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Delaunay Triangulation
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/fd43b21c-b4eb-43b8-ac65-3f2dd1be69fa/thumb/128.jpgThis paper focuses on Delaunay triangulations while also describing related geometric constructs such as the Voronoi diagram. It gives a definition for Delaunay triangulations and an algorithm for computing them. It also discusses features of a JavaScript WebGL implementation of Delaunay triangulations
Class in the Maelstrom: Class Conflict and Nationalism on the Lebanese Campus from the Six-Day War to the Civil War (1967–1975)
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/ffdbc75d-d626-4da9-8696-eae477a7d3db/thumb/128.jpgFrom 1967 to 1975, the Lebanese nation-state gradually lost more and more control over its land and populace; ultimately precipitating a fifteen-year civil war which ended in stalemate. The root causes for the collapse of state authority have been hotly contested but scholarly work generally attributes them to sectarian tensions, the role of the Palestinian fedayeen in Lebanon and the intervention of foreign powers. Often noted is the role of student movements in Lebanese universities as driving protests, pushing radical political agendas and supporting the Palestinian national movement. This thesis looks at these student movements in the late sixties and early seventies in Lebanon in order to see why they chose to identify their struggles for more power on campus and to shape Lebanese economy with Arab and Palestinian nationalism by examining primary sources from and about the student movements in this period. This thesis concludes that the view of nationalist and sectarian tensions and their role in destabilizing Lebanon’s universities and turning them into sites of intense political struggle is incomplete without an understanding of how student viewed themselves as a class and why they chose to engage in class struggle. It suggests that at universities in pre-civil war Lebanon, class struggle and nationalist struggle became too intertwined to be understood independently of one another and that frustrations as a class fed nationalist politics and vis versa
Modern Tibet: How Diasporic Religious Identity Shapes Tibetan Activism
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/d6ac6cdc-db1c-46fa-9bdd-d8808d15b51d/thumb/128.jpgAlthough politics and religion are inherently connected, and the connections between the two have been studied in various humanities and social science works, there lacks a framework to accurately and effectively codify religious studies ‘data’ and established theoretical frameworks that can represent how these disciplines function together in countries in which religion is such a critical identity component in formal and informal cultural structures. In my work, I will attempt to parse out some of meaningful factors related to Tibetan identity. I will analyze historical conceptions of identity and physical and spatial markers of this identity to examine the mechanisms of diasporic activism, and the successes, failures, and framing of Tibetan domestic, international, and transnational advocacy. My methodology will largely be based on religious and political theory as a starting point for developing ways to think about politics and religion as interconnected bodies of theoretical work in active dialogue rather than mutually exclusive disciplines. My work largely utilizes primary historical narratives as well as various secondary theoretical frameworks from books and academic journals and sources such as news articles, journals, and magazines. A major constraint within my own work is the lack of concrete data as well as reputable reporting coming out of Tibet due to China’s increased surveillance of Tibetans within the country. I hope that this thesis acts as a humble contribution to the body of work built upon many more accomplished thinkers that questions how religion shapes modern politics, social movements, protest mechanisms, activist networks, and international relations and attempts to breaking down the tendencies of both disciplines
Brú na Bóinne: Abode of the Eternal
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/a32dd269-a7d7-49ef-bf3f-22912259db5f/thumb/128.jpgThis paper explores the ancient megalithic complex in Ireland known as Brú na Bóinne. Focusing especially on Newgrange’s winter solstice alignment, I interpret the site not merely as an astronomical instrument or burial place but as a cosmological expression of the relationship between time and the unchanging metaphysical center. Moving beyond empirical frameworks, I adopt a symbolic and comparative approach informed by Irish mythology, sacred geometry, and metaphysical philosophy. I argue that Brú na Bóinne embodies the archetypal convergence of microcosm and macrocosm, enacting a ritual technology through which human life is harmonized with cosmic order. This interpretation restores to the monument its spiritual dimensions, offering a renewed understanding of its enduring cultural and symbolic significance
In Pursuit of the Saffron Gatherers: Developing a “Complete” Understanding of Minoan Women
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/c3ba2564-7814-486b-a99e-68dadda27b59/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis is a consideration of the long-lasting effects of archaeological conjecture substantiated by insufficient evidence, and an attempt to amend this practice in one context. The first chapter of my thesis, I discuss the theory that Minoan Crete was a matriarchy, a theory first introduced by archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans. He influenced a collection of feminist scholars who perpetuated the same claim, based on highly limited archaeological evidence. I ask, “How can we reassess the extant archaeological evidence that represents Minoan women in order to construct a more accurate, nuanced understanding of these women?” and “What is the extent of this understanding?” My second chapter discusses Minoan frescoes, the most widely employed form of Minoan material evidence for generating claims about the lived realities of Minoan women. I discuss frescoes from the Minoan palace complex Knossos, as well as from the site of Akrotiri. I reevaluate what can be safely assumed about the individuals in these frescoes and discuss claims that may be too generous. My third chapter evaluates the information communicated by Minoan female burials. Scholars typically ignore burial evidence; however, there is a small number of sex-specified interments at the site of Archanes-Phourni. I discuss a collection of burials from Phourni and determine that there isn’t a great capacity for definitively concluding that a burial is female. I discuss different practices for determining if a body is female (using its associated grave goods or osteological analysis) and conclude that relying purely on grave goods is an antiquated practice. By practicing a more conservative, objective approach to archaeology, the objective of this study is twofold. First, this study more completely and accurately produces claims pertaining to the lives of Minoan women. Second, I emphasize that the practice of archaeology is never fully objective. However, to be aware of one’s biases allows them to consider material culture and burial evidence more effectively, honoring the lived realities of those in the past in effect
