7670 research outputs found
Sort by
Kappa Alpha Theta: Sisterhood History
No full textFor my final research project, the topic of focus is my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. Specifically, I am using the knowledge I have gained in class this year in combination with personal outside research to answer this question: What are the rhetorical nuances that brought Kappa Alpha Theta to Belmont’s campus and what were the implications of the sorority’s rhetoric once here? My project includes a detailed visual component in place of a research paper. I plan to create a physical timeline of Kappa Alpha Theta’s history as an official organization at Belmont, with detailed information on the timeline that closely examines the history of the rhetorical influence on Belmont accepting a chapter of Theta. This information will all be available visually, as well as accompanying information detailing the values of Theta over time and how they may have contributed to Theta being brought onto Belmont\u27s campus. This information includes language from the National Bylaws and Charter, as well as examining the processes required for sororities to be introduced onto new campuses at the time. I also will examine Belmont’s sorority culture to find specific discourse that explains why the women at Belmont specifically desired a chapter of Theta. I plan to present my timeline as a visual representation of the body of my work, and will have a brief presentation that outlines my methods and methodologies as they pertain to the mechanics of my research and work
Carol
Get PDFThe film Carol follows two women, one in later adulthood and one in early adulthood. The plot follows their journey through life and love while also learning about themselves. They navigate the challenges of the 1950s where homosexuality was not accepted. The film is a coming-of-age love story for the main character Therese, this can be seen in her wardrobe shift throughout the film. This presentation discusses the cultural significance of the 2015 film through fashion. We chose this movie to study because it reflects a widely marginalized group for the time it is set in. The movie is based on the book The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith published in 1952 which leads to further proof that the LGBTQ+ community was widely under-represented as it was one of the first novels depicting lesbians in a positive light. Through research of the film, we dissected the historical aspects of the 1950s, along with the fashion trends that reflected their socio-economic status. Costume designer Sandy Powell is widely recognized for her historical accuracy in costuming as she studied street photography from the 1950s, as well as found vintage garments from the time to use in the film. Through our analysis we found that Carol is a significant film that depicts an under-represented community in history
The Fashion of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Get PDFFor my historical movie analysis, I chose to study Gentlemen Prefer Blondes because I wanted to understand Marilyn Monroe’s impact beyond fashion and glamour. This film is more than a showcase of 1950s style it’s a cultural statement that challenged societal norms. Through my analysis of the movie I found that by embodying both beauty and intelligence, Monroe redefined femininity, proving that ambition and allure could coexist. Through this analysis, I further explored how her influence in fashion and media not only shaped trends but also contributed to greater freedoms for women today
How the Biotic and Abiotic Factors in the Belle Forest Cave and Arboretum Soil Dictates Tree Species Prevalence
Get PDFA plethora of factors in the soil impact a plant’s health, including the presence of different biotic and abiotic factors. These include things like temperature, elevation, pH, microbial respiration and the presence of water, clay, loam, silt, sand, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Different soils will have varying amounts of these, which may dictate what is able to grow in them, and therefore also the surrounding area. This research project explores how the aforementioned biotic and abiotic factors affect the soil at the Belle Forest Cave and Arboretum. Three samples will be taken from four spots along a transect at this location, for a total of 12. Samples sites are located at the top of the hill, at the midpoint, at the base, and father away from the base near a spot that often has running water. It is expected that as the elevation decreases and the closer to water the soil is, the higher the nutrient availability will be, with the exception of soil directly under areas where water is most frequent. This is because of the limited amount of aerobic activity able to occur in wet soil. Methods to analyze soil include the Li-Cor Li-1800 for gas exchange, the ribbon test, moisture and temperature probe, and tests for Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus levels. The soil quality and nutrient availability will provide insight as to why there are certain tree species present at different places within the site as well as how the landscape may play a role in the presence of these factors
Forecasting Supply Chain Disruptions and Reducing Costs Through Data Science
