Contents

2008 Conference

More info
Area Chairs
Travel Grants
Mentor program

Sunday Detail Schedule

7:00-8:00 a.m.

  • Area Chairs Breakfast. 7:00-8:00. Cupples Ballroom Salon A. Open only to Area Chairs.
  • Continental Breakfast. 7:00-8:00. Cupples Ballroom Salon B. Free admission to conference registrants, but you must wear your badge.

8:00-9:30 a.m.

3101. Undergraduate Potpourri. Area: Undergraduate Paper Competition. Century.

  • "Creating an Impression of the Civil War Foot Soldier," Cullen Smith; sponsor: Jimmy Dean Smith, English, Union College
  • "Heil Voldemort: Harry Potter as an Allegory of World War II," Brendan Smith; sponsor: Duane Smith, Religious Studies, Berea College
  • "Sugar and Spice and All That's Nice: The Evil Female Child in Gothic Films," Ashley Bell; sponsor: Jodey Castricano, English & Film Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University
  • "The Struggle for Narrative Authority in Art Spigelman's Maus," Zach Stendig; sponsor: Tina Hall, English, Hamilton College
  • Chair: Sharee St.Louis Smith, Commonwealth Educational Opportunity Center, Eastern Kentucky University

3102. Flash and the Vampires on Parade. Area: Horror and Science Fiction. Commerce A.

  • "The Vampire's Social Reflection," Corissa Elgar, Chicago Medical School
  • "Remembered in Space: Masculinity and Technology in the Flash Gordon Serials," Matt Yockey, Communication and Culture, Indiana University Bloomington
  • Chair: John A. Dowell; Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures; Michigan State University

3103. Publishing Opportunities in Popular Culture and American Culture Studies. Commerce B.

  • Gary Burns, Communication, Northern Illinois University
  • Gary Hoppenstand, American Studies, Michigan State University
  • Michael Marsden, St. Norbert College
  • Gwen Walker, University of Wisconsin Press
  • Chair: Gary Burns

3104. Approaches to Adaptation. Area: Adaptations. Concourse A.

  • "New Threats! New Heroes? Analyzing Myth and Comic Book Adaptations in Post-9/11 America," Brian Elza, Emory University
  • "Music Video Adaptations," Racquel J. Gates; Media, Technology, and Society; Northwestern University
  • "Finding a Place for Adaptation in the High School English Classroom," Laura Gilbert, English, Lockport Township High School
  • "Seeing Beloved: Narrative and Optical Point of View as Unwanted Invitation," Sherra Schick, English, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis
  • Chair: Robert T. Self, English, Northern Illinois University

3106. Law and Popular Culture. Area: Law and Popular Culture. Landmark.

  • "Illegal Art: From Plagiarism to Sampling and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act," William V. Faux, Communication Arts, Valdosta State University
  • "Public Awareness of the Legal System in the 21st Century: Exploring Extertainment Media Coverage of the Michael Jackson Trials," Robert Van Sickel, Political Science, Legal Studies Program, Indiana State University
  • "'And the Verdict Is': A Comparison of Jury and Judge Verdicts in Media Violence Criminal Trials," Cynthia A. Cooper, Communication and Theatre Arts, Salisbury University
  • Chair: Cynthia A. Cooper

3107. Superhero Conventions (Re)Visited in Contemporary Films. Area: Heroes in Popular Culture. Carriage.

  • "Surviving 9/11: Revised Masculinity in the Modern Superhero Movie," Nicolas Riley, University of Nottingham
  • "Le Western Noir: The Punisher as Hybrid Revisionist Superhero Western," Lorrie B. Palmer, Film Studies, University of Miami
  • "Nietzchean Philosophy in The Incredibles: Mediocrity and the Sidekick Revolt," Audrey L. Anton, Philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo
  • Chair: Terrence Wandtke, Literature and Media, Judson College

