Arts and Humanities – Page 3 – UROP Spring Symposium 2021

Arts and Humanities

Creative Writing & Publishing

Introduction: How to get work published is regarded as one of life’s greatest mysteries by many American writers; for this project, our research group decided to comprehensively study American literary journals in hopes of discovering which journals publish which types of work, and what particular journal would be the best fit for each member of our research group. We also practiced our own writing skills and developed our styles. Methods: To accomplish this goal, each group member compiled a database of information surrounding these journals, noting the length of submissions they typically published, the style of writings, and notable features of the journal, including whether or not they had a particular interest in new writers. We also submitted our own creative works (like flash fiction, short stories, poetry, prose) to our research group on a weekly basis for critique to analyze our own styles and determine which journals could be a good match. Results: An analysis of these databases has provided each member with a list of publications to which they will submit work. We have also learned which journals are most likely to print which types of work, and what things editors look for while they are reading submissions. Conclusions: Each member is submitting work now to see if we will be accepted anywhere.

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HGTV: Understanding Home Improvement Media Influence in the Architecture, Design, Planning, and Development of the US Metropolis

Tia Brown Pronouns: she/her Research Mentor(s): Irene Hwang, Assistant Chair, Architecture + Lecturer in Architecture Research Mentor School/College/Department: Architecture, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning Presentation Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021 Session: Session 6 (4pm-4:50pm) Breakout Room: Room 1 Presenter: 4 Event Link Abstract For privacy concerns this abstract cannot be published at this

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Worlding Medieval and Early Modern Iberia

The Iberian Peninsula, home to Spain and Portugal, is rich in the history of the Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Hebrew languages; Muslims, Jews, and Christians’ tumultuous histories; and many more aspects of intellectual literature and culture. Through this research project, which resulted in the creation of a mapping website to study the medieval text, “El libro de conosçimiento de todos los rregnos,” students will be able to learn about the world through the lens of a medieval traveler. The study utilizes “El libro de conosçimiento de todos los rregnos” in order to gather information about the wide variety of locations visited by the anonymous author in the fourteenth century. Qualitative data regarding names of regions and towns; persons of interest; and the coordinates of the aforementioned places are recorded. In addition, mythological creatures and locales are also recorded when named by the traveler. Analyzing this project leads a reader to discover the environment of the early 1300s, mapping the travels from Ireland to Italy to Istanbul. Shown through the map-based website the researchers created, students and pedagogists alike may better examine the history of the Iberian Peninsula. As “El libro de conoçimiento de rregnos” has not been studied in great detail compared to other texts from the same time period and locations, the website provides a fresh look for students of history, Iberian culture, and language.

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Song of America: The Spiritual on the Concert Stage

As stated by W.E.B. Du Bois, the African American spiritual is one of the most significant and impactful genres of American music. Spirituals originated among enslaved African Americans and were influenced by both African and European traditions, including Protestantism, African music, the ring shout, and the camp meeting. Although spirituals were traditionally sung in daily life and religious gatherings, the spiritual transformed after the Civil War as musicians began arranging spirituals in classical styles for performances by professional musicians. My research focuses on the evolution of “Wade in the Water,” an important spiritual from the Antebellum period and one of the most performed concert spirituals in the modern era. Throughout its transformation into a concert spiritual, many aspects of “Wade in the Water,” including melodic and harmonic elements, accompaniment, singing style, and performance practices, were adapted into classical music styles. In this study, library sources, scores, performances, recordings, and lectures were analyzed to determine influences behind stylistic changes in “Wade in the Water” and how the concert spiritual impacted perceptions of African Americans. Through my analysis, I concluded that “Wade in the Water” experienced several important alterations at the dawn of the twentieth century, as spirituals were arranged for trained vocalists. This paper will contribute to research on the musical influences of concert spiritual, an important topic in studying the development of American music.

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The Endurance of Hard Times

Some of the most recognizable American music was written by a man named Stephen Foster. Though the world of popular music has changed and developed dramatically since the mid-19th century, Foster’s music lingers on in our collective memory as “folk music.” How could a 19th century man’s music retain such emotional power in current times? Research was done to understand why Foster’s music has survived into the 21st century, with articles and books on music, philosophy, and psychology used to explore why and how music makes humans feel the way we do. These parameters were used to analyze Stephen Foster’s parlour music, especially songs containing elements that might trigger sad or melancholic emotions. Many of his parlour songs were found to have lyrics that were sad and reminiscent of the past, though the songs that were analyzed (contradictorily) were in a major key. The combination of these factors give his music a sense of nostalgia. This nostalgia feeds into why people still listen to and cherish Foster’s music. It also must be noted that Stephen Foster’s music is a product of his own experiences, but the lyrics allow listeners to interpret the song to fit their own experiences. All of these attributes are why Stephen Foster’s music remains powerful in the 21st century.

