Lucerna, vol. 9 (2014)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10355/48076

Items in this collection are the scholarly output of undergraduate UMKC students, either alone or as co-authors, and which may or may not have been published in an alternate format.

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 12

All is Fair in Love and War
(UMKC Honors Program, 2014) Walker, Natalie P.; Burke, Diane Mutti
For the past century and a half, the Civil War has been the subject of much scholarly work. This has included, but not been limited to, an examination of the various aspects of American society, economics, and politics that underwent radical transformation during wartime. On an individual level subtle changes also occurred, creating a noticeable trend within the daily lives of those living in mid-nineteenth century, war-torn America. The lives of individuals, specifically their personal relationships, often suffered during this period of national duress. Relationships between family members, friends, and spouses were influenced in both positive and negative ways. But marriages were perhaps most affected because of the dramatic alteration of gender roles during the war years, which often caused strain. On a more intimate level, married couples during the Civil War, primarily those in the South, experienced fierce loyalty and love as well as power struggles, role reversals, heartbreak, and death. One such marriage was between the famed General George Pickett and his third wife, Sally Corbell. While he had two earlier marriages, his third and final marriage no doubt affected him the most as it lasted through the Civil War and into the post-war years. His wife, Sally, played an imperative role in their marriage and in the creation of Pickett’s legend. However, she was also his confidant as evidenced by Sally’s extreme devotion to her husband. This is portrayed through her idyllic writings of their marriage, which neglected the sordid details of Pickett’s post-war life. He returned from the war a bitter drunkard who was in poor health. Nevertheless, it is clear that Sally “became his comfort and support 66 when things went terribly wrong” (Bleser and Gordon 79). A series of correspondences written by Pickett to Sally during the Civil War perfectly illustrate the important role Sally played in Pickett’s life. These letters have received much attention from scholars, although the validity of the documents is uncertain since they may have been written as a result of Sally’s attempts to “[promote] her mythical husband and their mythical marriage” (Bleser and Gordon 85). The letters, though they may have instances of falsification, are still widely accepted and Pickett’s undisputed love for Sally is quite evident. But the letters also serve the purpose of telling a larger tale, one that focuses on the dynamics of marriages during the war. General Pickett’s letters provide a new perspective on women as supporters, confidants, and essential contributors to the preservation of marriages and families, during trying times.
Zone grise -- Le choix d'un harki
(UMKC Honors Program, 2014) Valdivieso, Christopher A.; Khelouz, Nacer, advisor
La région nord-africaine dans laquelle se situe l’Algérie est connue sous le nom du Maghreb, littéralement «la terre du soleil couchant». Malgré la diversité ethnique et linguistique qui compose le pays, et qui subsiste jusqu’aujourd’hui, le Maghreb reste principalement une région musulmane et arabophone. De 1830 à 1962, l’Algérie a été un département français divisé en trois parties, ce qui la distinguait des «protectorats» français tels que le Maroc, le Madagascar, et l’Indochine française. Celle-ci a éprouvé sa propre guerre contre la France qui a mené à la chute de Diên Biên Phu et à la fin d’une suzeraineté française. Au sujet de Diên Biên Phu, Alistair Horne a écrit que «psychologiquement, il n’y avait jamais de défaite plus dévastatrice infligée à une armée régulière occidentale par un “mouvement de résistance” colonial ; elle devait avoir des contrecoups importants en Algérie» (Horne 2006, 68 ; traduction de l’auteur). Quand des soulèvements se sont apparus en Algérie à partir de 1954, on aurait dû prévoir un combat violent parce que l’Algérie a été, effectivement, le sol français. En cherchant des explications concrètes en ce qui concerne les belligérants de la guerre d’Algérie, c’est-à-dire, le protagoniste et l’antagoniste, on rencontrera sans doute des difficultés. Pourquoi cela? Contrairement à l’image hollywoodienne de la morale qui inonde le globe, la réalité se conforme rarement, sinon jamais, aux chimères d’un souhait artistique. Elle est plus sale, plus rude, certainement pas noire ou blanche. Le plus souvent, la réalité nous offre un flou faillible amené par les conséquences de notre nature humaine tragique. Nos défauts, mais nos forces aussi, exigent un débrouillage. À tour de rôle, on est tenté de catégoriser le Front de libération nationale (FLN) et son Armée (ALN), ou bien la France et ses troupes autochtones, dans un «groupe héroïque». Mais ce serait un portrait hâtif de notre part. Il suffit, pour s’en convaincre, de se souvenir du massacre du 5 juillet 1962 où jusqu’à 1.500 civils seraient morts. Ni la police algérienne, ni les troupes françaises ne se sont interposées pour empêcher la tuerie (Horne 2006, 533). Dans la présente analyse, on examinera le cas unique du harki en abordant trois questions fondamentales : 1) Qui est le harki historique ? 2) Que lui est-il arrivé dans le cours des années qui ont succédé à l’indépendance ? Et 3) dans quelle conjoncture se trouvet- il aujourd’hui des deux côtés de la Méditerranée ? À la lumière de ces enquêtes, on tentera de voir quelles en sont les implications qui peuvent s’avérer importantes de nos jours. Il est facile de tomber dans le piège de trop schématiser la question du collaborateur en comparant le système colonial en Afrique à d’autres guerres passées, d’autant plus que l’histoire du colonialisme américain au dix-huitième siècle ressemble peu à celle des pays européens du vingtième siècle. Mohamed Harbi, historien algérien et ancien membre du FLN, a dénoncé cette erreur de la manière suivante: L’assimilation de cet engagement à la collaboration française avec l’Allemagne nazie fausse la démarche. Cent trente-deux années de colonisation ne peuvent être comparées en termes d’expérience historique à cinq années d’occupation allemande (Harbi 2012). Donc, il faut délimiter la colonisation française de l’Algérie unique en son genre dans le cadre d’une histoire mondiale. Néanmoins, Harbi confirme l’idée que la guerre en Algérie, malgré l’idéalisation de quelques-uns, a entraîné dans «cette zone grise des accommodements quotidiens et des stratégies sociales où eurent à s’opposer la conscience nationale et les nécessités de la survie» (Harbi 2012).
