544 research outputs found
Sort by
The Ever-Present Dystopia, the Non-Present Utopia, and the Thirdspace: The Role of Contrasting Coteries in 20th-Century Dystopian Literature and Parable of the Sower
Get PDFOctavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower is a standout work of dystopian science fiction that features commentaries on governmental failings, race and gender discrimination, and class divides that are all highlighted by an apocalyptic and oppressive crumbling society. Butler uses a dystopic setting, characteristics, and tropes to embellish her world and social commentaries including the use of the dystopic and thirdspace coteries structure: two personal communities within which the central character interacts that hold very specific roles and characteristics across most works of dystopian literature. This structure allows dystopian literature to establish their distinctive world and tone as well as the specific relationship between these coteries and the central character of the novel, all of which is central to the real-world societal commentary generated by these texts. However, in Parable of the Sower, Butler both establishes and breaks from this traditional dystopian structure to create a work that counters conventional dystopian themes.
In this paper, I will first go over the traditional two coterie structure of dystopian works by detailing the reoccurring characteristics of the dystopian coterie and thirdspace coterie as well as how they typically operate within 20th-century dystopian fiction, particularly regarding their relationship to each other and the central character. I will then discuss the operation of this structure within Parable of the Sower by examining how the novel follows the established structure in the first half of the novel, disrupts the coterie form in the central turning point of the novel, and then restructures and redefines the coterie roles in the second half of the novel. Finally, I will discuss how this restructuring generates themes, messages, and societal critiques that are both in conversation with and counter those of traditional dystopian literature
A Concept OST
Get PDFA Concept OST was developed during my final year at the University of Maine at Farmington. This collection of original music represents the skills I have learned while studying composition and music theory.
Some of the inspirations that helped me shape the sonic world I created include Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy), Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts), Junichi Masuda (Pokemon) Jake Kaufman (Shovel Knight), and Toby Fox (Undertale). These composers are known for their narrative-driven compositional work for video games that fit into the Role-Playing-Game playstyle. My primary mode of research was listening to these game tracks and playing the video games each song lives in to see how they function in-game.
My goal was to compose a selection of music that would emphasize characters, plot points, and game mechanics for a conceptual video game. This means rather than illustrating existing characters and stories through music, I composed the soundscape first and will use the soundscape to inspire a potential plot for a future game project.
I’ve come to learn that the most unique thing about video game music is that each track needs to be able to smoothly repeat infinitely. This means that I had to plan how my music would establish a theme, but keep it interesting and engaging enough to be played over and over again. To time my repeats just right, I worked alongside my Faculty Sponsor Aaron Wyanski to find the best way to make my compositions play forever.
In the end, I have developed ten video game songs that each represent different necessities in a video game including the title track, battle music, character music, and more. I have also included the sheet music I used to convert each composition into synthesized music for those who enjoy reading the music while they listen. I am excited to have generated so much material that might just make its way into an entire video game in the future
Protracted intra- and inter-pluton magmatism during the Acadian orogeny: evidence from new LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon ages from northwestern Maine, USA
No full textDevonian granitoid plutons comprise a major part of the bedrock of northwestern Maine representing the magmatic expression of the Acadian orogeny in this part of the northern Appalachian orogen. They are petrographically diverse with minerals characteristic of both I- and S-type granites, in some cases within the same intrusion, and some are compositionally zoned. New LA-ICP-MS ages presented here elucidate the timing and duration of this magmatism. The earliest phase of granitoid magmatism began around 410–405 Ma with the emplacement of the Flagstaff Lake Igneous Complex, and the presence of contemporaneous mafic rocks suggests that mantle-derived magmas were also produced at this time. Late Devonian ages, ca. 365 Ma, for many intrusions, such as the Chain of Ponds and Songo plutons, reveal that magmatism continued for 45 million years during which compositionally diverse I- and S-type magmas were produced. In addition, there is evidence that intrusive activity was prolonged within some plutons, for example the Rome-Norridgewock pluton and the Mooselookmeguntic Igneous Complex, with 10–15 myr between intrusive units. The new ages suggest a break in magmatism between 400 Ma and 390 Ma apparently separating Acadian magmatism into early and late pulses. The production of lower crustal I-type magmas appears to have been concentrated later, ca. 380–365 Ma, although several S-type granitoids were also emplaced during this period. These Late Devonian plutons display abundant zircon inheritance with ages around 385 Ma, which suggests that the crust was experiencing enhanced thermal perturbations during this extended timeframe. The new data for granitoid plutons in northwestern Maine are consistent with tectonic models for other parts of Ganderia which propose initial flat slab subduction followed by slab breakoff and delamination