Get PDFThe timely and cost-effective distribution of antiretroviral (ARV) and HIV laboratory commodities, particularly in over-exploited and low-resource settings, is imperative through effective Supply Chain Management.This project uses a comprehensive supply chain dataset to analyze pricing trends, predict lead times, forecast demand, and optimize costs for ARV and HIV lab shipments across multiple countries. Through data science, we can predict future demand, detect unusual pricing patterns, assess risks of supply chain disruptions, examine how commodity prices fluctuate over time and across regions, identify key factors influencing shipment lead times, and develop predictive models for future demand. Through anomaly detection techniques, we can uncover irregularities in pricing or shipments that may indicate inefficiencies, compliance risks, or potential fraud. Additionally, we can evaluate the effectiveness of predictive analytics to anticipate supply chain disruptions based on historical trends. The findings can provide actionable insights for those who contribute to the optimization of global health supply chains (policymakers, logistics managers, and healthcare organizations, etc) with the goal of ensuring equitable access to essential HIV-related commodities
Analyzing Musical Emotions: A Multi-Dataset Approach to Sentiment and Mood Classification in Songs
Get PDFMusic evokes a wide range of emotions, yet most music recommendation systems focus on sound and listening patterns rather than the meaning of lyrics. This project enhances lyric-based emotion recognition by applying Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML) to classify song lyrics into emotional categories.
I used eight datasets from Kaggle, including collections of lyrics, emotion labels, and audio features, providing a strong foundation for analysis. Our approach combines traditional NLP techniques (like TF-IDF and Word2Vec) with advanced deep learning models (such as BERT and XLNet) to classify lyrics into categories like happy, sad, angry, calm, romantic, and energetic. I also experiment with integrating audio features to improve accuracy.
Model performance is measured using precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy, with results visualized through an interactive dashboard. By bridging lyric sentiment analysis with multimodal learning, this project aims to improve music recommendations, mental health applications, and the study of music and emotions
“If, in that strife, ‘t were given to see / The glory of Thermopylae”: Connections to the Classics in the Alamo and the Texas Revolution
Get PDFThis historical research paper argues that connections to classical tradition were made in the rhetoric and symbolism of the Texas Revolution as a means of creating a national identity as Texans and as a way of garnering support from the Unites States for their cause.
Having established the background of the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836, the famous Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836, and the Battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece, I bring forth examples from primary sources of important figures using comparisons to classical history. The classical connections made in those writings were used to justify their goals to themselves, contextualize the tragedy of the Alamo, and seat themselves within the western world. The primary sources utilized in the paper include letters, meeting transcripts, speeches, and other communiques from key players in the Revolution such as Sam Houston and William Travis, as well as other generals and officials. While the most frequent connection made in these writings is to the Battle of Thermopylae, comparisons are also drawn with Roman history.
I then move on to the second goal of this phenomenon, i.e., garnering support from the United States. Citing calls to action, newspapers, and meeting transcripts, I establish the state of U.S. support for Texas, the classical connections that were being used by Texans to excite the sympathies of Americans, and the classical language picked up by Americans when discussing Texas, especially after the Alamo. I finish by proving the effective staying-power of this language by citing newspapers published well after the Texas Revolution that utilize the Thermopylaean rhetoric and make brief mention of its ripples into the 20th century
The Nose Knows: The Influence of Smell on Memory
Get PDFSmell has been consistently linked to memory and recall, with prior research demonstrating that odors influence emotional processing and cognitive function. This study aims to investigate how exposure to good and bad smells affects short-term word recall. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a good smell, bad smell, or no smell group. They will be presented with a 10-word list to memorize, followed by a five-minute break. Afterward, they will be given a 20-word list and asked to identify the words they previously studied. The number of correctly identified words will serve as the dependent variable. It is hypothesized that participants in the good smell condition will exhibit higher recall accuracy compared to the bad smell and no smell groups, aligning with prior findings that suggest positive odors enhance memory encoding and retrieval. Data will be analyzed using a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) to determine significant differences across conditions. The results of this study will contribute to the growing body of research on olfactory influences on cognitive performance and may have implications for environments where memory recall is crucial, such as education and healthcare setting