Standard Candle 2018

Standard Candle

Standard Candle (also called Candela)

is a unit of luminous intensity used to measure, among other things, the brightness of the stars. It is equal to 1/60 of the

luminous intensity per square centimeter of a black body radiating at the temperature of solidification of platinum (2.406 degree K)

The Academic Annals of The Morristown-Beard School

EDITOR

Ashley Chen

STAFF MEMBERS

Kyle Torre Samantha Schornstein

FACULTY ADVISOR

FACULTY ADVISOR EMERITUS

John Mascaro, Ph. D.

Cover by Ashley Chen

Darren Lovelock

A note to you, the reader:

As I write this in the fall of 2018, construction for the Center of Innovation and Design (the CID) has begun--another important addition to our campus, following the recent renovation of the Math and Science Building. According to Dr. Owen Boynton, Director of the CID, the site’s purpose is to provide a space for students to explore “design thinking,” a concept that encourages a different attitude to problem solving. Traditionally, a problem is resolved by a single solution. However, in the CID, students will collaboratively “test early and test often” to discover faults, improve methods, and develop multiple solutions. This new space is not confined to one academic discipline. Instead, the CID will help Morristown-Beard fulfill its mission to break down the walls between traditionally separate areas of study. As this year’s cover suggests, MBS never limits a student to a single interest or strength.

Amidst all the recent innovations and future plans on campus, something remains the same: the MBS Standard Candle, which, like “design thinking,” tries to bring together writing from multiple classrooms. In the following pages, you will find time-honored literary analysis papers. You will also encounter, among others, a paper on Leonardo Da Vinci’s fingerprints, a piece on Charles Darwin’s discoveries, and even a satirical math paper on the word “literally.”

I hope you enjoy the following pieces by your peers.

-- A. C.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Elisabeth Buscemi THE BLAME GAME: THE QUESTION OF AUTONOMY IN THE AENEID.............................................8 Keegan Heher LEONARDO DA VINCI’S FINGERPRINTS.......................13 Kate Miles THE ABBASID DYNASTY...................................................18

Katharine Bernstein LOS DOBLES ESTÁNDARES DE GÉNERO.....................25 Courtney Norteman JAMAICA KINCAID’S LUCY...............................................27 Ashley Chen A DECADE OF PROGRESS?................................................34 Toni Allen FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF CYCLIC GROUPS.......44 Hailie Cadeau, Keegan Heher, Katharine Bernstein, Lindsay Pych FINGERPRINT LABORATORY............................................45

Michelle Corcoran TRAPPED WITHIN RELIGION...........................................61 Justin Recupero CHARLES DARWIN............................................................66 Anika Buch THE WAR AFTER EVERY WAR........................................69 Brianna Stewart A SHELTER FROM THE STORM.....................................81 Jadyn Lawrence WHO’S ON TOP?: THE MASTER-SLAVE DYNAMIC IN “BENITO CERENO”............................. 86 Sasha Berniker DIAGNOSING JEKYLL......................................................91 Alexa Rothschild LITERALLY, IT’S NOT A THOUSAND DEGREES

OUTSIDE.....................................................................95

Elisabeth Buscemi, ‘18 Submitted by Dr. Amanda Gregory

THE BLAME GAME: THE QUESTION OF AUTONOMY IN THE AENEID

W

hat does it mean to be happy? How is being happy different than being lucky? What does either have to do with autonomy? In Vergil’s Aeneid, happiness

and luck are important concepts. These concepts are most prominent in Book Four: the book where Dido burns herself to death, cursing Aeneas with her final breath. In lines 657-58, Vergil writes, “felix, heu nimimium felix, si litora tantum / numquam Dardaniae tetigissent nostra carinae.” Ferry translates this section as “Happy, too greatly happy, if the Dardan / Keels had never touched upon our beaches.” Ferry’s choice of the word “happy” as a translation for “felix” is interesting because it brings up questions around autonomy in the face of divine beings.

Ferry’s word choice suggests a level of autonomy. In the

original Latin, “felix” is a third-declension, normative adjective that can be translated as happy, lucky, blessed, favorable, fruitful, or successful. A direct translation of Vergil’s original line would be “lucky, alas too lucky.” However, it is uncertain if there is an implied “sum,” meaning “I am,” in Vergil’s line, which wouldchange the phrase to “I am lucky, alas too lucky.” Nevertheless, 8

Ferry choose to translate the sentence differently. Instead of using the word lucky, Ferry uses the word “happy.” While still a faithful translation of the original latin, the use of the word “happy” carries with it different implications than the word “lucky” would have had. The word “happy” has a positive connotation. It is an emotion one frequently one feels when they experience something that makes them feel joy or pleasure. There are no negative associations with the word “happy.” The word “happy” requires a modifier to contain a negative connotation. However, the modifiers “too” and “greatly,” the ones that Ferry uses, do not bring about a negative connotation; they are neutral words that strengthen the natural connotation of the word they modify. Happiness can originate internally or externally depending on the person and situation. One can be made happy by an external force; yet, one can also make themselves happy by performing certain acts.

If Ferry had chosen to translate “felix” as “lucky” instead

of “happy,” Dido would have seemed less in-control of her own life. If Ferry had chosen “lucky,” the phrase would have become “Lucky, too greatly lucky, if the Dardan / Keels had never touched upon our beaches.” If Dido had believed she was too lucky in this moment instead of being too happy, Dido would have seemed more like a pawn in a larger game. The act of being “lucky” implies that one is influenced an external force. One does not typically make one’s own luck, as one does with happiness. People who are lucky 9

are lucky because of forces outside of their control. Ferry may have chosen “happy” instead of “lucky” to imply Dido had, and understood herself to have, an active role in her own destruction.

Dido would have chosen to be happy; she would have not chosen to be lucky. Therefore, with Ferry’s translation, one must ask was it the gods that fully forced Dido to love Aeneas (did she really just get too lucky?), or did Dido partially love Aeneas of her own accord (did she let herself be too happy?)? In short, the difference between “happiness” and “luck” is most crucial in attempting to determine the level of Dido’s free-will in perusing her own death.

The importance of the word “felix” at that moment in the

text stems from the fact “felix” is describing how Dido feels about having had Aeneas in life. The introductory phrase “felix, heunimium felix” is attached to the explanatory phrase “si litora tantum / numquam Dardaniae tetigissent nostra carinae.” The introductory phrase serves to explain how Dido feels about having had the Trojan ships land on her shores. It is one of the view insights into Dido’s psychology during her entire speech, which is mostly filled with incoherent ramblings to Aeneas’ belongings about how her and his stuff must die. It is one of the few moments of psychological insight in a speech of incoherent insanity. Therefore, the use of the word “happy” is important because it reflects her view on the moments that caused her to commit suicide and, more significantly, subtly reveals her view on her own part in her downfall.

10

Ferry’s choice to use the word “happy” gives Dido more

autonomy; however, by giving Dido more autonomy, Ferry opens the door to the suggestion that all characters in the epic have more freewill than they believe they have. In The Aeneid, the theme of pre-determination is significant. Throughout the epic, Aeneas and other mortal characters have their lives influenced by the Fates and the gods. The very reason Aeneas and Dido fall in love is because of Juno and Venus’ will. However, if Dido’s downfall comes from how happy Aeneas made her, instead of her luck at having had Aeneas brought into her life, then she is admitting to being partially responsible for her own downfall—she allowed her mentally sanity and happiness to be dependent on a man. Therefore, her instability and sadness when he leaves is self-inflicted. By using “happy,” Ferry implies that within Aeneas’ world of meddling gods there is some level of freewill. It forces the reader to question if the characters’ fates are truly beyond their control or if the characters, regardless of any initial divine intervention, have the power, to a certain extent, to choose their own path.

Dido’s situation is important because it shows the conse-

quences of divine meddling. However, the words chosen in Dido’s final speech are important because they offer insight into her psychology. By using a word such as “happy,” Ferry implies that Dido admits to having some control over her own actions. The gods only made Dido fall in love: they never forced her to be happy. Ferry’s 11

word selection calls into question the whole idea of predetermination within The Aeneid. It forces the reader to wonder how much of each character’s fate was really beyond their control and how much was simply a result of their own error.

12

Keegan Heher, ‘18 Submitted by Dr. Fiorica-Howells

L

LEONARDO DA VINCI’S FINGERPRINTS

eonardo da Vinci personified the Renaissance ideal. As a painter, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, and inventor, he was one of the most adventurous and

versatile artists of his time. While many of his paintings and innovations are well known and well respected, there is much to Leonardo da Vinci that remained obscure to the public until recently. However, with the use of fingerprint identification methods, the mysteries of Leonardo da Vinci were finally revealed.

Peter Paul Biro, a Montreal-based art-forensics specialist,

began the disclosure of da Vinci’s secrets by discovering a print on a drawing dubbed La Bella Principessa. Using state-of-the-art multispectral infrared technology, Biro was able to take images of the layers of the pigments used to create the work. In doing so, he identified a 500-year old print of an index finger on the top left corner of the drawing. Using his knowledge of da Vinci’s other works, he was able to conclude that the print was “highly comparable” to another fingerprint found on da Vinci’s painting of St.Jerome in the Vatican. Thus, through highly advanced technology, the specialist became the first to obtain one of 13

Leonardo da Vinci’s fingerprints.

Not only did Peter Paul Biro discover this fingerprint, but

he also used his discovery to link da Vinci to an unnamed painting.

In 1995, Kate Ganz–a New York art dealer–bought a 13-by-9 inch portrait named La Bella Principessa which was thought to be the drawing of an unknown 19th century German artist. The piece was a delicate profile of a young, aristocratic Milanese woman, drawn with pen, chalk and ink on animal skin. Originally sold at $19,000, Ganz eventually sold the work in 2007 for a similar price after keeping it for 12 years. Peter Silverman, who saw the work during the orignal auction in the 1990s, walked into the Ganz gallery in 2007 where it was being sold, and bought the work, acting on his doubt of the piece’s origin. Eager to solve the mystery, Silverman consulted top art experts who began to search for clues that might link the portrait to da Vinci. In studying the piece, they discovered a fingerprint–the one mentioned previously–on the top of the portrait which was comparable to a fingerprint on another one of da Vinci’s pieces, suggesting this portrait was indeed da Vinci’s and not a German artist’s. While the connection appears legitimate, there are many that dispute the claim. Specifically, the New York Post reported that Peter Paul Biro–who “discovered” Leonardo’s print–was once accused of falsely authenticating a Jackson Pollock painting on the basis of a fingerprint that was allegedly copied off a paint can from the artists’ studio. Thus, although it is unclear if 14

Leonardo da Vinci was the true artist of this piece, it demonstrates the power of fingerprint identification in revealing secrets of the past.

Leonardo da Vinci’s fingerprints also played a role in

determining the origin of his mother. For years, the identity of Leonardo da Vinci’s mother eluded historians, but with the help of the impression of his fingertips, the possibility of determining the biological side of his identity increased. The reconstruction was the result of three years of research. The research was based on photographs of about 200 fingerprints, taken from 52 papers handled by Leonardo in his life. The artist, who was generally left-handed, used his fingers to paint, causing his thumb print to appear often on his manuscripts. These prints would allow experts to link Leonardo to his past. With certain distinctive features more common in the fingerprints of some ethnic populations, the experts at the Anthropology Research Institute at Chieti University in central Italy determined that the feature found in Leonardo’s fingerprint applies to 60% of the Arabic population.

