Digital Commons Network^™

Accommodating Bias In The Sharing Economy, Norrinda Brown Hayat

Brooklyn Law Review

The “sharing economy” is not equally accessible to all. The sharing economy’s travel accommodations giant, Airbnb, illustrates this problem. At least one study has found that requests on Airbnb from guests with distinctively African-American names are approximately 16 percent less likely to be accepted than identical guests with distinctively white names. Some Airbnb “hosts,” including hosts that list multiple units, insist that they are not subject to civil rights laws relying on First Amendment jurisprudence, property law and business justifications for support. These arguments are identical to arguments raised and ultimately dismissed in opposition to blacks’ right to travel prior …

Broad City Scrambles The Formula, Robert Leston

Publications and Research

Robert Leston explores how Broad City breaks the sitcom mold, eschewing the conservative and cyclical narrative structure of the traditional sitcom and thereby offering a "willingness to explore controversy and to cross identity, class, race, and gender boundaries."

The Valley Campaign Of 1864 And Ramifications For The War, Trey Meyer

A with Honors Projects

In 1861 the Civil War began and brought with it four years of devastation and destruction along with hundreds of thousands of casualties. The United States hung in the balance for these four crucial years and the battles and campaigns would decide the future of the nation. The Valley Campaign in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1864 was a crucial campaign that helped decide the fate of the war and the nation.

Tbilisi As A Center Of Crosscultural Interactions (The 19th – Early 20thcenturies), Nino Chikovani

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The paper highlights the cultural life and the multiethnic community of Tbilisi city population in the turn of XX-th century, when the economic growth in the South Caucasus urged the urban development and urbanization in entire region. Evidence is provided for the existence and active performance of cultural centers of various Caucasian nations in Tbilisi that used to be the political and cultural center of the South Caucasus under Tsarist Russia administration. The role of Tbilisi and its social environment in search for identity and growing nationalistic sentiments of a number of South Caucasian nations is justified in provided data …

January 2018 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Framed By Sexuality: An Examination Of Identity-Messages In “Purity Culture” Reflections, Ashley Pikel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purity culture is a movement many young Evangelical Christians experienced in the 1990s and early 2000s. Purity culture espouses many values including practicing abstinence until marriage, observing strict dating and/or courtship rules, and remaining physically, emotionally, and spiritually pure. In 1997 Joshua Harris authored I Kissed Dating Goodbye (IKDG) which popularized purity culture principles. Over the past twenty years, Harris reflected on his writings as well as feedback from others to determine that some of what he wrote was incorrect. In 2016, Harris requested IKDG readers to submit their experiences with the book in the form of personal stories. Through …

Brutus, Cassius, Judas, And Cremutius Cordus: How Shifting Precedents Allowed The Lex Maiestatis To Group Writers With Traitors, Hunter R. Myers

Honors Theses

In either 103 or 100 B.C., a concept known as Maiestas minuta populi Romani (diminution of the majesty of the Roman people) is invented by Saturninus to accompany charges of perduellio (treason). Just over a century later, this same law is used by Tiberius to criminalize behavior and speech that he found disrespectful. This thesis offers an answer to the question as to how the maiestas law evolved during the late republic and early empire to present the threat that it did to Tiberius' political enemies. First, the application of Roman precedent in regards to judicial decisions will be examined, …

Factors Influencing High Prevalence Of Fresh Still Births In Mbagathi County Hospital, Nairobi - Kenya, Abednego Ongeso, Magdalene Lukorito, Jane Kabo

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: The annual global burden of stillbirths is approximately 2.6 million, 98% of which occur in Sub Saharan Africa. In 2016, approximately 24 still births per month occurred in Mbagathi County Hospital (MCH) representing a 33.3% increase from 2015. A third of these were Fresh Still Births (FSBs).

Objectives: To establish factors influencing increase in FSB among women delivering at MCH.

