Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 41

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

A Peculiar Paradigm Of Perpetual Parallax, Randi Marie Willett Jan 2015

A Peculiar Paradigm Of Perpetual Parallax, Randi Marie Willett

LSU Master's Theses

Reality estranges as an encumbrance, a cage that traps with its clipped wings, layered veils, and stiff blankets. This hold subsists as an immovable vessel potted but never earthbound—mounted in a strained compartment, like jars with tight lids, lacking: in air, in breath, in imaginary attributes. Finally, with a last breath, an emergence blooms upon that which contextualizes momentary “reality” or rather that which defines a metaphorical escape from… actuality. My singular endeavor is to escape. My momentary escape is found in the illusory. My illusion is a perception of reality and with this perception I find my singular endeavor... …


Facing Reality, Mitchell Patrick Hobbs Jan 2015

Facing Reality, Mitchell Patrick Hobbs

LSU Master's Theses

Facing Reality is a show of landscape paintings and drawings of Baton Rouge, executed mostly through direct observation. Working this way has allowed me to slow down and specifically engage my surroundings and the physical locations that are compelling to me. I am interested in being open to the possibilities provided by experience, and using what I find to create meaningful, honest, and visually poetic pictures.


A Charming Re(A)D, Chelsea Ramirez Jan 2015

A Charming Re(A)D, Chelsea Ramirez

LSU Master's Theses

A Charming Re(a)d is an MFA Thesis Exhibition portraying the domestic still life surrounding the human emotional attachments to objects. A residual memory surfaces within a specific gathering of things: a moment that resonates over time becoming peculiarly precious in the daily routine. A Charming Re(a)d combines poetry with experimental collages with paint and a ceramic sculptural sound installation all rooted in drawing. Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons and pieces of the artist’s own written text appear as descriptive, abstract prose that define mundane objects with substance. These elements come together to further commemorate the domestic home. The written portion is …


Bratya, A Symphonic Poem, Tamyka Rochelle Jordon Jan 2015

Bratya, A Symphonic Poem, Tamyka Rochelle Jordon

LSU Master's Theses

Bratya, ‘brothers’ in Russian, is a tone poem inspired by characters in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. The novel is long, complex, and largely considered the author’s magnum opus. I focus on each brother: Dmitri, Ivan, Smerdyakov, and Alexei. Each movement attempts to capture the essence and personality of each brother. The first movement “Mitya”, a nickname for the eldest brother Dmitri, attempts to personify the character’s stormy, passionate nature. His strained relationship with his father, obsession with the siren-like Grushenka, and his general inability to control his emotions are largely to blame for Dmitri’s imprisonment. Specific traits and episodes that …


"A Circle Form'd Of Friends:" Candor, Contentiousness, And The Democratic Clubs Of The Early Republic, Andrew Luke Hargroder Jan 2015

"A Circle Form'd Of Friends:" Candor, Contentiousness, And The Democratic Clubs Of The Early Republic, Andrew Luke Hargroder

LSU Master's Theses

From 1792 to 1794, a confluence of frightening events created an environment of profound distrust and apprehension in the United States. Anxieties over the future of the American and French republics prevailed over sentiments of friendship and Union. Moreover, inflamed language in the partisan press, rising tensions between emerging political parties, and the centralization of federal (but seemingly monarchical) power rendered the public sphere a hostile place for all but the most secretive and cunning of participants. The tense and impassioned setting posed the following questions for Americans to contemplate: who were the true friends of the Union? What constituted …


The Physical And The Divine: Images Of Inebriation In Medieval Islamic Art Of The Umayyads From The 7th To The 11th Century, Leslie Anne Schepp Jan 2015

The Physical And The Divine: Images Of Inebriation In Medieval Islamic Art Of The Umayyads From The 7th To The 11th Century, Leslie Anne Schepp

LSU Master's Theses

The holy text of Islam, the Qur’an, frequently refers to wine both praising and condemning the substance. Within the confines of earth, wine is prohibited because of its intoxicating nature. Believers who imbibe wine reaching an inebriated state separate themselves from God by failing to heed his law. However, for those believers righteous enough to enter the ideal, pastoral, paradisiacal afterlife, wine is not only permitted, but a great reward from Allah. In Paradise, the righteous will lounge on soft, supple couches, and will be served copious amounts of wine from goblets of silver and glass by beautiful, immortal youths. …


