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