Digital Commons Network^™

Individual’S Self Awareness Of Mental Illness: The Effects On Implicit Bias, Microaggressions, And Racial Discrimination, Sarah Zoubaa

Student Theses

The purpose of the current study is to understand the factors that impact how persons experiencing subclinical psychological symptoms or an undiagnosed but clinically significant psychological problem perceive individuals who been diagnosed with mental illness. Previous literature has investigated the experiences of discrimination among those with mental health problems, but not their attitudes and behavior towards individuals among their in-group. It was hypothesized that individuals with an emerging mental health problem will have higher rates of implicit bias and perpetrate more microaggressions towards those with a mental illness in order to remove themselves from a group that is associated with …

“I’M The Greatest”: Pride, Impression Management, And Denial Of Coercive Control And Physical Abuse By Perpetrators Of Intimate Partner Violence, Benjamin Reissman, Kendra Doychak M.A., Angela Crossman Ph.D., Chitra Raghavan Ph.D.

Student Theses

Coercive control and physical abuse are two prominent forms of intimate partner violence (IPV), often accompanied by with impression management to conceal such behavior. However, intrinsic motives for engaging in impression management by male IPV offenders are not well-known. The present study makes use of archival data from 85 heterosexual men in a batterer treatment program to gauge how pride, shame, and guilt may relate to impression management and reported IPV. Admission to shame and guilt appear to be correlated with and predictive of both forms of reported abuse, along with the absence of impression management. This implies that internalized …

Optimizing A Method For Dna Recovery While Preserving Latent Prints On Paper, Niti Dalal

Student Theses

Paper evidence is commonly encountered in cases of kidnapping, threatening letters, extortion, and bank robbery, and the optimal workflow between latent print processing and DNA collection is of interest to the forensic community. The overall aim of this project was to achieve optimal amounts of DNA for typing without destroying the fingerprint. The first study compared two collection techniques—tape-lifting by Scotch Removable Poster Tape and dry swabbing with FLOQSwabs— using prints deposited in defined locations. Samples were processed for DNA and developed with 1,2-indanedione. The second aim was to determine if visualizing print locations with fingerprint powder prior to DNA …

Country's Unwanted Children, Amr Alfiky

Capstones

The 9/11 attacks in 2001 thrust American Muslims into the spotlight, where they were bombarded with suspicion. Their lives, habits, and religion were intensely scrutinized by the government and their fellow Americans. Yet, they were also portrayed in the media in a simplistic and stereotyped manner. Millennial Muslim Americans – who came of age after the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent rise of Islamophobia in the U.S – have known no other America.

Website: https://www.amralfiky.com/countrysunwantedchildren

Being Black And Depressed Double Sucks, Stephanie C. Jones

Student Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates the ways race and racism mediate perceptions and experiences of depression among young Black Americans living in the New York metropolitan area. Based on 25 in-depth interviews with Black Americans between the ages of 18-28, the research shows that the Black identity exacerbates suffering for participants because it fundamentally changes how depression is lived, felt, and navigated. This study extends research about the lack of cultural competence among American health professionals, stigma surrounding mental illnesses among the Black American community, and the effects of the systematic dehumanization of Black bodies in American society.

Unlocking The Mysteries Of Weed And Mexico, Eddy Martinez

Capstones

An American biotech firm named Phylos Bioscience is interested in entering the Mexican marijuana market once it legalizes. Before it can do that, it must deal with the Mexican government and a conservative society.

https://eddymartinezcunyedu.atavist.com/figuring-out-the-mysteries-of-weed-and-mexico

Make Art Conservative Again, Gurami Jamaspishvili

Capstones

They are the darlings of conservative America, the prophets of the new reactionary movement, the iconoclasts and the patron saints of the free speech, revered by "the basket of deplorables" and castigated by liberal America for being cheap shot opportunists whose goal is to crusade against the values that Americans hold most dear. Although Donald Trump's presidency galvanized a big chunk of artists around the resistance movement, a small group of right-wing artists, who were operating surreptitiously, are gaining momentum.

