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The URCAD Selfie Contest winner for Best Selfie with a Presentation: The presenters from the Women's Center: Ash Acuña, Tanzila Malik, Carrington Cline, Abby Claytor. They will receive a gift card to the UMBC Bookstore.

Even after the poster session ended, you could find these folx holding up their poster in the UC lobby and doing an impromptu presentation for people who missed it... now that's dedication to the feminist cause of analyzing Barbie!

White, Pink, and Pretty: How Barbie’s Feminism Fails its Viewers

Carrington Cline, Tanzila Malik, Abby Claytor, Nati Acuña, Media and Communications Studies
Lauren Allen, Women's Center; Amelia Meman, Women's Center

The 2023 film Barbie (Gerwig, 2023) is the highest-grossing live-action comedy film of all time; it has been lauded as a feminist film that cunningly subverts gender roles and thoughtfully addresses issues of diversity that are fraught in most Hollywood films. Barbie is an easily digestible media that portrays basic feminist principles for the general public. But if Barbie is a feminist film, is it also intersectional? This study examines the limitations of the Barbie movie’s portrayal of feminism and its failings in regard to intersectionality. We aim to inspire critical thinking around media and intersectionality and shed light on the prevalence of White feminism in popular media. Using content analysis informed by intersectional feminist theory, we analyzed instances in the film that demonstrated (pseudo-)feminist principles and themes in order to determine how intersectional Barbie’s brand of feminism is. We also explored avenues by which Barbie could better depict intersectionality and contemporary feminist thought.

The URCAD Selfie Contest Winner for Best Overall Selfie is Olivia Hutchinson! Olivia will receive a $100 gift card to the UMBC Bookstore.

Olivia took this selfie before the start of the poster session and sent it to her mom, who asked, "Are you nervous?" Her reply: "I don't know, do I look nervous??" Olivia, you were great, but we love your sense of humor!

Effects of Child Abuse and Acute Stress on the Experience of Emotion in People with Schizophrenia

Olivia Hutchinson, Psychology, Jacob Nudelman1, Eric Neutzling, Gabrielle Pakravan², Adriann Lai¹, Elie Holzel^1
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, ²University of Maryland, College Park
Raimi Quiton, Psychology; James Waltz, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Early-life adversity and psychosis can alter sensitivity to stimuli. We used images from the International Affective Pictures Set (IAPS) to examine how diagnosis and abuse history influence picture ratings under stress. We hypothesized that stress would heighten reactivity to unpleasant stimuli and reduce reactivity to pleasant ones.

52 people with schizophrenia (PSZ) and 32 healthy volunteers (HVs) performed the Emotional Experience Task (EET) – requiring subjects to view and rate the “positivity” and “negativity” of emotions evoked by pictures twice – once after experiencing an acute stressor and once after a neutral event. We assess abuse history with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.

PSZ exhibited reduced rating range, relative to HVs. PSZ rated positive pictures as less positive (t = 1.958; p = 0.05) and negative pictures as less negative (t = 2.711; p = 0.008) than HVs. Physical abuse (PA) scores correlated with aversive image ratings (r = 0.309; p = 0.035) and the acute stressor’s impact on positive (r = 0.333; p = 0.022) and neutral stimuli (r = 0.300; p = 0.040). Higher PA was associated with greater stressor impact on IAPS ratings.

Diagnosis and abuse history impacted affective picture ratings. These factors did not interact in influencing picture ratings.

B.S.: Holistic Pediatric Rehabilitation & Care

Morning Poster Session 10:00am - 11:30am

UC Ballroom

Afternoon Poster Session 1:00pm - 2:30pm

UC Ballroom

INDS Students Presenting Orally

B.A.: Critical Carceral Studies

Indicate any other major, minor, certificate, and/or honors that will be on your graduation record:

• Certificate in Spanish Studies
• Honors College

Degree Mentors

• Dr. Michael Casiano, Assistant Professor of American Studies
• Dr. Jodi Kelber-kaye, Associate Director of the Honors College
• Carrie Sauter, Assistant Director of the Individualized Study Program

Why did you choose to major in INDS?

During my first two years at UMBC, I was mostly taking Political Science, Africana Studies, and Gender & Women's Studies classes. I enjoyed most of my classes, but I found myself wanting to study something more specialized while integrating each of those disciplines. I was encouraged to learn more about INDS, where I met Ms. Sauter, and felt that the support of the program, in addition to the freedom I had to incorporate my social justice interests into my academic pursuits, made it the right major for me!

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?

After graduation, I'll be more involved in labor and anti-imperialist organizing in the DMV. Although it was mostly within the context of jails and prisons, my INDS degree allowed to study the systematic nature in which capitalism, imperialism, white supremacy, and other forms of oppression interact to keep various peoples marginalized. My degree has also supported the development of my organizing and problem-solving skills, and will enable me to navigate different organizing situations. From an abolitionist standpoint, I understand that the way the carceral system functions is also reflected in everyday life, and that resolving issues of mass incarceration and over-policing will require a broad restructuring of society which I hope to help advance through my organizing work.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program
• Honors College Student
• Women's Center Student Staff
• Queer People of Color Community Vice-President (2021-2022), President (2022-2023), Treasurer (2023-2024)
• Writing Center Tutor
• DC Peace Team Social Media Intern
• Maryland Justice Project Intern
• National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens Intern

For more information on Sara's INDS journey please click here: