The Occupations of Slaves Sold in New Orleans: Missing Values, Cheap Talk, or Informative Advertising

Although plantation records indicate that many slaves in the southern United States were artisans and craftsmen, relatively few slaves were recorded as such on the New Orleans sales invoices. Robert Fogel (1989, p.57, 162) assumes that the slaves without recorded occupations were unskilled workers,concluding that skilled slaves were "less than half as likely to have been sold as were ordinary field hands." Using data from New Orleans newspapers, we find that most sales advertisements include information about the slave's skill or occupation. A comparison of the advertisement with the corresponding invoice shows that the slave's occupation was often omitted from the sales invoice. Because the slave's market price should reflect all relevant information available at the time of sale, the informational value of the slave's advertised occupation can be estimated using regression analysis. Interestingly, we find that the qualitative description of the slave's skill level affected his market price more than his advertised occupation. For example, an "excellent" cook commanded a premium price whereas a "plain" or "tolerable" cook did not. These results suggest that buyers used available information in making their bids and that newspaper advertisements were not simply "cheap talk."slavery, human capital

Schizotypy and the role of coping behaviors in the experience of positive and negative affect

The purpose of the current study was to examine whether (a) schizotypy is positively related to negative affect and negatively related to positive affect, (b) whether individuals with high levels of schizotypy use more maladaptive coping behaviors than those low in schizotypy, (c) that maladaptive coping behaviors will mediate the relationship between schizotypy and negative affect, and (d) that adaptive coping behaviors will mediate the relationship between schizotypy and positive affect. A sample of 435 undergraduate participants completed self-report measures including The Brief Cope, The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, and The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Bivariate correlations resulted in levels of schizotypy to be positively associated to negative affect and negatively associated to positive affect, replicating previous research. An independent samples t-test found that individuals high in schizotypy used more maladaptive coping behaviors. Bootstrapping was used to examine the mediation models proposed. Maladaptive coping partially mediated the relationship between schizotypy and negative affect whereas adaptive coping did not mediate the relationship between schizotypy and positive affect. Implications for prevention programs designed for individuals with high levels of schizotypy are discussed

Well-Behaved Librarians Rarely Make History: Juliette Hampton Morgan and Alabama Librarianship in the 1950s

Juliette Hampton Morgan was the first white Alabama librarian to publicly support racial equality and desegregation initiatives, yet she remains largely unknown amongst library professionals, including those in her home state of Alabama. Outside of Montgomery, Alabama, where the central library in which she worked was renamed in her memory, little is known of her. This is evidenced by the scant information about her in the Alabama Library Association’s archives at the University of Alabama, the lack of recognition by the Alabama Library Association, and the slight understanding of Alabama librarians regarding her role in Alabama library history. (Knowledge gained from author’s work with the Alabama Library Association, extensive research in the Alabama Library Association archival collection – University of Alabama, and author’s interactions with highly involved library professionals from across the state). The story of this “sensitive” librarian who challenged the southern status quo through her vocal encouragement of desegregation, including in public libraries, is vital for a comprehensive knowledge regarding the history of southern public libraries (Dobbins, 1957). While non-southern public libraries had their own racial issues to address, many public librarians in the South, and especially in Alabama, experienced a private “conflict” between their professional values to provide the “highest level of service…[and] equitable access” to all library users, and their segregated societies that legally separated users, making it nearly impossible to achieve their profession’s goals (Graham, 2001, 1-2; American Library Association, 1939). Most librarians kept their struggle quiet, limiting it to private communications or confidential professional records. In contrast, Morgan documented her experience publicly, revealing how she gave voice to a “silent majority” of Alabama librarians who supported desegregation and prepared “the way for a happier and more equitable future” in Alabama libraries (Morgan, 1957). Currently, little scholarship on her professional life, influences, and impact is available. While Mary Stanton’s biographical work is significant to understanding the life of Morgan, Stanton stated in an interview with this article’s author that, as she was not a librarian and she did not focus on Morgan’s librarianship, encouraging further research on her professional life (Mary Stanton, personal communication, March 1, 2019). This article attempts to do that and add to the library literature on this topic

Daughters of Basheera

This collection of fictional writing is intended for young adults. Both works feature female protagonists encountering supernatural element and could be categorized as magical realism, in that they incorporate fantastic or mythical elements in otherwise realistic fiction. “Teeth” is a short story that covers an issue that is prevalent amongst young adults and has been heavily discussed in the media. A reimagining of the Greek mythological tale of Medusa, the protagonist undergoes a transformation after a brutal rape that leaves her physically changed and what some would consider a monster. Daughters of Basheera is the beginning of a coming-of-age novel featuring a teenage girl who slowly uncovers secrets of her lineage after a tragedy. Inspired by the story of Tituba, a slave who was tried for introducing witchcraft to European settlers’ daughters during the Salem Witch Trails, Daughters of Basheera explores the idea of the descendants of the original practitioners of witchcraft. Both “Teeth” and Daughters of Basheera attempt to explore themes of isolation and punishment

Compensations for exile: A Lacanian analysis of Aeneas\u27s destiny and Dido\u27s tragedy in Virgil\u27s Aeneid