Time Pigeons and Other Amalgamations of Prose
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/95556e3f-b3a4-4257-9da2-98ac4af5955a/thumb/128.jp
An Analysis of Human Trafficking in India
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/fad04659-725d-4488-929b-3d85fc919ee8/thumb/128.jpgThis paper seeks to investigate the relationship between economic development and human trafficking levels for the case of India. Human trafficking is defined as the act of recruiting or transporting individuals for exploitative work such as manual labor, sexual exploitation, or forced criminal activity. Calculated GDP per capita for each state will be used as an indicator of economic development. The thesis will use a dataset from the National Crime Records Bureau of India as well as census tables from the Office of The Registrar and General Census Commissioner to analyze the relationship between economic development and human trafficking levels as well as social hierarchies in India and human trafficking levels. The thesis will end with performing an in- depth case study analysis on three selected states. The qualitative case study analysis was conducted to unpack factors why certain states experienced higher levels of human trafficking than what was predicted by the linear model as well as why a particular state experienced lower levels of human trafficking than what was predicted by the linear model. The chapter concludes that the combined effect of literacy rates as well as the lower perceived social status of women explained the higher levels of human trafficking for Assam and Jharkhand. Similarly, efforts to empower women as well as increase literacy rates explained the lower levels of human trafficking in Tripura
Woke Feminists Take Over Aquatic Ecosystems!!! The Effects of Estrogen Contamination and 17α-ethinylestradiol on Daphnia Magna Reproduction and Metabolism
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/7357f6ac-05bd-4b3a-af97-722e5fb1fd23/thumb/128.jpgBirth control pills containing estrogen and progesterone have been in use since 1970 and are increasingly popular with the rise of oral contraception and hormone therapy (United Nations Population Division, 2024). Estrogenic contamination is a topic of growing concern. In particular the endocrine-disrupting compound and steroidal hormone known as 17α-ethinylestradiol (also referred to as EE2). EE2 is particularly impactful due to its high resistance to degradation, accumulation in sediments and biota, and high absorption by other contaminants, such as polyamide microplastics (Aris et al. 2014, Nobre et al. 2024). EE2 concentrations in wastewater have been heavily studied in recent years and it has been shown that over 65% of surface waters globally are contaminated with high-risk concentrations of this estrogenic compound (Tang et al. 2021). Globally, concentrations range from 0 to 34 µg/L in water samples (Rodrigues et al. 2021). Daphnia magna, an aquatic microcrustacean, and other zooplankton form the foundation of many aquatic food chains, in addition to serving as model organisms in ecotoxicology. Understanding the effects of EE2 and endocrine disruption and its repercussions for Daphnia provides insight into the consequences for many other organisms, aquatic ecosystems, and environmental stability as a whole, in addition to providing important benchmarks for evaluating the potential toxicity levels for humans. Previous studies on D. magna and chronic exposure to EE2 are limited and report mixed results, however effects on brood sizes and reproductive timing (Luna et al. 2015), genotoxic damage, and metabolism (Rodrigues et al. 2021) have been shown. Levels of intraspecific variation in EE2 effects, however, have not been investigated, which is crucial for understanding how tolerance levels might evolve with increasing exposure. This research seeks to offer a better understanding of the ecotoxic effects of hormone contamination in diverse aquatic ecosystems. In order to better understand variation in response to chronic exposure to EE2 in D. magna, I assayed three genotypes originally collected from Germany, Finland, and Israel. Results showed that genotypic differences impacted metabolism and the age at maturity, while EE2 exposure only significantly impacted lifespan
The Art of Hanging Out: The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Worldbuilding, and Community
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/4f517ac0-7038-4442-be0f-cc7685f90e1c/thumb/128.jpgThe Woody Guthrie Folk Festival (WoodyFest) has been happening in Okemah, Oklahoma since 1998. The festival brings together Woody Guthrie lovers, musicians, and organizers. In this thesis I seek to understand what makes this festival special, how the close-knit community created around it is formed, and what they are doing and practicing that make it so notable. I will answer these questions through explorations of how the history of folk and current folk communities influence a process of world making at WoodyFest. This world draws on practices such as storytelling, narrative, songs, and community building and is heavily influenced by Woody Guthrie and more broadly “folk”. Exploring these actions of “hanging out” and drawing on reparative creativity, performativity, narrative, musicology theorists and my own ethnographic research I argue that the processes taking place at the festival create a unique and imagined world for the artists to flourish, replenish creativity, and find community outside of consumerism
“I’m Not Pretty”: An Ethnographic Study on Inclusion in the Portland DIY Music Scene
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/fe6f7a36-f302-4d98-89e7-58a747750ec0/thumb/128.jpgDIY (do-it-yourself) music culture has long been promised as an inclusive and radical space but its history—both broadly and in the Portland scene—reveals barriers for women, LGBTQ+, and people of color as fans and artists. By tracing the trajectories of DIY from its punk origins to its present-day manifestations in Portland, this thesis critically examines how inclusion practices shape participation, creativity, and space making in DIY music. Through interviews, ethnographic research, music analysis, and existing studies on the DIY ethos, I focus on how gender is expressed and performed in the Portland music scene. I examine whether DIY spaces genuinely challenge mainstream exclusions or if they simply recreate them in different ways. Ultimately, I push back against monolithic ideas of inclusion, raising questions about what it means to build a more equitable DIY scene and explore multiple, sometimes conflicting, visions of community