Spring 2009 Publication, Volume 4

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.