Otterbein Aegis Spring 2010

Editors’ Introduction >>> Ashley Butler and Will Ferrall

As this year’s editors, we are excited to present, to the Otterbein College/University community, the seventh edition of Aegis: The Otterbein College Humanities Journal. The essays included herein cover a wide range of topics; this diversity is itself a reflection of both the astounding breadth of what we generalize as “the humanities” as well as a reflection of the depth of research taking place here at Otterbein.

The nine essays included in this journal are representative of a variety of disciplines, which include music, political science, English, philosophy, religion, and women’s studies. They were selected for their quality, academic merit, and relevance to real world issues, both past and present. In “Deconstructing the Myth of the Shi’a Crescent,” Kirsten Peninger analyzes the history of Shi’a Islam, and how the supposed fear of a radical ‘Shi’a Crescent’ is unfounded.

Vicki Mullins utilizes The God of Small Things in order to explore the complications stemming from India’s caste system and patriarchal culture in her essay entitled “Uncovering the Politics of Hierarchy in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things.” And, in Ruthann Elder’s “Creative Integrity Despite Oppression: Soviet Realism and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5,” she examines the struggle Shostakovich was faced with in finding a balance in conforming to the mandates of Soviet Realism while maintaining his personal creativity in his musical endeavors. These, and the other essays included in this issue of Aegis, reveal the commitment and passion within the Otterbein student body, to explore contemporary and historical issues and pose critical questions about our modern world.

This issue of Aegis also includes book reviews chosen and composed by the members of this year’s editorial board. The literature reviewed charts multiple genres, ranging from nonfiction and fiction to graphic narrative. The chosen literary works explore such issues as the history of American women, what it means to be a foreign correspondent in a hostile, traumatizing war zone, and the literary merits that can come from projecting a contemporary, gothic spin on a classic Victorian novel. We hope that these book reviews give our readers insight into new works of literature and help spark interest in the humanities.

Also included in this issue is a personal interview with this year’s featured humanities speaker, Dr. William Ian Miller, who is the Thomas G. Long Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. Dr. Miller’s academic interests include Icelandic sagas, Medieval history, social and political theory, emotions, vices, and virtues. In our interview, we mostly discussed his recent book, Eye for an Eye, which examines the history of revenge. We also conversed about his lecture to the Otterbein community, entitled “Kill the Messenger,” and the direction of his future work.

We, the editors of the 2010 edition of Aegis, hope that our readers enjoy this year’s selected essays. As the essays include a wide variety of topics, represent an array of disciplines, and truly showcase the amount of depth and individual passion of our students here at Otterbein, it is our hope that there is an included piece to match the interest of any reader. The essays, reviews, and interview included within this issue are sure to provide you with a new perspective on the topics they discuss and the questions that they raise.

“While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living.”

- Cyril Connolly