Digital Commons Network^™

Black Hair In Local Television: When Will Hair Just Be Hair?, Shari Straker

Capstones

Hair is used as a form of identity and self expression. Oftentimes black hair is perceived as a political statement, unprofessional and unruly. Society has deemed any type of kink or curl as unattractive. In turn women of color have gone to great lengths to conform to this European beauty standard–specifically black women who are reporters and anchors in local news.

You don’t stop seeking help or understanding your pain when you’re sad. The same applies to women of color when discussing the topic of their natural hair. History and present day events have proved that this topic is still …

Life History And Habitat Of The Rare Patch-Nosed Salamander (Urspelerpes Brucei), Carlos D. Camp, Tyler L. Brock, Todd W. Pierson, Joseph Milanovich, John C. Maerz

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We examined the life history and habitat characteristics for the Patch-nosed Salamander, Urspelerpes brucei. Body-size measurements of individuals captured using litter bags and by hand from 2008 to 2010 indicated that the larval period lasts at least 2 y, salamanders attain reproductive maturity at or shortly after metamorphosis, and adults have very little variation in body size. Occupied streams are characterized by small size, little water, and narrow, steep-walled ravines. Within occupied streams, larval capture rate was significantly and negatively related to mean water depth, underscoring the importance of protecting headwaters. We hypothesize that the only known population of U. …

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

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 …

Defying Contextual Embeddedness: Evidence From Displaced Women Entrepreneurs In Jordan, H Al-Dajani, H Akbar, S Carter, E Shaw

Plymouth Business School

Although entrepreneurial practices and processes are evolving and changing globally, models of entrepreneurship remain masculinized, embedded in advanced economies and associated with notions of individual agency, heroism and control. Rarely is defiance considered. In this paper, we explore the defiance practices of displaced women operating in the Jordanian patriarchal economy and society and consider how this enabled their nurturing of entrepreneurship. Indeed, we argue that socially excluded women actually defy their contextual embeddedness through their entrepreneurial activities. In so doing, we respond to calls for research that explores the contextual embeddedness of women’s entrepreneurship, and contribute to shifting the focus …

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 …

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

“I Felt Scared, Like I Was Nobody”: Native American Athletes And Fans Face Widespread Racism At Sport Events, Kalen Goodluck

Capstones

Rural towns in the midwest are often highly supportive of their high school basketball teams and Indian reservation teams are no exception. The trouble is Native American players and fans face racism when facing high school teams from outside reservations.

Over the last decade, from 2008-2018, there have been at least 45 reported incidences all over the U.S. of racial incidents against Native Americans at sporting events like high school games and non-Native teams with pseudo-Indian names and mascots. This data was compiled from news reports by the NYC New Service.

These reported incidences range from making “whooping,” streaking in …

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 …

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

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. …

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 …

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 …

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

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/

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/

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, …

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 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 …

Engineering Eden: The World's Attempt To Outsmart Water Scarcity, Kaitlin A. Sullivan

Capstones

Countries around the world are running out of fresh water, 43 already live with water scarcity, requiring more water than they have. In 2015 the global water crisis took first place in The World Economic Forum’s assessment of the risks that will have the most significant impact on economies, environments and people. Water beat out 27 other long-term risks including infectious diseases and weapons of mass destruction. What happened to Crowley County on the plains of Southeastern Colorado is a cautionary tale of borrowed water. It's been called the Detroit of Colorado, decimated by the reliance of a single industry. …

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 …

To Identify And Determine The Attributes Of The Iranian-Islamic Information Contexts' Manuscripts As To Information And Knowledge Organization, Morteza Mohammadi Ostani, Mozaffar Cheshmehsohrabi, Ahmad Shabani, Asefeh Asemi, Seyed Mahdi Taheri

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose: is to materialize the theme here.

Methodology: The content analysis method is applied herewith respect to developmental-applied research. The attributes (data) are extracted and adjusted through the Delphi technique and Documentation method. The statistical population consists of 14 experts in the field of manuscripts' studies and the field of information and knowledge organization. The sampling follows the targeted sampling method. For data accumulation, a researcher-designed questionnaire is applied to identify the attributes herein.

Findings: 19 main attributes and 224 sub-attributes are necessary to describe and organize Iranian-Islamic information contexts' manuscripts. The importance of these attributes was explained …

Understanding Macro-Scale Patterns In Urban Tree Canopy And Inequity Across Socio-Cultural And Biophysical Regions, Elliott Volin

Master's Theses

Urban forests provide a variety of ecosystem services that influence environmental and social welfare within developed areas. Prior studies have evaluated the effects of inequitable distribution of urban tree canopy (UTC) on ecological and social benefits, leading to inequalities within individual cities. However, it is not well established how such relationships vary among urban areas in different biophysical and socio-cultural regions. The objective of our study was to identify regional and continental trends in the relationships of UTC with socioeconomic/ demographic factors and characteristics of urban regions (e.g., development patterns, timing). To address our objective, we utilized iTree Landscape and …

Musical Introductions To Cavalleria Rusticana: Giuseppe Perrotta's "Bozzetto Sinfonico" And Pietro Mascagni's "Preludio", Ronaldo Augusto Teles Dos Santos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Giovanni Verga’s Cavalleria rusticana has inspired a variety of musical works, among them Giuseppe Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” (an overture to Verga’s play), and Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (a one-act opera based on a libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci). Each composition represents a genre on which scholarship is scarce: late nineteenth-century incidental music and the late nineteenth-century operatic prelude. Considering both Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” and Mascagni’s “Preludio” as musical introductions to stage works, this study undertakes a complete hermeneutic analysis of both works (chapters 2 and 3). The analysis of Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” is guided by a letter in …

Masks: A New Face For The Theatre, Alexi Michael Siegel

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

This study seeks to reimagine and reinvigorate modern theatre’s relationship with mask work through text-based historical research and practice-based artistic research. It focuses on three ancient mask traditions: pre- and early Hellenistic Greek theatre, Japanese Noh theatre, and Nigerian Egungun masquerades. Research on these mask traditions and recent masked productions informed the development and staging of a masked performance of Charles Mee’s Life is a Dream. The production featured sections for each of the ancient masking styles and a final section that explored masks in a contemporary theatrical style. As a whole, this creative project pulls masks out of …

Volume 23, Number 4, Summer 1986 Speaker & Gavel

Speaker & Gavel

Complete digitized issue (volume 23, issue 4, Summer 1986) of Speaker & Gavel.

Volume 23, Number 3, Spring 1986 Speaker And Gavel

Speaker & Gavel

Complete digitized issue (volume 23, issue 3, Spring 1986) of Speaker & Gavel.

Volume 23, Number 2, Winter 1986 Speaker And Gavel

Speaker & Gavel

Complete digitized issue (volume 23, issue 2, Winter 1986) of Speaker & Gavel.