SUNY College at New Paltz: Recent submissions
Now showing items 21-40 of 774
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The evolutionary psychology of cuteness: manipulating eye-to-face proportions in stuffed animals to better understand why some things are cuter than othersHuman infants are highly vulnerable and require the care of an adult in order to survive. The motivation for an adult to take care of its offspring may be in-part due to the perception of the infant as cute. The perception of visual cuteness is facilitated by the face and body proportions of the infant. A large round head, in proportion to the body, with large eyes are features that cause an infant to visually be perceived as cute, this is known as “Baby Schema.” This perception of cuteness elicits a care giving urge with in the viewer. Non-human animals can also exhibit similar proportions and be perceived as cute by humans. This is also true for stuffed animals. This study used images of stuffed animals with increased and decreased eye size to assess how perceived cuteness is influenced by these changes. This online study had participants rate, in terms of cuteness, how cute they found each image. Results were analyzed to determine the optimal eye size for increased cuteness perception. While the data trends behaved to support medium eye size yielding the highest cuteness ratings, results were not found to be statistically significant and the study is inconclusive. Future studies should aim for a larger population size with a wider range of ages for participants. Keywords: Baby Schema, stuffed animals, cuteness
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Traveling waves and shocks in a contaminant transport modelContaminant transport modeling plays a great role in environmental science to understand how chemical or biological contaminants are transported through subsurface aquifer systems. This thesis introduces a simple mathematical model for the transport of contaminants carried by water through a porous medium, such as soil. Moreover, we briefly introduce important mathematical concepts in the study of partial differential equations: traveling waves and shock formation. By examining the behavior of traveling waves and shock formation within our model, we describe the solution’s behavior and compare this description with the numerical solution of the model. Keywords. Mathematics, Partial Differential Equations, Contaminant transport, Groundwater, Mathematical modeling, Conservation laws, Reaction-Advection-Dispersion Equations, Numerical methods, Simulation
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Queer illegible communities in Angela Carter’s Nights at the CircusAngela Carter’s Nights at the Circus uses the hybrid subjectivity of Fevvers to lay groundwork of Fevvers’ ability to be illegible, meaning to be un categorizable, as Jack Halberstam describes. Fevvers illegible individual subjectivity allows her to illegibly exist in community, have relationships with people by means of their stories and emotional labor instead of through hegemonic categorizations. When American journalist, Jack Walser, attempts to interview her, she disorients him with the help of her friend and mother figure Lizzie and teaches him to unlearn hegemonic modes of understanding one another categorizations by letting him get to know her through her life stories. Lizzie also helps Fevvers by balancing out Fevvers greed with Lizzie’s own Marxist ideology. Through these differing ideologies, an interrelational gearshift feminism emerges, allowing people flexibility to change their mode of moving situationally. This mode of feminism is also used in the second plot in this novel about the panoptic prisoners. Interrelational gearshift feminism is enacted by Fevvers in her accepting of a transformed Walser, providing a hopeful message about the importance of small change to create big, global change. Carter also uses an interrelational gearshift feminism model in outlining what characters she is uninterested in transforming through excessive caricatures. Keywords: English Literature, illegibility, categories, Jack Halberstam, Angela Carter, gearshift feminism, transformation.
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Above the curveScoliosis is a condition defined by an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine. It affects 2-3% of the population, and I was one of them. I was diagnosed when I was 12, and had to wear a back brace. Then when I was 17, I had spinal fusion surgery. Growing up with scoliosis, it was difficult to not see myself as different from other people. I didn’t know anyone that understood my feelings, so I hid them with a smile. Above the Curve is space for scoliosis patients to document their emotions surrounding their condition, and the bodily changes that take place because of it. While it mostly affects adolescents, this is a resource for anyone with scoliosis. The prompts encourage all forms of creative expression, not just writing. All of the visuals in the journal are hand-drawn, creating a homemade, individualistic experience. This journal is not meant to be completed in any specific order, and readers should go back and change their responses over time. My project aims to help readers develop a healthy body image, and provide them with a feeling of community among other scoliosis patients.