This suggests the possibility that his mother was of Middle Eastern origin. However, some experts refute the conclusion, stating that determining ethnicity based on fingerprints is vague. According to experts, there are breakdowns of the population that indicate the percentage of the population that has whorls, loops, arches and which races have low or high incidences of each pattern.

15

Yet, as associate professor of criminology, law and society at the University of California at Irvine Simon Cole states, “You can’t predict one person’s race from these kinds of incidents, especially if looking at only one finger.” Thus, once again, fingerprint identification has the ability to lead us towards hidden information, but its legitimacy is not finite.

By analyzing how Leonardo da Vinci’s fingerprints may

have led to determining his mother’s origin, the question of the effect of genetics on fingerprint determination is raised. While it is known that each individual’s fingerprint is unique, studies suggest that both environment and genetics play a role in fingerprint determination. A person’s fingerprints are based on the patterns of skin ridges–called dermatoglyphs–on the top of the fingers.

Dermatoglyphs develop before birth and remain unchanged throughout a person’s lifetime. The ridges form during the third month of gestation and are fully formed by the sixth month. To scientists, it appears that the basic size, shape and spacing of dermatoglyphs are determined by genetic factors while the finer details are determined by the environment of the womb. The environment component of fingerprint formation is supported by the fact that identical twins, who have the same DNA, have different fingerprints. On the other hand, the genetic component of fingerprint formation is sustained by the existence of rare diseases characterized as mutations of genes that lead to abnormal or absent 16

dermatoglyphs. With both of these factors potentially affecting the development of fingerprints, it is impossible to conclude if genetics plays a large role or a role at all in the formation of fingerprints.

By examining the power of fingerprint identification in

regards to Leonardo da Vinci and the general population, it is evident that such a process can have a powerful, but limited role in drawing conclusions. The method may lead one towards discovery and advancement, but its lack of true validity makes it impossible to make finite claims. One can only hope that in the future the capabilities of fingerprint identification develop to the point where these types of convictions become justifiable.

17

Kate Miles, ‘21 Submitted by Mr. Chris Teasdale

O

THE ABBASID DYNASTY ver the span of 508 years, the Abbasid Dynasty, with the hub of the empire located in Baghdad, flourished in many of the arts and sciences, successfully living

up to its nickname, “The Golden Age of Islam.” As the second dynasty of the growing Muslim empire, the Abbasids began a new era of accomplishments where their advances not only impacted future generations, including modern-day medicine, but also fueled the European Renaissance. Through many different advances, innovations and discoveries, the Abbasids left their mark on the world through their accomplishments and triumphs in literature, medicine, and economics.

Discovering the manuscripts and stories written and

preserved by former Greek scholars, the Abbasid Muslims developed a passion for writing and translating important documents. Originally only translated into Syriac then Arabic, writings in Farsi, Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Greek and Latin were later translated directly into Arabic by Abbasid scholars, mainly at the House of Wisdom. Started by the Caliph Harun ar-Rashid, this scientific academy based in Baghdad was home to “translators, scientists, scribes, authors, men of letters, writers, authors, 18

copyists and others who used to meet every day for translation, reading, writing, scribing, discourse, dialogue and discussion.�

These busy workers, mainly made up of men from a vast span of cultures, spent years at this university to accomplish some of the greatest advances the Abbasids are credited with. Without the help of certain Abbasid philosophers and translators, the famous works of many Greek writers, as well as the new additions of books, ideas, and concepts, would likely have been forgotten. The primary interest of Muslims in realistic matters led to new works based on “Greek physicians, astronomers, mathematicians, and geographers.� From these works, new advances in many fields, including medicine, would be derived then written down once again for future scientists and doctors to use.

Medicine, ranging from ophthalmology to psychology,

spread like wildfire during the time of the Abbasids, with hospitals making appearances in many places and medicine becoming a popular new profession. Because of the new philosophical thinking that the Abbasids acquired from Greek literature, physicians in the dynasty began to question traditional practices of medicine and challenge their old concepts and theories on diseases. Illnesses were soon differentiated from one another with the creation of medical encyclopedias, such as the Canon of Medicine, which diagnosed and described deadly diseases such as cancer. Not only did the Abbasids begin to become aware of the health of their 19

dynasty, they also made important contributions and discoveries about the human body, with one man named Ibn al-Haytham changing the way we understand eyes forever. By looking at how human vision occurs, he took into consideration many different mathematical, psychological, experimental, physiological, and physical attributes to add to the knowledge of light, eyes, and vision, which is still impacting optometry and ophthalmology today. With the addition of hospitals, new sub-categories of doctors, and even traveling clinics to give medical care to rural and remote areas, the Abbasids devoted much of their time and studies to prove the importance of medical knowledge that has lasted into today’s era.

In order to be able to afford and support the cost of

extensive knowledge in the empire, the new need for economics, trade, and banking was on the rise. Through the international traffic of goods, the Abbasids flourished with items from Central Asia, North Africa, Eastern Asia to the Mediterranean, receiving silk, ink, peacocks, spices, rubies, wood, ebony, coconuts, linen, grain, fruit, perfumes, pearls, slaves and gold from the wide span of merchants. In return, the payments required in these exchanges led to the new business of banking. The Abbasids used two types of currency throughout their empire, one being the denarius, a gold Byzantine coin used in the West, and the other being the dirham, a silver coin used mainly by the Persians in the East. Because the 20

value of each coin would change due to the different financial worth of the metals, bankers were a necessity to keep prices fair and exchange the currencies. As the financial systems in Islam blossomed, new concepts were introduced, a few of which we still have today. Forms of payment in the Abbasid Dynasty were referred to as “sakk”, later morphing into our current word of “check”, which allowed people to have money written down for someone in one city and then redeemed for currency in a different city.

The Abbasid Dynasty earned its nickname by becoming

the zenith of Islamic culture. With the discoveries and accomplishments from The Golden Age, whether it was the translations of influential Greek literature, or the studies of the human eye, the ideas that emerged from the empire eventually developed into the complex systems around today. Because of the advances throughout the dynasty involving literature, medicine and economics, the Abbasids left their imprint on the world and future generations to come. Their dynasty ended in destruction when the Mongols stormed the city of Baghdad in 1258 and threw the works of thousands of authors from the House of Wisdom into the Tigris River. However, the accomplishments and the discoveries of the Abbasid Dynasty were already widespread enough by that time so that the Abbasids continued to live on for generations through their work.

21

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Abbasid”. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/middleeastern-history-biographies/abbasid “Abbasids”. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index. php?title=Abbasids&oldid=993751 “ABBASIDS”. factsanddetails.com/world/cat55/3sub2/entry-5227.html.

“The Abbasid Caliphate”. www.religionfacts.com/abbasid-caliphate.

“Abbasid Dynasty”. http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/ Details/215380?q=The%20Abbasid%20Dynasty “Abbasid Dynasty”. http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/ Details/214408?q=The%20Abbasid%20Dynasty “Abbasid Dynasty”. http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/ Details/224740?q=The%20Abbasid%20Dynasty “Abbāsid Dynasty”. www.britannica.com/topic/Abbasid-dynasty.

“The Abbasid Dynasty: The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization”. https:// www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/HIST101-9.3.1AbbasidDynasty-FINAL1.pdf “The Abbasids’ House of Wisdom in Baghdad”. www.muslimheritage. com/article/abbasids-house-wisdom-baghdad.

“Abu al-Abbas as-Saffah”. https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/ encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/abu-al-abbas-saffah “Al-Khwārizmī”. https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Khwarizmi “Arabic Literature during the Abbasid Era”. https://www.scribd.com/

22

doc/97406090/Arabic-Literature-During-the-Abbasid-Period “Arts of the Islamic World: the Early Period”. www.khanacademy.org/ humanities/art-islam/islamic-art-early/a/arts-of-the-islamic-world-theearly-period.

“Avicenna”. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Avicenna “Early Islamic Period: Art”. http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/eia.htm “The Golden Age of Islam”. www.khanacademy.org/humanities/worldhistory/medieval-times/cross-cultural-diffusion-of-knowledge/a/thegolden-age-of-islam.

“Harun ar-Rashid”. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/ middle-eastern-history-biographies/harun-ar-rashid#1E1HarunarRa “How Early Islamic Science Advanced Medicine”. https://www. nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/magazine/2016/11-12/ muslim-medicine-scientific-discovery-islam/ “Islamic Arts”. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-arts#ref316216 “Islamic Culture and the Medical Arts”. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/ exhibition/islamic_medical/islamic_12.html “Life during the Islamic Empire”. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE49&iPin=GEIW032&SingleRecord=True “Literature and Music in Muslim Civilisation”. http://www. muslimheritage.com/article/literature-and-music-muslim-civilisation “Mamun, al-”. https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopediasalmanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mamun-al “Mansur, al- (d. 775, 2d Abbasid caliph)”. https://www.encyclopedia.

23

com/people/history/middle-eastern-history-biographies/al-mansur “Medieval Medicine”. http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/innomedicine. html “The Mongol Sack of Baghdad in 1258”. https://www. thegreatcoursesdaily.com/the-mongol-sack-of-baghdad-in-1258/ Stewart, Desmond, and Leonard Krieger. Early Islam. Time-Life Books, 1969.

“Who was Ibn al-Haytham?”. http://www.ibnalhaytham.com

24

Katharine Bernstein, ‘18 Submitted by Ms. Rocio Romero

LOS DOBLES ESTÁNDARES DE GÉNERO

E

l género es una construcción social, que se formó hace miles de años. Sin embargo, a lo largo de los últimos cientos de años, cada género ha asumido diferentes

estándares y normalidad asociadas con este. La mujer debe limpiar y cuidar del marido y de los hijos, mientras que el marido debe trabajar y hacer dinero para proveer a su familia. A manera que ha pasado el tiempo, otros ideales han sido asociados con cada rol, creando estándares de género concretos y culturales. Los roles culturales de género de la sociedad colombiana están muy presentes en Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada de Gabriel García Márquez, mientras que Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz refuerza estas ideas en su poema Hombres Necios que Acusáis.

En Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada hay un importante

doble estándar presente en relación con los roles de género en un pequeño pueblo colombiano. Las mujeres deben adherirse a las extremas expectativas sociales y culturales, como su vestimenta y la naturaleza sagrada de su virginidad para casarse. La naturaleza protegida y segura de esto se muestra más a través del asesinato de Santiago Nasar por supuestamente tomar la virginidad de 25

Angela Vicario. Por contrario, los hombres son alentados a ser experimentados en la sociedad con las mujeres antes de elegir a la mujer con la que quieren casarse. En el cuento, las mujeres no tienen ninguna posibilidad de movilidad social excepto el matrimonio con un hombre de estatus social superior.

En el mundo contado por Márquez, las mujeres no serían

nada si no fuera por los hombres. Sin embargo, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz pone estos estándares en duda y obliga a la sociedad del siglo XVI a revaluar estos principios en su poema Hombres Necios que Acusáis. Ella cuestiona el machismo de los hombres en las sociedades y las razones por las que asumen que son superiores a las mujeres. Todos los estándares y supuestos propuestas en el cuento de Márquez son retados por el tono y la elección de palabras de Sor Juana.

Entonces, ¿por qué la gente acepta los estándares que se

crearon hace miles de años, presentes a través de múltiples siglos? ¿No debería la gente de hoy ser más inteligente y mejor educada, y darse cuenta de los dobles estándares del siglo XVI y el siglo XX todavía están presentes hoy? Uno pensaría así, aunque el desarrollo de civilizaciones no es siempre linear. Como comunidad global, tenemos un largo camino por recorrer hasta que seamos capaces de superar los ideales cuestionados por una mujer radical, rebelde y religiosa.

