Boiling Down: An Introduction to the Eureka Iron Works Collection at The Humboldt Room

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This project investigates the Eureka Boiler Works Collection housed at Humboldt State University’s Humboldt Room by presenting the collection within a historical context, including how it arrived at the Humboldt Room. The social and economic context of the Humboldt Boiler Works will be addressed as well as the company’s impact on Humboldt County and the surrounding Pacific Northwest. The collection includes documents ranging from the late 1800s to the 1940s, incorporating employee records, product designs, correspondence and general company records. The project provides an overview of the contents of the collection.

Environmental Education through STEAM

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) programs for children is a well known concept to encourage more students to pursue education and careers in such fields, but what is missing from this? Art! The Arcata Afterschool Program in Humboldt County has taken the initiative to implement STEAM activities into their program to show that art and creative forms of expression is just as important of a field as STEM. As a part of our Service Learning project, we felt that environmental education with art was something we wanted to gain more experience with and decided to create our own lesson plans to develop our skills and teach a new kind of pedagogy to children in our community.

Intimations of Mortality

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This interactive exhibit on death and dying aims to give each individual a guide they can use while navigating mortality from a start to an end. We all have birth in common with each other, and most of us have been promised death by some authority in our lives, but it seems that this modern world often denies people the space to unpack and become familiar with this foreshadowed similarity. We hope you leave here with the tools and language to find peace in the deaths that pass your way.

Reclaiming Turtle Island: Decolonizing Anthropological Narratives of Migration

Sadie Neff, Anthropology Undergraduate Student

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

The Western-centric focus on early habitation of Turtle Island (North America) has often disregarded Indigenous oral histories as myths. It is critical to question how migration theories can dismiss Indigenous credibility. This objectification of western science perpetuates oppression of Indigenous peoples and assists in validating settler-colonial narratives. Academia has historically denied, or labeled controversial, North American archaeological sites older than 12,000 years, silencing advocates in the process. My goal is to highlight these injustices and underscore the importance of honoring Indigenous oral histories. I advocate for an inclusive, decolonized approach to archaeology.

“Appropriate Technology in a University Setting: Table top game for change”

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

“Appropriate Technology in a University Setting: Table top game for change” Alternative Technology(AT) has the potential to empower communities in the U.S. to explore the possibility of non-capitalist means. This AT board game attempts to be inclusive of varied learning styles and academic disciplines, while providing a baseline understanding of the varied technologies located at CCAT. This encourages the campus understanding of CCAT, further extending the invitation of a interdisciplinary and multi-adaptable resource for the community. Exploring affinities between community leadership and AT’s, reveals areas of overlap among the social and ethical approaches of these dynamics.

"A Feminist Interpretation Of Women's Work With Koloa In The Tongan Community"

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This research involves studying the Tongan culture in the San Francisco Bay Area with a feminist perspective focused on Tongan women and Tongan cultural materials known as koloa. Koloa is a major component of keeping with Tongan traditions and customs. Koloa is used for all cultural, religious, and social events. Those with proprietary entitlement are women. Women create, collect, and sell koloa. Studying women and their dominant role as cultural providers will shed light on their valuable assets and talents within the community. The Tonga Islands are located in the deep South Pacific. The study was conducted from interviews with the women, observations, and a focus group.

"Fake Feminism" - A Rhetorical Critique

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

By utilizing a critical Feminist approach, I will illustrate how Visa's commercial series "Money Is Changing," attempts to portray Visa as a Feminist company, but ironically reinforces the very same ideologies, stereotypes, and norms that ground gender inequality.

"Obscured Misogyny:" A Feminist Rhetorical Critique of the Disney Princess

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Disney Princess movies are beloved by many, and, on the surface of the most recent renditions of the trope, the lead female characters portray many pro-feminist messages. However, there is a discrepancy between the surface meanings and the implied meanings of the movies. Hidden beneath these pro-feminist surface meanings, the implied meanings present a vastly different message - one contrary to the beliefs of feminism. Through this discrepancy between the surface and implied meanings of Disney Princess movies, this poster aims to illustrate the anti-feminist rhetoric of Disney Princess movies.

"Outdoorsy" Instagram Culture and 19th Century Art: Imperialism in Our National Parks

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Curated "Outdoorsy" social media accounts rival 19th century idealized landscape paintings, allowing people to present themselves as adventurous and fulfilled by sharing beautiful photos from their travels. These visualized false landscapes present a new age of imperialist beliefs as themes of colonialism have continued to live on through generations in our culture. In western culture, landscape has often been seen as a commodity to be presented and reconstructed for our enjoyment throughout history. Although Instagram culture has contributed to many changes within our national parks, this “new” culture of objectifying and commodifying the landscape is really nothing new at all.

"O’er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!" The Power of Our Official and Unofficial National Anthems

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This study explores the historical origins and contemporary views of “The Star Spangled Banner” as the national anthem and three “unofficial anthems” in the United States. We define music as rhetoric and describe its role in promoting patriotism and fashioning identities. We conduct a rhetorical analysis of “The Star Spangled Banner” and discuss how it has become a rallying point - figuratively and literally - for first amendment rights by examining the wide array of actions and reactions to it. We describe the backstories of three unofficial national anthems and analyze how they have been transformed and appropriated by different groups and movements in the United States.