3108. Gender, Identity, and Cultural Contexts. Area: Film. Plaza A.

  • "Sex Is Dangerous, So Satisfy Your Wife: The Softcore Thriller in Its Contexts," David Andrews
  • "The Rhetoric of Masculinity in the Films of David Fincher," Greg Carlson, CSTA Department, Concordia College, and Dan Faltesek, Concordia College
  • "Brutal Beauty: Women, Humor, and the Violent Aesthetic in Contemporary Action Cinema," Therona Moodley, English, University of South Africa
  • "Memories and Memoirs: Creating New Identities for Women in Early Film," Gretchen Bisplinghoff, Communication, Northern Illinois University
  • Chair: Gretchen Bisplinghoff

3109. Cooking, Serving, and Shifting: The Different Contexts of Work and Their Stories. Area: Working Class Culture. Plaza B.

  • "Chefs--Servants or Celebrities: A Historical and Critical Study of Cooking Culture," Matthew J. Baker, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
  • "From Factory to College: Labor Force Shifts in a Midwestern City," Kelli Garener Bell, Missouri Western State College
  • "'It Was Hard Work But We Made It Fun': Waitress Tales in Context," Ashley Overstreet, Ohio State University
  • Chair: Ashley Overstreet

9:45-11:15 a.m.

3201. Rituals of Civil Religion: Case Studies of the Enactment of Citizenship During the 2004 Presidential Campaign. Area: Politics. Century.

  • "Civil Religion Revisited: Citizen Participation in Democratic Processes," Richard D. Hess, Communication, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
  • "Enacting Citizenship: Theory and Practice in the 2004 Presidential Cycle," Richard Haines
  • "Media Professionals Discuss Their Role in the 2004 Presidential Debates," Kim Wells, Communication, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
  • "Deciphering Fact from Fiction in the 2004 Presidential Debates: Frustration and Enacting Responsible Citizenship," Kelli Showalter
  • Chair: Richard D. Hess

3202. A Screening of Ethnic Notions (California Newsreel, 1987). Area: African-American Popular Culture. Commerce A.

  • Ethnic Notions is Marlon Riggs's Emmy-winning documentary, which takes viewers on a disturbing voyage through American history, tracing for the first time the deep-rooted stereotypes that have fueled anti-black prejudice. Loyal Toms, carefree Sambos, faithful Mammies, grinning Coons, savage Brutes, and wide-eyed Pickaninnies roll across the screen in cartoons, feature films, popular songs, minstrel shows, advertisements, folklore, household artifacts, even children's rhymes. These dehumanizing caricatures permeated popular culture from the 1820s to the Civil Rights period and implanted themselves deep in the American psyche. A discussion will follow the screening and a sample video guide sheet will be distributed.
  • Chair: Angela M. Nelson, Popular Culture, Bowling Green State University

3203. Storytelling and Folklore. Area: Folklore and Popular Storytelling.

  • "The Devil's Grandmother--Another Kind of Fairy Godmother," Kate Rittenhouse, Pacific Graduate Institute
  • "Andrew Greeley's Popular Storytelling Process Across Genres," Michael Marsden, St. Norbert College
  • Chair: Michael Marsden

3204. Adapting for the Mainstream. Area: Adaptations. Concourse A.

  • "Constructing Million Dollar Baby," John Bloomfield, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  • "An Unlikely Couple: The Film Adaptation of A Walk to Remember," Meghan Marsden, Northern Illinois University
  • "Décor and Decorum: The Body in Jane Campion's Portrait of a Lady," Jasmine Nadua Trice, Communication and Culture, Indiana University Bloomington
  • "Neil LaBute: Grave Robber or Literary Scholar? Adapting A.S. Byatt's Possession," Sarah Erickson, English, Northern Illinois University
  • Chair: Sarah Erickson

