• 

  Cinema and the Portable Spectacle

  Shippee, Zachary B. (2024)

  This paper explores the relationship between the cinema and the political concept of the spectacle. The spectacle characterizes a society of passivity, social and psychological alienation, reality's absorption into representation, and capitalist acceleration. In the spectacle's early development, the cinema, in its mainstreams, was the art form most commensurate to the spectacle's ends. Moviegoers gather to submit to moving images that in some ways portray a world more convincing than lived reality itself. But as the spectacle has evolved to fit into our pockets, as media has become more immersive, interactive, and socially isolating, how has its relationship to cinema changed? As the project guided by the myth of "total cinema" is taken up by video games and virtual reality experiences, how do spectators relate differently to cinematic images? This paper argues that today the cinema today is a place to slow down, not to speed up; it can facilitate a shared artistic experience distinct from the individuated ones of streaming television and social media. Perhaps it can even be a space where spectators antagonize the unconscious qualities of their spectatorship.
• Under the Tent

  Benkhallouk, Isabella R. (2024)

  When an anxious circus newbie and her gang of performers discover the untimely death of their ringleader, they are determined to cover it up and continue their nationwide tour with as little distractions as possible. Welcome to Circus Rosario! Circus Rosario is a family circus that has been performing and travelling across and outside of the country for well over 40 years. When the beloved, yet failing, business loses the face of their performances in a comically tragic manner, the ensemble of circus performers must learn to be flexible in ways they could never imagine. No matter how comedic and ridiculous, there will always (maybe) be consequences for our performers.
• Unionizing the Recording Industry: An Analysis of the Barriers Between Musician Unions and Songwriters

  Turner, Harrison E. (2024)

  Commercial musicians in the United States have faced a long and storied history of exploitation and labor abuses by corporations like record labels and streaming platforms. Despite the active presence of music labor unions and similar organizations in American society, most singers/songwriters within the recording industry still need quality union representation to advocate for improving their labor conditions. Through thorough research and interviews with aspiring recording artists, this paper will analyze the barriers preventing recording artists from collectivizing within the music labor movement and how these issues can be circumvented.
• FART TAILS FAIRY TALES

  Towle, Hannah M. (2024)

  FART TAILS AND FAIRY TALES is a culmination of all my dreams. My wants and my need to transcend. Through the cyber space and whimsy of fairytales I'm able to explore themes of gender, intimacy, sex, and love. <3 :p
• The Evolution of Care for Individuals with Disabilities in NYS: An Exploration of the Positive Outcomes from New Laws on the Lives of Individuals with Disabilities

  Cifuentes, Jovanni D. (2024)

  This study examines the evolution of care and treatment for individuals with disabilities in New York State psychiatric institutions, focusing on the transformative impact of legal reforms and advocacy that have taken place over the last century. Exposs such as Geraldo Rivera's investigation of Willowbrook State School and Letchworth Village have exposed the horrific conditions faced by patients in these institutions. By investigating the historical mistreatment within these "specialized" institutions like Letchworth Village and Willowbrook State School, research shows a transition toward improved care conditions and rights for individuals with disabilities. Landmark cases like The Protection and Advocacy System in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of that same year, The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980 and eventually the Americans with Disabilities Act brought into effect by President George W Bush in 1990, reveal the rise of care for disabled Americans has significantly increased but still needs federal mending. Making sure to emphasize the substantial changes that emerged from landmark cases and legislation, my project aims to describe the positive changes and developments in disability care and the ongoing challenges in ensuring equitable treatment and integration into society for these individuals whose care has been belittled and denied in the past.
• Understanding Westward: A comprehensive survey of political thought in the era of western slave expansion

  Kane, John J. (2024)

  Throughout the formation of American historical study, the American West and its Frontier have been under perpetual analysis and revision since the late 19th Century.
• Language Learning Aid

  Williams, Justin R. (2024)

