliocentrism in Tristram Shandy by discussing how the main character deviates from the conventional narrator. Megan Morrison contributes another independent study that centers on the issue of non-smoking campuses and public opinion. In our final essay, Danielle Lefler explores the mysterious nature of Iago through a psychological perspective and contemplates the character’s state of denial.

We would also like to thank the students who submitted their essays for publication. Their desire to encounter and study the rejected thoughts of society will inspire others to strive toward the same alienated majesty in the future.

Leah Weinzapfel

Table of Contents

• Ryan Delaney, "Creativity and Artistic Expression" (download paper)
  
  Ryan DeLaney is a senior at USI majoring in journalism and minoring in radio and television. He is the Sports Editor for USI’s newspaper The Shield and plans to join the Peace Corps after graduation.
  
  
• Andrea L.C. Henke, "Displaced Persons and Holocaust Survivors Immediately Following World War II"
  
  Andrea L.C. Henke wrote her paper in Dr. Casey Harison’s History 498 special topic class on The Holocaust. She presented the paper at USI’s Risc Conference in April 2008. After graduation, she work with the National Park Service. According to Henke, she owes all her success to her husband, Nick.
  
  
• Christopher G. Schwenk, "It’s My Party and I’ll Comply if I Want to: Pondering the Persuasive Power of Political Parties"
  
  Christopher G. Schwenk is a senior at USI majoring in Accounting and minoring in Psychology. He wrote his paper in the psychology course Research Methods and Statistics. He enjoys playing tennis and spending time with his wife,Kristi.
  
  
• Sara Elpers, "Tristram Shandy: Using Geocentrism in a Heliocentric World"
  
  Sara Elpers is a Mathematics major who wrote her paper in an 18th century literature class. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and working on difficult math problems.
  
  
• Megan Morrison, "Secondhand Smoke: The Unseen Hazard on Campus"
  
  Megan Morrison wrote her paper in English 201 after being asked to focus on an important, controversial topic. She is a Math major who, in her free time, indulges in Origami.
  
  
• Danielle Lefler, "Psychological Approach to Understanding Iago: Is He Just Mad or Really Mad?"
  
  Danielle Lefler is the vice-president of Sigma Tau Delta and is an active member in The Student Writer’s Union and the Society for Human Resource Management. She is an English major and wrote her paper in Dr. Kearns’ English 205 class.
  

---

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).

---

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.

Current Faculty Advisors and Staff:

• Faculty Advisors: Dr. Ginette Aley (History), Dr. Michael Kearns (English), and Dr. David Hitchcock (Spanish).
  
  
• Student Editor: Leah Weinzapfel.
  
  (If you are interested in working with the staff of Amalgam in any capacity (editing, layout, promotion), please contact the current editor.)

Previous Faculty Advisors:

• Dr. Chris Bloom (Psychology) 2006-2008