Second Place in Oral Presentations

STUDENT: Angelo Corradino
ADVISOR: Dr. Kelley Wagers

In this presentation, I make the case for the games in the Ace Attorney franchise to be categorized and respected as ‘graphic novels.’ I examine how many critics define “graphic novel” and compare and contrast these elements to those found in Ace Attorney in order to make my argument.

Information Literacy Excellence Award Runner-Up

STUDENT: Marceia Tanzini
ADVISOR: Dr. Kelley Wagers

In today’s society, there seems to be less reliance on parental instinct and more emphasis on how “the experts” dictate we parent. From sleep patterns, to eating habits, to disciplinary styles, new parents are bombarded with information that suggests every little choice they make in their parenting journey will inevitably affect their child’s future. One of the most popular, yet still controversial, parenting techniques is the cry-it-out (CIO) method. While many parents loyally advocate for this method promoted by “the experts,” as a mother myself, I am concerned this alleged expertise undermines parental instinct.

Additional Information or Comments
My presentation examines and evaluates the CIO method, and “”scientific”” parenting more generally, from a new mother’s perspective.

STUDENT: Olivia Osborne
ADVISOR: Dr. Kara Stone

Keywords: tragic love, Greek myth, underworld, retellings

Abstract: The tragic Greek myth about the two young lovers, Orpheus and Eurydice, is a tale retold numerous times. It follows the determined Orpheus on a quest to the underworld to bring back his departed love, Eurydice. The young musician convinces the fearsome Hades to free Eurydice from the underworld. He complies, under one condition: Orpheus must lead Eurydice back to the overworld, without looking back to see if she’s following him. Unfortunately, Orpheus looks back to his lover, and Eurydice is forced back to the underworld.

The Greeks taught myths to teach people about common themes, such as love. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is told through several media today that stay true to the Greek philosophy of love. This research explores how the tragic myth stays true to its original message, through old and modern retellings. These mediums consist of art, literature, and musical theater, that build upon and define the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

STUDENT: Kyle Callejas
ADVISOR: Dr. Kelley Wagers

For my research project, I’m going to take a look at the sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia from a queer studies perspective (that title couldn’t be more tentative, by the way). I think the sitcom marks an important shift in comedy, as it’s one of the first instances on television where a main character’s sexuality wasn’t that character’s defining characteristic and where a gay character was allowed to be a terrible person.

Shows like Seinfeld and Friends each dealt with the issue of homosexuality in a way that wasn’t overtly homophobic, and perhaps even ostensibly supportive and accepting (see: “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”) Still, though, sitcoms in the 1990s by and large got caught up in the “gay panic” that so much of that decade’s comedy trafficked in. Even Ellen – a show I’m certainly not going to argue is homophobic – made it a national event, heavily advertised during sweeps week, when the titular character came out. This was a marked shift in the culture (and a huge step forward, to be sure) but it still wasn’t nearly as progressive as Always Sunny’s thesis of “OK, you’re gay… who cares?”

I’m going to look at the timeline of gay characters in sitcoms, highlighting a few notable marked shifts, ultimately ending up at It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and discussing how the show deals with queerness in a way shows hadn’t to that point.

STUDENT: Rhiannon Depew
ADVISOR: Dr. Kelley Wagers

The pandemic was hard for everyone, no matter where they stood or however many privileges they had. It brought with it a lot of pain physically because of the illness itself, but it also put a strain on everyone mentally. With people having to deal with the losses of their loved ones and jobs, the stress of staying financially stable, and having to change so dramatically, anyone could have predicted that there would be a change in mental health. However, no one could have predicted how dramatic a change it would be, with many studies showing the effects on the suicide rate. This increase to the statistics before continued to climb not only during but after the pandemic was first becoming large, with people having to return to what they used to see as a normal life. This then became a question of how to return to what we once were, with the suicide rate reflecting the struggle of those that could not recover. The problem now approaching is how to prevent more of an increase, and the only way it can be solved is to not only understand the figures but also humanize the numbers.

First Place in Oral Presentations, Information Literacy Excellence Award Runner-Up

STUDENT: Marie LaRosa
ADVISOR: Jody Griffith

The Mill on the Floss illuminates the triangulated relationship of Victorian society, the home, and the individual. The pressures that Victorian society places on the home and therefore the individual catalyzed a compromise of morals in the society’s most crucial members-the youth. The two young protagonists, Maggie and Tom, face the brunt of the impossible ideal that Victorian society places on them. Through their involvement with the strict patriarchy, conflictions in a Victorian home, and the hypocrisy of what it means to be an individual, Maggie and Tom are forced to submit to society. Research shows that this is not a product of Elliot’s story about a family, but it is a product of Victorian history that Eliot brings into her novel. Readers are left with nothing but questions as the youth are molded into a an ideal that they are made compliant to by force. This trickles forward through the generations as past experiences with Victorian society are forced through the generations.