Spring 2010 Publication, Volume 5

Preface

Marcel Proust once stated that “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”  Over the past five years, the Amalgam has continued to represent the ways in which students benefit from scholarly pursuits, and this year’s volume serves as a reminder of what undergraduate students are capable of achieving.  The methods and topics vary among the disciplines in the College of Liberal Arts, whether the student is researching the impact of flooding on a local area or examining the use of cultural legends in contemporary literature. The opportunities for these students to publish these new perspectives, 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 fifth consecutive year.

The fifth issue presents a diverse collection of ideas and research from many areas of study within the College of Liberal Arts.  Christopher Westfall discusses the actions of the 75th Infantry Division during the Battle of the Bulge, and he examines the successes of the division despite their lack of experience in the field. From the first essay we move on to Celeste R. Mandley’s analysis of John Smith’s travels prior to reaching the Americas and the forces that may have propelled him to travel overseas. Sheena Pfefferkorn addresses the issue of teenage dating violence and what actions can be taken in confronting the problem. Joshua G. Orem explores early relations between the Harmonist Society and the Shakers during the early and mid-1800s. Amy Brown looks at the consistent flooding problem in Evansville, Indiana, and examines the social factors contributing to the impact experienced by the local population. In the journal’s final selection, Casey Blackmore uses the legend of La Llorona to show how contemporary short stories written by Chicana and Native American women are questioning constructs of femininity in their own cultures.

We would also like to thank the students who submitted their essays for publication.  The fifth volume of the Amalgam serves as a milestone for publishing excellent scholarly work by students in the College of Liberal Arts. In the future, we hope to continue working with students who seek a fresh perspective on the path to academic discovery.

Leah Weinzapfel

Table of Contents

• Christopher Westfall, “'Always Get There Somehow':  The 75th Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge"
  
  Christopher Westfall is a history major and will graduate in spring 2010. Next year, he will be attending Louisiana State University and working towards a Masters degree in American History. He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in History and pursue a career in academia. His paper was written for HIST 307: The United States and World War, 1014-1945. Christopher chose to write about the 75th because his fiance's great-uncle served in the division, and this served as a small memorial to him and men he served with.

• Celeste R. Mandley, "The Man Behind the Myth: Captain Smith Prior to Pocahontas"
  
  Celeste R. Mandley is a non-traditional student, working toward a bachelor's degree in English Rhetoric and Composition. This essay was written for History of the U.S. to 1865. She has discovered that she likes to find the hidden story behind a story, it is usually more interesting. Celeste decided to return to school after seeing her youngest child graduate from high school. She hopes to graduate in the spring of 2011 and join a publishing house to edit textbooks.

• Sheena Pfefferkorn, "Looking for Love and Acceptance in the Wrong Place:  Teenage Dating Violence"
  
  Sheena Pfefferkorn is a senior Sociology major with minors in Biology and Gender Studies. She wrote the paper for Dr. Melinda York's women and violence course. She has been a member of the Sociology, Anthropology, Criminal Justics Studies club, Biology Club, Activities Programing Board, and Philosophy club. Additionally, the last two years she has participated in the Vagina Monologues at USI in order to raise money for Albion Fellows Bacon Center and to help end violence against women. In the future she plans to continue her education and earn a Masters degree.
  

• Joshua G. Orem, “'Our Mother and Your Father': The Unions and Conflicts between the Frontier Shakers and the Harmony Society"
  
  Joshua Orem is a senior history major at the University of Southern Indiana and plans to pursue a Master of Arts in Museum Studies at IUPUI in the fall of 2010. Throughout his college career he has been actively involved with Historic New Harmony. His experience in New Harmony has included leading tours, participating in archeological excavations, and conducting research for exhibitions. Through his connection with Historic New Harmony, he has developed an interest in communal studies and antebellum reforms.
  

• Amy Brown, "A City Flooded with Inequality"
  
  Amy Brown is a junior in the Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies department. She hopes to pursue studies at a graduate level, possibly incorporating her personal interests in environmental issues and their impacts on social and cultural behaviors. Her research project fulfilled the requirement for a semester-long project in Sociology of the Environment.

• Casey Blackmore, "Mythic Woman Legends in 'Woman Hollering Creek' and 'Yellow Woman'"
  
  Casey Blackmore is a senior majoring in English with an emphasis in literature and will be graduating in December 2010. Her paper was written for Dr. Oana Popescu-Sandu's Women's Literature and Gender Theory class. Her goal after graduation is to go to graduate school for a degree in library science and eventually find a job working in library archives. Some of her hobbies include reading, listening to music, and swimming.