26

Courtney Norteman, ‘19 Submitted by Dr. Owen Boynton

T

JAMAICA KINCAID’S LUCY

he Immigration Act of 1965 was a turning point in the complex history of the United States. The Act retained the quota of immigrants that dictated the number of new

immigrants coming to America; however, it ensured immigrants from Europe, Asia, and Africa were admitted to the country equally without any given preference. The Act reflected social, economic, and political developments taking place in the United States during that time, developments also reflected in the literature. Lucy, written by Jamaica Kincaid and published in 1990, explores the consequential effects of the Immigration Act, although she does not explicitly state the Immigration Act as the cause. The novel tells the story of Lucy, a young girl who immigrated to North America from the West Indies to work as an au pair for a well-off family. Throughout the first chapter, “Poor Visitor,” Lucy offers the perspective of an individual witnessing, firsthand, the effects of the Immigration Act. Her descriptions of the new world she is being immersed in reveal thoughts that could be applicable to the many immigrants traveling to the United States. Lucy’s thoughts, as seen through the following quotes, are reflective of the consequences of the changing and dynamic nature of the United States at the time, a 27

changing nature owed largely to the Immigration Act of 1965.

Despite being forced to acclimate to an entirely new

environment, Lucy appears to grasp both her own identity as well as what she could be--with a self-awareness surprising for someone so young. She reveals much about her situation, as well as the situation, that could easily be applied to the many immigrants traveling to America as a result of the Immigration Act. Lucy describes her bedroom thus: “The ceiling was very high and the walls went all the way up to the ceiling, enclosing the room like a box---a box in which cargo traveling a long way should be shipped.

But I was not cargo.” The word “cargo” is defined as a good or goods carried on a ship, aircraft, or motor vehicle. It has implications of something material. If something is cargo, it is nestled amongst other versions of itself, as cargo usually travels in large groups. Even though it does not carry the specification of whether or not that good is delicate or fragile, the implication is that it does not matter if the cargo is fragile or not; it is being transported regardless, and it often expendable enough that one damaged good is insignificant. Another assumption one might make about goods being transported is that they are useful. For someone to go to the trouble of exporting or importing cargo, it must be beneficial to someone in the place it is being transported.

There is a demand and use for the goods. Lucy, the narrator, relates to the word because she thinks she knows how cargo should be 28

shipped, even though she rejects the idea that she is cargo. She explores what it would be like if she was cargo (this is how “cargo” applies to her), even though she knows she is not and says so (this is how she distances herself from being “cargo”).

Lucy’s use of the word “cargo” is even more interesting

given the context. The word “cargo” personifies the effects of the Immigration Act. Not only were there more immigrants allowed into the United States legally, fitting in with the implication of “cargo” (that there are a lot of goods being transported), but there is also the implication that immigrants were more wanted. “Cargo” has the established implication of being useful, that the high demand for which it was shipped has a cause and reason. The fact that Lucy could even consider what her experience as being cargo would be (disregarding the fact that she later clarified she was not cargo) shows that the Immigration Act was a turning point in American history because immigrants were now wanted and welcomed en masse. Lucy had no reason to doubt that she is one among many other immigrants, and she no reason to doubt that she was needed. She knows that America has use for immigrants, and she herself is an example of being useful.

Lucy, in addition to alluding to the circumstances both she

and other immigrants encountered when coming to America, extends her thoughts to the native New Yorkers she finds herself among, and explores how their experiences parallel her own. She 29

reflects on how New Yorkers always comment that each winter is the coldest:“Outside, always it was cold, and everyone said that it was the coldest winter they had ever experienced; but the way they said it made me think they said this every time winter came around. And I couldn’t blame them for not really remembering each year how unpleasant, how unfriendly winter weather could be.” The word “remembering” means to recall to mind an experience of piece of knowledge or information to one’s mind.

“Remembering” implies that one can recall something either with intent, or subconsciously (and therefore without any control).

Another implication of “remembering” is that what is being remembered is significant enough to be remembered: the memory it is of or based on is relevant to a current circumstance, and is in some way beneficial to one’s thought process or satisfies some unknown (or unasked) question.

“Remembering” does not immediately apply to Lucy. It

technically applies to the New Yorkers who always say that the winter is the “coldest.” Because it does not explicitly refer to Lucy, Lucy is distanced from it. But “remembering” could be applicable to Lucy. Just as New Yorkers can’t remember “how unpleasant, how unfriendly the winter weather could be” it suggests Lucy is capable of missing her native West Indies because she forgets the unpleasant reasons why she would want to leave in the first place.

Lucy distanced herself from this option because she doesn’t, or at 30

least claims she doesn’t, miss her home. Regardless, the suggestion remains. There is also the possibility that she could forget her own home. New Yorkers live in New York, and given that Lucy believes they might “say this every time winter came around,” they presumably lived in New York for a while with plans to live there longer. If New Yorkers can forget details of their own home while living there, what is to stop Lucy from forgetting her previous home of the West Indies? Lucy could be unknowingly hinting that she is not above forgetting her past home either. It is doubtful that the hordes of other immigrants entering the United States and seeking permanent residents are above such a thing either.

Because the Immigration Act of 1965 eliminated preference

given to European immigrants, more immigrants coming the United States came to flee extreme poverty, violence, or persecution, not just to reunite with family. The Act specifically increased the number of Caribbean immigrants. Prior to the Immigration Act, such individuals would most likely have been barred from entering legally, and if they managed to settle were met with hostility stemming from racism, a fear of stolen jobs, or both. A pushback of nativist views was often stronger for immigrants coming from poorer countries because the idea that poor immigrants were racially inferior (applicable for African Americans, for example) and would bring the misfortune of the country they fled with them was a common view of “native” 31

Americans. The double meaning Lucy integrated, knowingly or unknowingly into the word “remembering,” is just one case among many of immigrants coming to the United States and being stunned by the comparative wealthy and luxurious standard of living found in the United States. The sense of awe and simple factors of acclimation that immigrants must adapt to, like the weather, is often lost when examining the statistics referred to as an effect of the Immigration Act. Lucy alludes to the inner and subconscious struggle immigrants might face, although her suggestion was a largely unconscious one. Will immigrants miss home, or forget it?

Because immigrants entered the country in such large numbers, their collective struggle is relevant to the state of America at the time simply due to the power they hold in numbers.

Lucy is a powerful novel, despite it only covering the story

of one immigrant. Lucy is a startlingly self-aware and astute observer. Her accounts of the new world she enters after immigrating to America can be applied to many of the immigrants who came to the United States following the Immigration Act of 1965. Without the Immigration Act, Lucy’s story would not be possible. She most likely would not have been able to escape the West Indies, as priority would have been given to Europeans over her own West Indian background. It is unlikely she would have made it given the lower quota of immigrants legally permitted to enter the United States. Lucy’s thoughts reveal the more personal 32

effects of the Immigration Act’s passage. Lucy believes she could be cargo, suggesting that many immigrants entered the United States, wanted for jobs. She suggests that immigrants might forget the hardships of their own homes, lost in their homesickness, or that they could even forget their own homes. Such observations are applicable to many immigrants, and are proof of Lucy’s thoughts reflect the effects of the Immigration Act of 1965 and the changing nature of America. Because of the Immigration Act, Lucy is free to have her own story.

33

Ashley Chen, ‘20 Submitted by Dr. Brian Merry

A DECADE OF PROGRESS?

T

here was once a time when women always stayed home, wore only ankle-length dresses, and rarely had a say in society. Historically, women’s stereotypes generally

reflected the truth about women’s lives: women stayed home to raise their children, cooked and knitted, could not become involved in politics, and obeyed rules. However, after World War I, not all young women returned to staying home-- some stayed out in the world, taking and holding jobs that were formerly dominated by men. The increasing strength of women in society triggered a period in which young women slowly arose to push for rights to vote, a different sense of fashion, the freedom of taking new jobs and responsibilities, and equality between men and women.

Women in the 1920s felt empowered to finally take their place in society, but they faced a long road ahead of them. While women gained significant power politically, economically, and socially, they still faced significant limitations, even from other women.

While women did achieve suffrage in 1920, there remained

other various divisions among women involved in the movement, making it seem as if women were actually fighting themselves.

Two organizations during the suffrage movements, the National 34

American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the National Woman’s Party (NWP), initially clashed with their ideas. NAWSA aimed to gain suffrage state by state, while NWP focused on adding an amendment to the Constitution that would grant all American women the right to vote all at once. After suffrage was gained, these women began to further realize that their own perspectives set them apart; their differences became more prominent. NAWSA, now reformed to become the League of Women Voters, turned its focus on political problems other than just women’s equal rights--such as forming a welfare program to educate women about pregnancy and childbirth. On the other hand, NWP continued pushing for an Equal Rights Amendment with the notion that women’s suffrage was just one step in the direction of “full equality.” The League of Women Voters succeeded in the few causes they fought for. In contrast, as said in Women in Society 1900- 1937, “Although the ERA was repeatedly submitted to Congress, it never gained enough support in the 1920s and 1930s to pass.” The women’s attention to their main causes must have been distracted by conflicts among themselves. They were not fully united, which resulted in inefficiency.

Even after suffrage was achieved, women were still

fighting a battle to change the views of others. Women achieved many milestones such as suffrage; however, that did not mean that important figures would suddenly change their perspectives on 35

women’s rights. There were several authoritative people in history who opposed women gaining new rights-- especially suffrage.

American statesman Elihu Root regarded women’s suffrage as a step backwards. Around that time, Root was highly involved in the State Constitutional Convention. He had also served as the U.S. Secretary of War and Secretary of State to President Theodore Roosevelt between the years 1901 and 1909. Root held a very traditional perspective on gender roles, viewing women as very separate from men, therefore not requiring the same rights.

As discussed by Root, “The time will never come when this line of demarkation between the functions of the two sexes will be broken.” If someone as influential as Root opposed the women’s movement, then it must have been especially difficult for women to gain support for their cause.

Although women made progress within the workforce,

they were still restricted to stereotypical “female” jobs. Women did eventually land themselves jobs as officeholders, but even then they were still held back: for example, women worked in the U.S. House of Representatives, legislatures, and in executive positions such as secretary of state. However, while women held these positions, it was a general assumption that women should “keep to women’s issues” and “municipal housekeeping”; women could only wield power up to a certain point of topic. As the New York Times magazine states, “Where there is dignity of office but 36

little else, or where there is routine work, little glory and low pay, men prove willing to admit women to an equal share in the spoils of office.” Women gained jobs in office but were far from being considered equal to men in those jobs.

As women came forward to tackle new jobs and businesses,

they were challenged, held back, and discriminated. The number of working women did increase, which motivated women’s longing for independence, but most women still stayed at home. By the end of the roaring twenties, women were working in department stores, offices, and factories. However, here the women realized that their archaic stereotypes never truly disappeared. While they worked in various professions, women experienced discrimination. “Sextyping” was prominent throughout the society-- women were better off working as teachers, nurses, or childcare and sewing related jobs because they were a reflection of the tasks all women used to perform at home. As a result, most women were teachers or nurses and did not have a wide variety of professions to choose from.

Men worked all the other jobs. Working, married women were targeted specifically because not only were they deviating from the traditional norm, but they were already married and it would only be moral to go home and raise their children. In addition, a magazine called Ladies Home Journal promoted and expressed the “ideal housewife.”

