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Spells, Tragedy, and Love: Impacts of Epicurean Philosophy in the Eighteenth Century
Get PDFLucretius’s Six Books of Epicurean Philosophy is a long, dense book filled with a double translation of ancient philosophy in prose. Due to the nature of the book, it seems to have a small, scholarly reach. Mysteriously, it seems to have passed through many hands over its time after printing. However, the book has deep ties beyond philosophy, to love and death. Lucretius, the original author, died of madness from a love potion. Thomas Creech, the translator, committed suicide after a rejected proposal. Sofia Potocka, a prostitute turned noblewoman through her lovely charms, is one of the owners. It is impossible to deny the book’s impact on the people who have interacted with it. A study of Epicurean philosophy may reveal the strangely strong emotions surrounding the writing and reading of this text.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1025/thumbnail.jp
Personality Type as a Predictor for Exercise Type and Frequency Among College Students
Get PDFRecreational exercise is a popular activity amongst college students that provides a multitude of mental and physical health benefits. This study aimed to explore how the Five-Factor Model of personality can predict the recreation preferences of college students. An anonymous cross-sectional online survey was administered through Google Forms to college students. The data included 1356 responses collected from social media platforms and QR codes. The survey consisted of self-reported questions on demographics, exercise quality and frequency and personality traits. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze data in SPSS version 28.0. The results found significant positive associations between extrovert personality types and various exercise habits. Additionally, there were negative correlations between anxious personalities and various physical activities. This study suggests that personality types and perception of self may have significant influence on physical activity patterns, which supports a customary training approach that supports achieving fitness goals based on personality types.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1031/thumbnail.jp
Why Do We Delight in Celebrity Misfortune?
Get PDFWhereas most people sympathize with others\u27 pain, empathetic response can be muted towards celebrities. We may also experience more schadenfreude, or joy in others’ misery, for celebrities than with people we know personally. This project explores multiple factors, including celebrity obsessive disorder (COD), theories of schadenfreude, and gender bias. Schadenfreude tells us about how we fantasize about others and live through their lives, however, we take pleasure in their downfall because of their lifestyle. It reflects on us because then we also see how this person is living this fantasy life and we delight in their misfortune because of envy and the fact that we don’t have the pleasure of living this life. This project also considers research suggesting that closely following celebrities or people of high status tends to increase our moral disengagements and decrease our empathy. There is an underlying popular belief that because they are famous, “they signed up for it” or “they knew what they were getting into”. The media plays a large role in spreading false information, which then spreads quickly on apps such as X (formerly known as Twitter). Such information, combined with the obsessions and pathological disorder of celebrity worship, can lead to immense hate and worrisome results. A particular case study that will be mentioned in my video essay is Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Through this story, we see the immense hate that Amber developed due to the fandom and support for Depp. People ridiculed Amber Heard immensely on social media, which caused her to go completely silent. It was later discovered that both parties were in the wrong, yet the media and hardcore fans of Johnny Depp tore into that woman with no mercy.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1047/thumbnail.jp
Huey Long and “Share Our Wealth”: Impactful or Forgetful?
Get PDFIn 1934, in the depths of the Great Depression, the Louisiana Senator Huey Long began a campaign to make “Every man a king.” Long’s “Share Our Wealth” plan proposed a guaranteed income of $5,000, to be funded by a wealth tax and caps on inheritances and income. Long’s plan thus represents the first serious proposal for a basic income by a high-ranking American politician. Yet, because most scholarship focuses on his authoritarian impulses and his 1935 assassination, Long’s place in the history of basic income remains scarcely studied. By analyzing Long’s speeches, successive Share Our Wealth proposals, and personal accounts, this project investigates Long’s intellectual and political influences and asks what his legacy means for basic income debates today. In particular, this research explores how Long was greatly inspired by the Bible and populist beliefs instilled by his upbringing in Winn Parish, LA.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1048/thumbnail.jp
The Survey of London and Cultural Preservation Through Disaster
Get PDFJohn Stowe, a famous London historian, began writing his Survey of London in 1598: the books chronicled the history of the city as well as defining features of current London. However, if you were to read these books today, you would be reading descriptions of a London that no longer exists after the destruction of the Great Fire of London in 1666. With this specific copy, it is possible to analyze its journey as a means of post-disaster preservation. This copy of the Survey of London comes with evidence of at least two previous owners: Silvester Slater and Richard Lauler. By exploring their respective lives, more of this book’s journey throughout history will become clear. Examining the specific descriptions of early-17th century London within the Survey of London in conjunction with its specific ownership history prompts analysis of this copy as a vessel for cultural preservation.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1063/thumbnail.jp
