In a Mirror Clearly: Narrative-Based Interventional and Restorative Possibilities in There There

This paper explores indigenous author Tommy Orange’s novel There There as holding radical potential for both white and indigenous audiences. Using several narrators, Orange presents a multi-generational, multinational resistance to monolithic stories of Native Americans. For non-indigenous American audiences, the novel acts as an intervention on the violence of the image of the “authentic Indian” perpetuated by contemporary media and culture. For indigenous audiences, especially youth, storytelling subverts the authenticity regime and allows for representation to hold healing potential. Ultimately, Orange challenges that regime through crafting a narrative in which the characters’ lives and stories stand against their own systems of power. The dual power of There There allows all audiences to see real Native Americans clearly

“The Greatest Breakthrough of Anything”: Lyndon Baines Johnson’s Push for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in Light of Neustadt and Skowronek

The present study examines the crucial role played by Lyndon B. Johnson in his push for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). This essay will investigate the pertinence of two theoretical models: the Political Times Theory (PTT) and Neustadt’s theory on a persuasive president (PP). This study begins by presenting the current literature on PTT, and PP, and factors that can hinder a president’s persuasion. It subsequently dives into an analysis of Johnson’s actions between November 3rd, 1963, and August 6th, 1965, relying on his memoir, and other firsthand sources, to determine which theoretical framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of LBJ’s role in this crucial moment in American history. In the end, both theories prove fruitful in order to understand the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Beyond Entertainment: Exploring the Intricacies of True Crime Fascination

This paper explores the existing literature onto the intricate motivations behind the widespread fascination with true crime, unraveling both unconscious and personal drivers. From the evolutionary roots of the negativity bias and morbid curiosity, the study explores the psychological underpinnings that attract individuals. Gender differences in true crime consumption, particularly the significant female audience, are examined, shedding light on the complex interplay of sexual victimization, educational component, and protective vigilance. The impact of the true crime community, both empowering and challenging, is explored, emphasizing its role in supporting marginalized voices. The paper concludes by highlighting the understudied nature of the topic, calling for further research into the psychological perspectives that drive our collective obsession with the gruesome entertainment

Retaining Generation Z in the Workforce

This research paper examines the characteristics and priorities of Generation Z to better understand how to retain this population in the workforce.&nbsp

Individual Success is Not Liberation: A Critique of #GIRLBOSS and Neoliberal Feminisms

First coined by Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso in her 2014 book #GIRLBOSS, the term #GIRLBOSS has achieved widespread recognition and popularity. In the present day, it is associated with a particular brand of feminism. This #GIRLBOSS feminism posits that empowerment for women lies in the achievement of professional success. Rather than critically examining and attempting to dismantle oppressive and exploitative systems such as capitalism, #GIRLBOSS feminism focuses on helping women find ways to be successful within those systems. It is similar to neoliberal feminism, which is based on neoliberal ideas of individualism and the self as capital, and posits that gender equality will be achieved by women assimilating into masculinity in order to reach the top of the proverbial professional ladder. Both ideologies support individual women in their individual efforts to achieve success, but neither is truly liberatory because they accept without question the systems that oppress women and other marginalized groups and argue that an assimilation into masculinity is the best way to achieve equality. A truly liberatory feminism must acknowledge intersectionality and multiple marginalizations, value the possession and expression of compassion and care, and work toward the dismantling of oppressive societal systems, especially capitalism. I offer a detailed critique of both #GIRLBOSS and neoliberal feminism, arguing that they are not truly liberatory based on their glorification of work, refusal to critically examine capitalism, ignorance of intersectionality, individualism and devaluation of humanity, and devaluation of femininity. I then discuss several alternatives to #GIRLBOSS and neoliberal feminism that are more truly liberatory.&nbsp

Sacralizing the Cold War: The Lived Religion of President Eisenhower\u27s Pastor

Edward Elson lived his religion in ways that had ramifications for the spiritual dimensions of the early Cold War as he pastored President Eisenhower. This article explores the structures that shaped and were shaped by this pastor’s unique, lived faith. First it examines those influences on his religion stemming from his life up to 1953 as he remembered it in oral history interviews and his autobiography published at the end of his life. This provides the background for understanding the particular ways his lived religion formed and was shaped by the process of representing institutional Presbyterianism to President Eisenhower: baptizing him, preaching to him week after week, conducting a home blessing for their Gettysburg farm on Thanksgiving, and corresponding with him via letters. Finally, Elson’s religion motivated him to advocate for the Arab Middle East, traveling and lecturing throughout the area with the American Friends of the Middle East (AFME), the organization for which he was the longtime Chairman of the National Council. Elson expressed his religion in sermons, books, articles, and his co-organizing the Foundation for Religious Action in Social and Civil Order (FRASCO). Ultimately, the way Edward Elson lived his religion authorized Eisenhower’s sacralization of the Cold War even as it advocated for a stronger Arab-American connection within religious Cold War parameters

Mary Magdalene: Sexism and Feminism in Scorsese\u27s "The Last Temptation of Christ"

The following paper centers on the figure of Mary Magdalene in the movie The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), interpreted by actress Barbara Hershey and directed by Martin Scorsese. The movie is based on the novel with the same title written in 1955 by Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis. The story does not follow the Bible, as explained in the disclaimer at the beginning of the movie: "This film is not based on the Gospels, but upon the fictional exploration of the eternal spiritual conflict." It generated much controversy among Christian conservative groups, who considered it blasphemous. The film depicts the life of Jesus (interpreted by Willem Dafoe) and explores Jesus’ struggles with his dual nature: flesh versus spirit, human versus divine. Jesus’ humanity is central to the movie as is his temptation to live an ordinary life and his plight to accept his divine role. Sexuality is, therefore, one of the main temptations Jesus faces when confronting his human nature, and Mary Magdalene is central to this theme. She is one of the main characters, alongside Jesus and Judas, and is presented as a reformed prostitute who becomes a faithful follower of Christ and, later on, Jesus’ wife. To examine how Scorsese portrays Mary Magdalene, the first part of this paper goes back to the Gospels and analyzes this biblical character and the inaccurate historical myth that emerged at the beginning of Christianity, referred to as the pre-Vatican II tradition. Even though Mary Magdalene in the Gospels is presented as a faithful disciple and there are no references that she was a prostitute, this image started to shift during the times of Pope Gregory the Great (540-604), when the Church began to misrepresent her as a sinful woman. This depiction created a Mary Magdalene with a double nature, a dichotomy between sexuality, sin, and prostitution versus penitence, chastity, and devotion, which will persist in the Church tradition and popular culture for centuries. It will not be until the twentieth century with the post-Vatican II tradition that the figure of Mary Magdalene is officially restored by the Papacy, recognizing her as the “apostle of the Apostles.” The second section of the paper centers on the Magdalene tradition in film, illustrating the most common traits, such as promiscuity, sexuality, beauty, and sin. Later, the paper examines the specific portrayal of Mary Magdalene in The Last Temptation of Christ, explaining the principal scenes in which she appears. The core of the paper presents two different interpretations of Scorsese’s Mary Magdalene: first, the feminist critique, which argues that Scorsese created a sexist version of the biblical character, and second, the viewpoint that sees Scorsese as incorporating feminist elements around her. These opposite perspectives demonstrate a duality of sexism and feminism in the movie. Hence, this essay argues that this duality around Mary Magdalene in the film is in fact a necessary element to fulfill the plot of the movie, to explore Jesus’ humanity, and to help Jesus accept his redemptive role