The progression of technology from the outside world 37

was an asset to women’s rise, but that did not completely liberate them from traditional tasks. New inventions provided more free time for women who were previously too busy sewing or cooking for any leisure activities, but these technologies did not come without drawbacks. Technologies inside the home included the toaster, sewing machine, and refrigerator--women no longer had to spend hours in the kitchen or sew dresses by hand. As a result, women became more involved within the society. Stemming from the encouragement of radios and films, they began appearing in movies, music, and sports. Meanwhile, Margaret Sanger, an advocate for birth control, triggered the rise of birth control availability. However, in reality, most women were not able to afford any new inventions at the time. Therefore, they were stuck with the traditional way of running the household and did not have as many opportunities for freedom.

Simultaneously, family dynamics changed as women began

deviating from the home “norm.” Ten percent of American women at the time did not get married. Others married much later in life, and divorces increased. In the midst of all the new changes of the way a young woman acted, Judge Ben Lindsey, who counseled youth, predicted that although the young women were now living a revolutionized life, they would most likely become a “happy, loyal wife with several children” in their future. Even though Lindsey’s ideas were not proven, the women would continue living 38

their lives with the notion in the back of their minds that they were committing an immoral act by living the way the new woman did.

The flapper was an iconic stereotype of all women in

the roaring twenties but in fact, things were not so black and white. These young women were portrayed as wearing revealing garments, a bobbed hairstyle, smoking a cigarette, going to jazz clubs, drinking, and having fun rebelling against the old ways.

However, women who were flappers did not spend all their time drinking and being wild. They attended high school and sometimes college. These young women also enjoyed reading empowering books about female heroines and played a variety of sports. They longed to be free of responsibilities that boys did not need to have, such as cooking or sewing. Furthermore, flappers were not as common as one would think due to the fact that most women were too poor to be able to experience brand new ways of life.

Although flappers seemed free to flaunt their freedom, they

actually conflicted with the older generations of society, such as parents or teachers, who grew up when women only worked at home. Having never experienced a deviation from the traditional woman, they were concerned that young flappers would devastate their character by not following the way historic women lived.

Flappers were often viewed as immature, being called “a fool” and having “no ideas.” People believed that the flappers had no other worries than to have a good time wherever and whenever. As 39

a result, young women who were flappers commonly found their mothers angry or disappointed in them.

In conclusion, American women passed many milestones

during the 1920s. However, those milestones would not be achieved without opposition, before and after. Women may have experienced much discrimination in the workplace, education, politics, and society stereotypes throughout history, but the 1920s was a significant step towards a long-awaited equality. Still, women did not gain equal and full rights without downsides.

Perhaps this was because before the Nineteenth Amendment was passed-- giving women the right to vote-- the women’s reform movements were flawed and disorganized due to “intertwin[ing]” suffrage goals with social justice goals. Furthermore, a larger reason why women were derailed from the suffrage campaign was racial division. Most women’s suffrage groups were white, thus black women were excluded. Women in the present day can learn from these problems that once divided them. If women today embrace equality among other women, how far could their potential take them? What more could women achieve with unity?

40

Bibliography

“Discriminating Against Mother.” Tulsa Daily World News, Sunday November 3, 1918. Accessed April 11, 2018. https://chroniclingamerica. loc.gov/lccn/sn85042344/1918-11-03/ed-1/seq-31/

Dumenil, Lynn. “The New Woman and the Politics of the 1920S.” OAH Magazine of History 21, no. 3 (2007): 22-26. http://www.jstor.org/ stable/25162125.

“Elihu Root-- Biographical”. Nobelprize.org. Accessed June 4, 2018. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1912/root-bio. html

“ELIHU ROOT GIVES REASONS FOR OPPOSING WOMAN SUFFRAGE”. Cambridge Public Library. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://cambridge.dlconsulting.com/cgi-bin/ cambridge?a=d&d=Chronicle19150717-01.2.134.

Freedman, Estelle B. “The New Woman: Changing Views of Women in the 1920s.” The Journal of American History 61, no. 2 (1974): 372-93. doi:10.2307/1903954.

41

Hearne, Elizabeth F. “Women in the 20th Century.” American Centuries, Volume 5. Facts On File, 2014. Accessed April 10, 2018. online.infobase. com/Auth/Index?aid=&itemid=WE52&articleId=358491.

Maloni, Ruby. “DISSONANCE BETWEEN NORMS AND BEHAVIOUR: EARLY 20 TH CENTURY AMERICA’S ‘NEW WOMAN’.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 70 (2009): 88086. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44147735.

Owen, Heather. “Beyond the Flapper: The Problem of “Snapshot” History.” OAH Magazine of History 21, no. 3 (2007): 35-40. http://www. jstor.org/stable/25162128.

Rochman, Hazel. 2006. “Women of the Roaring Twenties.” Booklist 102, no. 12: 109. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 10, 2018).

Simon, Linda. “The original “It” Girl: Flappers took the country by storm in the roaring ‘20s and then suddenly vanished. Or did they?.”

Smithsonian 48, no. 5 (September 2017): 9-11. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed May 2, 2018).

“Women in Business, 1900-1937.” The Progressive Era and Great Depression. Facts On File, 2011. Accessed April 10, 2018. online.

42

infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=&itemid=WE52&articleId=164963.

“Women in Entertainment and Sports, 1900–1937.” The Progressive Era and Great Depression, Facts On File, 2011. American History, online. infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=&itemid=WE52&articleId=164964.

Accessed 10 Apr. 2018.

“Women in Society, 19001937.” The Progressive Era and Great Depression. Facts On File, 2011. Accessed May 8, 2018. online.infobase. com/Auth/Index?aid=&itemid=WE52&articleId=164968.

W. Russell, Sanger, Margaret. Debate on Birth Control. Girard, Kansas, 1921.

43

Toni Allen, ‘19 Submitted by Mr. Matthew Wilson

FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF CYCLIC GROUPS

44

Katharine Bernstein, Hailie Cadeau, Keegan Heher, and Lindsay Pych, ‘18

Submitted by Dr. Fiorica-Howells

FINGERPRINT LABORATORY

A

I.

Introduction

fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The imprint of a fingerprint consists of natural secretions of the sweat glands (a mixture

of water, oils, dirt and salts) that are present in the friction ridge of the skin. At the beginning of the tenth week of gestation, fingerprint patterns develop and are formed in the basal layer of the skin. As the basal layer forms, unique ridge patterns form from the environment surrounding the fetus. The patterns cannot be destroyed or altered by injuries and are unique to each person: not even identical twins share the same fingerprints.

For thousands of years, humans have been intrigued by

these patterns found on their fingertips. However, the exact time when humans discovered they could use fingerprints as a way to identify individuals is unclear. Historians do know through artifacts found by archaeologists that several ancient civilizations used fingerprints as personal markings. Specifically, in Babylon, clay 45

tablet contracts dating back to 1792-1750 B.C. were found to have fingerprints pressed in its surface. In Western culture, the earliest record of fingerprints comes from 1684. Dr. Nehemiah Grew wrote a paper discussing the patterns he saw on human hands, including the presence of ridges. His work was continued by Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer in 1788 when he discovered that the arrangement of skin ridges is never duplicated on two persons. By 1895, the knowledge of fingerprints as a method of identification was developed by scientists like Jan Evangelist Purkyn, Alphonse Bertillon, and Sir William Herschel. Beginning in 1896, Sir Edmund Richard Henry, with the help of two other scientists, created a system that divided fingerprint records into groups based on whether fingerprints had an arch, whorl, or loop pattern.

Each fingerprint record in the system was imprinted with all ten fingerprints of a person and marked with unique characteristics. By 2012, the FBI-maintained IAFS had collected more than 76 million fingerprints and identification ecords. This collection allows crimescene investigators to submit the fingerprints to be searched in the database, looking for possible matches. By 2013, fingerprint identification method had advanced to the point where the FBI was able to compare crime-scene palm prints with prints collected at the time of arrest. Thus, the history of fingerprinting as a method of identification is long and important, given its ability to benefit the safety of humankind.

46

The characteristics of fingerprints are named after their

visual appearance and ridge patterns. The three major ridge patterns are loops, whorls, and arches. About 5 percent of the American population has arches, 30 percent has whorls, and the remaining 65 percent of the population has loops. Arches have a rise in the center and ridges that enter from one side and leave from the other side. Whorls resemble a bull’s eye and loops enter and exist from the same direction and have a core. There are four types of whorl patterns– plain whorl, central pocket loop whorl, double loop whorl, and accidental whorl. Loops are further specified as ulcer or radial depending on the direction of the opening of the loop. A radial loops opens toward the thumb, while a liner loop opens toward the little finger. Ridge counts--the number of ridges between the center, core, and the center of the delta, a triangular ridge pattern-- help identify one fingerprint from another.

There are ten ridges characteristics or patterns: ridge

ending, fork, island ridge, dot, bridge, spur, eye, double bifurcation, delta, and trifurcation. All fingerprints have class characteristics (loops, whorls, and arches); however, fingerprints have a unique pattern with various minutiae so they are each classified as individual. The empirical probabilities of matching a minutiae pair between imposter fingerprints belonging to class A = arch, TA = tented arch, L = left loop, R = right loop and W = whorl based on NIST-4 are presented in the table below.

47

NIST-4 is the a special database within the National Institute of Standardand Technology, which presides under the U.S. Department of Commerce.

There are three different types of prints that can be left at a crime scene. The first is a patent fingerprint– a visible print–that is left behind on a smooth surface. When ink, blood, or some type of other liquid comes in contact with the hands it is transferred to the surface. Some examples of patent prints include prints found on or in blood, chalk, and dust. The second is plastic fingerprints which are indentations in material such as clay, wax, or putty. These are typically found in or on mud or snow--or even Romano cheese or fudge. The last type of print is a latent print, which is not visible to the unaided eye. In this print, oils and other body secretions have been transferred onto surfaces such as window panes, skin, polyethylene bags, newspaper, leather jackets, and gun barrels.

48

In the crime report below, fingerprints provided by an FBI

investigation team were developed by forensic scientists in an attempt to match them to a suspect or a victim in a burglary case.

Using fingerprint developing methods, the objective of this case is to develop latent fingerprints from Evidence #1-10 in a way that will help incriminate or defend identified suspects.

II.

Materials and Methods

Superglue Fuming: Materials

●

Evidence #1

●

Evidence #2

●

Gloves

●

Safety Goggles

●

Fuming chamber and cover

●

Superglue

●

UV lamp

●

Aluminium foil

Method

Superglue Fuming was chosen for Evidence #1 and #2 because the method is often effective on non-porous surfaces. Evidence #1 and 49

#2 are both pieces of glass–non-porous surfaces–so it was assumed this method would be successful in developing the fingerprints on these pieces of evidence.

Evidence #1 and Evidence #2 were placed in a fuming chamber with a cover with superglue fumes. To develop the fumes, a piece of aluminum foil was placed on top of a UV lamp. A small amount of superglue was squeezed onto the foil. The heat from the lamp created superglue fumes that reacted with and developed the fingerprints on Evidence #1 and Evidence #2.

Superglue fuming was partially successful in revealing fingerprints from Evidence #1 and #2. It has been observed by other forensic teams that relative humidity and long term storage of latent fingermarks prior to processing has a negative effect on the quality of a superglue fuming developed fingerprint. With partially developed prints, it suggests that humidity and the storage of the prints might have diminished the effectiveness of the method.

