JBC Commons (New College of Florida)
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Your Turn to Role: Queer Worldbuilding in Dungeons and Dragons
No full textAs it now stands, Dungeons and Dragons is one of the most widely-known tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs). The game has flourished especially over the past seven years with the publication of the fifth edition, particularly among those who are LGBTQ+. In this thesis, I investigate Dungeons and Dragons’ possibility for transformation because of the ability of the Dungeon Master (DM) and the players to rewrite the story and reimagine our world, referred to as “queer worldbuilding”. I ask “How does Dungeons and Dragons support queer worldbuilding?” Drawing on theories of queer performance, I define queer worldbuilding as the processes and actions taken by queer people that foster the growth of our communities. To investigate my research question, I ran a four-week D&D campaign with four other LGBTQ+ New College students using observant participation as the DM, conducted pre- and post-campaign interviews with the participants, and memes posted in our Discord server. I found that queer worldbuilding is possible in D&D and, in this thesis, examine three themes that became relevant through my guided theory analysis: identity exploration, the game’s ability to create/expand upon a shared cultural “language” of queerness, and sharing physical and temporal space. This shows the importance of play within queer communities, and allows for recontextualizing the game and TTRPGs within different means of building queer coalition and community
“VERY JEWISH, VERY MIDDLE CLASS, AND VERY STRAIGHT”: Intimacy, Kinship, and the Intersection of Identities in Falsettos and Angels in America in the Time of AIDS
No full textThe focus of this thesis considers how identity, kinship, and intimacy arose in theater during the AIDS epidemic, specifically in the works of William Finn’s In Trousers and Falsettos, and Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. In Chapter 1, I first consider gay theater prior to the AIDS epidemic in the form of In Trousers, connecting how the musical reflects the needs of the gay community prior to the spread of the AIDS epidemic. Then in Chapter 2, I do a close reading of Falsettos and I consider how these needs evolve, specifically in how the gay identity is tied to kinship and intersecting identities, and the impact AIDS has on the portrayal of these needs. Finally in Chapter 3, I focus on specific characters in Angels in America, exploring the ways in which identity in the show is complicated. This thesis’ focus is on the ways in which AIDS theater handled the fears and anxieties of this period and reflected what many in the gay community were missing or struggling to understand of their own relationships and identity during a period of mass disease and death in the gay community
Students’ Perceptions about Discussing Current Racial Issues in the US with their University Faculty Impacts a Student’s Feelings of Connection to their University
No full textThe goal of this study is to understand college students’ perceptions and experiences while discussing current racial issues within their universities and how that could potentially impact their connection with the university as a whole. The objective is to raise awareness of the importance of creating an academic environment that advocates student growth by understanding the impact educator support has on students. The study employed an online survey through Prolific.co to current US college students. Students were questioned about their relationship with their universities and how connected they felt to their respective institutions. Students were assessed by their connection to their university in relation to their perception of their school\u27s willingness to discussing racial issues. Results suggested that when the perception variable was specific to individual professors and racial discussion opportunities, they predicted a student’s feelings of connection to their university. Physical distance from the Breonna Taylor death did not predict student perception, although the operational definition of near and far (0-700 and 700+ kilometers) could be refined to more accurately represent nearness to the event on student perceptions. Student race did not predict perception as there were too few African American participants to capture their opinions as opposed to Latinx and Asian participates. Future research should include a more refined distance value and greater African American inclusion to form conclusions on distance and race on student perceptions of their university
GROWUP: AN ANALYSIS OF VERTICAL FARMING AGRICULTURE
No full textWith the global population predicted to be 10 billion by 2050, and 70 percent of these people within cities by 2050, industrial agriculture must change to accommodate our growing population while avoiding global ecosystem collapse. Indoor vertical farming is one of the solutions to this problem because of its ability to build small footprint, high yield, farms with sustainable resource use at scale. Vertical Farming is the practice of utilizing the 3D space above the ground for additional area for plant growth. Using a range of technologies including hydro and aeroponics, full spectrum LEDs, and artificial intelligence, indoor vertical farming takes a high degree of control over the abiotic factors that determine plant growth with little effect to the exterior environment. In doing so, these indoor farms are able to grow their crops day and night without seasonal variation, in extreme environments such as deserts and freezing tundra. In this thesis, two indoor vertical farms are analyzed on the effectiveness of each farming system in sustaining resources as well as combating food deserts within cities
DISCRETIZATION OF REGULAR SURFACES PRESERVING CURVATURE
No full textWe provide a treatment of the material required to prove the Gauss-Bonnet Theorem. Having developed the classical material, we discuss approximation of surfaces via triangularization and introduce a discrete version of Gauss curvature for piecewise linear spaces. Using our definition of discrete Gauss curvature, we prove a version of the Gauss-Bonnet Theorem for piecewise linear space
PREDICTING ELASMOBRANCH HABITAT PARTITINING IN A COASTAL RIVER
