Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

Revenge, Guilt, and Greed: Feast Scenes and Political Order in Shakespearian Society

Ashley VanderWeele — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:35:31 PDT

Feasts are a time of community unity, a time of imposed order even if chaos abounds. Feasts can be for celebratory reasons, they can be of a religious nature, and as Samuel Pepys points out, they can help mend rifts among people at odds with one another. Even when feasts have celebratory or religious purposes, they may also involve political matters. A monarch, for example, may host a feast to celebrate his wedding, but, while celebrating the joyous royal union, the guests are also celebrating the political union of two kingdoms. Many times a king marries to strengthen his kingdom and ruling power, not for love. His wedding feast is actually a political act.

George Barbier and the Art Deco Era: A Love Story

Elly Vander Kolk — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:30:38 PDT

Improving Non-Profit Organizations: Mon Ami

Dylan Yang et al. — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:30:37 PDT

For our Collaborative Learning Program winter term group project, we completed community service at Mon Ami [1] and Service by going to the non-profit every Friday to help the teachers in the day care center. While we were there, our group made observations about the non-profit organization. At the end of the community service experience, our group constructed solutions for the problems we discovered at the non-profit organization and recommended ways to implement these solutions. Our research results were presented to our CLP professors in written form and as a formal presentation.

[1 ]The organization's name has been changed due to privacy concerns.

Deviance or making do: Seder in the institution

Jordan Mathurin — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:30:35 PDT

Deviance or Making Do: Seder in the Institution, compares the institution of Jewish religion and the traditions that go along with the holiday of Pesach, Passover, against one impromptu Passover Seder held at a rehab clinic and mental health hospital. It shows how in many ways and to many of the Jewish faith this event could be viewed in such a way that it is labeled as deviant, but in the end how far does it actually stray from the true heart of a Seder?

Government Provided Health Insurance

Kristina Lambert et al. — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:30:34 PDT

Grandma’s Dictionary

Leiquan Jeremiah — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:30:33 PDT

Act 1:

We are introduced to the Baileys who live in a modest neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. The family has lived in the same house for generations.

Grandma Athena is the family glue and holds true to her role. She serves as a mediator and voice of reason for family and friends.

Cecile is the main voice of the play who finds herself learning about different people and their lives by being at the right place at the right time. Besides her bold listening in, she loves to tell people’s stories.

Susie-Ann is Cecile’s long-time, childhood friend. Susie-Ann lives in a house with her mother, sister, and abusive father.

The Rise and Fall of Bread in America

Amanda Benson — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:25:25 PDT

Over the last century bread has gone through cycles of acceptance and popularity in the United States. The pressure exerted on the American bread market by manufacturers’ advertising campaigns and various dietary trends has caused it to go through periods of acceptance and rejection. Before the industrialization of bread making, consumers held few negative views on bread and perceived it primarily as a form of sustenance. After its industrialization, the battle between the manufacturers and the neighborhood bakeries over consumers began. With manufacturers, such as Wonder Bread, trying to maximize profits and dominate the market, corporate leaders aimed to discourage consumers from purchasing from smaller bakeries.

Though industrial bread manufacturers came out on top, they too faced challenges as consumers began to disapprove of all bread, not just locally baked loaves. Carb Free diets and, most recently, Gluten free diets have influenced people to remove bread from their diets. With the drop in bakers’ profits, they had to come up with trends to drive consumers back to the staple. Whole wheat bread once thrown aside for white bread was welcomed back as a better and healthier choice to the processed packaged bread. Movements, such as Artisan Bread and Locally Made, help consumers return to neighborhood bakeries. With the shift back to traditional bread, Wonder Bread was forced to close, showing that consumers do value quality over cost. When looking at the big picture of bread it shows that no matter how many waves the staple food goes through it can stand the test of time.

Pinkberry Business Plan

Adriana Briones et al. — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:21:26 PDT

The following business plan details a franchising plan of a frozen yogurt shop to be constructed, developed, and operated in a very popular shopping mall in Rhode Island. The shop will be a franchise of Pinkberry brand. Pinkberry is an upscale frozen dessert brand that serves as an alternative to ice cream. Pinkberry anticipates continued success due to its location, high quality product, and strong brand name.