Concerto For Violoncello And Orchestra, Xing Li Jan 2015

Concerto For Violoncello And Orchestra, Xing Li

LSU Master's Theses

This piece is inspired by three different fable stories, which my parents told to me when I was a child. It has three different characteristic sections. The main tune throughout the piece has Chinese elements, including the use of pentatonic scales and intervals of the second. During each section, I employed the melodious melody of solo cello as the transition to bridge different sections. These transitions are all composed of Chinese folk tunes. The first section uses a story about perseverance. A pony wants to cross a river but it is indecisive and afraid. Some of animals tell the pony …


Symphony No. 1, William Earl Novak Jan 2015

Symphony No. 1, William Earl Novak

LSU Master's Theses

Symphony Number 1, the “Barthes Symphony,” was written in the Fall and Spring of 2014-2015. Symphony No. 1 is a five movement work written for full orchestra, additionally including saxophones and a larger than average percussion section (including a larger than average mallet percussion section). The piece is tonal, though it relies heavily on non-resolving dissonances. The piece is abstract or non-programmatic, although, at the time of its conception, its author was reading Roland Barthes’ Mythologies, and found several phrases in Barthes’ text intriguing and fitting with the nature of the five movements. The piece lasts 26’59” in duration. For …


Ages Of [Wo]Man, Amanda Jane Clark Jan 2015

Ages Of [Wo]Man, Amanda Jane Clark

LSU Master's Theses

Ages of [Wo]Man, was written to fulfill the thesis requirements of a solo performance for the M.F.A in Acting at Louisiana State University (LSU) in May 2015. The purpose of this project is to write, produce and perform a solo performance, to be reproduced after my time here at LSU. This paper documents the conception of my work, adaptation of Shakespeare’s text, rehearsal process and production of this piece. It contains five chapters. Chapter 1 is comprised of an introduction and discussion of how I decided on the topic for my solo performance. Chapter 2 continues with a layout of …


The Influence Of Self-Image Congruity On Perceived Value And Brand Loyalty Concerning Sportswear, Jane Andayi Opiri Jan 2015

The Influence Of Self-Image Congruity On Perceived Value And Brand Loyalty Concerning Sportswear, Jane Andayi Opiri

LSU Master's Theses

Perceived value is important in determining brand loyalty. Although studies have shown that consumers’ perceived values change over time, understanding which values are influenced by self-image congruity is necessary, because the relationship consumers form with brands they favor will help marketers develop strategies that can motivate their brand loyalty. Therefore, this study sought to assess which perceived values consumers acquire from consumption of their favorite sportswear brand. It also examined the influence of self-image congruity on these values. The objectives of the study were to: identify the perceived value of sportswear brands of college students; investigate the effect of perceived …


The Lived Body In Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty And Derrida, Manhua Li Jan 2015

The Lived Body In Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty And Derrida, Manhua Li

LSU Master's Theses

In my thesis, I discuss the accounts of the lived body in Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Derrida in terms of the extent to which they succeed as counter-accounts to the Cartesian metaphysical view of the body-object, as well as the limits of each account. I first introduce Descartes’ account of the body as substantiality (res extensa), which isolates the body as the object from its subject, the mind, the “I think” (res cogitans). After contextualizing the body as non-living objectivity in Cartesian metaphysics, I discuss the later Heidegger’s appropriation of the Husserlian notion of the lived body (Leib)—as separate from the …


This Is My Attempt To Hold On, Kimberly Reneé Jones Jan 2015

This Is My Attempt To Hold On, Kimberly Reneé Jones

LSU Master's Theses

I am an identical twin. The connection I share with my twin sister is intense and immediate. But now, we live over 800 miles apart. This Is My Attempt To Hold On serves as a visual metaphor for the longing for the undiluted rapport we have when we are together, and the frustrations of communicating with her through a digital device. I am constantly dissatisfied with my attempts to connect with her. I watch myself, my words, and my thoughts become diffused through the pixels. The work exists as composites of various mediums, creating a dialogue between photography, printmaking, sculpture, …


