2009 Honors Council of the Illinois Region Papers

"Say That To The Anorexic Girl": Eating Disorders and America’s Next Top Model

Stephanie McCarthy — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:50:34 PDT

Today, reality television stars often become heroes to children. One such hero type is young women with ideal but unrealistic thin bodies that the show America’s Next Top Model for instance exalts. But stick-thin women should be one of the last types of heroes our society should encourage our children glorifying. My presentation will demonstrate how this show sends a contradictory message about the female body: it idealizes thin female bodies while ostensibly advocating good health and high self-esteem as well as giving warning about the dangers of eating disorders. I argue that the show’s hypocritical promotion of the internalization of the thin body ideal of women and the careless neglect of untreated eating disorders cause great harm to young teen American girls.

Gender Roles in Mrs. Doubtfire

Patrick Buranicz — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:46:54 PDT

Among the multitude of issues that affect us every day, Americans have long debated the effects of and reasons for differing gender roles, noting how our culture either embellishes or degrades them, while asking why, if at all, American society should or should not tamper with these roles. One major structure within society that is inevitably affected by gender roles is the family unit. Those who agree on views on family life, such as the conservative value of male breadwinners and female homemakers or the liberal view of either reversed roles or equal levels of these identities, will have a happier marriage and family life, but when their views differ or change, the marriage might not last long, leading to divorce. In a film Mrs. Doubtfire, the main character disguises himself as a woman and plays the role of an elderly British nanny in an effort to spend more time with his children after a divorce-custody case limits his visitation rights. The film addresses gender roles as it depicts the adherence and contradictions in cultural conventions. More importantly, the film examines the effects of these gender roles on families.

Cures Like a Charm: Acupuncture and Its Integration Into Modern Medicine

Ivana Miljic — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:46:53 PDT

Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world. As part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health through the stimulation of specific points on the body. In the United States, where practitioners incorporate healing traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries, acupuncture is considered part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This paper discusses Acupuncture and how the modern medical field has integrated it into its field. This paper also argues that Acupuncture has risen above all other alternative medicines because of its incredible healing ability, minimum side effects, and cost-effectiveness.

Time-Transcendent Father-Son Dynamics in Antigone

Olivia Spadlowski — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:46:53 PDT

In the ancient tragedy Antigone, the Greek dramatist Sophocles presents a primary conflict that features a desperate struggle for dominance and challenges the blind justification of authoritative power. Although the tragedy bears the name of its doomed heroine as its title, I argue that it is the character of Creon who provides the audience with a cathartic release through the development of his humanity in the course of the play. He is the figure most akin to the classical Aristotelian definition of the traditional tragic hero. Creon is more emotionally developed and the breadth of his humanity is greatly accessible as he is flawed and, as such, true to life. The complexities that transcend the main conflict within the play are numerous and striking, but the conflict, specifically that between father and son, underpins the dramatic conflict between the dominant and the subjugated. My presentation will argue how in Sophocles’ Antigone, the opposition of Creon and Haemon mirrors the modern dynamics of father-son relationships, rendering the play eternally relevant and accessible to audiences of the present day.

"Pop Lock and Drop it": Defining Hip Hop Dance and Culture in the Past and Present

Anastasia Talarico — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:46:52 PDT

Currently, the form of dance with consistent and increasing popularity remains Hip Hop. Other modern and contemporary styles including Jazz, Ballet and Tap have concrete definitions and criteria that make those styles of dance distinguished from the rest. Clearly, Hip Hop also has its genuine and distinguishing characteristics, but has found the ability to merge its way into mainstream culture despite its cross-cultural differences and lack of definition. The context in which this Hip Hop dance style has occurred stands out compared to the other styles of dance, and this fact could be the greatest contribution to its overwhelming popularity. Hip Hop takes place in a specific culture in which we can identify the particular type of dancer, dance style, and its unique origin and nature of the dance culture. It may be that one cannot dance the style of Hip Hop without being a participant in its culture. The examination of the Hip Hop culture makes it apparent why Hip Hop’s dynamic characteristics have spread out and become a part of many societies not usually in its realm. By looking at the kinetics and breakdown of the dance style itself, as well as the popular acceptance of this culture, one can give a clear and concise definition of Hip Hop dance and its role in the bigger, mainstream society.