JBC Commons (New College of Florida)
Not a member yet
9773 research outputs found
Sort by
ALTERNATIVE MASTERPIECES: NARRATIVES RECOVERED THROUGH CONTEMPORARY REWORKINGS OF EUROPEAN MASTERPIECES
No full textThis paper explores the role of masterpieces as a means of communicating power and authority. Many of the well-known masterpieces today were once commissioned by the privileged to celebrate their status, power, wealth, and beauty, ultimately pushing the victorious narrative of European settlers and in doing so excluding other narratives from the art history canon. Artists offered these commissions were often associated with the art academies and worked diligently to create effective propaganda for their commissioners. Drawing on evidence from scholarship on the academies, artist biographies, artist statements, and artworks made in the 21st century, this study demonstrates that contemporary artists from underrepresented communities are utilizing the masterpiece to create connections between diverse audiences, create visual representation, and regain control over their cultural narratives, giving the term masterpiece new, contemporary relevance. It argues for the importance of uplifting underrepresented voices that question who has been deemed most valuable in society. These concerns are most evident in the artists’ desire to revisit the European masterpiece to create representation for their communities to reclaim their narratives or construct new ones
SIZE MATTERS: PHYLLOSPHERE BACTERIA AND ENDOGENOUS AMMONIUM VARY ACROSS PLANT SIZE FOR AN EPIPHYTIC BROMELIAD (Tillandsia utriculata)
No full textTillandsia utriculata is an endangered epiphytic bromeliad that is native to Florida and provides a unique habitat for many canopy dwelling organisms. Recently, T. utriculata populations have suffered greatly due to an invasive weevil (Metamasius callizona) and to conserve their populations, organizations are attempting to rear plants in nurseries and reintroduce mature or flowering plants into their previous population ranges. When rearing T. utriculata, it is essential to understand the relationships between T. utriculata and their biotic and abiotic environment in the wild at all stages of their lives to ensure they can thrive in nurseries and post-reintroduction. The goal of this study was to compare the bacterial composition of the phyllosphere and measure the amount of endogenous ammonium across different size classes of T. utriculata to determine if they might be correlated and affect plant health. The internal nitrogen concentration was determined using the phenol-hypochlorite reaction and microbial communities were sampled from the surfaces of leaves for a population of T. utriculata on the New College of Florida campus. Ammonium levels decreased significantly, and bacterial communities became more diverse with increasing plant size. There was a distinct shift in microbial composition as well, with more metabolically diverse bacteria present on larger T. utriculata. While there does appear to be a correlation between endogenous ammonium levels and microbial diversity, more research needs to be done on the interactions between the two to determine the roles microorganisms play in nitrogen acquisition. There appear to be different microbial and nutrient input requirements for different sizes of T. utriculata that need to be considered when rearing them for conservation efforts
THE SHAPE OF JUSTICE: WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES OF SOCIAL AND REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE ACTIVISM IN A LOCAL UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST COMMUNITY
No full textThis thesis aims to explore the role of Unitarian Universalist women in social justice initiatives. Through a series of unstructured interviews with three women who assist with social justice initiatives at the UU Church of Sarasota, I hope to describe the influence of the faith in women’s lives, specifically how it influences their understanding of themselves and of their communities. Drawing on feminist ethnographic methods, I also used participant observation, attending several services and workshops put forth by the church. This ethnography is a collection and synopsis of my observations, interviews, and experiences among the women of the Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota
A DISCUSSION OF ONGOING EFFORTS TO ADDRESS DEAFNESS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
No full textThis report explains the activities involved in an applied research project that serves as my senior project, instead of being a traditional research thesis. Its success is evident in that the Government of the Dominican Republic took a welcome step toward identifying, eradicating and treating deafness in its population. Up until that point, this project sought to identify the causes of deafness—primarily in children—and to the develop a national campaign to be led by a faith-based non-profit. Thus, the medium and shape of the project became an enjoyable telling of the story, a narrative in parts. I address how the project evolved, who participated in its development, what we learned, and how linkages could be initiated with other projects and interested organizations, as well as to national development/sustainability goals in support of the larger United Nations Millennium Development program. When the Government of the Dominican Republic decided to take a major step to address deafness, our project morphed from a focus on deafness to the wider totality of disabilities. Save for a limited number of resources, we faced no problems. Instead, we relied on an existing network of interested supporters in the Dominican Republic and the United States, and especially on a very accomplished group of Dominican university students who are honing their skills as part of a leadership academy, Casa Misionera. The heroes in this story are those who continue to devote themselves to improving the lives of others in the various disabled communities
