Digital Commons Network^™

The Rise Of The Sentient Musical Instrument: A Study Of Hieronymus Bosch's Musical Instruments And Their Dissonant Revolution, Liza Young

Senior Projects Spring 2011

This essay examines the evolution of Hieronymus Bosch's musical instruments from silent props to sentient characters. It follows the course of the instruments' progression, beginning with the influence of preceding artists and Bosch's early work, and ends with the climactic "Hell" panel of "the Garden of Earthly Delights" in which the instruments have gained complete independence and dominate the human souls. The theories of Aristotle, Tinctoris, Machaut, Dante and the Devotio Moderna are analyzed for their highly influential effects on the instruments' liberation, particularly concerning their belief in the musical body and soul.

A Mathematical Exploration Of Low-Dimensional Black Holes, Abigail Lauren Stevens

Senior Projects Spring 2011

In this paper we will be mathematically exploring low-dimensional gravitational physics and, more specifically, what it tells us about low-dimensional black holes and if there exists a Schwarzschild solution to Einstein's field equation in 2+1 dimensions. We will be starting with an existing solution in 3+1 dimensions, and then reconstructing the classical and relativistic arguments for 2+1 dimensions. Our conclusion is that in 2+1 dimensions, the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein's field equation is non-singular, and therefore it does not yield a black hole. While we still arrive at conic orbits, the relationship between Minkowski-like and Newtonian forces, energies, and geodesics …

Generalized Adinkra Homology, Jacqueline A. Stone

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Adinkras are graphs that encode the supersymmetric pairings between particles in physics. However they are also cubical complexes, which are structures built not only from points and lines, but also squares, cubes, and hypercubes, and therefore have higher dimensional topological structure. Additionally, Adinkras are equivalent to N-cubes quotiented by doubly-even codes of length N, which are a specific type of subgroup of Z2^N. Within this paper, we consider generalized Adinkras, which are N-cubes quotiented by any codes of length N.

Homology is an algebraic invariant of topological spaces. In order to learn more about their topology, we compute the homology …

Poor Old Horse: Tragicomedy And The Good Soldier, Matthew Christian

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College.

How To Make Love In A Graveyard: An Integrative Approach To Celebrating Trauma, Memory, And History Through Alain Resnais’ Hiroshima, Mon Amour, Molly M. Pearlstein

Senior Projects Spring 2011

This paper is an exploration of trauma through the lens of Alain Resnais’ 1959 film, Hiroshima, Mon Amour. Elle. We hypothesize that Elle develops Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after witnessing the traumatic death of her first love. Diagnosing Elle using the DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD, we demonstrate how she continues to fit the criteria for PTSD fourteen years later. Within this investigation, we target dissociation as an important factor in Elle’s posttraumatic response. The issue of dissociation is discussed in relation to memory, and to a larger extent, historical trauma. Through an integrative approach, film analyses elaborate the elusive …

Unstable Foundations: The Role Of The Dionysian In Nietzsche's Construction Of Belief, Leah Faye Norris

Senior Projects Spring 2011

An interpretation of Nietzsche's reading of Euripides' The Bacchae which informs a reading of the use of Dionysus in the philosopher's work as a whole. In the style and content of his writing, particularly The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche establishes a sense of religiosity that is pledged to self-deceptive belief in the Dionysian. This belief preserves the will to live by representing the chaos of the world in a sacred, literarily real figure.

Eurydice Without Orpheus, Nora E. Offen

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College.

Faint Visions, Crystal A. Dyer

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Faint Visions

A Senior Thesis

Crystal Angeline Dyer

In this project, I attempted to attain a trance state while drawing. I set up experiments for myself, becoming both doctor and patient. After exploring my unconscious self through these experiments, I reexamined these ideas through additional drawings. Not every drawing was the direct result of an altered state. I stress the word attempt. The residues of my drawing experiments were left in my studio. My studio became a drawing.

Experiments in Mirror Drawing

In this experiment, I drew with two hands at the exact same time, attempting to make the same …

The Quiet Circus: The Colorful, Complicated, Slightly Schizophrenic, History Of Early Computer Art At Bell Labs, Alexander Jenseth

Senior Projects Fall 2011

Bell Labs was the origin point for a great number of 20th century innovations. Among these innovations were some of the first examples of computer graphics and "computer art" to be created in a laboratory environment. Over the course of the loosely outlined years 1962-1971, a tremendous outpouring of this work came from Ball Labs and began a medium that has proved to among the most influential in the history of technology.