No full textRiver systems are an understudied habitat type for elasmobranchs. In order to predict habitat use and partitioning across maturity states within the Manatee River, Florida, elasmobranch catch rates and environmental factors were analyzed using data from the 2018 to 2020 Gulf of Mexico Shark Pupping and Nursery (GULFSPAN) gillnet and longline survey. Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) analysis was conducted to determine the major environmental factors that impact species presence. General Linear Model (GLM) analysis was conducted on the principal species to determine significant environmental factors across species’ lengths. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae), Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas), Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) and Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna tiburo) were the principal species of study. Depth, dissolved oxygen, and salinity were the most influential environmental factors across species for the BRT models. The GLMs determined salinity, day length, and depth as significant factors within most principal species. Habitat partitioning can be seen in and between several species despite the small study area. This research highlights the need to determine habitat preferences in order to better understand elasmobranchs movements within river systems, which will aid in conservation efforts for these species
GROWTH PATTERNS AND THE EFFECT OF PH ON THE FLORIDA MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS) VIBRISSAE
No full textFlorida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) possess highly sensitive vibrissae across the surface of their body. These structures enable manatees to detect water flow and the changes in water flow that may result from the presence of nearby objects such as other manatees. This project examined vibrissae growth rate and possible effects a changing environment may have on these structures. We monitored 40 vibrissae follicles on two captive Florida manatees over ten weeks and experimentally manipulated pH levels in tanks that contained trimmed vibrissae. To understand growth, vibrissae length at each follicle was measured periodically and mean growth rate was found to be 0.64 mm per day across manatees and the mean vibrissae length across manatees was 7.22mm. In order to study the possible effects of ocean acidification, 40 vibrissae were trimmed and randomly assigned a tank with a pH value of 7.95, 8.05, 8.15, 8.25 (a typical value for their natural environment), or 5.60 (deionized water). They were studied after five weeks and again after eight additional weeks. Different visual characteristics were used to classify changes of the vibrissae when viewed under a compound microscope including transparency changes, roughness of the surface of the vibrissae, and bends in the vibrissae. The vibrissae left in water with a pH of 8.25 had the lowest level of changes, while those in water with a pH of 5.60 had the most physical changes, followed by the vibrissae in the most acidic water. Future research to understand if these physical changes in the vibrissae alter the functionality of their hydrodynamic sense would help predict the impact ocean acidification may have on Florida manatees
EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND GENDER: AN EXPLORATION OF HOW GENDER AND EMOTION REGULATION RELATE TO PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL MUSIC
No full textPrevious research has established that men and women differ in their physiological arousal and subjective response to emotional stimuli. The present study aimed to investigate why this difference occurs. Specifically, I explore how sex/gender and expressive suppression influence subjective-emotional response and physiological arousal when listening to music. This empirical study involved recruiting human subjects to a laboratory study in which self-reported emotional experiences and physiological measurements (heart rate and skin conductance responses) were assessed under either an expressive suppression or control condition. Importantly, whereas prior research has found effects on the basis of binary categorization of sex , the present work extends prior research by assessing the subject\u27s gender identity using broader category options beyond the binary as well as a series of continuous slider-scale measures of perceived masculinity and femininity. There was a significant relationship found between changes in skin conductance levels (SCL) when listening to emotional music and body masculinity (reported via slider scale) in the control, but not suppressive condition. When the sample was separated by either cisgender or non-cisgender identities, there were no differences between the gender scales and emotional response in the cisgender group. However, in the non-cisgender group, changes in SCL when listening to emotional music were positively correlated with body masculinity, and negatively correlated with body femininity. This study provides partial support for the effect of expressive suppression on emotional response found in prior research when expanding the gender spectrum. The present work asserts a need for discursive nuance and gender-diversity when researching the interaction between gender, it’s subjective meaning, and emotional response
Integration of Entomological Collections Methods into the New College Entomology Teaching Collection
No full textThe New College of Florida is home to a small entomological collection, consisting of only several thousand specimens. This collection is contributed to by any biology faculty members with a specialty in entomology, however there has never been any comprehensive management plan in place. A management plan is vital to the ongoing success and expansion of any entomological collection. In order to create such a management plan for the NCF entomological collection, I conducted a literature review, as well as formed and distributed a questionnaire, specifically targeting entomological collections professionals. Using this information, judgements were made about what the NCF Collection required in order to grow and improve, and how to set these plans into motion. The management plan for the NCF Collection includes standardizations to general procedures, instructions on how to conduct curatorial duties as the collection expands, a plan on how to begin the process of digitizing the NCF Collection, as well as the future of funding and outreach, utilizing the collection. This plan ensures that the NCF Collection remains stable and healthy for the foreseeable future
PLAYING WITH OUR EMOTIONS: HOW VIDEO GAMES AFFECT PLAYERS
No full textThis thesis investigates how video games produce emotions in their players by virtue of their complex structure of design and mechanics. I apply Spinoza’s mechanical account of emotions or “affects,” to identify the relationship between the game’s elements and the human player. In order to understand why a game makes one would feel a certain way, one must reflect to examine the causes within the game, utilizing their emotional responses as a guide for thoughtful engagement. Three different types of video games are presented as case studies to analyze the nature of these games, along with providing my experience of playing them to describe how my emotions came forth