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Pages
- Title
- Understanding the mass mind.
- Creator
-
Tatham, Richard
- Date Issued
- 1945
- Identifier
- 2700024, CFDT2700024, ucf:5151
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/2700024
- Title
- THE EIGHT-DOLLAR BILL.
- Creator
-
Stiles-Tardieu, Wendy, Rushin, Pat, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
"The Eight-Dollar Bill" is a collection of tales that explores human isolation and displacement accented by the backdrop of magic and mystery. The characters are often cynical and disenchanted while harboring deeply suppressed longings. They are guided by strange events and circumstances that ultimately transform their world-views. Each story provides a window into an ordinary life at the moment it slips into the extraordinary. The common thread of loneliness and loss runs throughout the...
Show more"The Eight-Dollar Bill" is a collection of tales that explores human isolation and displacement accented by the backdrop of magic and mystery. The characters are often cynical and disenchanted while harboring deeply suppressed longings. They are guided by strange events and circumstances that ultimately transform their world-views. Each story provides a window into an ordinary life at the moment it slips into the extraordinary. The common thread of loneliness and loss runs throughout the collection, explored with multiple points of view and interconnected plots that link characters and places. The title story follows a divorced, detached banker who is jolted out of his monotonous routine when a peculiar bank note becomes his new obsession. Young, irreverent newlyweds learn more about their solemn commitment when they come face to face with their future selves at a mysterious sea-side hotel in "Honeymoon Suite". Two sisters traveling home from their father's funeral must examine their own personal barriers in "Black Ice" when a mysterious stranger offers a glimpse into their father's memories. "Plywood Kingdom" preludes "Honeymoon Suite" when the prospect of marriage forces Lenny and Elsie to carve a separate space from their long-time friend and roommate, Trey. Concluding the collection is "The Ruined Grove", about a troubled teenager who struggles with his mixed ethnicity and dangerous temper. He meets a little girl who can manipulate reality, but only within the boundaries of an abandoned orange grove. The stories take each character out of his or her comfort zone to a place where convictions are tested and often demolished by the shifting margins of dreams, visions and memory. From debilitating self-denial to the bitter longing for a sense of identity, the themes present in the collection always end in the subtle placement of hope and triumph.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002361, ucf:47806
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002361
- Title
- Sunset View.
- Creator
-
Armstrong, Danielle, Hubbard, Susan, Bartkevicius, Jocelyn, Rushin, Pat, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Sunset View is a linked collection of short fiction that explores the dynamics of dysfunctional families. Characters in this collection have been affected by the neglect, absence, or death of their family members and friends. They search for recognition and love as they try to find their place in life. Some turn to animals or fleeting relationships to fill this void. Others attempt suicide or simply disappear. The characters are in denial, unsure how to deal with grief, and often make...
Show moreSunset View is a linked collection of short fiction that explores the dynamics of dysfunctional families. Characters in this collection have been affected by the neglect, absence, or death of their family members and friends. They search for recognition and love as they try to find their place in life. Some turn to animals or fleeting relationships to fill this void. Others attempt suicide or simply disappear. The characters are in denial, unsure how to deal with grief, and often make decisions that alienate them from the friends and family they do have. Set in northeast Tennessee and named after a local trailer park, the collection creates a portrait of Candace Annette, a young woman who struggles to come of age and distance herself from the only life she's ever known.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005573, ucf:50237
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005573
- Title
- Instant Conductors.
- Creator
-
Petralia, Mary, Kesler, Russ, Nwakanma, Obi, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Instant Conductors is a collection of poems meant to engage the reader in conversation about the imperfect nature of the world in relation to the imperfect nature of readerly experience. Walt Whitman wrote, (")I have instant conductors all over me whether I pass or stop / they seize every object and lead it harmlessly through me.(") And so the things on these pages are intent on transmitting what one experiences in the minutiae of memory and routine: the sounds that surround a blackwater...