Media Framing of Congressional Republicans during the 2013 Government Shutdown
(UMKC Honors Program, 2014) Pedersen, Emily M.
In recent years, the political climate in the United States has become increasingly polarized between the Democratic and Republican parties. This is seen most recently with the shutdown of the United States government, October 10 through October 16 , 2013, which was the result of a disagreement between the two parties over the United States budget and the Affordable Care Act. The recent increase in the polarization between the two parties has even caused a divide within media outlets, more specifically cable news outlets such as Fox News and MSNBC. These news programs frame different stories and events in a biased fashion towards one party or another. However, the network channels may or may not be affected by this recent increase in polarization. This raises the question, do mainstream news channels report the news in an unbiased manner? To be exact, is there a partisan bias within the mainstream media’s evening news programs? Media coverage of political events is important to the political process because it is how a large number of individuals get their information about policies and policy makers. Voters’ information, and by association, their beliefs, could be led astray if a bias exists within mainstream media. If a bias is identified, future political science research could examine why this bias exists and what might be a driving force behind the bias. People should be able to feel confident that the information provided by mainstream news outlets is not framed or biased in a certain way as to lead them or their beliefs astray. Hopefully this paper, in answering this question, will help to either bring awareness of a possible bias or bring confidence in the lack of a biased media coverage of American politics. I will examine prior research on framing and media reporting of politics. I will then examine a three-week window from October 7 through October 25, 2013, of the nightly news coverage on three mainstream media channels: ABC, CBS, and NBC. This will cover the end of the shutdown of the United States government and the beginning of the issues with the Affordable Care Act website. I will look at the number of times both parties are mentioned and the tone used when mentioning the parties. From this information, I will then assess if a partisan bias is present.
Empowering Our Future Through Music Education
(UMKC Honors Program, 2014) Miles, Jordan M.
Music creates a window into the soul and a pathway into the heart. It does not find its home in a certain race, gender, or culture; instead it tells a story that creates a change in every person it encounters. At twenty years old, music has been a vital piece of my life for as long as I can remember. What started as enjoyable background sounds evolved into a passionate adoration when implemented into my education. Music has a profound psychological effect on the minds of children and can completely alter their future. Studies have shown the exponential benefits of music education for students. Yet our society’s view of the importance of music has diminished and has become reflected in the legislative policies that result in the removal of music from our schools. Our nation has the opportunity to reverse the trend before this problem causes a catastrophic deprivation in our future generations. The integration of music into a child’s education is essential to our nation’s future due to the psychological and physical adaptations created in the brain.
Now and Then: French Cultural Influence in Swedish Theatre and the Path of Theatre in Sweden Until Modern Times
(UMKC Honors Program, 2014) McKenzie, Marianne
Once upon a time in eighteenth-century Sweden, French language theatre was the main type of theatre that you could find. To the unsuspecting drama enthusiast, the idea of French theatre in Sweden is strange. However, the presence of French theatre makes sense because French culture was enormously influential at this time in Scandinavia. In fact, the French theatre troupes overtaking Swedish theatres in the eighteenth century were invited by Louisa- Ulrika, Queen of Sweden and wife of King Adolph-Frederick, in 1753. This invitation sparked an upheaval in Swedish theatre that was finally settled in 1771 by King Gustav III and Sweden soon began producing its own theatre again after an eighteen-year pause (Senelick 65). Sweden would encounter more pauses in theatre development after the departure of French troupes. In examining the process of winning Swedish theatre back for the Swedish language, it will prove useful to understand more about the political and cultural atmosphere in Sweden in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. However, it is also important to note that Sweden has since recovered from the French influence to become a country responsible for producing brilliant theatrical artists. The French culture (specifically French theatre) was extremely popular in Sweden in the eighteenth century and this influence sparked the beginning of the downfall of Swedish-language theatre. As stated in National Theatre in Northern and Eastern Europe, “The taste for French theatre became so general and seductive that people forgot there had ever been a Swedish theatre, and thought it foolish to believe there ever could be. . .” (Senelick 65). It is fair to say that the influence of French culture during this time period could be likened to a fad, or fashionable trend. In The History of World Theater: From the English Restoration to the Present, Felicia Londré states, “By the eighteenth century, the courts of both Denmark and Sweden were eagerly receiving French troupes that would lend them prestige” (Londré 119). The popular Neoclassical theatre style in France was especially influential not only in Sweden, but in all of Scandinavia. Swedish plays and theatre were very much in their infancy, and remained so due to the invitation of Queen Louisa to a “. . .mediocre French troupe in 1753. . .” (Senelick 5). The troupe performed in what would later become the National Theatre. Their presence ousted a Swedish language troupe, called the Stenborg troupe, and made French language theatre the main entertainment.

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