BW film students, faculty share research through the lens of popular culture

The distinctive opportunity for students to present their own work at a regional or national conference is an enriching experience for undergraduates in many BW disciplines.

Recently, three BW film studies students and Dr. Molly Swiger, professor and chair of BW Communication Arts and Sciences, traveled to Cincinnati to share project findings with scholars and other attendees at the 2019 Midwest Popular Culture Conference.

• Kevin Ng '21, a film studies major, presented on "Won Kar-wai and Leslie Cheung's Happy Together. How Chinese Hegemonic Cultures Struggles with LGBT Ideology."
• Andrew Oliver '21, a film studies major, presented "Ex Machina: From the Machine.
• Micah Simmons '21, a music composition major, presented "Media in Black Mirror's Fifteen Million Merits: A Weapon Used to Distract.
• Swiger presented "Stories of Recovery: Addiction, Liminality and Stigma."

Why study pop culture? The Midwest Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association thrives on the belief that "popular culture is at the heart of democratic citizenship" and drives "technology, innovation and information."