Show moreInstant Conductors is a collection of poems meant to engage the reader in conversation about the imperfect nature of the world in relation to the imperfect nature of readerly experience. Walt Whitman wrote, (")I have instant conductors all over me whether I pass or stop / they seize every object and lead it harmlessly through me.(") And so the things on these pages are intent on transmitting what one experiences in the minutiae of memory and routine: the sounds that surround a blackwater tidepool, what one imagines happens behind the closed doors of the friendly neighbors, or what's heard in the whispers of an elderly man sitting in a waiting room. These pieces are situated along the spectrum of narrative and lyric, between self and other, around various speakers and listeners. They flow through the sensors of Florida swamp, pray to the train ride of some nebulous god or lack thereof, and comment on the artifice of social media. They visit the transient nature of relationships and interrogate how one comes to know, or not know, the self. These pieces speak to old form and new verse. They touch on place, and time, and timelessness. They attempt to reimagine the negative space of individual, sometimes muddled, histories, into some understandable or at least familiar, organic, whole. Universal truths or no, these are the electric currents of language. They are hazardous. They are harmless. They are instances and instants.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005987, ucf:50774
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005987
- Title
- Preventable Conditions.
- Creator
-
Wight, William, Milanes, Cecilia, Poissant, David, Bartkevicius, Jocelyn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Preventable Conditions is a collection of literary short stories intended to explore themes of familial communication, complementary dysfunctions, and the degree to which we all try to cope with our own mistakes. The first five stories in the collection are related, while the last three stand alone. Each of the stories before (")Fair Grounds(") is told from the perspective of a different member of the Powell family, a fictional clan from Marietta, Georgia.The Powell family stories largely...
Show morePreventable Conditions is a collection of literary short stories intended to explore themes of familial communication, complementary dysfunctions, and the degree to which we all try to cope with our own mistakes. The first five stories in the collection are related, while the last three stand alone. Each of the stories before (")Fair Grounds(") is told from the perspective of a different member of the Powell family, a fictional clan from Marietta, Georgia.The Powell family stories largely adhere to the basic conventions of realism, while the three remaining pieces somewhat strain those boundaries.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004773, ucf:49798
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004773
- Title
- POST-JUDGMENT RECOVERY AND ITS EFFECTUATION ON THE CONTEMPORARY DEBTORS' PRISON: A TREBLE ANALYSIS ON COLLECTIONS LAW IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
- Creator
-
Weiner, Andrew E., Slaughter, David B., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation will tender a rigorous analysis on the conjunction of the judgment creditors' inherent right for satisfaction of their outstanding monetary judgments and the respective detriments that the judgment debtor confronts as the party subject to satisfying the outstanding award levied against them. To establish the theory that the civil justice system has "resuscitated" the antebellum debtors' prison and infringed upon principles of civil liberties, this dissertation will expound...
Show moreThis dissertation will tender a rigorous analysis on the conjunction of the judgment creditors' inherent right for satisfaction of their outstanding monetary judgments and the respective detriments that the judgment debtor confronts as the party subject to satisfying the outstanding award levied against them. To establish the theory that the civil justice system has "resuscitated" the antebellum debtors' prison and infringed upon principles of civil liberties, this dissertation will expound on evidence garnered throughout this study in a three-pronged analysis of economics, history, and a reflection on the American legal systems, enumerated herein. Evidence will be brought from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to: law journals, peer-reviewed materials, dissertations, congressional reports, and court cases.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFH2000516, ucf:45663
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000516
- Title
- EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO TRAFFIC OPERATIONS AT A TOLL PLAZAWITH EXPRESS ETC LANES.
- Creator
-
Gordin, Eric Anthony, Al-Deek, Haitham M., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The effectiveness of modifying a conventional toll plaza for implementation of an open road tolling concept with express ETC lanes was evaluated in this thesis. Speed controlled dedicated ETC lanes were replaced with express ETC lanes at the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) University Mainline Toll Plaza. This evaluation was accomplished by utilizing collected field data and simulated scenarios using Toll Plaza SIMulation (TPSIM) software developed by the University of...