Trash Island: Opportunities of Conservation, Recreation and Education of Spoil Islands in South West Florida
No full textThe phrase ‘Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle’ is one of the earliest introductions to environmentalism many of us are familiar with. Along with this phrase, we are made aware of large amounts of pollution such as plastics on land and our oceans. But the phrase is usually not extended to spaces. Have you ever considered reusing, reducing, or recycling a space? This phrase has been the approach to mitigating relatively new manmade spaces that can be found on many coasts: spoil mounds, a form of human byproduct that is often overlooked. Here in South West Florida, one of our waste spaces are spoil mounds, mounds that form as a result of dredging. These mounds are left in our bays and become overrun by invasive species. In recent years, more intervention has occurred in these spaces, mainly as conservation areas. The possibilities for spoil mounds do not just stop at conservation, though. These islands may have potential to harvest spaces of recreation and education. The idea of a newly designed spoil mound one man, Richart Sowa, combines artistry and his concern for the environment to produce something new. Sowa used roughly 100,000 water bottles as the basis of his floating island, Joyxee Island. The island is powered by multiple sources including solar and wave power. Sowa’s goal is to become entirely self-sufficient. Using this model in conjunction with research that has already been conducted on repurposed islands here in SouthWest Florida, the idea of Trash Island arose. This further contributes to using these islands as inspiration in conjunction with what we already know about spoil islands, I plan to create a plan for Trash Island, an island managed to be completely overcome with native ecology. This island would provide a number of services such as recreation, restoration, and education
AN ANALYSIS OF EMOTION RECOGNITION AND ATTENTIONAL BIASES IN MONTESSORI TEACHERS, NON-MONTESSORI TEACHERS, AND NON-TEACHERS
No full textPrevious literature has found that emotion recognition is essential to how we respond to others; that people after the age of about 12 months focus longer on negative faces than happy ones (a negative attentional bias); and that Montessori students see more surprise in ambiguous faces, see less fear in ambiguous faces, and are more likely to look longer at happy faces (a positive attentional bias) than children in traditional public schools. However, only one study has investigated this difference between Montessori and non-Montessori students, and little is known about the potential differences between and impact of teachers. The current study addresses this gap by comparing Montessori teachers (N = 45), non-Montessori teachers (N =23), and non-teacher adults (N = 101) on an emotion recognition task, a task assessing attentional biases, and a demographic survey. When shown an ambiguous target face (a blend of surprise and fear) with neutral context, Montessori teachers and non-teachers labeled the face as fear less often and shame or sadness more often than non-Montessori teachers. Montessori teachers held overall positivity biases and positivity biases in trials with baby faces, while the other groups held negativity biases except for a positivity bias found in non-Montessori teachers when shown adult faces. The study also compared participants based upon classroom fidelity to the Montessori method, whether they work with children, and whether they attended Montessori school during childhood. Overall, while no significant differences were found between groups, the results trended in expected directions and suggest differences between Montessori teachers, non-Montessori teachers, and non-teachers in emotion recognition and attentional biases. The results also suggest that there may be lasting differences in emotion recognition and attentional biases between those who attended and did not attend Montessori school. This has implications both for the benefits of Montessori attendance and for the impacts teachers may have on their students
“THE GAY PEOPLE WE MET HERE ARE INCREDIBLY NIFTY PEOPLE”: THE HISTORY OF NEW COLLEGE’S QUEER STUDENT CULTURE