  This projects aim is to resolve challenges in second-language acquisition by creating a software application that integrates language learning with media, specifically those in image formats. Traditional methods lack the engagement that research suggests enhances learning outcomes and bolsters retention.Using the theories from Krashen, Pica, and others as a basis, the application attempts to leverage comprehensible input to enhance user’s sentence structure understanding, learning retention, and learning efficiency. Using technologies such as optical character recognition (OCR) and dictionary integration through apis, the software extracts language data from images, providing users with definitions from an input language to a target language. Initial development focused on Javascript, Python, and Tesseract OCR for text extraction, with plans for expansion into scalable frameworks like Django to support personalized learning tools. By using language learning research as a basis this project attempts to create a fun, effective, and efficient application to provide an avenue for language learners to enjoy foreign media whilst effectively achieving learning outcomes. LINK TO PROJECT: https://github.com/justrwill/Senior_project
• The Impact of Technological Advancement in Silicon Chips on the Economic Performance of the Semiconductor Industry

  De Rossi, Marco F. (2024)

  In this paper we examine the effects of research and development and annual growth rate of two of the most renowned companies in the semiconductor industry on the overall revenue of the semiconductor industry as a whole. In our analysis we show that overall performance in the semiconductor industry is heavily impacted by the strides in research and development but unrelated to the performance of the top individual companies producing silicon chips. Our findings that we arrived at through regression analysis imply that advancements in technology ultimately positively affect the overall revenue of the industry, however no correlation between its major players performance was found.
• Overload

  Malitzis, Maryanna C. (2024)

  Overload is a motion graphics piece that visualizes auditory over-stimulation. With this project, I aim to help others feel seen and understood and provide a vehicle for others to communicate what they are experiencing.
• Funding Dance in the United States: Deficiencies and Possibilities

  Jaffe, Sydney E. (2024)

  The paper explores themes of the lack of funding in dance, dance career prospects, and ways to help fund the arts. The arts bring so much to different communities and providing funding to these organizations makes a huge impact. Possible solutions that are explored include focusing on the audience companies are performing in, collaborative residencies, interacting with grade students, unionizing, having special events, workshops, being active on social media, engaging with the community, product sales, crowdfunding, and written appeals. More funding opportunities will grow the arts community and field overall.
• Dreams of a Visionary

  Pierre, Lindana K. (2024)

  Dreams of a Visionary is a detailed thesis on what inspires me. My thought process when painting from my dreams. It gives a glimpse into my creative decisions, as well as how I see the world.
• Overture Arts Inc.

  Martin, Jennifer M. (2024)

  Overture Arts Inc. is a nonprofit theater company in the New York Metropolitan area, specifically Westchester County, that delivers immersive and high-quality theatrical experiences including musicals and plays, that build meaningful connections among individuals through the power of storytelling.
• ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD: CAPSTONE

  Polanco, Ryan (2024)

  Always Moving Forward works as a brand and upstart music label. CEO, Ryan Polanco who goes by the stage name DALIII, is the sole owner of the company. Launched as an LLC in early 2024, DALIII has been releasing music through the label name since 2018. Throughout the thesis, the story of Ryan, and plan for a highly successful company will be highlighted and presented in a professional manner.
• All The Lonely Cicadas, Set to Dream Inside Their Shells

  Schwarz, Avery T. (2024)

  Avery's work explores the intersections of transformation, decay, and resilience, using art to question humanity's relationship with the natural world and its systems. Each piece in the exhibition embodies cycles of change, where fragile materials are reimagined and reshaped to transcend their origins. The Cicada Crown transforms delicate exoskeletons into enduring, metallic artifacts through a sputtering process, symbolizing metamorphosis and the tension between fragility and permanence. The Hanging Oil Lamp, with its glossy black ceramic form inspired by organic structures, merges ritual and nature, inviting reflection on the interplay between light, spirituality, and transformation. A large panoramic drawing captures a collapsing industrial landscape, using dreamlike imagery to evoke the dissonance between progress and entropy. Together, these works remind us that in the delicate interplay of decay and renewal, the ephemeral finds its way to eternity.
• 