3205. Writing Rock: Experiences from the Research Field. Area: Music. Concourse B.

  • Chair/Presenter: MaryAnn Janosik

3206. The Content of Media Convergence. Area: New Media. Landmark.

  • "New Media for Online Marketing and Entertainment," Tak Shing (Leo) Chan, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
  • "'Oy with the Poodles Already!': A Discussion of Gilmore Girls Fan Fiction on the Internet," Ayanna Gaines, A.C. Buehler Library, Elmhurst College
  • "If I Only Had a (Real) Self: Examining Gender and Cyborg Subjectivity in Ghost in the Shell," Aaron R. Cerny, University of Oklahoma
  • Chair: Ayanna Gaines

3207. Cultural Geography. Area: Cultural Geography. Carriage.

  • "Real American Entertainment: The Spectacle/s of Branson, Missouri," Jennifer Worth, City University of New York
  • "Roadside Memorials: Culture, Art, and Pain Along Our Roadsides," Christina Gilleran, Northern Illinois University
  • "Conflicting Cultures in Black Rock: Reckoning Local (Mis)Perceptions of Burning Man," Jeremy Hockett, Michigan State University
  • Chair: Christina Gilleran

3208. The Evolution of Images of Jews in Film. Area: Jewish Studies. Plaza A.

  • What better way to discuss the evolving role of Jews in the world and the way we and others perceive us than by analyzing the way Jews have been portrayed in film throughout the years? Robert Cohn, with thirty years of experience reviewing films for a major Jewish community newspaper, and involvement in founding and organizing the St. Louis Jewish Film Festival presented by the Jewish Community Center, now in its tenth year, and the Holocaust Film Series at the St. Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center, prominent lecturer and discussion leader in the St. Louis Jewish and Inter-Faith communities, will present a talk as titled above and then moderate a discussion in which all are invited to participate. Robert Cohn is a lawyer by trade, a writer by conviction, and the dean of American Jewish journalism.
  • Presenter: Robert A. Cohn, Editor in Chief Emeritus, St. Louis Jewish Light
  • Chair: Susan Koppelman, Independent Scholar

3209 Festivals and Food. Area: Festivals and Food. Plaza B.

  • "A Comparison of Appeals in Food Television Advetisements and Public Service Announcements," Michael D. Todd, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
  • "Reclaiming the Kitchen: Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Subjectivity," Michelle Parke, Michigan State University
  • "Edible Gems: Art, Food, and Beyond," Maki Takahashi, Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures, Georgetown College
  • Chair: Maki Takahashi

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

3301. Transformational Powers Within Stoker's Dracula. Area: Undergraduate Paper Competition. Century.

  • "Dracula: Paws for Change," Jeri Anne Carter
  • "Dracula: Transformation in the Bat of an Eye," Diana Hinojosa-Kettlekamp
  • "Dracula: De-Mist-ification," Lucian Silcox
  • "Dracula: Transfiguration by Teeth," Anna Marie Vasquez
  • Chair/Sponsor: Barbara Z. Vielma, English, University of Texas-Pan American

3302. Material Cultures of Childhood. Area: Children's Literature and Culture Commerce A.

  • "'Buy Me If You Will for I Am Not Your Fellow Creature': Children, Abolition, and Consumer Culture at the Boston Anti-Slavery Fair," Alice Taylor, University of Western Ontario
  • "Illustrating Material Difference: Racial Variations of the Home Found in Twentieth-Century Children's Books," Bryn Varley Hollenbeck, History, University of Delaware
  • "Perpetual Adolescence: Advertising, Elvis, Las Vegas, and the Corporate Chronic (Why America Gets Younger as It Gets Older)," Stephen Gennaro, Art History and Communications, McGill University
  • Chair: Stephen Gennaro

3303. Political Economy and Popular Cultural Symbologies. Area: Political Economy. Commerce B.

  • "Transformations in the Political Economy of Higher Education," Tom McCourt, Media Studies Fordham University
  • "Adbusters and the Re-Co-Optation of Rebellion," Jeff Tellin, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
  • "The Economics of Fear: How Fiscal Policy Fuels the Culture Wars," Asim Ali, American Studies, University of Maryland
  • Chair: Patrick Burkart, Communication, Texas A&M University

3304. Mazes and Guilt, But No Dead Bodies? A Hodgepodge of Issues. Area: Mystery, Thrillers, and Detective and Crime Fiction. Concourse A.