Hold Me Tight // I Never Got The Message, Brieze Levy

Senior Projects Fall 2011

ARTIST STATEMENT: BRIEZE LEVY

I believe in a balance— a force that drives and thrives from resistance, ritual, imagination, and collective minds. I believe our nuances work through us like waves rippling in and out, between our bodies and our environments. My art shows an interest in the difference between ritual and routine, the power of symbols, the transmission of information and the sacred vs. profane. As an artist I am interested in how our human condition drives people into pattern, and how these patterns are added to the accumulation of time. Experience, the basic coupling of human, environment, and …

Filtering Irreducible Clifford Supermodules, Julia C. Bennett

Senior Projects Spring 2011

A Clifford algebra is an associative algebra that generalizes the sequence R, C, H, etc. Filtrations are increasing chains of subspaces that respect the structure of the object they are filtering. In this paper, we filter ideals in Clifford algebras. These filtrations must also satisfy a “Clifford condition”, making them compatible with the algebra structure. We define a notion of equivalence between these filtered ideals and proceed to analyze the space of equivalence classes. We focus our attention on a specific class of filtrations, which we call principal filtrations. Principal filtrations are described by a single element in complex projective …

Inherited Obsession: The Role Of Genetics And Serotonin In The Etiology Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, James E. Sottile

Senior Projects Spring 2011

We still do not understand why some individuals are more likely to develop OCD than others. Research has implicated the serotonin system specifically the serotonin transporter and the 5-HT_2A receptor as potential neurochemical underpinnings of OCD. Innovations in genetics have allowed research to hone in on the specific genes which code for the neurochemical dysfunction implicated in OCD. In this literature review, I gathered data in the form of research which addresses the neurochemical and genetic underpinnings of OCD in order to gain a better understanding of the etiology of the disorder. The findings presented represent my analysis of …

Reflexivity In Financial Markets: A Neuroeconomic Examination Of Uncertainty And Cognition In Financial Markets, Steven Pikelny

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Financial markets exist to disperse the risks of an unknown future in an economy. But for this process to work in an optimal fashion, investors – and subsequently markets – must have a way to interpret uncertainty. The investor rationality and market efficiency literature utilizes a methodology inadequate to address this fact, so I supplement it with the perspectives of epistemology, economic sociology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and philosophy of mind. This approach suggests that what is commonly viewed as market “inefficiency” is not necessarily caused by investor irrationality, but rather by the inherent nature of the epistemological problem faced by …

Fled Is That Magic: The Uses Of Enchantment In John Keats And Led Zeppelin, Jenna M. Ruggiero

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College.

Nonanthropocentrism And Intrinsic Value: In Search Of An Alternative, Kevin M. Powell

Senior Projects Spring 2011

This project argues that an environmental ethic that is nonanthropocentric, that is to say, an ethic that grants moral consideration to beings or objects other than humans, is possible without a theory of intrinsic value.

Delinquent Palaces, Amelia Marini

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College.

Renewed Perspectives In Business Cycle Theory: An Analysis Of Three Heterodox Approaches, Sophia Burress

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Since the collapse of the housing market in 2007-2008, economists have been faltering to provide basic answers to why and how it happened. Turning back to the history of economic thought, this project examines three models of business cycles: the Austrian business cycle theory, Hyman Minsky’s Financial Instability Hypothesis, and the geoclassical cycle theory. Hypothesizing that mainstream economics has rendered its models irrelevant by abstracting from important concepts such as time and uncertainty, I propose that economics does not need to reinvent itself, but rather revisit its past. Using both logic and historical evidence to evaluate the three theories, I …

The Old And The Restless: The Egyptians And The Scythians In Herodotus' Histories, Robert J. Hagan

Senior Projects Spring 2011

The first part of this project focuses on the differences and similarities between the Egyptians and Scythians that occur in Herodotus' work. The second part will examine how this contrast helps the reader understand the many other cultures discussed in the book, focusing on the Persians in particular, and what these similarities and differences mean to Herodotus in terms of the Histories as a whole.