Silver Nitrate (AgNO3): Materials

●

Evidence #3

●

Evidence #7

●

Gloves 50

●

Goggles

●

Petri dish

●

AgNO3 solution

●

H2O solution

●

Sunlight

●

Tweezers

●

Paper towels

●

Timer

●

Gloves

●

Safety Goggles

Method

Silver Nitrate was chosen because it is often successful in developing prints on porous surfaces. Evidence #3 and Evidence #7 are both porous surfaces–paper–so it was assumed this method would be effective in developing their prints.

Evidence #3 and Evidence #7 were submerged in silver nitrate solution in a petri dish individually for five minutes. After being immersed in the solution, the papers were removed and dipped in a petri dish containing H2O. The excess water was dried off using a paper towel. The fingerprints were then placed on a dry paper towel exposed to sunlight until they developed.

51

This method was unsuccessful in developing prints for Evidence #3 and #7. On the days that the method was performed, it was cloudy. Utilizing a method that relies on sunlight in order to be effective, a lack of sunlight itself may have caused the fingerprints to develop unclearly.

Iodine Fuming: Materials

●

Evidence #4

●

Evidence #8

●

Fume Hood

●

Beaker and cover

●

Iodine crystals

●

Tweezers

●

Safety Goggles

Method

Iodine Fuming was chosen for Evidence #4 and #8 because the method is often recommended for paper products. With a paper from a notepad and a coffee filter, this method appeared appropriate for these materials.

Evidence #4 and #8 were placed into a beaker containing several iodine crystals. The beaker was covered and the prints were left in 52

the beaker until they developed. When the prints were visible, they were removed with tweezers.

Iodine Fuming was unsuccessful in developing fingerprints for Evidence #4 and #8. Typically, the iodine reveals a fingerprint by reacting with the lipids present. By producing two unclear fingerprints, the iodine method in this case suggests that these fingerprints were lacking in lipids for the iodine to bind to.

Silver Magnetic Powder: Materials

●

Evidence #5A

●

Evidence #5B

●

Evidence #5C

●

2” of cellophane tape

●

Silver powder

●

Fingerprint brushes

●

Paper towels

●

Black contrasting paper

●

Safety Goggles

●

Gloves

Method

Silver Magnetic Powder was utilized for Evidence #5A, Evidence 53

#5B and Evidence #5C because silver magnetic powder is a strongly adhering powder which provides a sharp contrast on dark surfaces like the blue tiles provided by the Investigation team.

Evidence #5A, Evidence #5B, and Evidence #5C were placed under paper towels. They were brushed with silver magnetic powder until the fingerprints were visible. Excess powder was shaken off each evidence tile and the prints were covered with clear tape. The tape was carefully peeled off and placed onto black contrasting paper.

This method was successful in developing latent prints for Evidence #5A, Evidence #5B and Evidence #5C.

Black Magnetic Powder:

Materials

●

Evidence #6A

●

Evidence #6B

●

Evidence #6C

●

Evidence #6D

●

2” of cellophane tape

●

Black Magnetic powder

●

Fingerprint brushes 54

●

Paper towels

●

White contrasting paper

●

Safety Goggles

●

Gloves

Method

Black Magnetic Powder was chosen because it is often effective on smooth and thick surfaces. Thus, it appeared appropriate for developing prints on the tiles from Evidence #6A, Evidence #6B, Evidence #6C.

Evidence #6A, Evidence #6B, Evidence #6C were placed under paper towels. Black magnetic powder was covered over the prints and was lifted off them with the magnetic brush. Excess powder was shaken off each evidence tile and the developed prints were covered with clear tape. The tape was carefully peeled off and placed onto white contrasting paper.

This method was successful in developing latent prints for Evidence #6A, Evidence #6B, Evidence #6C.

Ninhydrin: Materials

●

Evidence #9 55

●

Evidence #10

●

Fume Hood

●

Ninhydrin Solution

●

Heating plate

●

Spray bottle

●

Safety Goggles

Method

Ninhydrin was chosen to develop fingerprints for Evidence #9 and #10 because it is often effective on porous surfaces. Because Evidence #9 and #10 are both paper from a drawing notepad– porous surfaces–this method appeared appropriate.

Evidence #9 and Evidence #10 were placed under a fume hood and sprayed with ninhydrin solution. They were placed under a heating plate and were removed with tweezers when the fingerprints became visible.

For Evidence #9 and Evidence #10, the Ninhydrin method was unsuccessful in developing a clear fingerprint. The Ninhydrin method works by reacting with the amino acids in a fingerprint impression. Thus, by not fully developing the fingerprints provided, it suggests these fingerprints lacked a substantial number of amino acids for the Ninhydrin solution to react with.

56

57

III.

Results

58

V. Conclusion

In analyzing the fingerprints developed from this report,

it is not possible to draw a conclusion about the suspect or the victim and their role in the burglary. Due to the lack of sunlight, proper storage, and sufficient fingerprint secretions, the fingerprint developing methods were unable to produce clear enough prints that allow for a sufficient comparison. While it is not possible to make a definite conclusion about the suspect or the victim and their role in the burglary. Due to the lack of sunlight, proper storage, and insufficient fingerprint secretions, the fingerprint developing methods were unable to produce clear enough prints that allow for a sufficient comparison. While it is not possible to make a definite conclusion, there are a few observations that can be derived from the report. Specifically, after employing the superglue fuming method, it was revealed that Evidence #1 Print #8 had a whorl pattern with a ridge count of 12. By looking at the provided prints from the suspect, it was evident that suspect’s L Thumb print also had a whorl pattern with a ridge count of 12. This suggests that the prints may match. However, the fingerprint collected from the suspect was only partially developed and did not display the minutiae clearly. Without a match of the minutiae between the 59

developed fingerprint and the provided one, the team is unable to make a definitive connection between the two. While the team is unable to draw conclusions from this report, these methods should be repeated again with the reasons why they were not successful in mind. If possible, these methods should be adapted in a way that attempts to fix their weaknesses. With these adaptations, the fingerprints may develop more clearly in a way that allows a conclusion–that was not apparent in this report–to be made. One method beyond fingerprinting that the team could attempt is DNA analysis. With a suspect identified, the investigative team can subpoena a DNA sample on probable cause. The sample could be compared to any DNA left at the crime scene. By using this method, the team could come closer to solving the crime than by solely employing fingerprint identification methods.

VI. Sources Bertino, Anthony J. Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, 2nd Edition. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2016. [CengageBrain Bookshelf].

Chen, Yi, and Anil K. Jain. Beyond Minutiae: A Fingerprint Individuality Model with Pattern, Ridge and Pore Features. Michigan State University, 2009.

60

Michelle Corcoran, ‘19 Submitted by Dr. Owen Boynton

TRAPPED WITHIN RELIGION

H

umans possess a need to make sense of the world, and to make sense of the idea of no longer being on the world. The desire for some sort of purpose

is what created religion, a belief in a higher figure with a plan.

Religion stops the chaos of not knowing and allows the brain to create and dream up other realities, and fantasies of death. Death haunts humanity. People are so caught up and afraid of what might come that they are stuck in their imaginations, unable to see the mystery of the world that they have. Wallace Stevens’ poem, “Sunday Morning” questions religion, and the hold that the dream of an afterlife has on humanity, trapping them with the illusion of death set up by religion, making the fabricated images of their imaginations stop them from truly being free in life.

The poem opens with a wealthy woman at home on a

Sunday morning. As she looks around her room she notices all the things she has, and the beauty that they have. They make her forget about church and religion and cause her to question whether going is even worth her time and effort. “Why should she give her bounty to the dead?/What is divinity if it can come/only in silent dreams and shadows?/ Shall she not find comforts of the sun,/in pungent 61

fruit and bright, green wings, or else /in any balm or beauty of the earth…” A bounty is something that is given generously or in abundance. Here bounty refers to all the luxuries around her. One normally doesn’t think of possessions as bounties. By using this word she is implying how much she has and how much she gets to indulge in. What’s odd though is that bounty means that she has more than she needs, and yet she is not willing to give up any of it.

In the line she is asking why she should pray or go to church if it means she has to give up her things. Not physically give them up, but give them up by not being able to enjoy them. She displays a sense of selfishness; she is unwilling to give up the luxuries that life has provided her. These are things she does not need, things she has had an “abundance of” but still won’t give up. She then wonders if the beauty of the earth is all one really needs. A bounty is not something that is needed in her life but it is something she enjoys. If she was to give her time to God or the works of an afterlife, she would miss out on what she loves. The action of praying to a “dream” limits one from truly enjoying life in a sense trapping them from ever being fully fulfilled.

The idea of a supreme being with power over life has

existed for millennia. According to Stevens’ poem, the Greeks envisioned gods separate from themselves. With the emergence of Christianity, God was then part of man, for Jesus was god and he was born a man. Suddenly the idea that we could be godlike 62

existed. With the evolution of religion comes the evolution of paradise and death. “Shall our blood fail? Or shall it come to be/ the blood of paradise? And shall the earth /seem all of the paradise that we shall know?” To seem means to give the impression or sensation of being something or having a particular quality.

Compared to the word “seems” the word appears could very well be used in the line. But when something “appears to be” the observation is made mostly due to what you can see, what is tangible. Seems is more based on feeling and emotions, something less solid. When talking about religion “seems” makes more sense since belief, in general, is based on imagination and faith, things less tangible than what you can see. The line is really questioning if the earth is the only form of paradise that exists. The word “seem” though, adds the realization that the world isn’t really a paradise. Before the line the woman questions our blood. If humans are now part god, is there something to believe or is there just no afterlife. If our blood fails then the earth would be the only paradise man has known. It is this constant questioning of what happens after death that stops man from experiencing the world as a paradise. How can a place be a paradise if you are always constantly worried about death? Religion prevents people from being free in life because they are so caught up in the questions of their imaginations, to take pleasure in reality.

The afterlife is seen as a utopia that people strive to obtain.

63

The poem moves from the beauty of death to the perfection of it.

But if something is flawless then it lacks change; everything is always the same. People are so worried to reach a place that is the opposite of life, a place that has little purpose. “Is there no change of death in paradise?/Does ripe fruit never fall? Or do the boughs/ hang always heavy in that perfect sky,/unchanging, yet so like our perishing earth,/with rivers like our own that seek for seas/ they never find, the same receding shores/that never touch with inarticulate pang?” “Change” is the act of making or becoming different. It allows things to become better or worse. While other words like “different” display a close meaning to “change,” different means to not be the same as another. Difference implies a comparison to something else. Change indicates an action that can just be solitary. Also once something is different it has already become something else. Change is the act of becoming, meaning in the moment, recent. In life, everything is constantly changing and evolving. The author uses the word change to indicate that there is never change in paradise. Nothing is ever going to become different. The thing that doesn’t change is death, really meaning death does not change life. There is an idea of paradise, but that paradise is based on reality. The only aspect that is missing is the earthly thing of change. Why does man dream of a place they already have then? They are so busy trying to live another life that they can’t see that they already have that life. Religion gives 64

them hope in these fantasies, but it restrains a person from ever being happy on the earthly paradise that they have. The inability to recognize the change from imagination to reality stops people from being free in life.

Religion was created out of the fear of the unknown.

Humans need an answer to everything they do and that happens.

They are so caught up in the questions about after death and getting there that most forget to enjoy the life that they have. The illusion of religion traps a person in the fantasies of what might happen and keeps them from living a truly free life and appreciating the earthly paradise that they do have.

65

Justin Recupero, ‘19 Submitted by Dr. Marina Milinkovic

C

CHARLES DARWIN

harles Darwin, pioneer of evolution and publisher of The Origin of Species had a long journey to follow before revealing his discoveries. From traveling to

the Galapagos to waiting for death, Charles Darwin ensured that people would understand his research and accept it. Although many people today know the idea of natural selection or survival of the fittest, very few understand where the terms actually came from. People may argue that other scientists would have caught on to this theory eventually, but without Darwin, it would have taken many more years to understand the concept of evolution.