Nationalization And Regionalism In 1920s College Football, Bennett Jeffery Koerber Jan 2015

Nationalization And Regionalism In 1920s College Football, Bennett Jeffery Koerber

LSU Master's Theses

By illuminating the complexities of 1920s American society, college football serves as a remarkably insightful cultural device. At the commencement of the decade, a national business community – one that had been developing since the late nineteenth century – appeared to have come to fruition. The more connected nature of the country served to homogenize the United States economically, politically, and even socially. Citizens who had once lived autonomously found themselves more interconnected with neighboring regions of the country, and thus increasingly defined by national characteristics. This served as an internal crisis of sorts because regional identity operated as a …


She Pricked Her Finger, Veronica Kay Hallock Jan 2015

She Pricked Her Finger, Veronica Kay Hallock

LSU Master's Theses

She Pricked Her Finger transports the viewer into a landscape of the bucolic and the macabre. Large scale sculptures and drawings create a panorama-environment which explores ideas of familial and geographical identity through themes of mortality and loss. Her work utilizes a self-generated folktale as a vehicle for expressing her experiences with new landscapes and many family deaths. Ultimately Veronica’s work reconciles the transition of home; the journey we take from our childhood home to the new homes we build.


Musical Explorations In Creation And Performance: A School's Alternative Approach To Music Education, Laterence Edward Varnado Jan 2015

Musical Explorations In Creation And Performance: A School's Alternative Approach To Music Education, Laterence Edward Varnado

LSU Master's Theses

Students have various opportunities to participate in school music. The large ensemble model that follows the Western Classical music tradition is the most commonly used model for music education in secondary schools; however, many students in secondary schools do not participate in school music. Recently, alternative approaches (i.e. popular music, world music, guitar, etc.) have been proposed as valuable music experiences that may increase student participation in school music. The aim of this study was to examine the philosophical foundations and pedagogical practices used at a secondary school that has implemented alternative approaches. I also explored student experiences with these …


Missing. . . A Story Of Ambiguous Loss, Ashley Nicole Adams Jan 2015

Missing. . . A Story Of Ambiguous Loss, Ashley Nicole Adams

LSU Master's Theses

There are two forms of ambiguous loss. Type one occurs when there is a physical absence, but a psychological presence, such as the loss one feels towards the grandparent that passed away before their birth. Type two occurs when there is a psychological absence, but a physical presence, such as the loss one feels towards a spouse with Alzheimer’s or dementia (Morris). The opportunity to create, direct, and star in my own one-woman show inspired me to explore the form of ambiguous loss my family and I endure each and every day due to the disappearance of my aunt, Sharon …


'Of Whims And Fancies': A Study Of English Recusants Under Elizabeth, 1570-1595, Michael David Lane Jan 2015

'Of Whims And Fancies': A Study Of English Recusants Under Elizabeth, 1570-1595, Michael David Lane

LSU Master's Theses

The following study examines the political, economic, social, and religious lives of a variety of lay Catholic recusants in the context of their relationship with the monarch and royal government. The thrust of this thesis is to explore how this relationship affected both the individuals and the continued existence and form of Catholicism in a Protestant country. The legislation and political maneuverings against English Catholics were not a unique experience for a minority faith during the 16th and 17th centuries. During Elizabeth’s reign, English Catholics faced inconsistent legislation, outright persecution, and disinterested government action against the practice of the Catholic …


Augmented Renaissance: From Creation To Revelation, Christopher Atkinson Jan 2015

Augmented Renaissance: From Creation To Revelation, Christopher Atkinson

LSU Master's Theses

During the summer of 2013, the M.F.A. acting ensemble at Louisiana State University was charged with devising solo performance projects that would be performed December 6-14, 2014. We were given artistic freedom to create shows that could cover different topics and a variety of genres. The writing and performance of this project served as a graduation requirement, but was also pitched as a professional opportunity post graduation. Initially I opposed this project, but I soon became elated once I chose my subject matter. I knew that if I was going to perform a solo piece for 30-40 minutes it had …


"The Lonely Romantic": Nature, Education, And Cultural Pessimism In The Early Works Of Hermann Hesse, Erik Paul Wagner Jan 2015

