American Studies Commons^™

After The Fall: The Post-Apocalyptic Frontier In The Road And 28 Days Later, Jeffrey J. Lavigne

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Previous scholars have identified three scenes of the American frontier myth: the sea, the west, and space. This evolution of frontiers reflected key changes in the expression of America’s cultural identity. While Janice Hocker Rushing called space “the final frontier,” the prominent place in contemporary society held by zombies and other minions of the occult hint at the emergence of yet another scene of the American mythos: the post apocalypse. In contrast to previous frontiers, which are defined geographically, the post-apocalypse is much broader, for in the wake of a global cataclysm, everywhere is a potential frontier. This decentralization of …

Woman Or Warrior? How Believable Femininity Shapes Warrior Women, Jessica D. Mccall

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

My dissertation is an exploration of how femininity is constructed in the characters of warrior women. I define and apply my theory of believable femininity: the notion that in order for characters gendered female to be accepted by an audience, specific textual markers must render them submissive to a dominating male figure. I examine the following warrior women at length: Britomart and Radigund from Spenser's The Faerie Queene; Christine de Pizan's treatment of Amazons in her Book of the City of Ladies and Hippolyta's specific portrayal by de Pizan in comparison to Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, and the …

“'You Done Cheat Mose Out O' De Job, Anyways; We All Knows Dat'”: Faith Healing In The Fiction Of Kate Chopin, Karen Kel Roop

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1850, the half-way mark of the century in which the country itself would be broken in two, Kate Chopin was destined to bear witness to the many divisions that have distinguished the United States. Especially noticeable in the post-Reconstruction period in which she wrote was the expanding chasm between the races. This dissertation argues that even Chopin's most seemingly orthodox Southern stories betray a quest for a theology capable of healing the physical, emotional, and spiritual ills omnipresent in the country and especially apparent in the post-Civil War South. The alternative to mainstream Protestantism …

Summerview, Laura Breitenbeck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Summerview is a thesis-length work of fiction in fulfillment of the requirements of the MFA program in Creative Writing. It is a story about a religious family with a disruptive event in its past. It is also about objects such as billboards. Everyone in the story lives in the United States of America and is afraid of something.

Raise The Still Rabbit, Michael Kroesche

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

My first collection of poetry, Raise the Still Rabbit, explores the literal landscape we live in, the themes of language and lyric, as well as the relationships between people. The poems are rooted in the experiential, the moments when the act of writing becomes a navigation of the various themes of the local environment, cohabitation between individual people, and the geography of the poems' content and textual construction. Navigating these themes, the poems attempt to dissolve the illusory barriers that appear to separate subjects such as the interior of a home from the desert surrounding it. In this collection, …

Sew Speak! Needlework As The Voice Of Ideology Critique In The Scarlet Letter , "A New England Nun," And The Age Of Innocence, Laura L. Powell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the Nineteenth Century, needlework, and embroidery in particular, became a signifier of feminine identity. Needlework was such a significant part of women’s lives and so integral to the construction of femininity in nineteenth-century America that both pictoral and narrative art demonstrate numerous representations of women embroidering. The sheer volume of these representations in the Nineteenth Century suggests that the practice of embroidery provides a way of speaking for women—a representation of the voice of subjectivity silenced by patriarchal ideology. Because needlework serves as a signifier of ideal femininity, it provides uniquely fruitful and previously unexplored opportunities for investigating how …

The Pronoun Problem: Possible Changes In The Use Of Epicene Pronouns, Brittany Norton

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Civil Engineering Balancing Act, Elena M. Rodriguez

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

The capstone design project for the civil engineering students at the University of South Florida involved designing a replacement bridge for the current Anna Maria Island Bridge in Anna Maria, Florida. The new bridge would replace the current low-level, two-lane drawbridge with a high-level fixed bridge. As part of a group of learning engineers, the task at hand was to develop an economically optimal design proposal and then carry this design to a refined stage. However, it is a common misconception among the members of society that designing is the civil engineer’s only obligation to a project. In order to …

