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The Return of the Analog Synthesizer in Contemporary Synthwave Music
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/4ce4266b-4737-48f4-bc1f-b2c18a6d65f9/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis, through its written and creative components, explores the history of the keyboard-controlled analog synthesizer in the genre of synthwave, how its timbre developed associations with science fiction media, the musical elements of synthwave that make it distinctly and uniquely a sound of the 80s, and why synthwave is becoming popular again today. The first chapter discusses the historical lead up to the advent of the keyboard-controlled synthesizer, individuals responsible for its popularization, how it became connected to the genre of science fiction, and pop culture nostalgia cycles responsible for the widespread and seemingly spontaneous interest in the 80s over the past ten years. Chapter 2 is a musical analysis of three pieces from the Stranger Things, Vol. 1 soundtrack by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein that largely inspired my own synthwave compositions. Chapter 3 is a reflection on an interview conducted with Douglas Holmquist, composer of the Smash Hit (2014) video game soundtrack, whose music also influenced my work. Chapter 4 is an analysis of my own synthwave compositions, including the guiding narrative material I wrote. I conclude with a short reflection on my compositional process
Ethnic Racial Identity Development among Transracially Adopted Individuals
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/ce4bc498-5c5e-4b44-a491-d095bf552920/thumb/128.jpgAbstract Transracial adoptees, particularly children of color adopted by White parents, must navigate a complex ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development process in families and communities that may not reflect their racial or cultural background. This study explores how ERI develops among Asian individuals adopted by White parents, using a lifespan model of ERI development as a guiding framework. A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to investigate the lived experiences of five adult transracial adoptees, focusing on the interplay between parental support, cultural exposure, community context, and critical life events. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and thematically analyzed to identify patterns of ERI development. Four distinct identity pathways emerged: Avoidant, Conflicted Exploration, Transformative Exploration, and Resolved Identity. Each pathway reflected a unique constellation of influences shaping the adoptee’s relationship with their racial and cultural identity over time. Key findings indicated that proactive parental racial socialization, access to supportive peer or adoptee communities, and critical moments of reflection were central to positive ERI development. Conversely, the absence of these factors often resulted in confusion, detachment, or stalled identity processes. This study highlights the dynamic, nonlinear nature of ERI development in transracial adoptees and affirms the importance of developmentally appropriate, context-sensitive support across the lifespan. Findings have practical implications for adoptive families, educators, and mental health professionals working to foster identity resilience and belonging in transracially adopted individuals
Running Towards Oblivion: Examining the Conditions of Capitalist Accumulation that Construct the Anthropocene
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/1d92b50b-2f4e-4c5d-adba-00a7afdf8c18/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis is an effort to tackle the broad conceptions of how humanity has created a system of production with a logic threatens its own existence. Through a primarily Marxist lens, the thesis provides an interpretation of the relationship of capitalist accumulation to the onset of the Anthropocene, the role of Man within that, and a future without change may look like. Beginning with a reconstruction of Marx’s conception of Man, I attempt to bridge continuity between early and late Marx, as his humanist conceptions of the species-being create throughlines to the alienation that foregrounds humanity under a capitalist mode of production. Man as an inherently laboring and social species materially formulates a history around political economy, which creates a tricky relationship as its own history has created the formulations of its demise. In an examination of the concept of primitive accumulation, I explore its importance as a driving factor in capitalist development. Primitive accumulation is altered and expanded from Marx by Rosa Luxemburg and David Harvey to account for modern and contemporary developments of capitalist expansion. I present the effects of this development in the form of a metabolized environment and the integrality of racism to capitalist accumulation. The Anthropocene faces humanity with the destruction of this planet environmentally and reaching the bounds of capitalist accumulation on Earth. Therefore, to theorize a future of capitalist accumulation without changing its historical methods, I utilize Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 to examine the threat that is to come
Ouch! My Wound! — Interrogating The Effects of Microtubule Polarity Regulators on Cellular Migration in Drosophila
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/a800a065-4121-44f2-935a-6a9fa8b120cc/thumb/128.jpgCell migration is a fundamental biological process essential for development, wound healing, and disease progression. Central to this behavior is the cytoskeleton, particularly the dynamic interplay between actin filaments and microtubules. Among the various mechanisms driving migration, microtubule polarization is critical for establishing front-rear polarity, guiding directional movement. This thesis focuses on identifying proteins involved in establishing or maintaining microtubule polarity using Drosophila epithelial cells as a model. Through the use of RNA interference (RNAi), live-cell imaging with TIRF microscopy, and angle analysis post-scratch wound assays, the roles of four candidate proteins—Klp68D, Kank, Par-1, and Pigs—were interrogated. These proteins were selected via ProteinWeaver, a network-based protein ontology tool that infers protein interactions based on literature-derived Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Knockdown of Klp68D and Kank resulted in significant microtubule disorganization, indicating their importance in maintaining polarity, likely through motor function and actin-microtubule crosslinking, respectively. In contrast, Par-1 and Pigs showed no statistically significant effect on polarity, though additional qualitative observations suggest potential roles in cell viability or cytoskeletal coordination. This work highlights the value of ontology-driven protein discovery tools and contributes to our understanding of how diverse proteins regulate microtubule polarity in migration, with implications for developmental biology and disease modeling