Unusual Articles
No full textExplore this special website documenting the hard work of 2021\u27s senior art students. This unusual collection is organized by artist for your convenience. You\u27ll find all of the works from the senior show, as well as an interview and statement from each artist. This show features a broad range of topics and variety of mediums, sure to impress anyone
Descriptive Inquiry in Teacher Practice : Cultivating Practical Wisdom to Create Democratic Schools
No full textWhat does it mean to teach for human dignity? How does one do so? This practical book shows how the leaders at four urban public schools used a process called Descriptive Inquiry to create democratic schools that promote and protect human dignity. The authors argue that teachers must attend to who a child is and find a way to create classrooms that allow everyone to feel safe and express ideas. Responding to the perennial question of how to cultivate teachers, they offer an approach that attends to both ethical development and instructional methods. They also provide a way forward for school leaders seeking to listen to, and provide guidance for, their staff. At its core, Descriptive Inquiry in Teacher Practice champions a commitment to schools as places in which children, teachers, and leaders can learn how to live and work well together. Book Features: Illustrates how to take an inquiry stance toward the difficult issues that educators face every day; Examines how themes regularly addressed in foundations can be used to improve schools; Includes engaging portraits of progressive urban schools that showcase the qualities of the leaders that guide them; Demonstrate the power of a progressive and humanistic education for children of color and for those from lower-income backgrounds -- Provided by publisherhttps://scholarworks.umf.maine.edu/publications/1104/thumbnail.jp
Table Top Therapy: How Roleplay Games Can Positively Impact Mental Health
No full textHave you ever wondered what happens when someone plays too many role-play games? Be it table top or video games, role-play as a form of creative play has a basis in social development. In a short study conducted in Spring 2021, play is debated as a key developmental skill that helps children and adults learn how to cope with new life events. From skills such as job interviews to asking a friend to lunch; we find out if Dungeons and Dragons can really help us out
Staff Perceptions of SWPBIS in Middle School
Get PDFStudent behavioral issues lead to lost learning opportunities by the student misbehaving
and the students trying to learn (Gage, Grasley-Boy, George, Childs, and Kincaid, 2018), a punitive approach of suspensions and expulsions is never in the best interest of these students. Staff members need a behavior model that is proactive and consistent. Many schools have implemented SWPBIS (School Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) programs as a preventative way to decrease suspensions and increase morale. There are several critical factors to look at in schools that are implementing SWPBIS, staff by in and staff perception are two of the biggest. This study examines the attitudes of staff at a middle school during its initial year of SWPBIS
Outdoor Tour 7
No full text7. Cascade Brook Limestone at MBMS
Visit Farmington’s first deliberate geoheritage site. Beautiful new outcrops of marine limestone display clues to both its deposition and deformation plus connections to global tectonics and climate.
Kayleigh Getty (Doug Reusch)
2:30-3:30pm, meet at the front entrance to the Health and Fitness Cente
Quarry Animal Zero Fold: The Chaconne Project
No full textPlease join us on Symposium Day for a live performance by 2021 Trustee Professor Kristen Case & 2020 Trustee Professor Steve Pane!
4/21/21: Quarry Animal Zero Fold: The Chaconne Project
12:00pm-1:00pm
Emery Community Arts Center Performance Space
The final movement of The Partita in D minor for solo violin by J.S. Bach, the Chaconne has been interpreted by every age and transcribed for virtually every instrument. In this collaborative project, Kristen Case and Steve Pane attempt translation of the Chaconne to the piano and the page.
Kristen Case will read excerpts from a writing project developed over the course of the last few months: a suite of 64 poems generated by a set of structural constraints derived from Bach’s composition of the Chaconne. Like Bach’s 64 4-measure variations, which revolve around the same four notes, the poems in this suite each revolve around the same four words. Accompanying the poems and in conversation with them is a second-person essay dealing with concepts of personhood, memory, and violence. Images from an artist-book in process will accompany the reading/performance.
Steve Pane will perform his transcription of Bach’s Chaconne, a hybrid of the solo violin original and the piano transcriptions by Ferruccio Busioni.
For those who can\u27t make it to the live event, this performance will be recorded and posted to the Symposium web page
Latinx Environmental Refugees & U.S. Asylum Policy
No full textIt’s been estimated that by 2050, there will be over 250 million environmental refugees worldwide. As the U.S. is one of the most developed countries, and faces some of the least climate change induced risks, a large portion of these environmentally displaced persons will likely seek refuge in this country. Considering the political climate around Latinx immigration into the U.S., this study seeks to understand how environmental refugees from the Latin Americas and Caribbean will be handled. Research utilized includes interviews with government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and migrants themselves, as well as background policies, documents, studies, and data