https://conservativeart.exposure.co/make-art-conservative-again

Beneath Brooklyn’S Darkened Skies, Court Continues Long Into The Night, Emilie Ruscoe

Capstones

Tens of thousands of people who pass annually through New York’s criminal justice system via night court in Brooklyn. In these eight hours, the administration of justice slows and the human foundation of this bureaucracy is on display as the court works into the night. http://www.emilieruscoe.com/night-court/

Reimagining Essex Street Market, Madeleine M. Crenshaw

Capstones

Reimagining Essex Street Market is a multimedia story highlighting a historic 78-year-old market on the Lower East Side that is moving to a massive mixed-used development. Using, GIFS, text, social video and photo, this project illustrates the historical and cultural significance of the market that has been a staple to the neighborhood and the immigrant communities of the Lower East Side for decades.

https://medium.com/@madeleinecrenshaw/reimagining-essex-street-market-6ebcbb704b25

Behind The Student Loan Debt Crisis, New Benefits Solutions, Sarah Min

Capstones

Two years ago, when Scott Thompson took over tech startup Tuition.io as chief executive officer in 2016, he felt as though he had to educate his clients about his product — a new benefit, managed by his software company that allows employers to help their employees repay their student loans.

Today, he doesn’t feel that need. When he recently walked into a Fortune 20 company with a stack of documents, his prospective clients said they understood his pitch and hardly required the introductory material. “I don’t evangelize anymore. We very rarely educate any longer,” Thompson said.

When Tuition.io was founded …

Addicted To The Answer, Charumathi Raman

Capstones

Hypochondria, which is now broadly known as health anxiety, is the fear of a serious illness that continues despite evidence to the contrary from laboratory tests and the reassurance of physicians. In the past people with this disorder would go from doctor to doctor seeking an answer, but now many people rely solely upon online information.

For people with health anxiety, the Internet provides a lot of fodder. Researchers have recently coined the term "cyberchondria" to describe the phenomenon of increased health anxiety due to online health searches.

Entering questions like “Who started World War Two?” or “Who was the …

Lords From The Desert, Caroline Mercado

Capstones

Lords from the Desert

This work explores a reality that is little talked about: how the most prestigious pre-Columbian art exhibits in the United States hide a murky origin. From looting of temples to illicit art trafficking, to smuggling and collectors’ affairs, the pieces gain value in proportion to the social prestige of their owner. Along the way, the most important is lost: research that provides context and allows us to know history. The First World wins a seductive, but simplistic story. The Third World, from which all these cultures emerge, loses patrimony and possibilities of understanding themselves. A pair …

How Immigrants Are Redefining Hudson Valley Dining, Kevin Wheeler

Capstones

Westchester county and the greater Hudson Valley have never been known for their restaurants. While ubiquitous Italian-American red sauce spots and diners serve their purpose, they do not usually demand any detours. Sure, there might be an iconic hot dog stand like Walter’s in Mamaroneck, and the preeminent cooking school of the United States is a few miles north of Poughkeepsie. But mostly, these areas are collectively known as the beautiful backyard of New York City, not as a culinary destination.

That notion is slowly changing, however, as the Hudson Valley becomes more diverse, and thereby more exciting, culinarily speaking. …

Staying Afloat In A Dying Industry, Naomi Yane

Capstones

Staying Afloat in a dying Industry

The storied neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay, which sits on the southern tip of Brooklyn, is named after a fish that once inhabited the waters surrounding the town. Like the Sheepshead fish, the community's once booming fishing industry might soon be wiped out due to increasing regulations. Despite complaints from local fishermen, government agencies have taken their stand.

https://www.naomiyane.com/capstone

Amenazado En Venezuela, En Espera En Ee.Uu., Hernan Goicochea, Juan Garcia

Capstones

Venezolano activista luchó para combatir el sida en su país, huyo de las amenazas del gobierno venezolano, y está buscando asilo político en los Estado Unidos.

