Vassar Scholarship

As the Internet drifts away from being a novel technology, people have increasingly become fascinated by the sometimes-garish, comparatively rudimentary aesthetics of the early web. Using Walter Benjamin's reflections on the Parisian arcades as a framework, I propose that this...

This creative project explores the sentiment of nostalgia that is on the rise among a segment of the young Chinese population. I analyze the trend from three perspectives: as a social-psychological emotion, as political commentary, and as a manufactured taste...

Play is a fundamental human activity that has been enjoyed by people of all ages and cultures throughout history. In this essay, I hope to explore how the concept of “play” is manifested in video games about the emergence and...

"Playin' Tha Game" explores the connections between black gangsta rappers, black basketball stars, and the degree to which they are vocal about black sociopolitical issues. Specifically the 1992 Dream Team members and L.A. based gangsta rappers were studied. Through analysis...

This project, a hypertext science fiction story entitled "Plenty," aims to explore our relationships to labor, leisure, and technology. Hypertext, a form of interactive fiction, resembles a choose your own adventure story, but incorporates digital elements which wouldn't be possible...

Even within an increasingly digital age, the body on stage continues to operate as an impactful and historically charged mode of communication, on both an individual and societal level. Theatre, I argue, is inherently a <em>medium of memory, </em>and as...

Through a close analysis of rape jokes from mainstream American comedy, my thesis focuses on the ways women comedians utilize humor as a possible tool to challenge rape culture. To ground my inquiry, I look closely at the content, the...