The Bidirectional Relationship Between United States Labor Market Outcomes and Architecture: COVID-19
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/735ab652-4e14-4c80-9b45-da22e53c1485/thumb/128.jpgThe COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the United States labor market. The lasting effects of the pandemic have triggered significant architectural adaptations in residential and commercial spaces, office design, and urban planning. My thesis explores the bidirectional relationship between United States labor market outcomes and architectural innovations from pre- and post-pandemic. Recent studies (Smith et al., 2023; Johnson & Williams, 2024) display empirical evidence confirming that design modifications have directly impacted and influenced labor market dynamics. In particular, the facilitation of hybrid and remote work and alterations in architectural spatial requirements have influenced United States labor market outcomes. The research analyzes how pandemic-influenced architectural trends (e.g. air-ventilation systems, touchless technology, and flexible workplaces) have reshaped existing patterns of employment, wage and income distribution, and geographic (urban and rural environments) labor outcomes. Additionally, this research documents the changes in architectural sanitation standards with ASHRAE guidelines (2023) and WELL Building Standards both establishing higher levels of demand for indoor air quality and surface hygiene in response to COVID-19 health risks. To further explore the interconnectedness of labor market outcomes and architecture, I developed a case study in San Francisco. The case study features interview data from San Francisco-based corporate and boutique architecture firms and demonstrates how they have altered design practices economically. Findings from the survey reveal the importance of architecture in accommodating post-pandemic work and highlight concerns in pre-existing-built environments. This research provides a better understanding of how architectural transformations can function as both a driver and a response to labor market changes during pandemics. Architecture that considers the importance of economic development and public health allows for economic resilience against future pandemics. The combination of research and survey data presented in this thesis provide ample empirical evidence that architecture and labor market outcomes in the United States function in a cyclical fashion in response to the COVID-19 outbreak
An Examination of Quadratic Reciprocity and Results with a Quadratic Form
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/0d9a6241-1a7a-4450-9bc4-bfc4ad1bbff5/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis is, as will become very quickly clear, centered around number theory and specifically around primes and modular arithmetic. I became interested in these topics after I took a number theory course in my junior year, despite my having no relevant prior knowledge. I loved that course to the extent that number theory was the clear choice when it came time to choose a thesis topic. Additionally, I intend for this thesis to be for those who are in a similar situa- tion as I was then: very interested in the subject but initially having no idea what was going on. For this reason the proofs included here will take the time to explain concepts that may seem simple and go slower than proofs would in, say, a textbook. After all, the goal is not only for the proofs to be easy to follow, but also for their methods to be intuitive in the sense that readers should be able to track each step in the process. This thesis assumes mathematical knowledge up to and not including number the- ory, as well as an understanding of the basics of modular arithmetic. The proofs to follow will include references to Rousseau’s proof On the quadratic reciprocity law (Rousseau, 1991), notes from the number theory course (Shurman, 2025)1, and Ireland and Rosen’s book A classical introduction to modern number theory (Ireland & Rosen, 2010) for proofs relating to quadratic reciprocity. In the final chapter, we will turn to David Cox’s book Primes of the form x2 + ny2 (Cox, 2013). For both Ireland and Rosen’s book and Cox’s book, the most recent editions are referenced for reasons of their completeness, even though this thesis was written using an older version in each case
Study of the Mechanism of Pt–Methyl Bond Protonolysis
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/1a8f1660-7f69-4c31-aeda-687052507d05/thumb/128.jpgThe activation of methane via C–H bond cleavage is a highly desired reaction with significant potential for converting methane into more valuable products like liquid fuels, making it important for industrial applications. To understand possible mechanisms for C–H activation of methane, we investigate the reverse reaction, protonolysis of platinum methyl complexes to release methane. The reaction between (cod)PtMe2 (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFAH) has been previously reported to have an unusually large kinetic isotope effect (KIE) and has been the subject of previous mechanistic investigations. The Bowring group hypothesized that acid dimerization is contributing to the large KIE observed for this system. In this work, we report detailed Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopic studies on the kinetic behavior of the related system using a different acid, bis(trifluoromethyl)- sulfonamide (HNTf2), which is not known to dimerize. Our results reveal a consistent and significantly smaller KIE across varying platinum concentrations (1.2 ± 0.1 at higher concentration of (cod)PtMe2 and 1.4 at lower concentration of (cod)PtMe2). This provides evidence that acid dimerization influences the observed KIE
Quandle Coloring Quivers; Why Knot?