In addition to this, the Church at the time made it impossible to publish scientific research without being criticized and therefore prevented scientific discoveries. However, Darwin's wits allowed him to bypass the church and let him eventually publish his theory of evolution. If it weren't for Charles Darwin the idea of evolution, survival of the fittest, and natural selection may have never been discovered.

Charles Darwin, however, was not the first scientist to

embark on researching evolution. Three scientists before him by the names of Lamarck, Lyell, and Buffon all had made contribu66

tions to the theory of evolution before Darwin. Lamarck believed that continued use of an organ like stretching your legs over and extended period of time could cause a species to adapt during its lifetime. Lyell held the theory that the earth had been adapting over time through earthquakes and the movement of tectonic plates in order to reshape itself. Buffon, however, became a key hero of Darwin as he established that instead of the Church’s common belief of the earth being only a couple thousand years old, it was actually 70,000 years old instead. All of these scientists become role models of Darwin and gave him the prerequisite to begin his research and develop the theory of evolution.

Darwin began his voyage on the H.M.S Beagle in 1831

and set out for the Galapagos islands where he could begin his research. On the Galapagos, Darwin observed the same types of species like finches had very different traits depending on which island they were native to. Finches could have long beaks for getting food from high places or large ones to scoop up larger sized food. This variation improved Darwin’s hypothesis and allowed him to realize that species adapt to survive and that whichever species adapts the best will survive and the ones who don’t will die.

Darwin now realized that Lamarck was wrong in species evolving in their lifetime but through evolution could provide adaptation for their offspring. As well as observing how the finches adapted to their environment on finding food in the wild, Darwin also ob67

served how dog breeding or farming created a process of artificial selection where mixing two breeds could create and adaptation or different outcome of the offspring in relation to the parents. Darwin at the time was looking for more information to formulate a new hypothesis. Thomas Malthus a world-known economist published an essay pertaining to population where he said that if more people were being born than dying that the human race would run out of supplies and resources. Darwin was able to use this point in order to strengthen his argument for the survival of the fittest as the natural way of balancing the supply of resources. As Darwin was formulating his ideas into his essay, a man named Alfred Wallace was coming to the same conclusions, without traveling the world and instead just observing nature around himself. He came to the conclusion that animals, plants, and insects could adapt based on the need to survive. Wallace and Darwin co-wrote a paper publishing their findings which received backlash from the Church due to contradicting religious beliefs. Charles Darwin had a long journey of research and traveling to do before publishing his thesis, but the reward was changing our understanding of life itself.

68

Anika Buch, ‘20 Submitted by Dr. Brian Merry

THE WAR AFTER EVERY WAR

“ These are men whose minds the Dead have ravished.

Memory fingers in their hair of murders, Multitudinous murders they once witnessed.

Wading sloughs of flesh these helpless wander,

Treading blood from lungs that had loved laughter.”

“Mental Cases” by Wilfred Owen (stanza 2)1

The poem above concerns soldiers suffering post-traumatic

stress disorder, written by a poet who suffered from PTSD himself.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental illness caused by a traumatic event or series of events. In the case of veterans, their experiences in war are often so mentally scarring that they experience common symptoms such as night terrors. However, PTSD was not always defined as a mental illness. Just 100 years ago, during World War 1, it went by the name of “shellshock”2, 1 Wilfred Owen, “Mental Cases”, www.poemhunter.com. Accessed April 10, 2018. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/mental-cases 2 “Military Medicine during World War I.”Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. online.infobase.com. Accessed April 10, 2018. online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=&itemid=&articleId=369450.

69

or often mere “commotion.”3At the time, doctors could not accept that diseases existed which did not show any visible wounds or scars. While the definition of PTSD has changed, much else about it has not. Although many advancements have been made to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since World War I, at its root, the philosophy of both treatments remain the same, and neither philosophy is effective in curing PTSD.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder is a “mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event.”4PTSD is a mental disorder5, meaning it does not display symptoms such as internal bleeding or a fever. Nevertheless, it can be a fatal illness. Though PTSD varies in intensity, war contributes to its most intense cases. Even today, veterans who survive war live a life arguably worse than death itself: a life of trauma.

Veterans diagnosed with this mental illness are condemned to a life of flashbacks, tremors, denial, and an overall hopelessness to their life. Often, patients resort to alcoholism and opioids to cope.

PTSD veterans have a high suicide rate. A foremost example of 3 “Military Medicine during World War I.”Accessed April 10, 2018.

4 MayoClinic. “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Www.mayoclinic.org. Accessed April 10, 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ symptoms-causes/syc-20355967 utm_source=Google&utm_medium=abstract&utm_content=Posttraumatic-stress-disorder&utm_campaign=Knowle dge-panel.

5 ibid

70

this exhibition of symptoms can be noted in the autobiography of American Sniper written by Chris Kyle, “the most lethal sniper in U.S. History.”6In his autobiography Kyle describes, in detail, a struggle to regain mental stability that opens one’s eyes to the brutal struggles following conquest. In the past or present, no effective cure has been found for PTSD. However, the current treatment, therapy, proves effective for those veterans who have access to it. Attitudes to PTSD have made remarkable advances through time, the best of which being its recognition as a mental disorder.

During World War I, PTSD was ignored because the

concept of mental pain was nonexistent.7 For a majority of the war, French and German armies did not believe shell shock was a legitimate injury in the first place.8The French army often called PTSD “l’accident nerveuse,”9 or “a nervous accident.” The far reaching effects of PTSD were grossly understated during World War I, partially because doctors had never seen anything like it 6 Kyle, Chris, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. First edition. W. Morrow, 2012.

7 “Military Medicine during World War I.”Accessed April 10, 2018.

8 “Trench Warfare during World War I.” A Companion to Europe 1900-1945 . Wiley-Blackwell, 2006. Accessed April 10, 2018. online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17236&itemid=WE53&articleId=369344.

9 “Military Medicine during World War I.”Accessed April 10, 2018.

71

on such a large scale. Since World War I was the first of its kind, doctors were exposed to new injuries and conditions they never knew could be inflicted unto the human body. Ergo, if doctors had not been exposed to PTSD, then they did not believe in the existence of this mental disorder; they had no reason to work towards treatment for those soldiers. It was only towards the end of the war that PTSD was initially recognized as a condition.10But even then, no mental help or therapy was offered.11 Doctors were so accustomed to tangible wounds that they were unable to fathom the concept of a cure which did not require gauze and bandages.

Shell shock, or commotion, was treated during World War I

rudimentarily, in that treatment only addressed physical symptoms.

Videos from a World War I hospital in Netley demonstrate that physical symptoms were corrected nearly instantaneously. For example, Patient Richard suffered a hysterical gait due to shell shock when he was admitted into Netley. Hysterical gait occurs when the patient is unable to walk normally due to overactive or underactive nerves. His hysterical gait was cured through extensive physical therapy.12With this being said, no mental evaluation was conducted to treat his shell shock. Doctors were able to cure the 10 ibid 11 War Neuroses : Netley Hospital,1917. YouTube Video, 21:00. Accessed April 10, 2018. http://ww1centenary.oucs.ox.ac.uk/body-and-mind/shell-shock-on-film/ 12 War Neuroses : Netley Hospital,1917. YouTube Video, 21:00. Accessed April 10, 2018

72

visible symptoms of PTSD such as tremors. However, for a patient at Netley like Sergeant Preston, there was no cure in sight. Preston was unresponsive and deaf to all words except the word “bombs,” to which he ducked and covered beneath a hospital bed.13 No mental evaluation was done for him, so he remained untreated.

Some doctors who were more ambitious used other means to rid the patient of their commotion. Hot baths, rest, gymnastics, and electricity were all

used as means to treat PTSD, though none of them proved successful. Ultimately, these soldiers who were treated were sent back to the war front within a few days, and doctors prioritized a fast recovery and fast cure over an effective one.

Fortunately, during the next 90 years, powerful

strides were made to recognize PTSD. However, after the Vietnam War, there was an evident stigma surrounding mental disorders.14Consequently, Vietnam War veterans suffering from PTSD had two choices: to live with it silently for the rest of their lives, or to be outcast and looked down upon by society. This dilemma prevented many soldiers from seeking help from the 13 ibid 14 McNally, Richard J. “ARE WE WINNING THE WAR AGAINST POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?” Science 336, no. 6083 (2012): 872-74. http://www.jstor.org/ stable/41584853.

73

the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. However, the 30% of soldiers who came forth made a remarkable change.15 They were able to mandate access to psychiatric help for soldiers suffering from PTSD, so more veterans would get the help they needed to live the rest of their lives peacefully.16 Much to their dismay, the country turned its back on soldiers who once served their land so loyally in a war which arguably accomplished so little. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs created a new hurdle between veterans with PTSD and treatment: “evidence based, cognitive behavioral therapy.”17 Essentially, this served as a benchmark for treatment. Soldiers who exceeded the threshold received treatment while others did not. In doing so, the United States proved just how loyal it was to men who had laid down they lives for it.

The Iraq War brought few advancements and fruitless

attempts to ameliorate treatment. Hospitals were more accessible during the Iraq War than they were during the Vietnam War, so soldiers were able to access medical help if they needed it. But PTSD only manifests after the trauma, so hospitals did not serve an integral purpose to resolving PTSD. Statistically, PTSD rates during the Iraq War were lower, but numbers 15 McNally, Richard J. “ARE WE WINNING THE WAR AGAINST POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?” Science 336, no. 6083 (2012): 872-74.

16 ibid 17 ibid

74

are unreliable considering the threshold for therapy.18 A firsthand look at PTSD during the Iraq War can be found in American Sniper

by Chris Kyle. Kyle, a sniper during the war, did not undergo any therapy afterwards. Kyle justifies his wartime actions as his “duty to shoot, and I don’t regret it. The woman was already dead. I was just making sure she didn’t take any Marines with her.”19 Kyle continues to act violently after the war, demonstrating the the extremity of what it means to have PTSD: both for himself and his loved ones. Clearly, war permanently altered his life, and it left him with irreparable scars.

Today, PTSD is treated with extensive therapy, in which

the patient re-enacts their trauma in order to overcome their fear.

There are two main methods of treating PTSD. The first being Prolonged Exposure, in which the patient repeats their traumatic experience until their fear ceases to exist altogether.20 The patient is slowly exposed to different elements of their trauma until they feel comfortable. For veterans, this is difficult because the trauma comes from an environment of war, which cannot simply be re18 ibid 19 Kyle, Chris, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.

20 McNally, Richard J. “ARE WE WINNING THE WAR AGAINST POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?” Science 336, no. 6083 (2012): 872-74.

75

stimulated. Neurologically, the brain interprets the trauma in a new way because the neural pathway to recall the trauma is frequently exercised, thus reducing the instantaneous shock which comes from trauma.21Recalling trauma becomes more of a practice and it becomes routine. The second treatment is Cognitive Processing Therapy, in which the patient remembers and writes down their trauma repeatedly.22 Once again, repetition plays an indispensable role in eliminating fear. However, writing is more powerful because it is tangible proof of a diminishing fear of trauma. For example,

a veteran who writes their trauma can read it over repeatedly to stimulate the same neurological pathways to make the motion of recalling their trauma routine, and less of a fear.

