THREADS OF MEMORY is an interdisciplinary project that blends theoretical analysis, auto-ethnographic study, and exhibition to reframe the socio-cultural understanding of clothing from a product of trend, novelty, and commerce to a practice of memory, meaning, and sentiment. The written component draws from affect studies (Ahmed 2010, Manning 2016), consumer theory (Baudrillard 1994), and critical fashion scholarship (Ruggerone 2017, Tienhoven 2021) to argue that the circular consumption model stimulates higher object attachment and possessive longevity than the bought-new, or linear consumption model. I then conducted an auto-ethnographic case study using the affective analysis methodology adopted by Tienhoven and Smelik (2021), in which I documented the mind-body experience of wearing fifteen garments from my wardrobe and related my affective response to the way that I acquired each item. My findings emphasize the circular consumption model’s increased potential to transform fashion from an exercise of bodily currency to a ritual of meaningful embodiment. To advocate for a reformed consumer consciousness within the Phoenix community, I hosted an in-person gallery and open defense. All fifteen garments from the case study were exhibited alongside two interactive installations in which attendees shared stories of their most sentimental fashion objects and attempted the affective analysis method on their own using a provided garment. This exhibition further translated the project’s themes of materiality and embodiment into a physical space with printed manuscripts of my written work as well as a printed catalog of my case study. Ultimately, this project urges a reformed approach to clothing from product to story, object to subject, transaction to narrative.

My thesis is a practice in Italian writing and Italian-English translation. During my semester abroad in Italy, I kept a journal of my experiences in Italian as a way to improve my proficiency and explore another facet of my identity. The entries included here range in topic from language acquisition, relationships, the experience of living in a foreign country, and self-exploration. Upon returning to the US, I translated each entry into English to see the different ways each language functions, as well as how my voice as a writer and individual comes through in both.

Ice hockey is widely recognized as one of the most exciting sports to watch and the NHL boasts very good in-game attendance figures when compared to similar professional sports leagues. In this study, we compare the NHL to the NBA, two leagues that share the same size stadiums and in-game attendance numbers but show huge disparities in national television viewership. The most watched NHL game of 2022/23, game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals totaled 2.72 million viewers nationally. The most watched NBA game of the 22/23 season was the final game of the NBA Finals, totaling 17.88 million viewers nationwide. This is especially startling given the fact that on the local level, in cities with both NHL and NBA teams, the local ratings are relatively even and oftentimes favor the NHL team. To investigate why this discrepancy exists, four cities home to both an NHL and NBA franchise were chosen as the focus of the research. Youth participation and cost of both basketball and ice hockey were examined in each city and it was determined that they account for a large portion of the differences in national TV viewership. Marketing strategies of each league were also investigated, but it was found that these had little impact on the discrepancies in national TV viewership. The study concludes with possible solutions for the NHL to decrease costs and increase accessibility to play, resulting in an increase in youth participation, especially in nontraditional hockey markets without NHL teams. In turn, this will bridge the gap in national viewership between themselves and the NBA.

The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing internship engagement and determine if there is a notable difference between first-generation students and their non-first-generation counterparts. To achieve this goal, I surveyed students currently engaged in an internship or those who have completed one within the past three years. The findings indicate that there is no significant difference between the two groups in terms of overall internship engagement. However, first-generation students reported experiencing higher levels of work-role fit and psychological meaningfulness. It's worth noting that psychological meaningfulness influences internship engagement.

Scorpions are predatory arachnids that are among the most ancient terrestrial invertebrates. They are typically found residing in desert and riparian environments. Viruses associated with scorpions have been explored in the past, unveiling partial RNA virus sequences and polyomaviruses, but more research in this area is necessary. Cycloviruses are non-enveloped viruses with circular single-stranded DNA genomes (~1.7 to 1.9 kb). Cycloviruses were initially identified in mammals and have now been detected in samples from a wide range of mammalian and insect species. Polyomaviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses (~4 to 7 kb). They are known for causing tumors in the host it infects, and have previously been identified in a diverse array of organisms, including scorpions. The objective for this study was to identify known and novel viruses in scorpions. Using high-throughput sequencing and traditional molecular techniques we determine the genome sequences of cycloviruses and polyomaviruses. Sixteen of the forty-three scorpion samples were positive for eight different species of cycloviruses. According to ICTV guidelines, seven of the eight species were novel cycloviruses which were found in bark scorpions, stripe-tailed scorpions, yellow ground scorpions, and giant hairy scorpions (Centruroides sculpturatus, Paravaejovis spinigerus, Paravaejovis confusus & Hadrurus arizonensis) from Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima county in Arizona, USA. Additionally, one previously known cyclovirus species was recovered in bark scorpions (Centruroides sculpturatus) in Pima county which had previously been documented in guano from a Mexican free-tailed bat in Arizona. There were ten scorpions out of forty-three for which we recovered polyomavirus scorpion samples that grouped into four different polyomavirus species. Polyomaviruses were only identified in bark scorpions (Centruroides sculpturatus) from Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima county. Of the polyomavirus genomes recovered three belong to previously identified scorpion polyomavirus 1 and five to scorpion polyomavirus 3, and two represent two new species named scorpion polyomavirus 4 and scorpion polyomavirus 5. The implications of the discovery of cycloviruses and polyomaviruses from this study contributes to our understanding of viral diversity associated with Scorpions.

The music genre of hair metal serves as a fascinating portrait of the 1980s. I found in hair metal a set of very concerning beliefs about masculinity, freedom, and consumption that reflect the essential values, beliefs, and mores of the 80s. Functioning as a response to changing gender roles and a shifting economic environment, hair asserts masculine liberty and helps its listeners assuage any fears they may have about threats to the status quo or their way of life.

Dementia is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure at the present time. Patients with dementia and age-related disorders experience neuropsychiatric symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and other difficult to handle behaviors (Peipert et al., 2018). Due to the staggering cost of hiring in-home help or placing their loved ones in a memory care facility, many Americans choose to care for their loved one at home. Unfortunately, this undertaking can impact the caregiver’s emotional and mental health, financial situation, and social life (Peipert et al., 2018). Psychosocial interventions, ranging from social support to therapy, have been shown to be incredibly effective in improving dementia caregiver mental health. One such psychosocial intervention is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps the individual adapt more effective thinking patterns in order to improve their coping skills (Kwon et al., 2017). CBT combines cognitive theory and behavioral theory to explain how our thoughts and feelings directly impact the severity of a situation. In cognitive theory, it is our interpretation of the events that happen to us that is the root of our emotions, not the events themselves. The relationship between our interpretation and our emotions is known as the ABC model (Sorocco & Lauderdale, 2011). In this paper, several relevant studies researching the impacts of CBT on family dementia caregiver stress and burden are assessed and reviewed. A comprehensive, tentative CBT plan for family dementia caregivers is included and proposed.