https://theinformantes.home.blog/2018/12/13/amenazado-en-venezuela-en-espera-en-ee-uu/

Published Link: https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/inmigracion/la-historia-de-jesus-en-estados-unidos-dos-secuestros-le-hicieron-huir-de-venezuela-los-tmna3870280

New Roots: A Transracial Adoption Story, Scarlett Kuang

Capstones

This is a documentary on transracial adoption. Transracial adoption is becoming more and more common in America. In 2011, 4 out of 10 adopted children were raised by families of a different race or ethnicity. Daniel and Lisa Conklins have 11 children. After giving birth to 6, the couple adopted another 5 children from 5 different countries. They live in Castile, a farm town in upstate New York. The then 6-year-old Ezra needs to adapt to a totally new environment and embrace his new family. For Elaina who was adopted as a baby, the challenge is to survive in a …

Surviving A Death Sentence, Amy K. Mackinnon

Capstones

Diagnosed with HIV at the peak of the AIDS epidemic, Sean McKenna had planned to die. Now, decades after life-saving drugs were first released, he and other long-term survivors are still figuring out how to live.
https://amykmackinnon.wordpress.com/capstone/

Women Are Being Cut During Childbirth Without Need Or Consent, Molly Cora Enking

Capstones

An episiotomy, a surgical cut used to enlarge the vaginal opening during childbirth, can be extremely painful, hard to recover from and can increase the risk of severe complications. In 2018, episiotomies are rarely necessary, but at some U.S. hospitals they happen much more than they should. And in the course reporting this story, New York City News Service found that it is common for doctors to cut women without the mother’s consent.

https://medium.com/@mollyenking/women-are-being-cut-during-childbirth-without-need-or-consent-7677de7eddae

The Gentrification Of Drag, Kyle Kucharski

Capstones

The world of drag has reached virtual mainstream visibility thanks to a combination of shifting social norms, social media and the success of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race (which just won its third Emmy). No longer relegated to the confines of queer subculture, drag queens are now exported worldwide on prime-time television. When a “man in a dress” is no longer subversive, how can drag as a subculture continue to push the boundaries?

This critical essay looks at the art of drag, its historical position in culture and how its currently blowing up mainstream entertainment. Increased success and visibility can …

Burden Of Proof: Insurance Companies Are Refusing To Pay For Mental Healthcare And Regulators Are Letting Them. Patients Are Left To Fend For Themselves., Graison Dangor

Capstones

When their mental health claims are denied, patients who are supposed to be protected by state and federal law have a choice: Don’t get care or pay for the care themselves, then fight to get paid back.

Link to capstone: https://graisondangor.github.io/mental-healthcare-equality/

Suicide Watch: How Netflix Landed On A Cultural Landmine, Shabnaj Chowdhury

Capstones

Following the premiere of the television series “13 Reasons Why” in 2017, Netflix stepped squarely on a cultural landmine, stirring controversy over its graphic depiction of teen suicide.

According to media experts, showing a teenager kill themselves on television was completely unprecedented. Mental health experts say the act has significant consequences for “at risk” audience members, or people who were already experiencing suicidal thoughts before watching the show. It is proven that entertainment, and television specifically, can strongly influence audience behaviors and thoughts.

Suicide is one of the only causes of deaths that’s on the rise in the United States, …

Trade Rout: As Trade Tensions Built Between U.S. And Canada, This American Border Town Felt The Freeze, Matt Cutler, Isaac Carey

Capstones

A close business relationship with Canada has allowed Plattsburgh to thrive as a manufacturing town. Over 100 Quebec-based companies operate there, and 15 percent of the workforce in the county gets its paycheck from a Canadian company. Even more impressive, this comes at a time when manufacturing jobs are declining nationwide. While factories are shutting down across the rust belt, in Plattsburgh they are opening up.

There is just one problem.

