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“Floptok is \u3ci\u3eNOT\u3c/i\u3e a Trend. It’s a Lifestyle”: Camp, Performativity, and Community Dynamics in an Adolescent TikTok Subculture
Get PDFFloptok is an online meme-sharing community or subculture that began to take shape in 2021, united by a particular sensibility and set of memetic materials. To outsiders, Floptok is seen as a loud, brash, and often abrasive community whose memes, characterized by low-quality audio and video, often feature “icons”—a range of invented characters and real people—and audio of pop songs heavily edited to feature hypersexual lyrics from the rapper CupcakKe, as well as portions of the 2019 Chinese pop song “Yěhuāxiāng.” This thesis built on scholarship in digital and young people’s folklore in an ethnographic case study of Floptok’s humor and group dynamics in the highly algorithmically mediated online space that is TikTok.
The first section following a review of relevant literature considered Floptok’s tradition of “kidnapping” videos. In the standard format, these videos incorporate text of a commenter asking to be kidnapped or challenging the creator’s kidnapping abilities by claiming to be in an inaccessible location as the foundation of a vernacular animation of a Chinese beauty influencer named Xjiemomo capturing the commenter’s profile picture in a bag and carrying that bag into the basement of some dilapidated house. These videos and their relationships to real and fake bot accounts demonstrated that engagement with legend material can turn towards humor and exaggeration.
Extending this exaggeration, the second section connected Floptok to the concept, sensibility, or (per Susan Sontag) “mode of aestheticism” that is Camp to explain the playful subversion and transgression at the heart of Floptok’s content. From video memes of funeral director Deborah Ali-Williams to CupcakKe Remixes to the community-built lore of Floptok’s imagined island nation, Floptropica, this section argued that the affordances of TikTok enable Flops to center Camp in their community in a way that is not possible offline.
From this examination, I considered the digital mechanisms by which Floptok creates boundaries for community membership and self-corrects its narratives in an imagined community where members are anonymous and unknowable. Together, this thesis showed that, through humor and sensibility, folk groups can maintain cohesion even in depersonalized and meta-referential online spaces like TikTok
Revelry
Get PDFThe work in this exhibition is entirely figural, each part crafted individually from clay and fired in a wood kiln. These figures are intentionally anonymous, with their only distinguishing features being the marks left by the passing flames. Certain aspects of the bodies represented have been abstracted, and lines have been carved to highlight the movement embodied by the forms. Each firing occurs over the course of two days, which is only achievable through the collective effort of multiple individuals. It took a community to bring all of these pieces together.
This body of work is a love letter to those who make up my crowd and an invitation for all viewers to step in and join our revelry
Russia and Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of Climate Change Framing in Russian News Media
Get PDFThis study conducted a comparative analysis of how climate change is framed in state owned versus independent news media in Russia, focusing on the state source RT International and the independent news source The Moscow Times. The findings revealed that RT International portrays climate change as primarily non-local, emphasizing temperature increases and vague natural disasters, while the Moscow Times presents it as a global issue with statistically significant consequences. Both sources employ framing techniques to either support or criticize varying governments
Collaborative Research: Developing and Testing Innovations: Early childhood maker literacies: Fostering computational thinking among Navajo youth and educators
Get PDFLearning a Little Bit Harder: The Intersecting Experiences of First-Generation and Single-Mother College Students
Get PDFAccess the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.
This study examines the experiences of nine first-generation, single-mother college students, focusing on these intersecting, double-jeopardy identities. Participants’ difficulty navigating college varied; contributing factors included family background, social capital, the type of college attended, and whether they established a mentor. The following themes were established: 1) realizing college is an option, 2) caught between two worlds, 3) college wasn’t designed for us, 4) economic barriers, and 5) disparities in social capital. Our findings indicate colleges were unprepared to meet the unique challenges faced by this group. We present recommendations for the incorporation of specific supports in institutions and classrooms of higher education, including making implicit higher education customs explicit by creating cultural roadmaps to help students succeed, informing students of guidelines for successful communication with faculty, emphasizing and investing in completion of degrees as much as recruitment efforts, allowing parental accommodations in the classroom where possible, fostering avenues of personal connection and relationship-building with faculty and peers, and connecting students with financial and community resources as needed
Guidance and lessons learned for instructors seeking to add video creation to their skill set
Get PDFAccess the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.
