12th edition of undergraduate humanities journal includes essays on history, literature, religion, politics and popular culture.
by Shelby Burton
COLUMBIA, KY (04/21/2026) Christianity and socialism in Western Europe, Appalachian identity, and an analysis of influential children’s media are among the topics explored in the latest issue of Lindsey Wilson University’s Alpha Kappa Phi Review.
The 12th edition of the journal of undergraduate research in the humanities was released online on Monday, April 20. It can be read for free here. “We
believe the broad range of topics and arguments within this volume showcase the excellent writing and research skills of Lindsey Wilson’s student body,” said Morgan Bryant ’27, an English major from Shelbyville, Kentucky. Bryant served as one of the issue’s editors-in-chief alongside Megan Whitson ’27, an English and communication double major from East Bernstadt, Kentucky.
The journal takes its name from Lindsey Wilson’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society. Every essay goes through an anonymous peer-review process involving student editors and faculty members from the English, women’s and gender studies, history and Christian ministries programs.
The editorial staff of the 12th edition of Alpha Kappa Phi Review is: Alannah Bowman ’27, Emma Couch ’27, Briana Frey ’29, Cadence Groce ’27, Jesse LaGrange ’26, Shiane Lussier ’26, McKenzie Melton ’29, Yesh Singayao ’27, Leona Smith ’28 and Christian Varga ’28.
The issue’s nine articles include:
* Madeline Hardwick ’27, an English teacher education major from Columbia, Kentucky: “Resisting Through Connection: The Power of Love in Bent and Contemporary Society.”
* Lilly Streeval ’26, a middle grades education major from Columbia, Kentucky: “Heathcliff and the Limits of the Byronic Hero.”
* Cadence Groce ’27, a criminal justice and women’s and gender studies double major from Somerset, Kentucky: “Feminizing Justice: A Critique of the Patriarchal Criminal Justice System.”
* Alannah Bowman ’27, a business administration major from Columbia, Kentucky: “‘Our Weapon is Truth’: Ukraine’s United24 and Connotations of Propaganda on Social Media.”
* Yesh Singayao ’27, a political science major from Vine Grove, Kentucky: “On Earth as it is in Heaven: The Synthesis of Christian Belief and Socialist Theory in Western European History.”
* Ada Gass ’28, a nursing major from Columbia, Kentucky: “Faith Beyond Boundaries: The Historical and Cultural Context Beyond Mark’s Miracles.”
* Chloe Taylor ’26, an English teacher education major from Russell Springs, Kentucky: “Children’s Rights Through Children’s Media: A Reading of Bluey and The Tale of Peter Rabbit.”
* Megan Whitson ’26: “I Got Myself Born: Appalachian Identity and Race in Demon Copperhead and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.”
* Morgan Bryant ’26: “There is No Exit to this Nightmare: The False American Dream in The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and American Psycho.”
The contributors and editors of the 12th edition of Lindsey Wilson University’s Alpha Kappa Phi Review, a journal of undergraduate research in the humanities. From left: associate professor of English Dr. Karolyn Steffens, Jesse LaGrange ’26, Cadence Groce ’27, Briana Frey ’29, Megan Whitson ’26, Christian Varga ’28, Lilly Streeval ’26, Madeline Hardwick ’27, Chloe Taylor ’26, Morgan Bryant ’26, Alannah Bowman ’27, Ada Gass ’28, Leona Smith ’28, Yesh Singayao ’27 and McKenzie Melton ’29. Not pictured: Shiane Lussier ’26.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Shelby Burton – Lindsey Wilson University)