The topic of memes and the ethnographies they create are discussed. Memes that have been created and adopted by alt-right communities, specifically incels, illustrate their ideologies while simultaneously validating their views and recruiting insecure, vulnerable populations. Memes from times past evolve to be viewed as cringeworthy as they fail the test of time and cultural expectations for humor. Content that exists out of the confines of normality in an embarrassing way also becomes constituted as cringe, and can become a meme in this way. New social media platforms allow for novel meme formats to emerge. Furthermore, the concept of new meme formats are explained through TikTok case studies, highlighting the platform's unique and novel features. Finally, the ethnography that surrounds mental health memes is explored through content analyses of memes discussing mental illnesses like Bipolar Disorder, as well as memes depicting mindful practices. The possibility for trends arising from memes to romanticize negative attributes of mental illness illustrates the potential for negative consequences, like triggering a relapse in self-harm. Memes and their real-world consequences must be discussed as social media pervades daily life.

This study was conducted to distinguish between the perspectives of current Vassar College students and high school counselors on the functions and expectations of school counselors. Based on previous literature, I predicted that students would not fully understand the scope of the role of the school counselor, and thus, fail to view counselors as essential school entities. Additionally, I predicted that school counselors would define their role very differently from students in terms of areas of expertise.My methodology was based on both qualitative and quantitative survey data with Vassar students and current high school counselors working in the United States. After all participants responded to the survey, I analyzed all the data and created 16 codes that arose from participant responses - availability, bias/favorites, communication, develop relationships, future planning, genuineness, individualized case by case basis, lack of counselors, listening skills, mental health, negative feedback, positive feedback, qualifications, role confusion, well-roundedness and trust. After analysis, it was determined that a significant difference existed in the perceived breadth of the counselor role between students and counselors. Additionally, quantitative data showed that there was a significant difference in the level of belief between Vassar students and counselors that the role of a counselor should encompass individual student academic planning, counseling students with disciplinary problems, assisting with duties in the principal's office, teaching classes when teachers are absent, hall, restroom and lunch duty, bus duty, educational future counseling, vocational future counseling, sex and marriage counseling, and personal psychological counseling. Future research has been proposed to determine how best students and counselors can take action to better the name of school counseling.

My senior project, "Glitch," uses the comic's medium to provide insight into the subjective side of someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The diagnosis is typically classified as a neurological disorder where the individual may feel over/under-stimulated, perform strict routines, have trouble reading social cues, and difficulty navigating social situations. I forego the savant and differently learned stereotypes that Draaisma (2009) highlighted from film media. Since it is irresponsible to treat a spectrum disorder as monolithic, I am offering the reader a character, Harris Hawk, as an autistic person who subverts current representations of autism. I incorporate Transportation Theory, Parasocial Relationships, and Possible Selves theory as methods for understanding Harris Hawk's special interest, film. With the comic medium, I apply Scott McCloud's philosophy about using images and texts as icons. With this methodology, I hope to engage the reader within Harris Hawk's autistic perspective.

This senior thesis in Latin American Studies discusses the recent rise in Diversity and Inclusion trends in the Brazilian private sector as of 2021. It considers these corporate trends as cooptation mechanisms encroaching larger social demands for rights, while also promoting individual advancement inside the neoliberal late-capitalist logic. It also positions the Brazilian context inside a global network of geopolitical influences, which shapes the Brazilian way of making Diversity and Inclusion in very interesting and troublesome ways. The current government in the country is considered to be one that companies want to ideologically distance themselves from, while also avoiding the rupture of historical public-private ties, adding another layer of complexity to this market-mediated trend. Moving forward, a more critical approach to what diversity and inclusion really means inside this corporate context is necessary, so that "minoritized" populations can have fairer conditions for joining the labor force. This corporate movement is paving the way for new forms of conducting business transactions, in Brazil and in Latin America as a whole.