Finger Lakes Klansmen: How the Ku Klux Klan Spread Their Invisible Empire in Upstate New York
Get PDFIn the early 1920s, the second incarnation of the Ku Klux Klan attracted millions of adherents and was one of the largest and most visible organizations in America. Scholars have written about the Klan’s activities in New York City, Buffalo, and Binghamton, but little is known about their presence in the Finger Lakes. By examining historic newspapers published in Finger Lakes communities as well as Klan publications like the newspaper Vigilance, this research will show that the region was not immune to the KKK revival. This research will try to determine who supported the Klan and why, uncover the range of Klan activities, and highlight localized Klan opposition. This project will draw on specific Klan events such as parades, meetings, and cross burnings, all being used to prove that the KKK maintained a dominant presence within communities across the Finger Lakes.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1077/thumbnail.jp
The Power of Appearance: A Study on How the Association of Masculinity and Power Influenced Pharaoh Hatshepsut\u27s Decision to Change her Gender Appearance
Get PDFIn 1921, the discovery of a pit containing statues of Pharaoh Hatshepsut perplexed archaeologists and scholars due to the varying gender characteristics of the figurines. Today, an emerging theory suggests that Hatshepsut was transgender. An alternative and more probable explanation is that the ambiguous gender characteristics reflected a political move designed to ensure her authority. The graffiti, statuary, and inscriptions found near or in the Deir-el Bahri Temple allow for examination of ways that Hatshepsut strategically used her gender duality. Additionally, comparing her with other female Egyption rulers reveals that there was a tendency to use women\u27s sexuality to undermine their sovereignty. By taking the masculine form, Hatshepsut avoided much of the criticism that other Queens had to endure. This paper will bring awareness to struggles faced by ancient women in power and the unique and intelligent tactics implemented to protect their legacies and reigns.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1079/thumbnail.jp
Navigating Prejudice and Solidarity: Labor Disputes in New York City\u27s Chinatown in the 1980s and 1990s
Get PDFIn documenting the Chinese experience in America, scholars and the mass media have emphasized the prejudice of Americans who aren’t Chinese, as well as discriminatory government policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This portrayal often implies that Chinese communities have unified for the sake of their collective survival. However, this narrative generally omits the prejudice faced by newer immigrants when they try to raise concerns about labor and working conditions within the Chinese community. This research examines unionization and labor disputes at several restaurants in New York City’s Chinatown during the 1980s and 1990s and the impact such actions had within the Chinese community. This research will draw on English and Chinese-language newspaper articles, legal documents, and videos provided by the Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association to evaluate the consequences of pushing back against intra-ethnic prejudice in both the communities the prejudice directly affects and America as a whole.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1082/thumbnail.jp
The Un-Politics of Book Buying
Get PDFCardinal Thomas Wolsey, widely known for failing to give King Henry VIII a divorce from Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn, compelled an author two centuries later to vindicate his actions through a book, The Life of Cardinal Wolsey. However, at the time of its publication, England was Protestant, not Catholic, and yet, many nobles and clergymen still decided to buy this book. Luckily, this book contained a subscription list, and many of these names are traceable. Some examples include an archbishop with the same title as Wolsey once held, a couple buying two copies despite having a good relationship, and the successor of a man executed for treason. There are also letters to be examined between a queen and a noblewoman that may reveal parts of her character that influence her interest in this book. So did these people really care about Wolsey? Or is this book just a collector’s item?https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1111/thumbnail.jp
Boosting Recycling: The Impact of Higher Bottle Deposits on Plastic Waste
Get PDFThis research paper investigates the environmental and health impacts of single-use plastic bottles, highlighting a critical global issue of low recycling rates and increasing consumption rates. The paper evaluates consumer choices between reusable, and single use plastic bottles in the US. This paper primarily addresses the efficacy of bottle deposit recycling schemes in increasing recycling rates. The main questions addressed is whether increasing the deposit amount would decrease plastic consumption and increase the effective rate of recycling by these schemes. The end goal of this paper is to provide actionable recommendations to policymakers on effective plastic waste mitigation strategies, proposing increased bottle deposits as a crucial measure to improve recycling efforts.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1123/thumbnail.jp