The main philosophy of treating PTSD has remained

the same in the span of 100 years: exposing the patient to their trauma slowly until there are no significant signs of fear. During World War I, there was no psychiatric therapy to treat PTSD; however, the same philosophy held true for its symptoms. In order to correct a hysterical gait, the nurses would stimulate the leg by 21 MayoClinic. “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Www.mayoclinic.org. Accessed April 10, 2018 22 McNally, Richard J. “ARE WE WINNING THE WAR AGAINST POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?” Science 336, no. 6083 (2012): 872-74.

76

laying the patient down and making repeated marching motions to regain walking function.23 In many ways, the current method of PTSD treatment is similar to placing a bandage on a wound. It is a temporary fix. By repeating trauma, it is not being eliminated, and the veterans will always be haunted by their trauma to some degree. The philosophy of repetition is only repeating a past method which has proved ineffective. The current treatment method is not a cure, and quite evidently, mental turmoil persists.

In the case of William Schira, a World War I soldier, he resorted to opioids and heavy drinking as a coping mechanism when there was no treatment for PTSD.24 That was 100 years ago. While it may not seem relevant, in comparison to this quote from American Sniper, there are clear similarities in the ongoing mental turmoil, similarities which have withstood the test of time: “One time I woke up to him grabbing my arm with both of his hands. One hand was on the forearm and one just slightly above my elbow. He was sound asleep and appeared to be ready to snap my arm in half, I stayed as still as possible and kept repeating his 23 War Neuroses : Netley Hospital,1917. YouTube Video, 21:00. Accessed April 10, 2018.

24 Groff, Bethany. “Diary of an Army Private at a Base Hospital.” Defining Documents in American History: World War I (1914–1919) . Hackensack: Salem, 2014. Accessed April 10, 2018. https://online.salempress.com .

77

name, getting louder each time so as not to startle him, but also to stop the impending damage to my arm.” (93)25 In the quotation above, Taya, Chris Kyle’s wife, describes his night terrors. Night terrors are a common symptom of PTSD, one which reflects the profound impact of war on the human mind.

War changes a human being, it wrecks a home, but worst of all, it conquers peace of mind. PTSD manifests in the human body, and it turns the human mind into a war zone of itself, one where trauma thrives and peace surrenders. And the war will continue, until a cure is found.

Since no cure has been found yet for PTSD, avenues for

prevention are being explored. A Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program (CSF) has been put forth as a physical and mental fitness test to train soldiers for the toll of war. This program was created in hopes that knowing what to expect from war will somehow reduce the shock of war itself. The goals of the program are to “cultivate resilience.”26This program is essentially a “mental boot

25 Kyle, Chris, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.

26 Kyle, Chris, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal 26

McNally, Richard J. “ARE WE WINNING THE WAR

AGAINST POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?” Science 336, no. 6083 (2012): 872-74.

78

camp.�27 Statistics show that CSF training in itself has had adverse effects on soldiers altogether. If the training to prepare for war is unbearable, then war itself will be a nightmare. Another avenue for prevention would be refraining from war altogether. The people actually declaring war are never the ones who fight, and their investment in the conflict is more political than it is patriotic.

Often, soldiers are simply grouped together, and there is a common impression that the individual does not matter because in war, the state is larger than the individual.28 This same philosophy held true before World War I, when people were optimistic about war.29 The philosophies have remained the same over 100 years.

In the past 100 years, numerous advancements have been

made to recognize and treat PTSD, but the treatments being put forth today are based on the same philosophy

as they were 100 years ago. In essence, the wars have only gotten worse, weapons have become more complex, PTSD has continued, and current treatment is no cure. A mental disorder is no different from a broken leg. Anti-anxiety medicines and therapy are equivalent to gauze and bandages. There is no cure in sight yet.

27 ibid 28 Friedrich von Bernhardi, Germany and the Next War, translated by Allan H. Fowles (New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1914) pp.18, 22-24 29 Friedrich von Bernhardi, Germany and the Next War, pp.18, 22-2

79

But perhaps the cure for such a complex mental disorder requires humanity to question ourselves. If war has turned mankind against their loved ones, if survivors live only to fight in a war against themselves, what are we fighting for? Biologically, the human body is not created for modern warfare. The human body is not bulletproof and it cannot block the sound of grenades. By going to war, we are fighting biology, anatomy, and our own brain. This is a fight which we often lose. And this is the fight which leaves us with “minds the Dead have ravished.”30

30Wilfred Owen, “Mental Cases”, www.poemhunter.com. Accessed April 10, 2018.

80

Brianna Stewart,’21 Submitted by Ms. Darcy Caldwell

I

A SHELTER FROM THE STORM n Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, the narator Marjane experiences her most vulnerable moments in her bedroom. She often reflects, has realizations, and shows her deepest emo-

tions in the security of her own room. When the Iranian Revolution begins threatening life as they know it, many people and families leave Iran, including Marji’s friend Kaveh. When Kaveh announces that he is moving to the U.S, Marji becomes distraught (63.3.3).

It is clear that she is full of emotions, as she is lying on her floor in darkness instead of lying on her bed or talking to someone about her emotions.

However, it does not seem to bother Marji that she is alone.

Instead, she is using this time to reflect and think. Previously, Marji stated, “I think I really liked this boy” while in this panel she states, “Actually I liked him very, very much.” This shows how these moments occur when she is able to process her thoughts. Her bedroom is also the place she thinks about her dreams (73.3.3).

Marjane rarely talks about her future but in the privacy of her room she shares how she feels about the universities shutting down and how she aspires to be, “an educated, liberated woman.” Instead of sharing her thoughts with her parents, she leaves the room 81

wordless (73.2.3) and in the next panel (73.3.3), she is in her bed, tears covering her face, comparing herself and her lack of accomplishments to Marie Curie.

Later on in Persepolis, Marjane’s parents tell her that they

are sending her to Vienna and that they will eventually meet her there, but she realizes by their actions that they are not going to be coming. She continues to act as if she does not know her parents are lying, only showing her sadness when she is alone in her room (149.1.1). With tears running down her face, she is lying on her bed, which is covered in stars, representing the freedom she has in her room, the ability for her to show her raw feelings and not hold them back. The stars could also suggest the freedom she will soon have by leaving Iran and beginning her new life in Vienna. All the way until her goodbyes at the airport (152.3.1), she keeps a brave face, hiding the extent of her sadness. Throughout Persepolis, we see that although Marjane often speaks her opinion, she is reluctant to show her emotions and be vulnerable outside the privacy of her bedroom.

As well as vulnerable moments, Marjane’s important and

influential conversations frequently take place in her room. When Marji’s Uncle Anoosh visits, before she goes to bed Anoosh tells his stories, that Marji finds fascinating (55, 61). Passing down his family memories and hearing these stories make Anoosh a hero is Marji’s eyes (61). During his stories, Marji and Anoosh share some 82

special moments. While Anoosh is talking about his family, he tears up (59) and before going to bed, he gives Marji a bread swan he made in prison (61). The swan representing love, specifically Anoosh’s love for Marji. Soon after, Anoosh goes to prison and when Marji finds out, this is one of the few times she is emotional outside of her room and even then, she rarely speaks. After Anoosh is executed, Marji is not being comforted by her parents, instead she is alone in her room (70). She is lying on her bed, with tears streaming down her face, consoling herself. Marji is spending this sensitive moment in the comfort of own her room, where she often is in emotional times.

God and religion have always been a large part of Marji’s

life. From a young age, she believed she was God’s last prophet (6.2.1) and often turns to God in her times of need (9, 13, 14, 53).

When Marji is mourning Anoosh’s death, God comes to her room and instead of talking to him, Marji yells for him to leave and never come back (70). This is a very important moment because God and religion had formerly been a large part of her life and she was now turning her back on them. But in this moment Marji is doing what she wants to do and acting the way she wants to act, she is in control.

Marji’s room holds important, influential moments because

this is the only place that offers Marji complete control. There are very few aspects of life Marji has control over, she is forced to 83

wear a veil, her school spreads propaganda (144), but in her room, she can hang posters, listen to music, and have complete control and freedom. Since she is in control, her room is the place that she feels comfortable enough to be emotional and show vulnerability in. Throughout the story of Persepolis, Marji does not seem to often go to her parents in her time of need, and she does not have emotionally meaningful talks or go to them for advice. However, the closest moment to this is the night before Marjane is leaving for Vienna and she sleeps with her grandma (150, 151). Marji and her grandma share a bonding moment and Marji lets herself cry while her grandma is there (150.3.2). This influential moment where her grandma gives her advice is the last time she is in her bedroom and this seems to be one of the most emotional moments Marji has.

Marji’s bedroom is a significant place because unlike any

other place, it provides her security, comfort, a place to be emotional, and a place to make sense of the world. After the Iranian revolution there were few choices left up to Marji, but in her room she has full control unlike most other places. Throughout the panels of Marji’s room, there are continuously representations of freedom in her room, suggesting that having this private, personal space where she has the freedom to be herself is very valuable.

First bird art appears on the walls of her room (12.3.1, 58.3.2), which often a representation of freedom and perspective. This is 84

indicating that Marji’s room gives her the independence to do as she wants, acting, talking, reflecting and more. This is also implying that here is the setting where she can sort through her thoughts and what’s going on in her life. Another portrayal of freedom is the pattern on Marji’s bed, which often changes, but most particularly the common patterns of stars and stripes (61.1.3, 91.3.1, 146.3.1). These patterns once again signifying the freedom and independence her room allows her, as well as possibly foreshadowing Marji’s leave to Vienna, where Austria’s state flag is striped and includes a bird. Marji’s room not only allows her to have the freedom she wants but is an invaluable place that she feels comfortable and safe enough to be vulnerable in and a place where she has many significant, influential conversations.

85

Jadyn Lawrence, ‘18 Submitted by Dr. Mascaro

WHO’S ON TOP?: THE MASTER-SLAVE DYNAMIC IN “BENITO CERENO”

A

ccording to Friedrich Nietzsche, the master-slave dynamic centers on four main concepts. First, master and slave are irreconcilable. Their roles are different

from each other, which causes them to clash and always be at odds with each other. Second, master and slave are inseparable.

One role cannot exist without the other. Third, the relationship is interchangeable. One is never permanently locked into one role or the other. There is often an exchange between the two. Lastly, the relationship is characterized by violence. Herman Melville’s “Benito Cereno” explores these key concepts through a story about slavery that also contains messages about humanity as a whole.

At its core, slavery is a relatively simple issue that stems from two complex, yet innate aspects of humanity: the tendency to seek out differences, and the desire to have power over another. These two aspects take many different forms, but are often the root of many of the complex issues that we face today. Although the story is about slavery, beyond the surface, Melville is commenting on the volatility of life and the constant need for someone to be on top.

86

In evolutionary psychology, it is hypothesized that people

will always tend to behave in ways that are, genetically speaking, in their best interest. When in difficult situations, evolutionary psychologists believe that the course of action chosen will always be the one that is most likely to help further the individual's genes into the next generation. This leads to the mentality, whether that be on a subconscious or conscious level, that each individual is in some way competing with everyone else, and the toxic idea that someone always has to have power over another. This aspect of human nature is represented in the San Dominick’s stern piece which is described as “intricately carved with the arms of Castile and Leon, medallioned about by groups of mythological or symbolical devices; uppermost and central of which was a dark satyr in a mask holding his foot on the prostrate neck of a writhing figure, likewise masked” (241). Although in the moment depicted in the stern piece one figure is clearly dominating the other, it is clear that at any moment the “writhing figure” on the bottom could overpower the other, and the roles would be reversed. This potential for change symbolizes the fluidity and randomness of life, as well as speaking to the complexity of human interactions.