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Processes of clay & the human figure“I discovered the process of throwing clay on the wheel was rewarding in a way that all the previous mediums I had practiced were not. For the first time, I was creating art that was functional. Ceramics felt personal. Creating something with my own hands to be held daily in the hands of others; something admired not only for its beauty, but also for its function . . .” — Excerpt from my Artist Statement
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Not withstandingThroughout my writing life, I have been consistently drawn to the small and minute moments. An off-hand comment from a lover, a drive to a soccer game, the thoughts in my head while looking at a painting, the way someone walks, all of these things have combined to influence my worldview. When I sit down to write, I can’t help but put these tiny things on the page, blowing them up into monumental pieces of art that demand to be acknowledged. Of course, there is always the need to bring the big conversations to the table. Religion, sexual assault, the foster system—these things need to be talked about. They need to be accessible. As a poet, I know it is my responsibility to shed light on these difficult topics, and despite the embarrassment and no matter how uncomfortable I might be to admit some of these truths, I know with my vulnerability I have created beautiful art out of some brutal situations. This chapbook, Not Withstanding, is an examination of those small, seemingly inconsequential experiences contrasted against the intensity of the more traumatic experiences that have made a strong impact on my young womanhood. Keywords: English, Creative Writing, Poetry, Chapbook, Womanhood, Religion, Sexuality, Family Dynamics
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A critical analysis on loneliness and connection in our digital ageThe technology boom of the late 1990s into the early 2000s saw great advancements into the way we see and use technology. From this period onward, access to the internet and even ownership of a technological device or smartphone became more common among the general public. Before we knew it, access to all sorts of information and access to each other became readily available at the click of a button. In many ways this helped foster a greater sense of connection among many, with physical barriers no longer preventing family members who live miles away from each other to stay in touch or young adults being able to find communities of people online that shared their interests that they may have had trouble finding in their own hometowns. So, with all of these possibilities for connection available, why has there been a common trend of loneliness and disconnection, especially among the youth who’ve grown up in the technological age? Can technology be seen as the catalyst for this trend or are there other societal changes at hand that have played a bigger role? And what can be done to mitigate or counteract such experiences? In my thesis I will explore these questions, drawing from literary texts and various academic sources to support my claims. I will also be exploring if and/or how themes such as identity, relationships, and development have any relationship to these questions. Keywords: Psychology, loneliness, connection, digital addiction, adolescence, psychological needs, mental health
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Intangible thoughtsAbstract: a collection of poems written using short lines and long stanzas. This collection reads in a story-like manner, with the first four poems surrounding mental health issues as well as fear of death before actually living. The next four poems deal with my parents, growing up and seeing them as people rather than just mom and dad as well as reminiscing on my past homes. The interlude is a middle ground that mixes self-uncertainty and parental turmoil with general disillusionment. The following four revisit my relationship with food, my struggles with anxiety, and existential panic. The succeeding poems illustrate romantic love and heartbreak. The final poem ruminates on what my parents would think of me if I didn’t carry the achievements that I hold. I referenced different poets, musical artists and films in this collection. I found many parallels between my writing style and the authors I read from my independent study course. For instance, Terrance Hayes had a descriptive writing style while also implementing surreal components into his poems. Jenny Zhang on the other hand had a confessional writing style that introduced a sense of nostalgia and vivid imagery while also including some forms of existential questioning. This project encouraged me to live more honestly as myself to myself. Keywords: Psychology, Poetry, Mental Health, Love, Perception
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Santiago 1973September 11th, 1973 was a pivotal day in world history. In the slender, Pacific-facing, South American nation of Chile a war was being waged. Although, to the untrained eye, it was fought in the streets of Santiago and the halls of the La Modena presidential palace; in reality the battle for control of the Chilean government had already been won in the backrooms of Washington and the secluded offices of Langley, Virginia. keywords: history, theater, journalism, political theory, creative writing, Chile, American Empire
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Anthromotive: a journey in accessible car design and fabricationIf this SOAR repository item is not accessible to you (e.g. able to be used in the context of a disability), please email libraryaccessibility@newpaltz.edu
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Brute force attainability"Brute Force Attainability" is for those that forget. In tackling my own struggles with an unreliable ability to remember, my thesis addresses the fragile condition of memory in the pursuit of fulfilling long term artistic goals. A solidified design becomes tangible through different combinations of CNC flatbed milling, 3D printing, silicone molding, a DIY rotocast, a little bit of fiberglass, an exorbitant amount of sanding, and airbrushing.