Hans Holbein the Younger – The Interweaving of His Life and Works with the Events of the Protestant Reformation

Jean Pulsifer — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:07:22 PDT

The works of Hans Holbein, probably more than those of any other Renaissance artist, were directly affected by the events of the Protestant Reformation. During the High Renaissance in Italy around the beginning of the sixteenth century, a time of social, political, and religious unrest was also brewing. Reformers within the Catholic Church felt the church was becoming very distorted and worldly. The reformers were concerned with their own sins and salvation, not the pleasures of the world. Martin Luther (1483-1546), the first Protestant reformer, travelled to Rome in 1510. He was also very disappointed to see the worldliness of the church. The final insult was the sale of indulgences, where people could purchase their way into Heaven. Pope Julius was a leading force behind these sales as he wanted to use the money to help rebuild St. Peter’s. This idea infuriated people in the north, and those within the church who were looking for reform. People couldn’t just “buy” their way into heaven. Luther, by studying the Bible, came to believe that salvation came from faith alone in Jesus Christ and that the Bible should be central in the lives of individuals and the church. Being a friar himself, he wanted the indulgence issue and others to be debated. Since he was a professor and doing what the university community normally would do for matters of discussion, he posted his 95 Theses on the university’s bulletin board – the church door in Wittenburg, Germany. Luther did not expect any reaction outside of the university community, but the theses quickly spread throughout Germany. Thus began the Protestant Reformation, which would turn Europe into a blood bath and have an enormous impact on the political, religious, social, and artistic world, which people had grown accustomed to for the past few centuries.

Leather Whips and Rapier Wit: Observations on Sadomasochists and the World They Have Created

Samantha Ann Roberg — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:07:21 PDT

What kind of world is the kink and fetish community? Is it a deep, dark, devilish abyss splattered with bodily fluids, coursing with gyrating bodies stomping out its heartbeat? Polite society seemingly thinks so. Bondage, and even worse, sadomasochism are portrayed by today's television and media as satanic and evil, not what love between a man and woman should be. In today's day and age, love is no longer limited to just one man or one woman, but still seems only appropriately hidden away behind closed doors, hidden from parents or children, a dirty act until marriage. What happens when you take a look into that abyss and find yourself swallowed whole by it? What happens when you shrug away the guilt and dogma of all your years and walk into this world you could never understand alone? I did such a thing; I cast away the restrictions of faith, ignored the nagging ghost of my mother's voice on my conscious, and found myself my perfect guide on my first solo expedition into the unknown.

Music, Mood, and Memory: An In-Depth Look at How Music Can Be Used as a Trigger to Elicit Specific Emotional Responses and Associated Memories

Jennifer Lynn Stubing — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:07:20 PDT

No matter how humans have evolved over the years, no matter how different the cultures or customs are across seas, every race in the history of humankind has had music. Music and emotions have been intertwined throughout history. While short-term memories are fleeting, it is theorized that music has the potential to become a long-term memory after just one hearing (Eschrich 48).

Music, memories, and emotions have all been proven to intertwine, yet not much research has demonstrated the interrelation of all three. Musicology focuses on the connection between the human psyche and music. The most common use of music is meaning enhancement, which is when listeners play music in order to enhance an event, such as a wedding (Sloboda 90). Music therapists utilize music and the subsequent reactions from their patients to access “emotions, memories, structural behavior, and provide social experiments” (Thaut 820). Music therapy has been used to relax patients, and to assist in controlling different disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, aphasia, and Tourette’s syndrome.

Survey questions were created by the researcher to find the personal viewpoints of the participants in regards to how music, memory, and emotions are connected. Forty-six participants, ranging in age from 18 to 60, were surveyed. The first five questions assessed the participants’ agreement with general assertions that music can affect the listeners and how music, memories, and emotions connect. The subsequent five questions were created to ascertain whether if or how music personally affected the respondents. They were asked, for example, if they had noticed mood changes in themselves due to music, or if they had ever individually had memories that correlated with specific music. The majority of the participants strongly agreed that music can bring out emotions in the listeners, that certain memories can be attached to different pieces of music, that slower, classical style music can relax the listener, that playing faster songs in clubs keeps patrons happy and upbeat, and that music is an important part of memory. The results from this survey strongly supported the researcher’s thesis.

It is hoped that this thesis could be beneficial to many fields of study. Some specific areas where the findings could be applicable include musicology for music production, psychotherapy for repressed memories and anger management, music therapy for mental and physical disorders, and neuroscience for brain abnormalities.

Acts of Kindness

Demetria Hayman — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:07:19 PDT

I believe that for every evil act, there is a kind one. When I’m home, away from my college life in Rhode Island, I usually wake up and lazily watch the news for a half hour and drink a few cups of coffee. Usually the news is a depressing way to start the day, but often there is a short story about something miraculous or cheerful, like when a soldier receives a purple heart or when someone vows to dedicate her life to community service.

Epigenetics: A Progressive View

Kimberly Gustafson — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:06:02 PDT

This research report examines the field of epigenetics in three areas through secondary research. A progressive viewpoint of the field is taken. The historical perspective of epigenetics is examined, followed by the chemical and biochemical reactions involved, and finally an analysis of the field of epigenetics as it relates to Nutrigenomics and the health and well being of the population is conducted.