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/e46dc0da-f35c-4696-a7a2-26a5d13cfacc/thumb/128.jpgThe quandle coloring quiver of a knot by a quandle is a modern algebraic knot invariant. A quandle is an algebraic structure whose axioms mirror the rules of knot diagram equivalency. In this expository thesis, we give a brief introduction to the subject of knot theory, with a detour into virtual knots. We then explore invariant enhancements that build to quandle coloring quivers, including colorability, fundamental quandles, and the quandle counting invariant. We introduce quandle coloring quivers, and conclude with presenting and providing an example for recent results from \cite{Q5} classifying the quandle coloring quivers of torus knots by dihedral quandles
Compliance Versus Support: Competing Priorities Affecting Peer Campus-Based Advocacy Programs in an Era of Increased Legal Regulation
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/2e4dceb8-c839-4195-b2f8-756ba52d9ba1/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis examines three essential questions: First, how did peer campus-based advocates experience and perceive their role and their program? Second, what are the potential advantages and differences of peer campus-based advocacy as opposed to campus-based advocacy by full time professional staff? Third, to what extent might peer campus-based advocacy be possible, and survive external regulatory pressures, as an alternative to traditional campus-based advocacy? Drawing on previous research conducted on staff campus-based advocacy (Sabina and Ho, 2014; Moylan, 2017; Brubaker & Keegan 2019, Wood et al., 2021; Nightingale, 2023; Schrag et al., 2024; Brubaker, 2024), I explore the ways campus-based peer advocates for survivors of sexual assault, stalking, and interpersonal violence perceive and experience their roles at a small private liberal arts college and how recent legal developments around Oregon House Bill 3456 have shaped these experiences and perceptions. In my findings, I highlight the similarities and differences between staff and students serving in these roles, and I argue that the school’s interpretation of HB 3456 is a case of both mimetic and coercive isomorphism (Gualtieri, 2020; Reynolds, 2022). Through 15 unstructured interviews, 12 with individuals previously employed as student advocates and 3 with staff who have experience supervising students serving as confidential advocates, I find that peer advocacy is a valuable, often underutilized resource, that improves outcomes for student survivors and student advocates alike. I recommend that campus administrators consider the addition of peer advocacy programs. My study and others like it show that these programs provide unique meaningful confidential peer support and, when combined with caring, mutually respectful relationships between student advocates and campus administrators and faculty, may minimize the likelihood of student experiences of ”institutional betrayal,” which earlier research conducted at the institution I studied found present (Tangherlini, 2022) and has been shown to exacerbate negative mental health impacts for survivors (Smith and Freyd, 2013). I conclude that the presence of a peer advocacy program is a valuable resource for student survivors, students serving as peer advocates, and the campus community as whole
Xenopus laevis Brain Sex-pression: Imaging Sexual Dimorphisms of the Vocal Circuit via HCR-FISH
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/780514de-ef38-41fa-9870-20e820c307e4/thumb/128.jpgThe parabrachial nucleus (PBX) of Xenopus laevis hindbrain has been found to have a sexually dimorphic vocal circuit to produce unique mating calls between males and females. Previous RNA sequencing of PBX, determined that the gene akr1c2.L is upregulated in both adult male X. laevis and testosterone treated female X. laevis in comparison to mature females, providing evidence for the gene's involvement in the masculinization of the X. laevis vocal circuit. This thesis constructed an optimized Hybridization Chain Reaction Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridization (HCR-FISH) protocol to observe akr1c2.L gene expression in X. laevis within its neural tissue context. The findings indicate differential expression patterns of akr1c2.L between male and female specimens. Male X. laevis neurons expressing akr1c2.L are both more abundant and larger in size than females. These results support previous RNA sequencing results and provide a foundation for further investigation of akr1c2.L in the involvement of the development of the masculine X. laevis vocal circuit