2019 American Studies Senior Thesis Schedule

March 18 – April 8

March 18

Fire and Feathers: The Appropriation of Native American Culture in Summer Camp Traditions – Annie O’Brien

What Does Remembrance Look Like? Memorializing the 1910 Slocum Massacre Amidst Uncertainty – Jonathan Gibson

The Formation of Informed and Engaged Citizens: Civic Education at Santa Ana Unified School District – Luis Gonzalez

From Sacred Spirit to Southwestern Symbol: The Commodified Kokopelli as a Window into the Complexities of Appropriation – Shannon Burke

March 20

In Her Own Words: Understanding Academic Transformation through the Creation of Women’s Studies Programs at Institutions of Higher Education – Abby O’Shea

Rutland’s Rebellion: Defining Independence Locally during the American Revolution – Brynne Long

How Animation Galvanized the Nation: The Politics Behind Disney’s Tomorrowland – Elizabeth Zrike

BUD/S to Battlefield and Back Again: Exploring the Ascent of the U.S. Navy SEAL to the Realm of American Superhero – William Morris

March 25

Imagining Queer Androids and Whack Worlds: How Black Women Artists Engage the Possibilities of the Visual Album – Amy Guay

Our Own Vatican II: Georgetown’s Articulation of Its Identity through Centeredness and Pluralism in the 1900s – Julia Greenwood

Ladies and Gentlemen, Men and Girls: Gender Representation in Woody Allen’s Manhattan, Husbands and Wives and Café Society – Read Masino

The Drug Terror: How Medical Interests Jockeyed to Gain Influence in Drug Policy Development During the Progressive Era – Thomas Bacon

Supply and Demand: Aesthetics, Ownership, and Realness in DMV Area Beauty Supply Stores – Allysa Lisbon

March 27

Flowers in Her Hair: Feminine Musical Perspectives at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival – Julia Heckelman

“The Wars, the Whales, the Way”: The Social Fracturing of Nantucket, 1776-1826 – William Davis

I, Sook: knowplaces and The Digital R/Evolution of Black Feminist Pedagogy – Mackenzie Foy

“Does Your Conscience Bother You”: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Emergence as A Memorial to Southern Heritage – Julia Hallauer

April 1

 “It’s a hard knock life”: The Dark Side of Adoption and Child Welfare in American History – Catherine Jones

Princess Tiana, Disney’s Token Princess: Disney’s Attempt to Apologize for its Lack of Princess Diversity – Alexis Jones

“Planes and Yachts are nice, but my happiness starts at home”: A Close Viewing of the Complex Portrayal of Female Entrepreneurs on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – Claire Hayes

Students or Soldiers? The Question of School Choice and Educational Equity through the lens of the Oakland Military Institute – Sarah Stenger

April 3

In Terms of Good Behavior: Our Modern Understanding of Judicial Ethics – Celine Calpo

Brothers in Eternal Cold: How the Apollo Astronauts Sent to the Moon Discovered the Earth – Kathryn Lenihan

Listen to What You See: An Investigation into the Cultural Significance of Blockbuster Movie Music – Catherine Cral

Individual Criminals or Societal Victims? An Examination of Newspaper Coverage of the War on Drugs and the Opioid Epidemic – Rachel Post

April 8

Viva Kennedy: Marketing JFK to Latino Voters during the 1960 Presidential Election – Meghan DeCourcey

From Family Trees to Corporate Greed: Genetic Genealogy Testing Companies and the Black Social Media World – Randall-Grace Johnson

A Slice of Pragmatism: Navigating the Pizzagate Conspiracy, Fake News, and Bullshit in the Post-Truth Era – Madeline Jones

If You’re on The Outside, You’re In: The Infamous Red Velvet Rope Culture at Studio 54 – Alison Baird