Methodology: The study was conducted at MCH postnatal ward. A descriptive cross sectional study design was employed. Forty three respondents with FSBs were consecutively sampled. Clearance to conduct the study was sought from Ethics Review Committee, MCH and respondents. …

On Nature's Prototypes: Character Design And Worldbuilding, Taylor J. Bardon

Theses and Dissertations

Nature’s Prototypes is an ongoing narrative series that blends realism and fiction to create both dialectic plot structures and image sets. For substance, the series utilizes biological inquiries into fields, like ecology, pathology, and bioengineering, to imagine action-centric vignettes, where animalistic to monstrous characters become the predominant actors in a post-dystopian worldscape. Throughout these vignettes, these characters are subjected to the trials and tribulations of the catalysts and flux that are imposed upon them. In the series’ larger scope, these vignettes are sequential events within a larger timeline and an original mythos that delve into the implications and the intrigue …

Performance Pedagogy: Utilizing Alternative Methods In The Classroom, Alexander Paez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Teaching methods and styles at the collegiate level have not changed all that much: Professors still generally give lectures from the lectern or stand in the front of the class, while writing on the board or pointing to a slide projected on a screen. Some questions and answers can occur with the occasional group activity; however, the focus seems always to come back to the text. Students read the required textbook, listen to a lecture and take tests. There are however alternative methods that engage the students as well as the professor in the learning process. Active learning is one …

The Doctor Of Change: A Ideological Criticism Of Doctor Who, Noah Zepponi

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This thesis has used the methodology of an ideological criticism on the long-running science-fiction television series, Doctor Who. Argued within, is that an ideological paradigm shift occurred during the fifty years of scripted storylines. To discern evidence supporting the shift, multiple episodes were viewed from each of the first eleven Doctors. During the viewing process all aspects presented within the show, such as dialogue, movements, tactics, and traits, were explored for ideological agency. Once found, the discourse was further analyzed to understand how these ideologies were enforced. From the findings, proof was examined in order to show by the end …

Aphasia Couples Therapy: A Case Study Of Conversational Coaching For A Man With Conduction Aphasia, Adriana Joma

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the effects of aphasia couples therapy (ACT) in a person with conduction aphasia. ACT is a social therapeutic approach that involves facilitating conversations between the person with aphasia (PWA) and their spouse, or caregiver. The participants in this study involved one pair. The dependent variables included conveyance of main concepts, use of intentional gestures, reflections and summary statements per conversation. Miscellaneous measures were also counted and analyzed including the PWA’s frequency of paraphasias, fillers (e.g. um, uh), and disfluencies. Baseline sessions involved the PWA watching a video clip, …

Picasso's Guernica: The Imaginative Treatment Of History, Riley Buchanan

Theses

What does it mean to reinterpret a violent event on a motionless, silent, two-dimensional canvas; where that event is compressed as an instantaneous flash that belongs not to the documentary, but to the imagination? In this thesis, Pablo Picasso’s Guernica (1937), the artists’ searing response to the Francoist bombing of the Basque town of Gernika during the Spanish Civil War, is treated as a case study through which the efficacy of imagination for historical interpretation is tested. Guernica offers a way of understanding a past reality not through the literal, but through abstraction and creative invention: incongruous lines, deformed shapes, …

Open Versus Endovascular Thoracic Aneurysm Repairs In Australia, Timothy Shiraev

Theses

Objectives: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) affect 10 per 100,000 people, and are responsible for significant mortality. Open surgical repair carries substantial risks of both morbidity and mortality. Endovascular TAA repair is a relatively new technology, with numerous proposed benefits over open repair. However, data is yet to demonstrate whether endovascular TAA repairs outperform open repair. We sought to observe trends and outcomes of TAA repairs over the previous decade in order to identify the optimal method of management of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysm repairs, as well as predictors of poor outcome.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients …

Walking Upright: An Actor's Blueprint Of Process And Character Development In Exit, Pursued By A Bear By Lauren Gunderson, Imani R. Berry