This thesis will attempt to show that Dido\u27s Tragedy, rather than reinforcing or celebrating a patriotic version of Homer\u27s heroic code, offers a critical view of the suffering involved in the founding of a new nation, and thus of Aeneas\u27s Destiny

Blogs and Feature Articles: Foster Youth in Higher Education, Superheroine Figures in Film, and More

Herein is my portfolio which exhibits my collective work in a journalism workshop class. This includes several blogs and feature articles that were completed within a semester. The blogs and articles mainly cover the topics of foster youth in higher education and a current issue/trend within film and television culture. As a current LMU Guardian Scholar, my interest lies in covering news and feature stories that highlight these Guardian Scholars Programs on other college campuses in the greater Los Angeles area and what various social support services they are providing to their students to help them combat the hurdles of economic hardship and the lack of family support. I intend to create a final portfolio of related news stories including a reaction story and in-depth profile that showcases a comprehensive exploration of Guardian Scholars Programs, its staff, and people who work in the field of improving the lives of at-risk youth. While these articles offer a glimpse at diversity on college campuses, ultimately they will illustrate a universal human experience of perseverance and determination. I also explore a creative topic within the film industry which is showcased in an issue/trend story. This required extensive reporting, research, and group work. I hope to bring light to a current film/television issue and how it is impacting film professors and students at Loyola Marymount University

Hydraulic Modeling of Glacial Dam-Break Floods on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania

This study investigates the potential hydraulic conditions of catastrophic floods in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River (West Branch) during the middle to late Pleistocene period and the influence of these paleofloods on the current river bed form. The current channel bed form is characterized using sonar bathymetry data collection techniques. The paleofloods are hypothesized based on published geological evidence of early Pleistocene glacial Lake Lesley in the West Branch Valley, which was formed by a glacial ice dam that potentially failed during mild climate cycles in the Pleistocene period. A one-dimensional, steady hydraulic model is developed to simulate estimates of paleoflood peak discharges and the modern 100 year return period peak discharge. The computed water-surface profiles, shear stresses, and flood inundation maps could explain the erosional and depositional features identified by other researchers as being formed during the Pleistocene and could explain features revealed by the bathymetry data. Therefore, the hydraulic modeling results support previously inferred hypotheses of the occurrence of glacial dam-break floods on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. The differences that are evident between the paleoflood simulations and the simulation of the modern 100 year peak discharge are attributable to valley constrictions that cause substantial backwater effects for the larger paleoflood discharges but not for the lower modern flood discharge volume. The ability to simulate potential paleofloods in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River complements the paleostage indicator work done by other researchers and enables innovative analysis of glaciofluvial processes and their effect on the current river bed form

The Value of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Humanities E-Book Collection: Is It Worth the Cost?

Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) is a regional university located in Montgomery, Alabama. The enrollment consists of 3,990 FTE undergraduate and graduate students (Auburn University at Montgomery, 2017). The library at AUM holds nearly 600,000 volumes, excluding government documents, along with more than 100 journal databases, which support student and faculty research. Over the past five years, the materials budget has decreased more than 30%, requiring collection reductions. Initial analysis determined that in addition to other items, one of the recommended products for elimination was the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Humanities E-Book project

Post-Flood Cleanup Alternatives along Stream Corridors in Central Pennsylvania Helping Resolve River and Land Use Conflicts in an Economically and Ecologically Sustainable Manner

Report on managing river corridors of Central Pennsylvania in an economically and ecologically sustainable manner. Fluvial geomorphologists and civil engineers from Bucknell University present results of research and analysis of the impact of floods on Central Pennsylvania streams, bridges, dams, and roads. Ten sections cover 1. Key Concepts for Managing River Corridors in a Sustainable Manner; 2. Options for Managing the Conflict between Nature and Man; 3. The Physical Imperatives of River Systems; 4. Dynamic Equilibrium of Streams and Anticipating Adjustments in the Future; 5. The Conflict: Today’s Accounting; 6. Cost-Benefit Analysis; 7. Short vs. Long Term Solutions: A Choice of Management Scenarios; 8. “Stream-Cleaning” – allow gravel or “do nothing”? 9. Informing the Alternative Selection Process; 10. Managing Sustainably. The report focuses on the long term benefits of a geomorphic corridor management approach which can benefit both property owners and riparian ecosystems. The largest challenge is not in conducting the scientific analyses to determine the river’s slope and planform requirements, but rather in how to redefine the relationship of public and private investments with fluvial dynamics in an equitable manner over time within a watershed. The larger short term costs associated with using a geomorphic-based approach, where land conversion is necessary, become more acceptable and economically justifiable where channelization projects have failed repeatedly or in post flood remediation where major erosion, property damage, and channel avulsions have occurred. A passive geomorphic approach may be the most desirable alternative due to its lower maintenance costs but is highly dependent upon landowners willing to accept what may be significant changes in land use expectations. Concluding recommendations exhort State and Federal agencies involved with river resource management to work together to provide economic incentives and technical assistance for towns and landowners to make decisions that resolve immediate conflicts with the long term watershed solutions in mind