Sustaining Growth: A Projection Of China’S Rebalancing Efforts Towards Domestic Consumption, Yugai Zhu

Senior Projects Spring 2011

According to the macroeconomic identity, combined private sector and public sector balance should match current account balance in any economy. This senior project applies the macroeconomic identity to Chinese data, and analyzes systematically China’s economic structure. The analysis finds that China is not as reliant on trade as people normally think despite that the private sector is running a large surplus. Furthermore, it also shows that the private sector can be induced to spend more, and the public sector has much potential to increase deficit spending. Based on these results, I recommend a combination of 10% to 20% exchange rate …

Wilting Flowers: An Exploration Of The Metatheatricality In Fernando Arabal's Prison Play And They Put Handcuffs On The Flowers, Rachel R. Marks

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College.

Amidst Macaques: A Multispecies Ethnography, Timothy Soyk

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Multidisciplinary Studies of Bard College.

Between Nation And State: Examining The International Romani Unions, Anna M. Fischer

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

The Family Dialogue: Language Acculturation And Its Impact On Perceived Family Conflict Among Asian Americans, Qi Xu

Senior Projects Spring 2011

The present study examines the acculturation gap and the acculturation dimension of language between 1^st - 2^nd generation Asian Americans (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian) adolescents and their first generation immigrant parents and its predicted relationship to the likelihood of perceived family conflict. Survey data was collected from 34 Asian American college students using the Suinn-Lew Asian Self Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) and the Asian American Family Conflicts Scale (AAFCS). It was predicted that the larger the gap between the levels of acculturation and language acculturation of the parent and child, the greater the likelihood of experienced family conflict. …

"Lolita," By Waldo Cros, Charlie Klarsfeld

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Track List:

1. Have It All

2. Just Friendz

3. Come Back

4. Tomorrow

5. Family Affair

6. Just Friends (Demo)

7. Maybe I'm Amazed

This solo debut of songwriter/producer Charlie Klarsfeld was recorded at his home studio in upstate new york from September 2010 to April 2011. The moniker Waldo Cros is derived from the French version of "Where is Waldo," entitled "Où est Charlie," and Lolita Cros, who most of the songs for the record were written about/based on.

credits

released 28 April 2011
All instruments and vocals by Charlie Klarsfeld, except for:

Josh Hahn: Pedal Steel on …

Intersecting Axes Of Language And Experience: An Exploration And Translation Of The Work Of Poet Coral Bracho, Maeve Carver

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College.

In The Absence Of Merit: An Analysis Of The Supreme Court's Stance On Racial Balancing In Public Schools, Imran M. Darrow

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Classifying Derived Voltage Graphs, Madeline Schatzberg

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Gross and Tucker’s voltage graph construction assigns group elements as weights to the edges of an oriented graph. This construction provides a blueprint for inducing graph covers. Thomas Zaslavsky studies the criteria for balance in voltage graphs. This project primarily examines the relationship between the group structure of the set of all possible assignments of a group to a graph, including the balanced subgroup, and the isomorphism classes of covering graphs. We examine connectedness, planarity, and chromatic number in the derived graph. Lastly we explain the future research possibilities involving the fundamental group.

Muscle: A Simulation Toolkit Modeling Low Energy Muon Beam Transport In Crystals, Nazmus Saquib

Senior Projects Spring 2011

The project involves the development of MUSCLE (MUonS Cascade at Low Energy), a collection of programs written in C++ and Mathematica to numerically simulate the passage of low energy muon beams through crystals. Monte Carlo methods employing binary collision approximation calculations and appropriate molecular dynamics algorithms are implemented to construct the trajectories and determine the spatial distribution of stopped muons in single crystals. Channeling of muon particles along certain crystal planes are also found. Binary collision approximation and molecular dynamics algorithms are compared and the possible effect of channeling is discussed.

Revolutionary Ideologies And Poetic Realities: The Politics Of Narrative Ambiguity In Twentieth-Century Russian And Mexican Fiction, Eve Gecker

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College.

Schooled In America: Esl & The Assimilation Of Mexican Immigrant Children, Bridget Dackow

Senior Projects Spring 2011

An ethnography studying ESL and the social, cultural and academic assimilation processes of Mexican immigrant children in Red Hook, New York.