742 words

Chris McCandless's recklessness versus Jon Krakauer's romanticization

Chris McCandless crazy? In the eyes of people who value a stable job and security, Chris McCandless seems 'crazy.' He threw away a loving home, a degree from a respected university, and even the opportunity to save his own life -- to live, he said, according to his own creed.

~4 min read

View paper →

643 words

The Hunger Games and reality television: parallels in competition and fame

In Panem, the fictional country in the Hunger Games, contestants compete for their lives. The Hunger Games take place each year in the Capital, where the games are viewed as a form of entertainment. However, eleven out of the twelve teenagers participating in the game will die.

~4 min read

View paper →

989 words

Set design in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods

Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim is a fairy-tale play that begins in a light-hearted and charming vein, and then gradually grows more sober and soul-searching in its second act.

~5 min read

View paper →

613 words

Core competencies and technological innovation in service industry operations

Why are core competencies so important in service industries? The profit margin for many service industries can be razor thin.

~4 min read

View paper →

646 words

Ecology and formation of the Orono Bog

Bogs are unique ecosystems, at once wholly infertile and teeming with life. Our trip to the Orono Bog revealed that bogs are more than mud pits. They can be stunningly beautiful with a surprising array of wildlife, especially bird life. We saw several small songbirds along the boardwalk at Orono.

~4 min read

View paper →

949 words

Anne Bradstreet's poetry and the constraints of Puritan womanhood

Born in Northampton, England in 1612, Anne Bradstreet and her family would become significant citizens of Massachusetts Bay colony. Bradstreet's family was well-educated and from distinguished heritage.

~5 min read

View paper →

781 words

Power and corruption in Shakespeare's three tragedies and comedies

William Shakespeare's plays the Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, and the Tempest, all are plays about power: the power of money, the power of politics, and the power of the intellect.

~4 min read

View paper →

648 words

Foot-in-the-door, door-in-the-face, and low-balling compliance techniques

One common compliance technique used in social psychology is that of the so-called 'foot-in -- the door' approach. An example of such a technique was manifest in one experiment comparing different types of solicitation strategies to garner financial support for a museum.

~4 min read

View paper →

930 words

Joe Pistone's undercover infiltration of the Bonanno crime family

American Justice Episode #87 "Donnie Brasco" is the story of former FBI Special Agent Joe Pistone who successfully infiltrated the Bonanno crime family of the New York Mafia for six years, beginning in 1976.

~5 min read

View paper →

709 words

Regulatory capture and corruption in Toyota's unintended acceleration scandal

Slow regulatory action on Toyota's unintended acceleration problems reveals even deeper systemic issues with safety ratings for the Japanese corporation

~4 min read

View paper →