The concept of fluidity and unpredictability is also shown

through Atufal who “‘says he was king in his own land.’ ‘Yes,’ said the servant, entering a word, ‘those slits in Atufal’s ears once held wedges of gold’ ” (256). Atufal’s fate signifies a tragic fall 87

from power which most likely took place over the course of only a few minutes. There’s a stark contrast between the image of him as a noble and mighty king, and the image of him now, shackled and doomed to a life of servitude. Yet, on a deeper level, it’s hard for the reader to discern Atufal’s place within the context of the entire story. He has been captured as a slave and is now in chains, but upon rereading, it’s revealed that in the aforementioned moment he’s free and that the chains are merely a facade. The slaves have gained the upper hand and are determined to free themselves.

However, at the same time, he’s not free. Even in the moment, Babo’s the one who is really and control, and in the end, the slaves ultimately fail to reach Senegal. He has such a potent and symbolic scene where he’s “slowly raising both arms, let them lifelessly fall, his links clanking, his head bowed; as much as to say, ‘No, I am content’ ” (256). There’s a strong opposition between the image of the chains and this muscular, composed slave that comes from a life of royalty, and this all serves to highlight how complicated the attribution of dominance can be.

In addition to the potential energy depicted in the stern

piece, it is also important to note that both of the figures are masked. Being that they are both masked, it’s unclear as to who holds the power in that moment. This play on ambiguity is echoed continuously throughout the story. In the opening scene, the use of gray adds a strong visual component and gives the scene an air of 88

mystery and uncertainty which appears to be a pattern throughout the story as well. In addition, it symbolizes the intricacies of the story, as well as the intricacies of life by playing with the common saying that things aren’t always black and white. After all, gray is a mix of the two colors. There’s also the irony of Delano saying to Cereno “slave I cannot call [Babo]” (250). In this moment, Babo has all of the power, yet Delano’s perception of the world around him continuously prevents him from seeing the true nature of the situation. Towards the end of the story, Melville writes, “Seeing all was over, he uttered no sound, and could not be forced to. His aspect seemed to say, since I cannot do deeds, I will not speak words.” (315) In this moment, it is made to seem as though, having been captured and facing impending death, Babo is now powerless.

However, in a way, Babo maintains his power by refusing to speak to anyone. By not talking even when forced, they are unable to extract any information from him. It is also clear that Babo maintains his influence over Cereno because the thought of Babo causes him to faint while recounting the events that transpired. When asked what’s bothering him after being rescued by Delano and having escaped alive, Cereno replies, “The negro” (314).

The story also touches on the definition of progression.

After everything that has happened, Melville chooses to “restore order.” The white people have regained control and the slaves are indeed slaves once again, yet this doesn’t even begin to negate 89

everything that occurred up until that point. Even after things are resolved, Cereno can’t quite seem to get past what happened. In this manner, Melville plays with the circularity of time and the idea that history repeats itself. This translates back to the capability of evil in every individual which is also reflected earlier in the story when Babo says, “but poor Babo here, in his own land, was only a poor slave; a black man’s slave was Babo, who now is the white’s” (256). Even before the Spaniards came, slavery existed, clearly showing that the issue goes beyond the more obvious differences between blacks and whites. Even interracially, slavery persisted, thus forcing the reader to circle back to the real root of the issue.

Herman Melville used “Benito Cereno” as a framework to

comment on key aspects of life. Not only does it explore the complexity and intricacy of power, it also forces the reader to reflect on some of the more raw aspects of humanity that often get lost and muddled within the issues that we face. Through “Benito Cereno” Melville highlights the unpredictability of life and shines a spotlight on the driving forces behind some of our most cruel actions.

Through the symbolic lens of slavery, Melville comments on the instinctual need to feel powerful and the subsequent complications of attaining and maintaining that power.

90

Sasha Berniker, ‘20 Submitted by Mr. Peter Donahue

I

DIAGNOSING JEKYLL n the opening lines of “Borges and I,” Borges claims, “I like… the prose of Stevenson” (Borges). One hundred years after Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

Hyde, Borges wrote his essay. Stevenson’s novel explores the life of a man who has bipolar disorder during a time when there was minimal knowledge about the disorder. Despite the inadequate erudition, Stevenson portrays a bipolar character relatively accurately. By the time Borges wrote his piece, there was reliable information regarding bipolar disorder. Borges could have easily referenced a medical dictionary, but instead decided to show the reader that Stevenson inspired his dissertation. Jorge Luis Borges uses Robert Louis Stevenson’s text as a self-reflection to explore bipolar disorder.

Borges idolized Stevenson’s writing style. Even though

Borges wrote a two- paragraph essay and Stevenson wrote a novel, there are many underlying similarities between them. In Jekyll’s letter to Utterson, he constantly changes who “I” is referring to.

In some sentences, “I” is Jekyll, and in others, “I” is Hyde. While the letter is signed Jekyll, it is unclear to the reader who is the true author of the letter. A similar concept is used in “Borges and I.” 91

The two parts of Borges do not have separate names, but are rather referred to as “Borges” and “I.” Although we have the notion that “I” is writing the essay, Borges closes out his piece by stating, “I do not know which of us has written this page” (Borges). Both Borges and Jekyll complicate the lexical equivalency chains in their letters, which could indicate switches between their manic and depressive phases during the writing process.

Borges probably took a liking to Stevenson’s story because

he recognized the similarities between himself and Jekyll. One symptom of a manic phase of bipolar disorder is a vainglorious feeling of invincibility, which both Hyde and Borges embody.

When “I” talks about his interests, he says Borges “shares these preferences, but in a vain way that turns them into the attributes of an actor” (Borges). “I” informs the reader that Borges is a selfish narcissist. Similarly, as Jekyll sits on a park bench comparing himself to others, he finds himself becoming Hyde. According to Jekyll, “at the very moment of that vainglorious thought… I began to be aware of a change in the temper of my thoughts, a greater boldness, a contempt of danger…” (Stevenson). In Jekyll and Borges’ case, vainglory does more than trigger switches to their manic phases; it is proof of bipolar disorder.

The depressive phase brings both “I” and Jekyll persistent

feelings of desolation. “I” believes that he carries enough sadness for himself and Borges, which is evident when he claims, “thus my 92

life is a flight and I lose everything and everything belongs… to him (Borges). At the end of his letter to Utterson, Jekyll writes, “as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the unhappy life of Jekyll to and end” (Stevenson). Jekyll was the better-loved side of himself, but he was happier as his manic counterpart. During depressive phases, people who suffer from bipolar disorder often have thoughts of death along with misery.

When Utterson found the lifeless body of Hyde, “Utterson knew that he was looking at the body of a self-destroyer” (Stevenson).

However, we know that the self-destroyer was really Jekyll.

Similarly, “I” understands that he will eventually die, but feels like Borges will outlive him. In a quote about Borges, “I” says, “I am destined to perish, definitively, and only some instant of myself can survive in him” (Borges). The conflicts between Jekyll and Hyde help Borges identify the conflicts inside himself.

Traditionally, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

is identified as a split personality, which falls under dissociative identity disorder. The manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder could easily be argued as dissociation because the personalities of each phase are drastically different. Furthermore, one main difference between Jekyll and Hyde is that Hyde is the smaller of the two. Changes in stature are not common in bipolar disorder, but often switches between dissociated identities trigger physical changes. When Jekyll abruptly becomes Hyde 93

while in the park, Hyde says, “my clothes hung formlessly on my shrunken limbs” (Stevenson). However, Jekyll is an unreliable narrator. Feeling worthless is a symptom of bipolar disorder. Hyde feeling that Jekyll’s clothes are too big could just be Hyde feeling significantly inferior than his successful doctor side. The content of Borges’ and Stevenson’s stories vary greatly, but it is important to note that they are structured similarly. Borges read Stevenson’s text looking for similarities between himself and Jekyll’s character.

If a novelist like Borges believed Stevenson’s creative writing accurately represented Dissociative Identity Disorder, we should too.

“Borges and I” is a revised version of The Strange

Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The word Strange in the title of Stevenson’s novel indicates that in the time period of his work, understanding mental health was not emphasized. Borges modernizes and compresses Stevenson’s text with the purpose of evaluating himself. Stevenson’s text was written over one hundred years ago, yet it is still relevant to the topic of mental health.

Borges proves Stevenson’s credibility by directly referencing his work in his two-paragraph essay, rather than citing a reputable medical source. By delving deeper into Stevenson’s novel, Borges was able to successfully analyze his own mental state.

94

Alexa Rothschild, ‘19 Submitted by Ms. Laura Kirschenbaum

LITERALLY, IT’S NOT A THOUSAND DEGREES OUTSIDE

I

n a world full of innumeracy, the concept of what numbers literally are seems to confuse many people. People love using the word literally when they describe things in really

large quantities. A common phrase people love to say when it’s extremely hot is: it’s literally a thousand degrees in here/outside.

It is literally impossible for it to be a thousand degrees anywhere because no one would survive. Ovens do not even heat to a thousand degrees. A pizza is cooked at around 450º and there is no possible way a human could survive at that heat let alone 1000º heat. If you even attempt to boil water at 1000º, the water will completely evaporate.

Students of all ages misuse the word literally in many ways

on a daily basis. After students get a test back with a bad grade, they, myself included, sometimes say “I literally just failed that test,” when in reality they only got a B. Failing is getting below 60% and a B is above 80%, so there is an obvious misuse of the phrase. Another tendecy of students is to exaggerate how long they spent writing a paper, or how many hours of homework they had.

Just because you went to bed at 2 A. M., doesn’t mean you literally 95

stayed up all night doing homework.

A more common example of the misuse of literally

among millennials and the iGeneration is to always claim that they are literally broke when they still have money in their bank accounts. No, you aren’t “literally broke” if you have, for example, a hundred dollars in your bank account. You don’t have a lot of money, but you certainly aren’t broke. You could literally buy a small Strawberry Acai Starbucks Refresher (at $3.25 each) everyday for the entire month of June with that kind of money and still have $2.50.

How many times have you heard the phrase, “My phone is

literally about to die!”? With the smartphone a necessity for life, it is very important that you’re charged up. If your phone has 50% of its battery life left, it is not literally about to die: you still have half the battery life left. You can still play a couple rounds of Candy Crush and watch a Grey’s Anatomy episode or two.

I’ve heard my mom utter a couple times while we are

driving in the car, “I’m literally running on fumes.” I’ve glanced over at the dashboard and noticed that she had an eighth of a tank of gas left. She could literally drive sixty more miles until her tank would be empty; that’s enough gas to go from Morristown to New York City and back! Speaking of my mom, she always says to me “Alexa, I’ve literally asked you a hundred times to clean your room,” when she’s only actually asked two or three times 96

(four max). After I finally clean my room, I say “I literally spent two hours doing that; it took forever.” But I actually spent thirty minutes on the phone with my friend, another forty watching Meredith and Cristina perform an appendectomy on “Grey’s Anatomy”, and the other fifty actually cleaning.

Literally is usually used as an exaggeration for something

you probably don’t want to happen. Thankfully, most of the time people use the word literally, it is just hyperbole. Be happy it wasn’t literally a thousand degrees outside. Be happy you didn’t literally fail your test. Be happy you weren’t literally up all night doing homework. Be happy you’re not literally broke. Be happy your phone is not literally about to die. Be happy you’re not literally running on fumes. And be happy that your mom didn’t literally ask you a hundred times to clean your room. Next time you go to use the word literally, think about if what you’re saying is literally what is happening.

97