Arts - Buffalo State College

88
Humanities
Making Billions From an Unnecessary
(and Potentially Harmful) Product:
The Nike Story
Robert Zielonka, COM 450: Communications and Society
Faculty Mentor: Professor Michael Niman, Communication
Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight founded Nike Inc. on January
25th, 1964. Since that day, the number of running injuries in the
United States has grown. A ‘Runners World’ magazine poll found
that 66 percent of runners had suffered a running related injury
in 2009 alone. Results from an American Academy of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation study of runners found that while
wearing running shoes, there was increased torque in the hip, knee
and ankles, resulting in more injuries than running barefoot. My
work argues that through the judicious muse of media memes, Nike
has successfully create a product category where there was no real
need (people have been running without “running shoes” since the
dawn of mankind), and created a product that might be harmful as
many new studies which I cite show. They have helped to popularize
running culture and created a hugely popular and profitable brand
while at the same time contributing to the increase in running
injuries.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster IV
Mediated Gender Roles: What Boys and
Girls Are “Supposed To Be”
Edward Mazzu, COM 450: Communications and Society
Faculty Mentor: Professor Michael Niman, Communication
For generations, American children have been subject to
countless advertisements that reinforce stereotypes of what boys
and girls should act or look like. Most often the messages are very
distinct and overt, showing boys as tough and dominant while
posing girls as passive and happy. But just how do television and
print advertisements affect children and their behavior? To what
extent does this influence have a lasting impression? And what role
does popular culture play in assigning gender roles to children? After
examining several hours of children’s television programming, it is
evident that the majority of ads are gender targeted. The typical ad
for boys uses strong action verbs to describe behavior. Bold colors
and aggressive pop rock music cast the product as a means to being
“cool” and in charge. If there are girls in the ad, they are usually
in the background merely there to watch with awe and excitement
as the boy(s) play with the product. In sharp contrast, ads geared
towards girls are often framed in pastel colors such as pink or
purple and showcase the importance of beauty and delicateness to
being feminine. The use of camera angles to convey messages also
significantly increases the effect of assigning gender roles. Directors
also commonly use visual devices such as camera angle to assign or
deny power to boys and girls. My research discusses the impact of
media on children and how gender roles are taught at an early age,
and are usually counter to the social aim of gender equality.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Social Sciences
Networking From the Grave: Letterheads
and Business Cards Designed For Famous
Dead People
Victoria Palmiotto, COM 495: Project
Faculty Mentor: Professor Amy Greenan, Communication
When applying for jobs, first impressions are almost always
made on paper. That is to say that the first thing a potential employer
will be presented with is your business card, letter of interest, or
resume. How can design be strategically used to successfully brand
yourself and allow you to stand out? I will combine research in
personal branding with my knowledge of the elements of design. The
work will explore how images, color, and composition on paper can
relay information about a person. In regards to branding yourself for
employment, these pieces will demonstrate how to express creativity
and individuality while maintaining professionalism. Research will
be conducted in the form of interviews with professionals who are
responsible for making hiring decisions. I will also research current
trends in personal branding. I will apply what I learn to a collection
of work that will feature collateral design for dead celebrities.
Letterheads for late rock stars and business cards from past world
leaders will be on display. Will you be able to tell which belongs to
whom without looking at the names?
Presentation Type and Session: Poster VIII
Plea’s Please - Spare Some Change?
Joshua DeMont, PHI 401W: Respect Seminar
Faculty Mentor: Professor John Draeger, Philosophy
Does a destitute man’s plea for spare change morally oblige you
to help? What if he asked for booze? What if he were being assaulted
and pleaded for help? If your sense of obligation differed between
these scenarios, you are acknowledging there may be some instances
that don’t necessarily oblige you to someone else’s pursuits, while
others seem more compulsory. Stephen Darwall and R. M. Dworkin’s
respective accounts of dignified persons might have us act for moral
reasons that derive from a sense of moral duty. Thomas Nagel’s work
suggests these are subjective reasons that fall short of how we ‘ought’
to act toward others. He claims they lack objective reasons that
would have us act with an altruistic moral approach. The aim of this
project is to determine whether an egoistic or altruistic approach to
moral issues is better suited to answering our pleas.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Humanities II
Poetry’s Progression: The Rearranging of
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Ashley Bennett, HON 400: All College Honors Colloquium
Faculty Mentors: Professor Roswell Park, Academic Advisement
and Professor Andrea Guiati, Director, All College Honors Program
Shakespeare’s sonnets entered the 17th century literary world
without their author’s consent. Now, those sonnets leave only clues
to the publisher, and the story behind the 154 poems. Who was “Mr.