Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
In order to evaluate this sentiment, this thesis will explore the representation of various modern social anxieties as presented in five different episodes of Black Mirror: “Fifteen Million Merits,” “White Bear,” “Nosedive,” “Men Against Fire,” and “Hang the DJ.” The essay begins with a brief introduction to the series and background information that explores the modern relationship between technology and some of the anxieties it raises. Following this contextualization, I will present a definitional section that outlines the various concepts that are relevant to dystopias and the ones depicted in Black Mirror specifically. The next segment discusses the more specific evolution of technology within dystopias. I will analyze nondiegetic and extratextual material related to the series, such as the Black Mirror theme music and the posters used to advertise the series. This section will also include some background information about the show, including its structure and the intentions of the creator as expressed in interviews. The main portion of the thesis will use the aforementioned episodes to demonstrate the various threats that technology presents to the individual, such as commodification, an illusion of agency, emotional and mental deterioration, and obtaining pleasure from violence. The paper also discusses the threats that technology poses to society including brainwashing, a lack of authenticity in social interactions, the presence of monotony, and dehumanization. Finally, a concluding section will explain how the series Black Mirror represents prominent modern social anxieties and conveys why contemporary users of technology should fear it.
A podcast that discusses the phenomenon of cult cinema deemed “so bad, it's good”. It takes a look at what makes these films enduring and entertaining, with the ability to create near-religious followings. Moreover, it discusses the financial aspect of the filmmaking and how these followings affect the market.
A podcast that discusses the phenomenon of cult cinema deemed “so bad, it's good”. It takes a look at what makes these films enduring and entertaining, with the ability to create near-religious followings. Moreover, it discusses the financial aspect of the filmmaking and how the cult followings affect the market.
Dr. Sigmund Freud has managed to become one of the most controversial and paradoxical figures in the universe of academia. This paper was written as an evaluation of Freud, as a man and a scientist, in an attempt to decide if his work is suitable for the modern classroom. This essay will question Freud's methods of validity and ethics in his theories and case studies. The theories discussed will include beginning treatment, dream interpretation, and instinct theory. The case studies will include The History if Infantile Neurosis and An Analysis of a Case of Hysteria. The topic of Freud’s validity was not easily determined. Nuanced work with the unconscious may not always demand empirical evidence to support it and many scholars hold conflicting beliefs on this area of Freud’s work. While Freud’s ethics, against modern standards, do not hold up to any APA ethical guidelines that now exist.
For my thesis project, I joined a pathway course in Game Design. The goal was to design an analog game based upon principles learned in class and through experimental gameplay. Tasked with designing different game types and provided different styles of games to test, I was able to explore and develop my own game idea, Covers.
Color Theory is an abstract strategy game, a genre that emphasizes decision-making and strategic thinking without elements of luck or hidden information. This game utilizes primary and secondary colors to represent players' pieces, with the objective to move each player's pawns to the opposite same-colored spaces on the board. Developed through rigorous playtesting, Color Theory introduces a color ranking track that dictates the synergy between the move and jump actions. Players must strategically maneuver their pawns, while also taking into account the position of their colors on the ranking track. It strikes a balance between clever movement and player interaction, providing an accessible and enjoyable gaming experience. In the end, the first player to successfully move three of their six pawns to their opposite spaces wins the game.
For my creative project, I designed an original board game. The game is titled Poise, and it is categorized as an abstract strategy game. Throughout the year, I researched board game design and experimented with game mechanics. The creative process of designing a new game was both challenging and exciting.