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There has been an increased emphasis for college instruction to incorporate more active and collaborative involvement of students in the learning process. These views have been asserted by The Association of American Colleges (AAC), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and The National Research Counsel (NRC), which are advocating for the modification of traditional instructional techniques to allow students the opportunity to be more cooperative (Task Group on General Education, 1988). This has guided educators and facilitators into shifting teaching paradigms from a teacher centered to a more student-centered curriculum. The present study investigated achievement outcomes and attitudes of learners in …

Scenic Design For Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, James Vincent Raymond

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis document is a written account of my scenic design process. The initial discussions with the director led to the finished set onstage for a production of Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov. The Play was produced by West Virginia University's School of Theatre & Dance, presented in the Gladys G. Davis Theater at the Creative Arts Center in Morgantown, WV. The production dates ran from November 16th-30th and December 1st - 2nd, 2017. This document comprises the scenic design appointment through my analysis of the script, the design process, the execution of the design, and finally my analysis of …

Know What Is, And Know What Ain't An Actor's Exploration Into Developing The Topdogunderdog Character Lincoln, Lonnie Devaughan Simmons

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The playwright Suzan Lori-Parks is known for writing intense, psychological plays featuring mostly characters of color who have depth and emotional richness. Topdog/Underdog is a prime example of this. The play features two brothers who live in a cramped apartment and deal with issues of their past and their relationship with each other. I would like to argue that portraying Lincoln in the West Virginia University production of Topdog/Underdog was an intense and rewarding process where I had to consider race and what it means to be performing this play with the state of our country at the time, utilize …

Finding Booth: My Journey Through Topdogunderdog, Andra Ward Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis recounts my experiences during West Virginia University's Fall 2017 Production of Topdog/Underdog as the role Booth. The purpose of my thesis role was to utilize the training I received during my tenure at WVU, allow myself to be emotionally vulnerable, while sustaining my artistry within a 2-hour 2-person play. Utilizing Linklater, Meisner, and Chekhovian techniques proved fruitful in expanding my range as an actor. Ultimately, the results culminated into artistic, mental, and personal growth that has and will continue to broaden my capabilities as an actor.

Chinese Elements And Influence In Tan Dun's Eight Memories In Watercolor, Qian Xu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since the second half of the twentieth century, Asian composers have formed a new force which has been highly influential in Western classical music. Chinese-American composer Tan Dun is undoubtedly one of the most significant figures among living Asian composers. He gave his first opus number to the piano suite Eight Memories in Watercolor, originally titled Eight Sketches in Hunan Accent, which is now regarded as one of most important pieces in the modern Chinese piano repertoire.;This study aims first to gain a deeper understanding of this piece. After an introduction, Chapter Two presents an overview of Tan Dun's biography …

Affected Behavior: Deceptive Unities In Eighteenth Century Conduct Books, Dominique Angela Bruno

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Evaluation And Testing Of Eye, Nose, And Mouth Protection For Biological Hazards To Support A Consensus Standard, Jeremy R Gouzd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

I Am The Walrus; A Character Study, Joseph Bussey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this thesis is to chronicle and reflect upon the steps and tools used in creating the role of Chebutykin in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters. To effectively complete this task there are a few necessary benchmarks to cover including character analysis, the rehearsal process, and the performance of the role itself. Character analysis will be explored using Anne Bogart and Tina Landau's, The Viewpoints Book. The rehearsal process will discuss not only the way we rehearsed, but also the tools required to effectively personalize and prepare for performance. Finally, the result will reflect what the process provided the …

Hypnotic White Silk Skylights, Anthony Borruso

Graduate Thesis Collection

A poetic examination of the self as well as cycles of trauma and recovery. This manuscript explores poetry's ability to transform one's experiences by re-engaging with them in the realm of the imagination.