"The Lonely Romantic": Nature, Education, And Cultural Pessimism In The Early Works Of Hermann Hesse, Erik Paul Wagner

LSU Master's Theses

This study examines the early works of Hermann Hesse in the historical context of early twentieth-century Germany. While Hesse’s literary career spans over six decades, most scholarship focuses only on a brief period. Historians study his Weimar novels, as psychologically penetrating pieces that offer insights into this fascinating and chaotic era of German history. Yet, Hesse’s early works have not received due attention in historical scholarship. This situation is unfortunate because Hesse’s prewar writings provide interesting and relevant commentary on life in fin de siècle Germany. Hesse’s early writings offer unique insights into aspects of German culture and society, specifically …


Joan: A Play With Broken Songs, Colton James Neidhardt Jan 2015

Joan: A Play With Broken Songs, Colton James Neidhardt

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT This thesis details the writing process, rehearsals and performance of the author‘s devised play, Joan: A Play With Broken Songs. The play aims to reimagine events occurring the evening before the death of French folk hero and Catholic Saint, Joan of Arc. The play exists in the moments between sleep and waking, in which Joan is visited by her own patron Saints (Margaret and Catherine,) as well as the Archangel Michael. The Saints then guide Joan through the dreamscape revealing to her images of the past, present, and future that allow her to come to peace with the sacrifice …


Pretérito Vs. Imperfecto: Variación En La Producción Lingüística De Los Mexicanos En El Sur De Luisiana., Jose Fernando Rojas Jan 2015

Pretérito Vs. Imperfecto: Variación En La Producción Lingüística De Los Mexicanos En El Sur De Luisiana., Jose Fernando Rojas

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT This thesis addresses the linguistic production of Spanish preterit and imperfect in the Mexican community that reside at the south of the state of Louisiana. More precisely in Baton Rouge, Scott and Lafayette. Other literature have worked this topic noticing a variation while the past tense is used, among others are Silva-Corvalán (1994) noticed that the Mexican community in Los Ángeles, California uses the imperfect in preterit context with stative verbs. Montrul (2009), on the other hand, notices similar behavior in heritage speakers and Delgado-Díaz (2013) suggested that same behavior in the use of these forms can be seen …


British Masculinity And Propaganda During The First World War, Evan M. Caris Jan 2015

British Masculinity And Propaganda During The First World War, Evan M. Caris

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this research is to address how the issue of masculinity functioned in British propaganda during the First World War, and how it affected individuals. Propaganda relied on prewar conceptions of masculinity to appeal to audiences for reasons such as enlistment or continued support for the war. Propaganda often amplified these conceptions of prewar masculinity, and men would internalize propaganda’s message. The British state, however, did not create propaganda uniformly, and there existed major differences between the goals of propaganda posters and propaganda films. It will be demonstrated that posters and film addressed separate issues despite reaching similar …


Theatre Safety In Louisiana Secondary Schools: A Survey Study, Christopher Pyfrom Jan 2015

Theatre Safety In Louisiana Secondary Schools: A Survey Study, Christopher Pyfrom

LSU Master's Theses

Participation in secondary school theatre can have many benefits including the development of improved reading comprehension, self-concept, and empathy. In the world of professional theatre, each design area has its own department head and several levels of assistants and workers below them. Yet in the world of secondary school theatre, we expect one person to assume all of those roles in addition to the regular responsibilities of teaching. Not many people see theatre as being dangerous when compared to sports, science labs, or vocational education. However, it can contain many of the same risks. This study investigated several factors that …


Gender Euphoria: Photography, Fashion, And Gender Nonconformity In The East Village, Alicia Diane Ridout Jan 2015

Gender Euphoria: Photography, Fashion, And Gender Nonconformity In The East Village, Alicia Diane Ridout

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the link between art and fashion photography in the work of Peter Hujar and Nan Goldin, both of whom commented on the nature of gender identity. There is an extensive body of fashion-inspired images by both of these East Village photographers that falls into this category. The pictures they produced of gender-nonconforming individuals serve to comment on the restrictive nature of gender identities represented in fashion photography, and also to elevate the status of those pictured to that of fashion models. The unique cultural context of the East Village served as the perfect location for both photographers …


