Subjectivity: Exploring Transformation Within Historical Form

Subjectivity: Exploring Transformation Within Historical Form explores modern dance pioneer Bella Lewitzky’s historical work, Inscape (1976), reinterprets it through a contemporary lens, and implements a collaborative cross-disciplinary approach in its evolution. While informed by my Lewitzky reconstruction experience, this investigation stems from a desire to assertively engage with history while finessing my creative voice and utilizing current technology that was unavailable when the dance work premiered. My process’ intricacies were refined through extensive research into: historical dance reconstruction, Lewitzky’s collaborative relationship with Inscape’s costume designer Rudi Gernreich, imagination psychology, and influential choreographer and multimedia unifier Alwin Nikolais. My project’s culminating dance film, Metaphase, marks an insightful venture into both filmmaking and my own collaborative partnership with friend and costume designer, Andrew Palomares. These notable outcomes, along with my continued examination of dance history, will propel my creative practice in the future to provide engaging dance works and build a connection between myself and other choreographers

I\u27m Trying to Love Garbage (2021) by Bethany Barton

Bethany Barton writes great books for kids about how minds change. In this one, the character’s arc is from thinking about garbage as just smelly icky stuff through empathizing (a little) with the creatures that feed on garbage, to eventually coming to see that all garbage is not equal; some needs special handling or it will clutter life up for a long time. The conclusion: I want to act like someone who thinks more about garbage, about what trash I create and where it ends up.”https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_thinkingstories_picturebooks/1007/thumbnail.jp

Making the Invisible Visible: The Experiences of Black Women in Student Affairs at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Black women have experienced instances of workplace discrimination in student affairs at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This interpretive phenomenological study, guided by Black feminist thought, aimed to explore the lived experiences of Black women in student affairs within HSIs. This investigation found that some HSI systemic structures fostered racialized and gendered campus climates, contributing to Black women’s oppression through ageism, racism, tokenism, and sexism. Despite these challenges, Black women developed coping strategies to persist in their roles at HSIs. These strategies included minimizing their emotions, supportive spaces, and advocating for themselves. Sociopolitical forces also impacted Black women’s career advancement due to inequities in hiring practices, indicating a need for internal and external mentorship. Still, Black women advocated, supported, and contributed to their students’ welfare and success at their HSIs. This study provides insights and visibility on a broader understanding of the lived experiences of Black women in student affairs practices at HSIs for counselors, the professionals for student affairs, and leadership in higher education

Should federal law preempt state law on the subject of immigration?

Although the Constitution addresses matters related to immigration, it does not mention immigration itself. The Supreme Court has held that the federal government has the inherent sovereign power to regulate immigration. Nonetheless, the existence of federal immigration power does not automatically preempt state and local regulations affecting non-citizens. Whether federal immigration power preempts all state and local attempts to regulate aspects of immigration has been the continuing subject of litigation. The result has been uncertainty over regulation of immigration. What can and should be done to resolve this uncertainty over the scope of power to regulate immigration? This is a complex problem, a more comprehensive understanding of which requires interdisciplinary research. I used qualitative research methodology (textual analysis) to examine the question through the disciplines of law and history. From September 2025 through March 2025, I analyzed sources including the Constitution, Supreme Court opinions, articles from scholarly journals, and information from non-scholarly sources. I then identified conflicting insights from each discipline, found common ground between them, and integrated them to reach a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. That understanding leads to a suggested resolution of the research problem. I conclude that federal law should be determined to preempt all state and local laws regarding immigration. Immigration is a national issue. A patchwork of federal, state, and local immigration laws creates confusion and uncertainty and results in costly and time-consuming litigation. A determination that federal immigration power preempts all aspects of immigration law would finally resolve this confusion and uncertainty

ADHD symptoms and neural correlates of executive functioning in autistic and non-autistic youth

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects executive functioning (EF) and working memory (WM; Doyle, 2006), and can be comorbid with autism (Hours et al., 2022). Investigating differences in neurodivergent individuals’ neural processing can inform treatment approaches (Johnstone et al., 2013). Observing event-related potentials (ERPs) enables the analysis of neural correlates of EF; task-switching (SwP), working memory (P3b), and reward processing (RewP). This project aims to elucidate relationships between ERPs and ADHD symptom severity in autistic and non-autistic youth. 63 parents (Mage=12.0, SDage= 2.8, MIQ=109.0, 42.1% Female; 60.3% autistic; 59.1%White) reported their child’s ADHD symptoms (CASI–5; Gadow et al., 2013) and EF (BRIEF-2; Gioia et al., 2015). Youth were administered EF tasks (DKEFS; Delis et al., 2001). Bivariate correlations suggest ADHD symptoms are associated with EF measured by both DKEFS (rs=-.318, ps\u3c0.04) and BRIEF-2 WM (r=.714, p\u3c.001). However, association of ADHD symptoms with neural correlates of EF differed by autism status: SwP (all subtypes of ADHD; rs=-.504, ps\u3c.03) and RewP (combined symptoms only; r=.0376, p=.048) only correlated with ADHD symptoms in non-autistic youth. P3b did not relate to ADHD symptoms. This suggests that ADHD-related set-shifting and reward processing difficulties (cognitive flexibility deficits) reflect in neural activity of non-autistic youth only. These results suggest that neural mechanisms underlying ADHD symptoms differ by autism status, indicating different compensatory strategies, adaptive neurodevelopmental differences, or alternative pathways affecting EF and RewP in autistic individuals (Martinez et al., 2024)