Changing Drink: How the Eighteenth Amendment Significantly Altered the Way People Regard Drink

Michelle Jasinski — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:06:00 PDT

Early nineteenth century Americans embraced a culture of drink that was embedded in all parts of life, including their work, family, religion, traditions, and social relations. Critics of this drink culture succeeded in banning the production and sale of alcohol under the Eighteenth Amendment which lasted from 1919 until 1933. This abrupt transformation dramatically changed American’s drinking habits by forcing the consumption of alcohol into a new culture of secrecy and unlawfulness. By the time the nation’s leaders realized the error of Prohibition, the culture of alcohol and drink had drastically transformed from an integrated part of public life to a cocktail culture mediated by marketers and attuned to the new aura of exoticism and taste preferences ushered in during the post-Prohibition era.

Paramore: A Spiritual Food Affair

Niki Brooks — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:49:32 PDT

Paramore is an exploration of the intangible aspects of food through various writing styles.

Maelstrom; or, Life After the Woods: Paolo Bacigalupi's "The Gambler"

Otto Neubauer — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:19:33 PDT

Much of contemporary space-based science fiction tends to ignore nature completely, with food replicators and life support systems eliminating the need for plants as anything but decoration. In contrast, Earth-based science fiction stories often center on a conflict between man and nature. Yet though the primary themes in Paolo Bacigalupi’s “The Gambler”, Bruce Sterling’s “We See Things Differently”, and Harlan Ellison’s “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” are political (with “The Gambler” being a critical portrayal of the fourth estate), each offers a small window into how man ought or ought not to relate to nature. While the latter two offer criticism of our preference for a ‘fake’ nature, “The Gambler” both glorifies the infinite diversity of nature and at the same time criticizes journalism’s adoption of the fundamentally natural ‘survival of the fittest’ ethic.

Improving Business Performance through Effectively Managing Employees

Ross E.L. Poquette — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:19:32 PDT

Businesses in today’s highly competitive environment need to be aware of the best methods for motivating, training, developing, and promoting a diverse environment in an organization. These methods will be examined in order to gain an understanding of what works well and how the ideal organization implements the methods.

The more motivated an employee is, the better he or she will perform. Therefore, it is essential for management to continuously motivate its workforce. Training and development also play an important role in overall performance. The more an employee is trained, the better he or she can complete tasks. Development decreases costs by reducing the price associated with recruiting. Encouraging diversity to flourish within a company will increase employee morale, communication, and customer service.

By accomplishing all of these aspects of managing employees, overall organizational performance and efficiency will increase, maximizing a company’s potential.

Computational Stylometry: An Interdisciplinary Project

Abby Miller et al. — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:19:30 PDT

This project was an analysis of a writers word usage and writing tendencies which, allows a person to recognize a piece of work with out knowing who wrote it and make a reasonable guess about whose work it is.

Retinal: The Biological Role and Significance

Frances Flowers — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:19:27 PDT

Retinal, one of several vitamin A compounds serves a vital role in human vision (Tver and Russell, 458). Discovered in 1913, Vitamin A was the first vitamin to be discovered. The Vitamin A group includes the carotenoids, retinol and retinal. Each of these forms plays a significant role in animal vision, and vision is what led to vitamin A’s discovery. During the early 1900s, many researchers were conducting studies on the eyes of animals. They found that if the animals were consuming diets deficient in what are recognized today as vitamin A-rich sources, the animals’ eyes became inflamed and eventually infected. In 1932, scientists discovered beta carotene and found out that the body is able to convert it into vitamin A, and furthermore, it could be used to prevent eye disorders (Somer 18). However, this was merely the discovery of Vitamin A. It wasn’t until 1967, when George Wald, a professor at Harvard University, and his colleagues began to seek an understanding of vision and vitamin A’s role in the vision process that retinal was discovered. Wald’s group studied the protein rhodopsin which is present in the rods. They broke the proteins down into molecular parts and discovered a protein called opsin and an organic chromophore known as retinal (Szaflarski). The structure of retinal is pictured below. Retinal is an aldehyde, as the –al suffix suggests. By definition, an aldehyde must contain a carbon which is double-bonded to an oxygen atom, but that same carbon must also be bonded to at least one hydrogen atom. In order for this to occur, the afore-mentioned carbon must be on the end of a carbon chain. Otherwise, it would not be able to bond to a hydrogen atom. As one can see in the drawing on the following page, the carbon on the right fits the description. Thus it is an aldehyde. Additionally, there is a chain of carbons containing some double bonds. Those double bonds are indicative of the alkene functional group (Stoker 444).

World War II Technology that Changed Warfare - Radar and Bombsights

Sean Foley — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:18:35 PDT

This presentation introduces the viewer to two forms of technology, radar and bombsights, and how each one changed the way air warfare was conducted. The Second World War was the testing ground for numerous advancements in military technology; and the contribution made through radar and bombsights created a level of strategic warfare never before experienced.