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Keeping the Memory Alive: The History of Vanderbilt University's Holocaust Lecture Series
No full textFor years, the Vanderbilt University Holocaust Lecture Series has brought in guest speakers and academic scholars to give presentations on the history of the Holocaust. Begun in 1967 under the direction of Beverly Asbury, the program has grown in scope and popularity on campus over the years. The History at Vanderbilt section of this journal seeks to elaborate on the role that history has played at our university, and how it has continually shaped our understanding of the past
Look Forward in Confusion: An Evaluation of Postwar Europe's Interaction with the Past
No full textThis paper uses the works of John Osborne, Azouz Begag, and Peter Maass to deconstruct the generalization that Europeans "developed within the shadow of the past." The British dramatist, French-Algerian autobiographer, and the American reporter of the Bosnian Genocide, respectively, depict tensions between those who shunned history in order to develop in pace within the postwar global order and those who closed their eyes to the present in a desperate attempt to hold onto the past. This dichotomy helps to explain contemporary sources of conflict in Europe and warrants this foray into post-45 history and literature
"More Precious Than Peace": Woodrow Wilson, the German U-boat Campaign, and America's Path to World War I
No full textThe early 20th century is portrayed as the era of American isolationism, and the United States' official policy of neutrality for most of World War I is frequently attributed to the country's economic interests and substantial population of European immigrants. However, German submarine warfare from 1915-1917 endangered American trade, incited public outrage, and created enemies in both major political parties. Why, then, was US entry into the war delayed so extensively? This paper examines the diplomacy of President Woodrow Wilson in the context of ongoing U-boat warfare and critiques his attempt to balance his personal vision of peace with his public responsibility to defend American interests from German aggression
Teaching & Learning Electromagnetism through Agent-Based Modeling
No full textTeaching and Learning Department Capstone ProjectDepartment of Teaching and LearningPeabody College of Education and Human Developmen
The Effects of Priming on Reaction Times, Confidence Rating Measures, and Accuracy
No full textThis thesis explores the relationship between stimulus presentation time and the effects of priming. It was completed as part of the Honors Program in Psychological Sciences under the direction of Dr. Geoffrey Woodman. It was completed in conjunction with the Honors Thesis course (PSY 4999) with Dr. Megan Saylor.This project investigated the differences in reaction times between recognition of objects by feelings of familiarity and recognition of objects through direct recollection. Participants were shown images in a study phase, and shown them again in a test phase along with novel images. They were then asked to provide a rating of recognition confidence rating on a scale of 1 to 5. We predicted that reaction times would decrease as certainty of recognition or no recognition increased, and that items presented for a longer amount of time in the study phase would have faster reaction times and higher confidence ratings. Results showed that reaction times did decrease for items presented for longer amounts of time in the study phase. Confidence ratings increased significantly as item presentation length in the study phase increased, following the predicted trend of increased confidence ratings with decreased reaction times for stimuli viewed longer in the study phase. A surprising finding of diverging accuracy in two of the exposure conditions was also found.Vanderbilt UniversityPsychologyCollege of Arts and ScienceThesis completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Honors Program in Psychological Science
Ps2- in a magnetic field : structure and stability in the M=0 state.
No full textThe energy of the Ps2- (three electrons and two positrons or vice versa) system and all possible fragmentations are calculated in a magnetic field in their M=0 states using the stochastic variational method with a deformed correlated Gaussian basis set. The stability of the system at various field strengths is assessed through comparison of the system's energy to the threshold energy. Examination of the single particle and pairwise densities is also employed for assessment of stability. The structure of the system is examined through calculation of distances between the charged particles. The M=0 state of Ps2- is found to be stable in fields greater than 0.01 a.u.Vanderbilt UniversityDepartment of Physics and AstronomyCollege of Arts and ScienceNational Science Foundatio
A Most Divisive Year: The Year of Europe and the Special Relationship in 1973
No full textHistory Department Honors Thesis, (2016). Awarded Highest Honors.This thesis examines Anglo-American relations in 1973, an especially turbulent year in the history of the post-World War II "special relationship." It draws on a wide range of documentary evidence and telephone transcripts from both American and British archival sources to create a detailed and granular chronology of the transatlantic exchanges between the Nixon presidency and Heath premiership, and applies a model of decision-making proposed by Graham T. Allison to the relationship. It ultimately concludes that the current historiographical interpretation of the special relationship in this period is too simplistic, and that while relations between leaders suffered during Henry Kissinger's 1973 Year of Europe initiative and the British entrance to the European Economic Community, cooperation continued unabated between the bureaucracies on both sides of the Atlantic.Department of HistoryCollege of Arts and Scienc
A Look Rather than a Reality: Feminism, Bras and the Politics of Commodification
No full textHistory Department Honors Thesis, (2016). Awarded Honors and co-winner of the Dewey Grantham Prize for best honors thesis.This thesis explores the interaction between feminism, fashion and visual culture during the women's liberation movement by focusing on the symbolism of bras. Using documents ranging from annual reports from the Hanes corporation to women's liberation essays and news articles in the early 1970's, the project explores how bra companies and the media turned anti-bra symbolism into a "no-bra" fashion trend that flattened feminist rhetoric into advertising lines.Department of HistoryCollege of Arts and Scienc
Where the Magic Begins: The Nexus of Commercially-Given Narratives, Pretend Play, and Literacy Learning
No full textThis review analyzes and synthesizes relevant literature to address whether the commercially-given narratives which commonly infiltrate pretend play spaces in academic learning environments compromise the innate ability of those environments to cultivate literacy learning for learners ages three through five.While research has suggested that pretend play can give children invaluable experience in
such literary practices as story ideation, creation, and renegotiation, character development, and reading and writing rehearsal, it has yet to investigate the effects of omnipresent and commercially-given preschool media narratives on that potential. Some researchers argue that the integration of commercially-given narratives, pretend play, and literacy learning objectives is natural and rich with potential. Alternatively, critics who are skeptical of this integration argue that children lose narrative agency when commercial narratives take over, that young children are not capable of working through these often fantastical narratives in a meaningful way, and that these narratives are unforgivably problematic in message.
This review analyzes and synthesizes relevant literature to address whether the commercially-given narratives which commonly infiltrate pretend play spaces in academic learning environments compromise the innate ability of those environments to cultivate literacy learning for learners ages three through five. This question is assessed from a dual perspective: 1.) the effects that those narratives have on learners’ confidence and motivation to engage in literacy practices and 2.) the effects that they have on the formation of the ‘hard,’ assessable literacy skills that pretend play has been theorized to cultivate. Ultimately, this review defends the conclusion that commercially-given narratives are not necessarily obstruent to literacy learning in pretend play and, when integrated purposefully, respectfully, and knowledgeably into these spaces, can imbue students with a healthy sense of confidence and belonging in literacy learning environments while helping them to develop lifelong literacy skills. Suggestions for practice are subsequently outlined to support teachers who hope to capitalize upon this potential.Department of Teaching and LearningPeabody College of Education and Human Developmen
Tuition Trends in Independent Day Schools
No full textLeadership Policy and Organizations Department capstone projectVanderbilt UniversityDepartment of Leadership Policy and OrganizationsPeabody College of Education and Human Developmen