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The historical materialist illusion theater: remembering the goddess civilizationThe Historical Materialist Illusion Theater is an interactive installation focused on the work of Lithuanian-American archaeologist Marija Gimbutas (1921-1994), designed using CAD software and fabricated using CNC processes. The installation functions as an art piece but also a self-contained exhibition of Neolithic artifacts reproduced with modern technology. This installation provides an experience for viewers to engage with archaeology and art history, and to learn about cultures that lived thousands of years ago.
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You & I are earth: a celebration of parties, affection, and the darkroom: MFA thesis - Photography and Related MediaYou & I Are Earth is photographic autofiction: a combination of self portraiture and portraiture, real and ephemeral places, actual and imagined events. It is a project about the friendships that mean the world to me, the ways we nourish and adorn our lives, and the spaces we love and lose and recreate together over and over again.
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Tehzeeb: what we bring to the table: MFA Thesis - MetalGreat things happen when human beings come together for a shared purpose. As language equips us to make meaning of our world, the tools we use in our daily lives help to nurture ourselves and serve others. They connect us to one another, holding within them community, culture and Craft. Through forging spoons, I explore the various manifestations of the tool both literal and metaphorical. As I engage in a dance with my material, the form reveals itself to be a symbol of growth, connection and nourishment.
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Beyond shattered honor: MFA thesis - Photography and Related Media"Beyond Shattered Honor" serves as a tribute to the silenced voices of Iranian women, victims of the brutal practice of "honor" killings. In shadows where men decree death over perceived dishonor, this multidisciplinary installation revives the forgotten, those obscured by family and faith. Combining sculpture, photographs, video, and audio, it brings their stories back to light. It transforms symbols of mourning into a critique of violence, seeking justice through memory and artistic expression. This project creates a sanctuary that merges remembrance with resistance, honoring those who were silenced.
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This party is for you: explorations in celebration and healing: MFA Thesis - PrintmakingOn December 1st, 2018, I shattered a bone in my left ring finger. Exactly six months later, when the last of three surgical pins were removed from my hand, I celebrated with a tiny party hat for my finger. That insistence on finding hope and joy in brokenness is the essence of this work. Items destined for the trash- furniture, magazines, junk mail, scrap fabric- are given care and attention that celebrates their pasts and gives them a new life in the present. Instead of merely repairing or restoring, I am reimagining these objects. They don’t look like they did before because my care and attention have fundamentally changed them, like love always does. This is a party about joy, and the things that have changed us and hurt us and made that joy mean something. This party is for all of us, the ones who made it this far. This party is for you.
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Mi querencia: MFA thesis - Photography and Related MediaMi Querencia is a project about my maternal home country of Venezuela. In the summer of 2023, I was able to go to Venezuela for about a month, for the first time since 2016. The reason for the trip was familial: to reunite my scattered, refugee family from Chile and the U.S.A. However, having never been there as an adult, I also sought out what might be a ‘Venezuelan identity’, and was excited to see what new blood — what kinds of culture and activism and liveliness — might still exist under 25 years of oppressive regime.
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Hiding place: MFA Thesis - CeramicsThis thesis explores the intersection of nature, memory, and sculpture through the medium of clay. Drawing on my experiences growing up on a farm, I create representations of natural forms that evoke a deep sense of self-identity and belonging. Using hand-building and coil-building techniques, I shape intricate, dynamic sculptures that balance visual softness with physical hardness, creating an illusion of imminent movement. These large-scale works invite viewers into a playful tension, suggesting a secret, animated existence just beyond perception. The process of collecting and indexing natural forms allows me to recreate and reimagine my childhood experiences, transforming them into a new, imaginative world. My work is driven by a desire to escape reality and discover what elements of the natural world foster a sense of belonging. I weave together past and future narratives into a singular, timeless moment that encompasses the feeling I’ve been chasing my entire adult life, the feeling that created my thesis show “Hiding Place”.
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Pulling teeth: MFA Thesis - CeramicsThis thesis elucidates how humor and pain influence the formation, development, and expression of self. By exploring elements of color, form, and psychology, and referencing the works of Clayton Bailey, Peter and Sally Saul, and other artists of the California Funk Movement, this research delves into the complex relationships between contrasting emotions tied to compulsive behaviors and intrusive thought patterns. Through examining personal psychology and creating imagined worlds with recurring symbols, this study employs levity as both a distraction and a narrative tool. This approach allows for a nuanced investigation into the interplay of humor and pain in shaping human experiences and self-expression. But is it all really that serious?