No full textNew College has been ranked as one of the most LGBTQ-friendly colleges in the United States throughout the last several decades, though nearly all identifiable elements of support for queer students at New College were initiated and maintained by students themselves. Rather than classifying New College as queer-friendly overall, I propose that it is not the college as an institution that has been supportive of queer students, but instead that queer students formed and continue to shape a queer-friendly student culture. This thesis intends to provide a description and analysis of the complexities of New College’s queer student culture across the college\u27s history. Previous literature on the heteronormativity of institutions, queer culture, and the experiences of queer students in higher education indicate the inherent un-queerness of institutions and the importance of queer community in positive outcomes for queer people. Using an analysis of archival materials and oral history interviews with alumni, I present a set of themes that define the ways in which New College students have worked to shape a queer student culture on campus: joy, care, resistance, and reform. Between periods in New College’s history, these themes have varied in prominence due to the dynamic needs of queer students unaddressed by the institution and remained parallel to the evolution of national queer politics and culture. I conclude the thesis with a reflection on how the history of the queer student culture at New College is crucial to understanding the contemporary moment, as well as what the campus community can draw from this history to navigate New College’s current climate
DONALD TRUMP, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND JANUARY 6TH: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SAVE AMERICA SPEECH AND USAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN CONNECTION WITH THE JANUARY 6TH INSURRECTION
No full textThis study lies at the intersection between politics and performance. I argue that social media is a political communicator and contributed to the January 6th insurrection through Donald Trump’s social media usage. He used his social media platforms to manipulate with misinformation and conspiracy theories. I examine the Save America speech Donald Trump gave on the morning of January 6, 2021, hours before the insurrection at the United States Capitol, as a performance piece and then analyze the words he said to connect his speech to misinformation and conspiracy theories. Along with this, Donald Trump urged his supporters to fight which ultimately incited the January 6th insurrection. The insurrection resulted in deaths and hundreds of arrests. It has damaged the way people trust the democratic process in elections and created a lack of security and confidence in voting
PARKINSON’S DISEASE AND THE MICROBIOME: DETERMINING A FUNCTIONAL LINK BETWEEN MICROBIOTA COMPOSITION AND PD PATHOGENESIS
No full textParkinson’s Disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, however, there has been difficulty in determining the pathogenesis of PD. Recent evidence has supported the hypothesis that the gut microbiota may play a causal role in PD development. This thesis presents findings from human-based and animal-based models of PD that revealed differences in the abundances of PD patients’ gut microbiota when compared to those of healthy controls. Additionally, this review discusses proposed mechanisms and pathways involved in PD pathogenesis, specifically focusing on interactions involving the gut microbiota. The mechanisms and pathways discussed include the propagation and spread of a-syn via the vagus nerve, a role for enteroendocrine cells in alpha-synucleinopathies, how dysbiosis results in the translocation of gut-derived bacterial metabolites (LPS and SCFA), and the effects of hydrogen-sulfide-producing bacteria on mitochondrial function. Despite some discrepancies between studies, it appears that the gut microbiota has been causally implicated in PD and may serve as a target for developing therapeutic strategies
The Eating Things: A Site-Specific Study of Consent and Disability Progression
No full textThis work takes the form of a digital poetry collage, made using a free online software called PhotoPea. An Artist\u27s Statement breaking down the theory, content, and process of the work follows the collage. Image editing and writing was done by Lee Collings. The photography of this work was taken by artist Javi Nuñez, a former resident advisor and proud NCF dropout. The Eating Things: A Site-Specific Creative Study of Consent and Disability Progression was created in order to explicitly perceive the systematic, disabling and nonconsensual violences alleged in the New College student and work environment during the Pandemic of Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Many of these alleged violences include the systematic sustained underfunding of departments like Student Life and Housing, which are essential to high quality of life on college campuses in the United States. The romantic relationship of two transgender men-loving-men is the foregrounded intimacy in the work, along with breaking down binaries in which men are excluded from softness and love. The systematic violences of New College are represented within the work as the evisceration of grammar, the plurality of voice within off-putting images in the home environment of campus, the chronicle of injury against the ecological and the human body, and the investigation of how extended medical crises affect the body\u27s relationship to intimacy in an environment of systematic worker abuse through meter. The nature of the Artist Statement is that it is the presentation of an ongoing process, and a timeline for the completion of the work in preparation for publication outside NCF is presented