All of this was made possible by the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. And just this April, the Trump administration abruptly threatened to pull out of the …

Democracy Later, Dave A. Gentile Mr

Capstones

My idea was to investigate what happened during the Queens County Committee debacle over the summer. If you aren't familiar, the NYTimes covered it a bit, but basically a whole bunch of candidates associated with the New Queens Dems, myself included, running for Queens County Committee got screwed and forced off the ballots in favor of candidates who did not even know they were running.

I have access to virtually every one of the candidates who was forced off the ballot, as well access to some of the candidates who replaced us unknowingly and unwillfully. I also have total access …

I Am A Man: How Legacy And Inheritance Bear A Heavy Burden On Black Masculinity In A Raisin In The Sun, Barbershop, And Creed, Aliyah D. Veal

Capstones

This project looks into the connections between black fathers and sons and what impact legacy and inheritance have on black masculinity.

https://medium.com/@aliyah.veal/i-am-a-man-bf8fe5983d85

The Curious Case Of Will Brooke, Adam Muro

Capstones

William Wade Brooke, an Alabama businessman with ties to state and national Republican Party politics and scandal, was for over one year a registered foreign agent working for the office of Saad Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon. He was the only registered lobbyist for Hariri while he was active, and stranger yet he stated on his Foreign Agent Registration Act forms that he was working for free. An investigation into his background and ties to Lebanon revealed that he lobbied for free in recognition of favors that Hariri did, and continues to do, for a christian missionary group Brooke is …

The Invisible Brain Injury Crisis, Michael E. Rosenthal

Capstones

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2013 data, over 282,000 hospitalizations and 2.5 million emergency department visits were at least in part attributable to TBI. In the same year, about 56,000 people died.

Emergency departments in 2012 treated about 329,290 kids under 20 for TBI following an injury taking place during physical activity.

This project explores the rise in traumatic brain injuries and examines the difficult path that some of the survivors have to go through during recovery. By telling the story through my own personal experiences, I guide the reader through what the initial trauma and …

The Mental Health Toll Of Amazon Warehouse Work, Max Zahn

Capstones

The emergency call is among at least 207 made for suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health episodes in Amazon warehouses nationwide during the past five years, according to 911 call logs, ambulance and police reports obtained under open records requests. The reports are for 48 Amazon warehouses spanning close to 20 states across the country, roughly half of the sorting and fulfillment centers that comprise Amazon’s network inside the United States. Jurisdictions for other Amazon warehouses either did not have any reports or declined requests for similar logs.

On Paper, Immigrant Detention Centers Meet Standards To Prevent Sexual Assault. But Assault Continues. Why?, Samantha A. Maldonado, Sarah V. Matusek, Paula Moura

Capstones

Since 2014, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees have been protected by the federal law known as the Prison Rape Elimination Act, or PREA, designed to make facilities safer, give detainees better access to report sexual harm and increase transparency. Advocates, lawyers and detainees, however, say these standards are limited, and that the ability to report abuse is easily thwarted. A consulting company, The Nakamoto Group, was hired to conduct ICE's PREA audits. But critics, including former ICE employees and the Department of Homeland Security's own watchdog, question the substance of the audits and charge that the company’s auditors have overlooked …

The Diaspora At Home, Ivan A. Flores

Capstones

Cuba only existed in the quiet whispers and faded memories of my mother and her two sisters. As children, they were refugees fleeing Castro. All my life, I heard their stories. I would hear about the family that never made it across that narrow strait, how the heat on the island was never oppressive because of cool breezes that rolled in with the waves that crashed on its shores. There was never a more beautiful country. They have never returned to Cuba.

I have sought to document the diaspora of one family divided by politics. Mixing portraiture, archival images with …

A.V.O Boyz: The Rise Of Afrobeats Through Dance, Oumou Fofana

Capstones

Afrobeats music has been number one if the African continent for nearly a decade and it is now attacking the international market, thanks to support from major American superstars and the killer dance moves created by African dancers. http://www.oumoufofana.com/capstone/