Gnovis Releases Its Fall 2016 Issue

From the editors-in-chief:

From the inception of gnovis in Fall 2007, we have been proud to publish outstanding and relevant research in the fields of Communication, Culture, and Technology. The Fall 2016 edition of this journal is no different. This is our third print edition (17th web edition) and the culmination of a season’s hard work by our graduate student staff, our dedicated team of peer-reviewers, and our engaging authors.

By happy chance, this edition features a unique concentration on Media and Cultural Studies. The arc of the journal takes you through a textual analysis of film genres and our human need for cultural representation in new media. Grace Foster will discuss American war stories, Jingyi Gu will dive into the Marvel comic empire, and Susan Noh will enlighten you about the world of anime fandoms. Interpretations of societal motives in popular media can be uncomfortable or inspiring as they shed light onto prevailing cultural ideologies. What are we missing when we assume that Captain America salutes to a line of authority? In what ways can war films give us a truer depiction of international crises than what is fed to us by the news? The cultural representations in these film genres not only reflect a societal power dynamic but can also shape it. From here we are taken into a discussion of the hegemonic power of media in Xinyu Huang’s discourse on the social interactions of “loser” millennials and Lisa-Maria Neudert’s analysis of Facebook as an internet hegemon. These pieces engage us with the gritty reality of our media-embedded lives and help us consider the delicate power structures in the world of entertainment and online interaction.

The Fall 2016 semester has also provided gnovis opportunities to expand its presence as an organization and embark on new projects. Events such as our Peer-Review Workshop and gnovis Jeopardy provided students with opportunities to build community, while developingx skills and sharing knowledge. Our online blog, managed tirelessly by Tara Jabbari, continues to represent an outlet for student opinion and expression. In Spring, we look forward to the presentation of our re-designed website, as well as anticipate with excitement our participation in CCT’s 20th Anniversary event and our annual interdisciplinary convention, gnoviCon.

Of course, this edition of gnovis and the success of our events could not be achieved without the contributions of the gnovis staff, which consistently approaches new projects with enthusiasm and talent. Our achievements are also made possible through the support and guidance of the CCT faculty, in particular gnovis’ faculty advisor, Dr. Leticia Bode. Thank you and kudos to our Editor Emeritus, Ken Wake, whose vision and assistance has been invaluable, and to our Assistant Managing Editor, Elizabeth Jaye, for amazing dedication and organization. Finally, thank you to our fellow CCT students for your interest and support in promoting the joint effort of gnovis.