  • "A-Mazing Fiction: Unearthing the Gothic Labyrinth," Sally Palmer, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
  • "Toward Healing: The 'Solidarity of Guilt' in the Detective Novels of Dorothy L. Sayers," Hazel Atkins, University of Ottawa
  • "When Mystery Doesn't Mean Murder?", Steven Levi, University of Alaska Anchorage
  • Chair: Tricia Jenkins, Michigan State University

3305. The Obesity "Crisis". Area: Fat Studies. Concourse B.

  • "Critical Mass: American Children and the Obesity Epidemic," Rafael Cervantes, University of Iowa
  • "A Sociological Analysis of Anti-Fat Hysteria," Sherie Sanders
  • "Thin Privilege and the Fat Body in the Popular Rhetoric of the Obesity Epidemic," Elena Levy-Navarro, English, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
  • "Obesity and Overweight as Presented in the New York Times, 1981-2004," Sarah Boslaugh, School of Medicine, Washington University
  • Chair: Laura Gladney-Lemon, Women's and Gender Studies, University of Texas at Austin

3306. The Formation of Identity and Community Through Comics. Area: Comics. Landmark.

  • "The Use of Enthymeme and Identification in the Rhetoric of Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks," Carlos D. Morrison; Fine Arts, Humanities, and Mass Communication; Fort Valley State University
  • "City Images: Reading Meaning in the Background," Barbara Postema, Michigan State University
  • "Superheroes in Ourselves: Similarity Between Character Preference in Film and Personality Traits," Adam Biggs, McKendree College
  • Chair: Paul R. Kohl, Communication Arts, Loras College

3307.Wrestling with Masculinity: Correlations Between Literature and Popular Culture. Area: Television and Radio. Carriage.

  • "Voices of Contradiction: Narrating the Female Experience," Kelly Schmickle, English Language & Literature, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
  • "Questioning Masculinity: Crossing Gender Lines in Literature and Popular Culture," Erin Barber, English Language & Literature, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
  • "Frenemies: Can Women Have 'Healthy Competition' and Still Be Friends?", Shelley Houk, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
  • "'Do We Only Want to Be Rescued?': Reviving the Rescue Fantasy," Angela Nelson, Instructional Services, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
  • "Triangles," Jamie Schmidt, Instructional Services, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
  • Chair: Kelly Schmickle

3308. A Small Jewish Community in the Ozarks: Preservation and Recognition. Area: Jewish Studies. Plaza A.

  • Video screening:
    • Home, Community, Tradition: The Women of Temple Israel, directed and written by Mara W. Cohen Ionnides and M. Rachel Gholson
  • Followed by:
    • "Documenting the Jews of the Ozarks: Their Reactions to the Project," Mara W. Cohen Ionnides, English, Southwest Missouri State University
    • "Documenting the Jews of the Ozarks: Exposure in the Classroom," M. Rachel Gholson, English, Southwest Missouri State University
    • Chair: Mara W. Cohen Ionnides

3309. Race and Ethnicity. Area: Race and Ethnicity. Plaza B.

  • "Full-Blooded Jews, Racial Bastards, Cultural Parasites: Jewishness in Nazi Germany and the Criteria for Racial Identity," Roy Schwartzman; Communication, Theatre, and Laugnages; Northwest Missouri State University
  • "The Power of Personal Narratives to Transform and Affirm," Hazel Rozema, Communication, University of Illinois at Springfield
  • "Black and White: Dealing with Racism in Writing Biographies and Personal Histories," John R. Fisher; Communication, Theatre, and Languages; Northwest Missouri State University
  • Chair: John R. Fisher

 

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