Guns, Art-making and Truth Impact Outcomes
Guns, Art-making and Truth
Students in the Guns, Art-making and Truth Lab partnered with clinical professor Laura Turchi from the Department of English and the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, as well as Daniel Roumain, an associate professor, composer and performer from the School of Music, Dance and Theatre. Performing Arts Librarian from ASU Library, Caelin Ross, was also a key part of the instructional team. Together, all contributors participated in an immersive, creative experience exploring gun culture in America. They discussed the most recent data and analysis on gun ownership, victim accounts, and community-based agreements, in an effort to better understand the values held by the gun-owning community, gun law supporters and proponents and anti-Second Amendment activists alongside the embodied experiences of victims of gun violence through the "fourth responder" approach.
Student Outcomes
Magazine Group
The "Big Bang" magazine group undertook a comprehensive exploration of gun culture, safety, and violence in the United States. Their project aimed to deepen understanding and foster dialogue about the complex issues surrounding guns. Through interviewing their professor and incorporating his insights, the group gained a richer perspective on the themes of their research. Their magazine addresses the prevalence of gun violence, the efforts by various organizations to mitigate dangers, and the responsibility that comes with gun ownership, especially concerning safety around vulnerable populations like children. The students crafted the magazine as part of their presentation. It is a combined kids and adult addition (flip the magazine) featuring artwork, games and collected information that reflects their learning and findings. The project emphasizes the importance of informed discussions and responsible practices in relation to gun culture, aiming to contribute thoughtfully to the ongoing national conversation on this contentious topic.
Storytellers Team
The Storytellers team's project presented a poignant exploration of gun violence through the medium of poetry, music, and visual art. The team crafted two powerful poems based on interviews with individuals involved in gun-related incidents. The first poem, "The American Way," delves into the mindset of a man who committed assault with a deadly weapon, capturing his perspective and emotional turmoil. The second poem, "Triggers from the Past," provides insight from the standpoint of a man charged with first-degree murder, exploring the deep-seated issues that led to his actions. These narratives were enhanced with original musical compositions on the piano, violin, and drums, alongside purposeful sound effects. The presentation was visually supported by a video that featured relevant and stirring images, making the experience both immersive and impactful.
Video game Group
The project by this group examined the relationship between video games and gun culture. Each member of the group, self-identified as gamers, engaged with video games that incorporate shooting mechanics. Their analysis revealed that while there is no direct link between video games and real-world shootings, the influence of such games on particularly vulnerable or susceptible groups, like young children showing signs of aggression, warrants caution. The group critically reflected on their own participation in gun culture through gaming and discussed the broader implications. They aimed to balance the narrative by highlighting the cognitive and social benefits of gaming, such as enhanced teamwork skills and improved executive functions, while addressing the concerns raised by older generations about the potential dangers of violent video games. This nuanced approach provided a comprehensive view of the complex interactions between video gaming and perceptions of gun violence.
Film Representations
This project delves into the diverse portrayals and perceptions of gun culture in the United States. The project highlights the students' surprise at the nuanced discussions around gun safety and violence, emphasizing the stark contrast in gun handling and regulations compared to other countries. Through the course, the students explored how gun culture is depicted across various media, including sculptures, paintings, drawings, music, and opera. The project also covered personal perspectives on gun violence, informed by interactions with activists and community groups dedicated to changing public perceptions and reducing gun violence. The presentation, enhanced by professional film editing, reflects a deep dive into the cultural, societal, and artistic dimensions of gun issues in America.
Guns, Art - Making, and Truth: Public Dialogues on Gun culture
The event featured a captivating opening performance by Professor Daniel Roumain with his violin, followed by a series of student-led presentations. Participants delved into a rich program that included TED-style talks, documentary screenings, and artistic performances, all centered on the nuanced discussions about gun violence, laws, and societal impacts. This immersive experience highlighted the power of creative responses and critical dialogue in addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Something I enjoyed about the GAMT Lab was that I got to write poetry and play my violin in class! Writing and music are two of my greatest passions, and I thoroughly enjoyed leveraging those passions to craft an expressive piece about gun culture. In the NSS Lab, Hadia and I wrote realistic fiction narratives as part of our booklet. The NSS Lab provided me with foundational knowledge about gun culture, as well as experience writing creatively about this topic. I built off of this in the GAMT Lab by helping to write poems/narratives about gun culture that were not just left on a piece of paper, but actually brought to life and performed in front of an audience.
-- Fiona Sauve, Guns, Art Making and Truth Humanities Lab student
Our main goal was to discuss that while the dangers of violent video games are extremely valid, we are not saying that video games are bad, seeing as we are all gamers ourselves. Instead, the point of our research was to look at the benefits of video games (many learn team work skills, improve their cognitive performance, and even learn many executive functions from video games) while recognizing the fears associated with these types of games from others--especially the older generations.
-- Hadia Aslamy, Guns, Art Making and Truth Humanities Lab student
Media Coverage
ASU News. Students host gun culture storytelling event with an intergenerational audience. By: Maureen Kobierowski (05/06/2024)
Collaborative Partners
- Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Arts Activist, Spoken Word Activist and Speaker
- Roxanna Catlett, Moms Demand Action
- Anna Deavere Smith; American actor, playwriter and professor
- Peter Howard, Teaching Artist, Cornerstone Theater LA
- Kristin Mandly, Moms Demand Action, East Valley