Final
Projects
Jeff Lichtstein- The growing acceptance of Judiasm in American
society, through politics and sports.
Nina Mullenhard - I'm examining the Naval Academy Chapel in
Annapolis, MD and the iconography inside the chapel and the
crypt.
Sofia Pantel - Explore the use of Kanye West and Evanescence as
Christian artists and if this makes their music lose its
religiosity and how they are shunned by the Christian
community.
Emily Green - I am going to look at the use of religion and
religious objects in mainstream pop culture and marketing (i.e.
clothing brands and companies that use religious objects as trendy
symbols), and examine why this sells, what these companies are
trying to say, and if, in fact, these objects are religious when
taken out of their sacred context.
Alex Kaplan - A look at Jewish musicians, especially Matisyahu, and
how they appeal to a modern audience. Film as a medium.
C. C. Caldeira and Claire Pringle - We will focus on religion and
dance in movies, especially "Mad Hot Ballroom" which is about NYC
public school kids learning how to dance and competing and
"finding" ballroom dancing.
Chloe Levenson - I am interested in observing one major religious
organizations at Haverford: ECM. I will look at the importance of
religion in one's life at college, the presence of a camera, and
various practices of ECM.
Carri Devito - An exploration of the role of sacred objects in
Wicca.
Jillian Brown - Presentation of ritual objects used in weddings of
various religions in America
Julia McGuire - A focus on Christian influence on country
music.
Caitlin Schopp - I am going to explore the significance of
Christian song and dance in an animated medium that is specifically
geared toward children - both Christian AND non-Christian - by
looking at "VeggieTales."
Megan Bailey - My final project topic is a comparison of 2
different styles of Presbyterian church architecture, and an
analysis of the reasons for the difference.
Meredith Sine - I want to present images of Christian kitsch in
American pop culture, including clothing, tattoos, household
objects, etc.
Claire Pringle - My project is going to involve looking at
religious images in Madonna's music videos.
Stephanie Fineman - think I'm doing my final project on: Jewish
cookbooks & food (maybe also the way they were used to
integrate Jewish life in America too).
Stephanie Wu - Dealing with the
Metropolitan Community Church of New York, founded by gays and
lesbians. They adhere to fundamental Christian beliefs, but they
are all part of the gay, lesbian, transgender
community.
Patrick Baynes - A focus on the Mormon Tabernacle Church.
Lindsay Cunningham - My project will be dealing with UFO clans
(religions?) and, specifically, how members of these clans utilize
ancient artifacts and texts as evidence of their beliefs.
Kim Beaton - My final project will concentrate on dress in African
American churches, particularly dress in the Pentecostal
denominations, and examining the theological and cultural reasoning
behind this fashion.
Mz Morris - My project will be focusing on religious dance and the
physiological aspects of it that cause the 'sensation' of
connecting with a higher power.
Niqui McKeever - I plan to do a project that looks at different
religions (Quakerism, Judaism, different sects of Christianity,
etc) and how they bury their dead including materials used and the
epitaphs on headstones and tombs.
Allyson Abrams and Anna Krieger - The various ways of teaching
religion to children through toys, movies, and music.
Ben Greenfield - I'd like to do something related to the retreats I
staff. We take kids to Camp Harlam and conduct services there. The
kids are resistant, but the music the rabbis use seems to draw the
kids in and overcome their resistance. I want to examine the power
of music, in this case used by reform Jewish rabbis and geared
toward youth, in drawing in a reluctant audience.
Rachel Awkward - I'm doing my presentation on black Gospel
stage-plays, with a focus on the works of Tyler Perry.
Liza Horowitz - A focus on Reform b'nei-Mitzvah (especially for
girls) and the regional differences in parties and religious
services.
Anni Turkel - The commodification of Jewish b’nei-Mitzvah in
America.
Clara Sheets - On the Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Pat Gleeson - On Gothic cathedrals and the Gothic revival in the
19thC.
Eunice Ahn - On the "Maker's Diet" and how those who follow the
diet perceive it.
Allison Bates - I think I will do my project on Shaker architecture
and social behavior/interactions (perhaps an emphasis on gender
relationships) in accordance with their religion