The Failure Of The Free World: Anarchy In Uncle Tom’S Cabin, Andy Cerrone

Interdisciplinary Perspectives: a Graduate Student Research Showcase

Harriett Beecher Stowe is often identified as an advocate for Christianity, woman's suffrage, autonomy, and the abolishment of slavery.  However, inviting the reader to view her work through an anarchist lens, her magnum opus—Uncle Tom’s Cabin— offers the reader the opportunity to reconstruct her politics with immense implication.  Critics regard Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" as a sermon devised with the intention to inflate the nation with the righteous spirit of God, offering to the reader the opportunity to partake in the message of her religious vision.  While Stowe's absolute faith in her Christian profile of God is present, she invariably …

The Slap Tear: A Modern Baseball Focus, Jonathan Koscso

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

New Haven Dialect The Linguistic Impact Of Southern Italian Immigrants In Connecticut, Andrew Gargano

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

This thesis will focus primarily on the dialect which exists in New Haven, Connecticut. In order to identify the features specific to this dialect, the standard American English vernacular, General American, will first be outlined so that the distinct differences between the two can be clearly identified. In addition, this thesis will also attempt to explain the rationale behind what has caused the specific features of this dialect to occur. The main reason of this is believed to be the strong im-pact which Italian immigrants in the New Haven area have had on the language over time. Therefore, the characteristics …

Improving Cost Efficiencies Related To The Discharge Policy: An Analysis Of The Retail Pharmacy At Moffitt Cancer Center And Research Institute, Seth Richards

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Intimate Partner Violence And Alcohol Abuse In The Indigenous Populations Of Panamá, Addie K. Cant, Sarah E. Pheiffer

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

Indigenous communities in the Chiriqui province of Panamá, Central America, the Ngöbe and Buglé tribes, identified a growing problem with alcohol abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV). The College of Nursing at the University of South Florida was invited to conduct research to determine the extent of the problem and to assist with community intervention development. A descriptive correlational study adapting an interview-style survey from the 2005 World Health Organization‟s “Multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence against women: Summary report of initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women’s responses” was conducted to provide baseline research that identifies …

Brain Plasticity Influencing Phantom Limb And Prosthetics, Heather Scott

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Intimate Partner Violence And Alcohol Abuse In Panama: A Comparison Of Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Population, Sarah Pheiffer

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Unspoken Moons, Hunter Taylor

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Campus Recreation Usage: Developing Our Student Body Into Well-Balanced Graduates, Carson Hardy, Garrett Hellman

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Does Immune Suppression After Moderate Stressors Occur To Free Resources In The House Sparrow (Passer Domesticus)?, Alexandra Urban

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

Stressors affect immune functions, but exactly why has yet to be discerned entirely. Two non-exclusive hypotheses have been proposed to explain this phenomenon: (i) immunosuppression abates the autoimmune response to self-antigens exposed by the rigors of a stressor, and (ii) immunosuppression allows allocation of resources to functions more valuable than protection against infection during a stressful event, (e.g., physical performance augments predator evasion). In this experiment, the second hypothesis was tested in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus) by comparing rates of change in vertical flight performance versus antibacterial capacity of blood over a six week period of captivity. I predicted …

A Retrospective And Prospective Comparison Of Hungarian Children Who Have One Or Two Episodes Of Depression, Vanessa Panaite

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early onset depression is associated with high recurrence rates later in life. Recurrent depressive episodes during childhood may be particularly problematic, if additional episodes have a scarring effect that hinders healthy development. Distinguishing between first onsets and recurrences has been useful in understanding adult depression. This distinction has seldom been examined in pediatric depression, in part because it is difficult to enroll adequate samples of children with recurrent depression. We conducted archival analyses of carefully-diagnosed pediatric probands with depression first onset between ages of 4 and 12. Probands who reported one depressive episode (N = 435) were compared with probands …

Johnson, Mackenzi (Fa 514), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 514.  Collection consists of short interviews conducted by Mackenzi Johnson with Kenneth Nixon about folk customs and foodways, two of Johnson’s young cousins about children’s rhyming and clap games, an informal interview with Charita Swann, as well as discussions of Native American culture and life with Arigon Starr and Gay Wapecome.  Also includes a performance by Arigon Starr at Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee.  This project was completed for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Osborne, Theresa (Fa 513), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 513.  Material collected by Theresa Osborne about an event called “Country Fair Day” held at the Kentucky Coal Mining Museum, Benham, Kentucky, featuring presentations about material culture.  Also includes a paper focusing on local material culture and foodways and a small collection of interviews documenting recollections of Kentucky residents.  This project was completed for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Gatsby And Jazz: One Coin, Two Sides, Sally Van Der Graaff