Nature's Geometry, Lin Feng Jan 2015

Nature's Geometry, Lin Feng

LSU Master's Theses

The beauty of the natural world, from the literal to the abstract: color, texture, shape, sounds, plant structure and anatomy, has continuously been the source of inspiration for artists and graphic designers. Our natural environment provides a readily available resource as a basis of visual study and exploration to develop a unique visual language and construct compelling work. Therefore, the aim of my thesis investigation is to create a new visual language and communication based on the inherent beauty within nature and geometric forms found in nature. I began my investigation by developing a family of symbols based on natural …


Between-Space: Bungalows And Shadows Of Spanish Town, Anna Carey Aldridge Jan 2015

Between-Space: Bungalows And Shadows Of Spanish Town, Anna Carey Aldridge

LSU Master's Theses

In Spanish Town, the fabrics of the patterned streets are cross-stitched with roots of mature trees providing an airy canopy to the neighborhood below. I live in a space on the second floor of a cubed structure situated only a few steps between a small one-way street and a row of unkempt brush imitating a flowerbed. With its relationship to the street, the house seems to stand above the surrounding pitched roofs of one-story rectangles. Behind the house, you will find a light blue-gray staircase ascending to a small porch floor mounted in the trees. There is something warm and …


High School Musicians' And Non-Musicians' Listening Preference For Authentic Versus Transcribed Musical Excerpts, Colin Douglas Caldarera Jan 2015

High School Musicians' And Non-Musicians' Listening Preference For Authentic Versus Transcribed Musical Excerpts, Colin Douglas Caldarera

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to (a) determine high school musician’s and non-musician’s preference for authentic and transcribed orchestral and band recordings, and (b) examine participant perceptual responses regarding reasons for preference. Therefore, the following research questions guided this investigation: (a) To what extent do musicians’ and non-musicians’ preference ratings of paired musical selections (one played by band and one played by orchestra) differ when rated on a Likert scale after listening? and (b) What are the reasons for preferring one excerpt type over another? The participants were musicians (n = 40) and non-musicians (n = 40) in grades …


The Veil, Eric Richard Euler Jan 2015

The Veil, Eric Richard Euler

LSU Master's Theses

The Veil is a print media exhibition exploring the politics surrounding internet and internet related technologies and how they shape our identity. All of the works shift within a satirical and enigmatic visual language which accumulates to form a critique of our online habits and rituals. My work is driven by questions surrounding digital identity, privacy, data mining, narcissism, and commodity fetishism. How is the internet changing us as people and consumers? What are the repercussions of frivolously sharing private information online? And how are new government bills affecting our freedom online? Gallery visitors will encounter the hand-pulled print in …


The False Idealization Of Heteronormativity And The Repression Of Queerness, Catherine Lynn Thurmond Jan 2015

The False Idealization Of Heteronormativity And The Repression Of Queerness, Catherine Lynn Thurmond

LSU Master's Theses

In this thesis, entitled “The False Idealization of Heteronormativity and the Repression of Queerness,” I examine heteronormativity as a social structure that is idealized over, and against, queerness. In the first chapter, I define heteronormativity and queerness. “Heteronormativity,” here, is simply a set of standards that dictate what one must do with their gender and sexuality, such as having sexual relations with the opposite sex, getting married, or having children. Heteronormativity is visible, validated, and normalized in society. Conversely, “queerness” refers to the social structures that dictate what one must not do with their gender and sexuality. Thus, queerness is …


Reupholstery: A Guide For Prop Masters, Kathryn Leigh Brittingham Jan 2015

Reupholstery: A Guide For Prop Masters, Kathryn Leigh Brittingham

LSU Master's Theses

Upholstery is something that is often looked upon as a daunting task. With a full guide to reinforcement for stage use, options in foundations, and charts to compute fabric yardages, this thesis will provide professional prop masters with a guide to heighten their standards of upholstery onstage. Featuring options and ideals for varying skill sets; it will assist prop masters with more information regarding the topic with options particular to the theatrical profession. In lieu of an expansive library of upholstery books that feature a variety of techniques, the information included in this document will serve as a supplemental guide …