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Progressive Policy in Architecture

The power structures within architecture firms have remained stagnant and do not fulfill the potentials of the architects within. The overall perspective within the industry is that these institutions need to work towards a progressive format of power. The research in this project intends to change the power structures of these firms based upon the successes in leadership structures of other industries, as well as their progressive policy implementations. This study looks at the measures of productivity, diversity, and other factors of industry progression in the fields of architecture and other institutions such as government structures, law firms, and business corporations. The power structures of these other industries are compared to the power structure of architecture to find and develop the policies needed to push architecture firms forward in the realm of leadership structures. We hope to find that through the means of governmental legislation, architecture firms will be able to incorporate more progressive means into their power structures. This legislation should implement the necessity of progressive policies that contain standards developed through this research.

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Leading Design in Architecture

“Leadership through Architecture” led by Taubman professor Irene Hwang can be described as an interdisciplinary and independent project that works on redirecting architectural education in combating outdated practices and perspectives that impact design within different realms of architecture. My role in this project is to develop an understanding of how the built environment can impact community living and opportunity. This educational foundation further allows me to create an inventory of a series of interviews that reflect the diverse interpretations residents have of their environments.

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COVID-19 hidden stories of mental health

The upsurge of the COVID-19 global pandemic has brought forth many studies concerning how marginalized communities have been disproportionately affected by the virus: partly due to discriminatory practices embedded within the United States healthcare system, increased proportions of those working essential jobs, and increased probabilities of suffering from preexisting conditions, among other factors. However, there is very little qualitative research regarding the first-hand experiences of these individuals, particularly those within the Hispanic community, nor is there research accessible to Spanish-speaking individuals. Thus, our study entitled “COVID-19 Hidden Stories” searches to collect and empower the experiences of Hispanic individuals who have been affected by the pandemic through virtual interviews in a way that has not yet been amplified by the media or made accessible for the community’s use. Utilizing a trauma-informed journalistic approach, interviews were conducted through phone calls with Hispanic individuals who had contracted COVID-19 within West Michigan, South East Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois communities. The interviews were transcribed and compiled into an audio podcast format, all in Spanish, with English subtitles including necessary context and analysis for individual accounts. Ultimately, analysis of the interviews indicated that difficulties in obtaining access to testing and care, financial burdens, and mistrust of the healthcare system in general were the primary obstacles faced by the Hispanic community during their battles with COVID-19. As a result of these obstacles, our interviewees demonstrated several accounts of mental distress, allowing us to focus on the ways their mental health has been impacted by the pandemic. Ultimately, this journalistic research aims to create solidarity during a time of isolation and highlight noteworthy changes in mental health as experienced by the Hispanic community. The research also highlights the intersectionality that exists between modern-day immigration policies and discriminatory health-care practices against Hispanic persons.

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COVID-19 hidden stories of mental health

The upsurge of the COVID-19 global pandemic has brought forth many studies concerning how marginalized communities have been disproportionately affected by the virus: partly due to discriminatory practices embedded within the United States healthcare system, increased proportions of those working essential jobs, and increased probabilities of suffering from preexisting conditions, among other factors. However, there is very little qualitative research regarding the first-hand experiences of these individuals, particularly those within the Hispanic community, nor is there research accessible to Spanish-speaking individuals. Thus, our study entitled “COVID-19 Hidden Stories of Mental Health” searches to collect and empower the experiences of Hispanic individuals who have been affected by the pandemic through virtual interviews in a way that has not yet been amplified by the media or made accessible for the community’s use.

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Creative Writing & Publishing

My project is a creative writing mentorship. My mentor holds weekly workshops with me and my peers to help us improve our creative writing. Two of us, including me, focus on poetry, while the other two write fiction. In addition to workshops, the other side of the project involves researching literary journals and compiling them into a database to use as a reference for when we are ready to submit our finished works to them for potential publication. The purpose of the project is to improve my creative writing skills and potentially become a published writer.

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