2011 Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity - Documents

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Toni Morrison's JAZZ both tell the story of the American 1920s, but from opposite points of view. Fitzgerald and Morrison offer two compelling narratives of the societal shift that took place in post-World War 1-era America, but although the accounts share the same general topic and historical era, it is otherwise difficult to reconcile the two American portraits that have been painted. It is as though the two authors are giving a description of the same coin, but one describes the front and the other describes the back. To the white population this …

Hog Butchering (Fa 24), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 24. Statements and reminiscences of Kentucky residents who participated in or conducted hog butchering in Kentucky. Information was gathered from various informants between 1963-1969. Material is arranged alphabetically by collector, consisting of specific detials about executing hogs, processing and preserving meat, and rendering lard. Includes papers by collectors and photographs. This project was completed by students at Campbellsville College under the guidance of Lynwood Montell.

How Technology Can Improve Oral Hygiene And Overall Health With The Use Of Electronic Toothbrushes, Alexandra Griffin

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

Purpose. To demonstrate that technology can improve oral hygiene which will contribute to improved overall health with the use of electronic toothbrushes.

Methods. This is a two part study. The first part will include 12 individuals divided into three groups with 4 persons per control group; depending on the toothbrush they use on a regular basis. The three types of toothbrushes utilized will be manual, Sonicare and Oral-B. All individuals will be examined and scored based on their level of gingival inflammation using the Silness-Loe index along with a plaque index measurement at the neck of each tooth. The second …

Misogyny And The Money, Leah Stevenson

2011 Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity - Documents

View Ms. Stevenson's Painting.

In the late 90's hip-hop started as a form of encouragement and empowerment for black people who struggled when growing up. Hip Hop gave black people a voice, where their opinions and challenges could be heard throughout the world. Today the genre of Hip-hop music has developed into a negative image that degrades women and negatively influences the younger black community. Think about some of the hip-hop music at the top of the charts; the songs that disrespect woman, and contains far too much explicit content that it has society desensitized. The pervasiveness of today' …

Aging With Independence And Interaction: An Assisted Living Community, Steven J. Flositz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the U.S. population gets older, there is an increased need for senior housing. However, elderly housing is currently associated with dependence and isolation. There is a great disconnect from the retired community with its surrounding context. Senior housing and nursing homes are becoming more similar to miniature hospitals rather than a residential type. This negative view of nursing homes is becoming clear to the general population. In fact, most seniors fear the idea of living within an aging complex. Also, people generally avoid these places, even while visiting family. Florida is on the frontline for the effects of the …

Smith, Cornelia Stanley (Allen), B. 1839? (Sc 2437), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2437.  Letters from various magazine editors, literary agents and publishers in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Rochester, New York and Augusta, Maine to Cornelia Stanley (Allen) Smith, who submitted prose and poetry under the pen name "Clio Stanley."

Autonomic Emotion, Dylan Hodill

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Electrowetting Induced Cassie-Wenzel Transition On Textured Surfaces, Kenza Mouttaki

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

The electrowetting field expanded drastically during the last decade. It combines several laws and theories out of which Young's equation, Cassie law and Wenzel law. The main focus of electrowetting is the transition between a superhydrophobic state -Cassie- and a hydrophilic state -Wenzel-. This transition allows a wide range of applications such as microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip devices, chemical microreactors and management of microelectronics.

The purpose of this research is to provide a standard operational procedure for the fabrication of substrates that allow the Cassie to Wenzel transition. Theoretical equations are compared to experimental results. These substrates will be implemented in future …

Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, 1836-1907 (Sc 164), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 164. “Love’s Calendar,” handwritten poem by Thomas Bailey Aldrich. The Atlantic Monthly, of which Aldrich would later become editor, published the poem under the title “Snow” in its March 1866 issue.