Videos have entered the classroom, whether for online asynchronous courses or as supplementary information in synchronous classes. COVID-19 accelerated the pace of online and video learning but left instructors with little time to explore the optimal use of this technology. Nonetheless, videos are here to stay, raising questions about what unique choices faculty must make when implementing them and what new skills are required as videos become additional content delivery sources. The following article provides implementation guidance and lessons learned for instructors seeking to add video creation to their skill set
An Adaptation of Nonlinear Aerodynamic Models for Non-Traditional Control Effectors
Get PDFThis paper presents the development of a novel aerodynamic model tailored for the Bio-Inspired Rotating Empennage (BIRE), a non-traditional fixed-wing aircraft empennage inspired by avian flight. The BIRE replaces the conventional vertical stabilizer with an extra degree of freedom for the horizontal stabilizer, which is allowed to rotate about the body-fixed x axis. This empennage is similar to the tail of a bird, and allows control of both longitudinal and lateral moments. However, such a design introduces complex nonlinear longitudinal and lateral aerodynamic interactions, not typically accounted for in most fixed-wing aircraft aerodynamic models below stall. This work presents a nonlinear sinusoidal aerodynamic model that can be used for fixed-wing aircraft with this type of empennage. Although the aerodynamic model is constructed to accurately capture the degrees of freedom of this particular empennage design, similar methods could be used to develop other aerodynamic models for non-traditional control effectors. A large dataset of low-fidelity aerodynamic data was generated using a modern numerical lifting-line algorithm, and these data were fit to the nonlinear sinusoidal aerodynamic model. A method for fitting the data is demonstrated, and the results show that the nonlinear sinusoidal aerodynamic model can be fit to the data with an accuracy of less than 10% of the maximum deviation of the aerodynamic coefficients in root-mean-square error. The underlying physics of many of the longitudinal and lateral nonlinear sinusoidal aerodynamic properties of the aircraft are discussed in detail. The methodology presented here can be extended to other non-traditional control effectors, encouraging innovative approaches in aerodynamic modeling and aircraft design. In contrast, choosing to model control effectors using the traditional, linear approach can obscure key aerodynamic behaviors key for trim and control analyses. The study’s findings underscore the importance of developing adaptable aerodynamic models to support the advancement of next-generation aircraft designs and control systems
Screening of a Diversity of Legumes and Non-Legumes Forb Species at Five Strategic Locations Across Utah for the Development of Smart Foodscapes
Get PDFGrass-dominated rangelands in the Western United States often lack sufficient protein for pregnant cows after grasses mature in mid- summer, leading ranchers to rely on expensive feed supplements such as protein cubes or alfalfa hay. The goal of this study was to screen 27 perennial legume and forb species with the potential to remain green into late summer and provide sufficient protein to supplement cows on grass-dominated rangeland. Three experiments were carried out to understand germination of species, plant establishment and persistence at five Utah locations, and agronomic characteristics. The seed of five hard-to-germinate species were studied for the ability of extended cold treatment to improve germination. The germination of Lewis flax and Utah sweetvetch was improved by stratification. Arrowleaf balsamroot and fernleaf biscuitroot required stratification for germination, but germination percentage remained lower than the seed tag-based expectation. At five field sites across Utah, sainfoin, small burnet, and \u27Ladak\u27 alfalfa consistently became established in dense plant stands. Other species established moderate stands while many failed to establish at all. Ladak alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, small burnet, and sainfoin were studied for nutritive value characteristics from June to October of 2023 and 2024. In 2024, crested wheatgrass, falcata alfalfa, showy goldeneye, and Utah sweetvetch were also evaluated for nutritive value and dry matter yield. Additionally, Ladak alfalfa and sainfoin were evaluated for leaf-to-stem ratio over the season. Only Ladak alfalfa (2023) and Utah sweetvetch (2024) maintained protein levels above the minimum cattle requirement (7.5%) through October. Birdsfoot trefoil and sainfoin, contained condensed tannins and small burnet contained hydrolysable tannins. Showy goldeneye, and Utah sweetvetch contained both tannins. Further, all four species tested in 2023 accumulated a unique range of secondary metabolites. Ladak alfalfa contained a higher leaf-to-stem ratio than sainfoin from June to August. Crested wheatgrass, Ladak alfalfa, falcata alfalfa, and sainfoin maintained higher dry matter yield through October, demonstrating their ability to extend forage availability on rangeland. Secondary metabolites such as tannins can shift nitrogen excretion from urine to feces, reduce methane emissions, and lower parasitic burdens in cattle while other flavonoids richness can provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to ruminants
Novel Horticultural Approaches for Reduced Gravity and Controlled Environment Agriculture
Get PDFOn July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 achieved the first successful moon landing, marking a significant milestone in human space exploration. This historic moment effectively ended the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, and since then, countries around the world have continued to advance their space programs. While the space race has evolved, the next major challenge lies in sending humans to Mars—a journey that could take 6 to 9 months each way, presenting numerous challenges, including the critical issue of nutritional sustainment for the crew.
This thesis addresses key aspects of a broader effort to support long-duration space missions by designing and testing an insertable root-growth zone in collaboration with NASA’s Ohalo III plant growth chamber. The second chapter focuses on the top surface cover, which plays a critical role in balancing structural, safety, and biological needs to support the full lifecycle of edible crops—from seed to plate. The third chapter investigates the impact of volumetric soil water content on nocturnal transpiration, a crucial factor in managing water fluxes within the plant growth chamber. Understanding these dynamics is essential for resource management during extended space missions. While this research is particularly relevant for reduced gravity environments, the findings have broader implications for controlled environment agriculture systems on Earth, offering potential solutions for sustainable food production in challenging environments
Caregiver Implemented Standardized to Individualized Behavior Analytic Toilet Training Package for Autistic Preschoolers
Get PDFAutistic children often face challenges with toilet training and may benefit from a more structured and systematic approach compared to methods used for neurotypical children. While research and literature in this area has shown that behavior analytic toilet training packages can lead to increasing successful urinations and reducing accidents for autistic children, limitations such as not including caregivers as the individuals implementing the package, unsustainable sit schedules, and lack of acceptable levels of checks for accurate data collection and implementation of procedures highlight the need for refining of implementation oversight and examination of updated toileting procedures without the use of punishment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of a caregiver implemented standardized to individualized behavior analytic toilet training package. Two participants have completed the study. Both completed participants have learned to independently successfully urinate in the toilet with systematic package and maintained responding over fading procedures and following 4-weeks. One completed participant required the contingent progressive sit schedule phase. Three participants are currently enrolled and actively completing sessions, one of which has progressed to a contingent progressive sit schedule phase. Three participants withdrew from the study prior to completion. Results and limitations will be discussed