The Story Of The Berlin Tunnel: What The Operations Narrative Teaches Us About Covert Conflict In An Ongoing Cold War, Jonathan Collier

Graduate Thesis Collection

Operation Gold (1953-56) was a collaborative covert operation between the American CIA and British SIS. The two major objectives: firstly, rebalance the state of affairs in covert activity, which the KGB had been dominating heading into the 1950s. Secondly, gain more detailed, valuable information on the state of Soviet forces throughout Europe and gain prior warning of possible information. The technological nature of the operation marks it as the beginning of a move away from traditional espionage. Understanding the narrative of Operation Gold establishes a firm foundation on which to address the development of covert activity into the modern day. …

Winter 2018

University of Richmond Magazine

No abstract provided.

Privileging The Oriental In Paco Bezerra's El Señor Ye Ama Los Dragones, Jeffrey K. Coleman

Spanish Languages and Literatures Research and Publications

Paco Bezerra's 2015 thriller-comedy El señor Ye ama los dragones destabilized the immigration narrative that often appears in Spanish theatre by creating a story in which Chinese immigrants are the focus, thus giving visibility and agency to a community that is little discussed in Spanish cultural production. Throughout his play, Bezerra inverts the common approach to immigration drama in which the Western is privileged in structure and in plot. Rather, in this play, the Oriental is privileged on a structural and narrative level, and the play concludes with the triumph of Xiaomei over her white Spanish counterparts. I propose that …

Death Of The Emissary: Language, Metonymy, And European Complicity In Juan Diego Botto’S “La Carta”, Jeffrey K. Coleman

Spanish Languages and Literatures Research and Publications

Juan Diego Botto’s 2005 monologue “La carta” explores the real-life death of Yaguine Koita and Fodé Tounkara, two Guinean boys who in 1999 died attempting to reach Europe with a letter addressed to European officials. A close reading of Botto’s monologue illustrates how the letter by Yaguine and Fodé functions as an archive that explores and redefines the liminal spaces, and therefore the relationship, between Europe and Africa. The monologue and the letter elucidate the boys’ position as emissaries who seek to reconcile the European continent with its complicity in the state of Africa.

What Race Terms Do: Du Bois, Biology, And Psychology On The Meanings Of “Race”, Glenn "Boomer" Mac Trujillo

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This paper does two things. First, it interprets the work of W. E. B. Du Bois to reveal that the meanings of race terms are grounded by both a historical and an aspirational component. Race terms refer to a backward-looking component that traces the history of the group to its present time, as well as a forward-looking component that sets out values and goals for the group. Race terms thus refer to a complex cluster of concepts that involve biological, sociological, historical, moral, and political properties. Second, the paper defends W. E. B. Du Bois’s conservationist thesis about races, which …

Connecting Talent To Technique An Actor's Exploration Of Connecting Back To Their Roots, Madeline Hintz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper is a reflection of my experience performing the role of Sara Jane Moore in the musical Assassins. To work through this role and honor the simplicity of the comedy, I needed to divulge my insecurities that stem from my past musical theatre and comedic experiences. Working through my past and my time here at WVU, the realization of how personal tensions affected my work made the role of Sara Jane Moore the most challenging experience of my graduate school education. The increased awareness of my resistance to new acting and voice techniques allowed me to grow and develop, …

Emotional Precipitants Of Withdrawing Behavior In Couple Interactions, Jason Cencirulo

Theses and Dissertations

The demand-withdraw pattern of communication -- a cyclical pattern of interaction in which criticism and emotional or physical exit predominate -- is common amongst couples in distress and is linked to a number of deleterious health and relational outcomes. Inherent in the pattern are individual and dyadic difficulties regulating emotion that contribute to the process of polarization between demanding and withdrawing parties. While numerous therapeutic modalities target the pattern and attempt to facilitate its reduction through a focus on emotions underlying the pattern, few -- if any -- studies have examined the exact nature and quality of emotions that precipitate …