  Sweeping Sensation

  Domingo, Krauffer (2024)

  My work channels my formative childhood experiences of racism and bullying presented through the reclusiveness of my figures. The persistent need to control and craft my mediums in tedious ways is an extension of my perfectionism produced by a toxic parent-child dynamic. Threaded throughout my work is a relationship with religion and its thematic symbolism where the crucifix becomes a device for pleasure and spiritual presence is encompassed through pearlescent orbs. Monochromatic color allows form and style to take center stage within the pictorial space where sweeping lines guide the viewer's eyes through the compositions of contrasting values and juxtaposing distinct and obscure forms to establish a hierarchy of form. My drawings merge observed reality and abstraction to form a visual language of liberation empowered by my trauma to highlight my queerness which materializes through the raw sensuality of my body.
• 

  ",Citizen"

  Rosado, Yashly D. (2024)

  This thesis explores the personal journey of a 12-year-old Dominican girl who immigrated to the United States. Her dreams were influenced by the idealized representations of the American lifestyle that she grew up watching on TV. After her arrival, she finds herself faced with the reality of living in a tiny attic transformed into a small one-bedroom apartment, far from the glamorous, carefree life she imagined for herself. She discovers the harsh realities of starting over in a different country, the financial struggles of her parents, and the real meanings of humility and success along the way. The psychological effects of disillusionment, the experience of immigrants, and the shift from idealism to acceptance of the toughness needed to seek a better life.
• 

  Automation and Job Displacement's Impact on the Labor Market in the USA

  Finkelstein, David (2024)

  Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are causing changes in the United States labor markets, raising concerns about technology-induced job displacement. This study analyzes how technological advancements affect general employment levels and large U.S. company market capitalizations. My panel data spans from 1995 to 2023 and is comprised of 1,257 observations from 48 companies. I use two random-effects Generalized Least Squares regression models to analyze the data I collected and, in my first model, I test to see if increased technological advancement is significantly associated with a change in employment. My second regression tests if technological advancements are associated an increase in company market capitalization. The results indicate that AI and automation do not cause a significant change in employment demand, these technologies may significantly enhance company values, and they may significantly heighten investor confidence. There is an abundance of academic literature expressing concerns over the future of job-displacement from AI-related technologies, which highlights the necessity for policy interventions to reduce adverse effects on the workforce.
• 

  Public Property 2025

  Condit, Luke J. (2024)

  The growing power of image and celebrity within America has reached an all-time high due to technological advancements and an embrace of social media. As we have been continually exposed to new images and media, our attitudes and outlooks have changed at the same rate. This body of artwork reflects on the impact of these shifts on American pop culture, the myth of the "American Dream," and how we communicate with each other.
• 

  How to Make a Circle

  Benincasa, Sara D. (2024)

  Delving into the mass produced and fast formatted content of modern day children's media, 'How to Make a Circle' is an exhibit that will point a questionable finger at what is advertised as children's educational content. This project will highlight certified works aimed to benefit the development of youth, while clashing with the common horrors that every child on the internet is guaranteed to witness, and encouraged to seek out.
• 

  Social and Labor Market Discrimination Related to Visible Tattoos: Why Are People Tattooed?

  Parker, Alanah V. (2024)

  As of 2023, 32% of Americans have at least one tattoo. In this paper we look at the social and labor market stigma occurrences as well as why people are tattooed. The paper will be using primary data, collected through a survey that had 214 participants. I run a logistic regression since the main dependent variable, being tattooed or not, is binary. I found that if a parent has a tattoo you are more likely to be tattooed. Also that females and LGBTQIA+ members are more likely to be tattooed, which was seen in prior research. Further that social stigma is most often felt from extended family, and labor market stigma depends on the visibility of tattoos. This can be used alongside previous literature to make claims about the growth in popularity of tattoos and how they should be placed for future workforce ventures.

View more