Minority Stress and Working Memory

Minority Stress Theory posits that sexual minority status leads to unique stressors related to stigma, prejudice, and discrimination that create worse mental health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals (Meyer, 2003). The present study investigated working memory in LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ samples after a minority stress induction, as stress has been linked to cognitive difficulties in the context of memory retrieval in both short- and long-term memory (Klier & Burrata, 2020). The present study incorporated a recently validated film-based minority stress induction created by Seager van Dyk et al. (2023). 184 participants (66 LGBTQ+) viewed this induction and then completed an n-back task that assessed working memory. I found that both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ groups performed similarly on the working memory task. However, LGBTQ+ participants reported more elevated negative affect after induction than non-LGBTQ+ participants. Although working memory impairments were not found in the present study, further research can examine how elevated negative affect in the face of minority stress events may impact LGBTQ+ individuals in other domains that can potentially be leading to adverse mental health outcomes

The Sperlonga statuary – A case study of tactical landscape design in imperial Rome

With the death of Augustus in 14 CE, the Roman emperor Tiberius, his chosen successor, began an era of dynastic succession that required new art and architecture to link the emperor to his predecessors and establish inherited power. To reinforce his connection to the past and assert his rule, Tiberius commissioned numerous portraits, monuments, and smaller dynastic artworks, blending Augustan imagery with Classical Greek influences. He also oversaw the construction of monumental structures, such as Rome\u27s first palace and expansive villas outside the city. Among these projects was his villa in Sperlonga, located on Italy’s southwestern coast, between Rome and Naples. This paper examines the tactical landscape design employed by Tiberius at the grotto within his villa at Sperlonga. It explores how the statuary placement and surrounding environment were carefully designed to create visual and thematic connections between nature, architecture, and cultural narratives. We discuss how this deliberate design enhanced the aesthetic experience for guests while reinforcing Tiberius\u27 status as the Augustan dynastic heir. Finally, we highlight ongoing research into the art and design of the Sperlonga statuary and its role in reinforcing imperial authority

Dead Bird

https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_picturebook_gallery/1012/thumbnail.jp

The role of emotion dysregulation in adaptive functioning associated with internalizing symptoms among neurodiverse youth

Adaptive functioning (AF) refers to an individual’s ability to manage daily life demands and maintain personal independence.1 Emotion dysregulation(ED) is a key feature of several clinical disorders, can hinder self-care abilities, particularly in the presence of co-occurring mental health conditions, and is significantly elevated in autistic youth2 Given that ED may interfere with daily functioning, understanding how ED impacts AF could help identify intervention targets for neurodiverse youth. This project examines ED and AF in neurodiverse youth experiencing symptoms of internalizing disorders. Parents of thirteen youth aged 11 to 17 (M=11.46, SD=2.37; 57.1% female) reported on youth’s emotion dysregulation (EDI)2, adaptive behaviors (ABAS)3, and internalizing symptoms (CASI)4. ABAS was negatively correlated with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (r=-.68, p=.011), Major Depressive Episode (r=-.73, p=.005), and Persistent Depression (r=-.73, p=.023), but not Social Anxiety (r=-.11, p=.723). ABAS was negatively correlated with ED Reactivity (r=-.69, p=.009), but not ED Dysphoria (r=-.40, p=.173). Additional mediation analysis will be run prior to the date of the symposium to assess ED as a potential predictor between ED and internalizing disorders. Overall, higher severity of internalizing symptoms (except Social Anxiety) negatively relates to one’s AF, and poorer AF may be may be linked to trouble managing emotional reactions but not to overall feelings of sadness or distress. These findings suggest that interventions targeting emotional reactivity, rather than general distress, may be more effective in improving adaptive functioning in individuals with internalizing symptoms

Taping vs bracing for patellofemoral pain syndrome

The purpose of this critically appraised topic is to make a recommendation on using taping or bracing to treat patellofemoral pain syndrome or PFPS in the general population. PFPS is a broad term that involves anterior knee pain felt behind or around the patella, caused by trauma, muscle imbalances, and malalignment or tracking. Kinesiotape or McConnell taping can be used, as well as distinct types of braces such as patellofemoral or unloader braces, and knee sleeves. A search was conducted on Pubmed for full text references within the past 10 years. The search terms used were ( patellofemoral pain syndrome OR PFPS) AND (brace* OR bracing), ( patellofemoral pain syndrome OR PFPS) AND (tape* OR taping). References excluded patients with a prior surgery or injury. Strength of recommendation taxonomy was used for evidence of quality assessment and all references met the criteria of a level 2. While there is evidence that different taping and bracing methods are effective in reducing pain and improving function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. The results of this appraisal were inconclusive and therefore the use of taping and bracing should be continued to be used at the discretion of the clinician. This appraisal has a recommendation of a C. The results of this critical appraisal will allow athletic trainers to determine possible treatment options–taping or a specific brace type–for athletes. Few studies have directly compared taping and bracing, so further research is necessary to create better treatments and interventions