Show moreThe effectiveness of modifying a conventional toll plaza for implementation of an open road tolling concept with express ETC lanes was evaluated in this thesis. Speed controlled dedicated ETC lanes were replaced with express ETC lanes at the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) University Mainline Toll Plaza. This evaluation was accomplished by utilizing collected field data and simulated scenarios using Toll Plaza SIMulation (TPSIM) software developed by the University of Central Florida. The speed controlled dedicated ETC lanes were located within toll lanes (contained within a toll plaza canopy) with widths ranging between 10 to 14 ft. These types of lanes required all vehicles to reduce their speed from the highway speed to 35 mph. Express ETC lanes (sometimes referenced as open road tolling or non-stop tolling) allow vehicles to pass through the plaza at high speeds. Open road tolling is a concept that employs high speed toll lanes.A before and after study of the University toll plaza was conducted. Benefits in the form of reduced delays and increased capacities were observed when making the comparison between the before and after studies. Since we expect the capacity of an express ETC lane to be greater than the dedicated ETC lanes (due to an increase in free-flow speed), further analysis using equations and car-following theory proved that if the ETC speed was increased, then the capacity would increase as well. Using equations derived from the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) and car-following theory, the capacity was increased from 2016 to 2314 vph when the ETC speed increased from 31 mph to 65 mph. This indicated an increase in capacity of 14.8 percent (based on the conversion from dedicated to express ETC lanes). The field data was also used as input for TPSIM (a computer simulation model) in order to perform a sensitivity analysis of the express ETC lanes by varying the type of ETC lane, number of approach lanes, and plaza configurations (the addition of an ACM lane) between scenarios. Results that were observed during the after study were verified using the TPSIM scenarios. Reductions in delays for the entire plaza were observed using the TPSIM model when making similar improvements to the plaza as in the after study.The changes made to the University Mainline Toll Plaza after construction was completed resulted in benefits by reducing delays and increasing the capacity of the toll plaza (by converting dedicated ETC lanes to express ETC lanes and adding an additional A/ETC lane per direction). These benefits were measured using field data and confirmed when performing the TPSIM scenarios. A customer's travel time along the toll facility will be reduced by using the express ETC lanes (since they are not required to decelerate at the toll plaza). In addition, weaving maneuvers downstream of the plaza are no longer required by customers using the express ETC lanes due to the location of the downstream travel lanes in relation to the express ETC lanes. These benefits may have led to changes in the number and percentage of ETC users in each of the toll lanes. Changes in ETC usage in the conventional mixed-use lanes directly impacted the throughput and delays for each of these lanes, since ETC equipped vehicles have a service time of zero seconds. In addition to the operational benefits, other possible benefits for express ETC lanes were identified and recommended for further evaluation and research. The re-distribution of customers at the plaza due to the implementation of open road tolling, in the form of express ETC lanes, was a great benefit to the overall traffic operations for the University Mainline Toll Plaza in Orlando, Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000057, ucf:46072
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000057
- Title
- Mercury.
- Creator
-
Gaines, Adrienne, Rushin, Patrick, Neal, Mary, Roney, Lisa, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Mercury is a collection of short stories based in the fictional town of Mercury, Georgia. Set over the course of several decades, the stories trace the events that changed individuals, families, and a whole community for decades. Loosely based on the author's real-life family history, the stories, both humorous and heartbreaking, show characters caught between the past and the present and searching for a way forward. A girl who makes friends with a ghost, a woman who can't help but run from...
Show moreMercury is a collection of short stories based in the fictional town of Mercury, Georgia. Set over the course of several decades, the stories trace the events that changed individuals, families, and a whole community for decades. Loosely based on the author's real-life family history, the stories, both humorous and heartbreaking, show characters caught between the past and the present and searching for a way forward. A girl who makes friends with a ghost, a woman who can't help but run from crying babies, a man forced to face the town's darkest side(-)these and other characters respond in surprising ways to circumstances that are both ordinary and extraordinary. Most of the stories in the collection are linked, showing the interconnectedness of the lives in this small town. The pieces work together to present a larger narrative of how the characters and the town struggle to change, survive, hope, and face the future.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004846, ucf:49692
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004846
- Title
- MOONFLOWERS AND OTHER STORIES.
- Creator
-
Prevatt-Harris, Sarah, Hubbard, Susan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
"Moonflowers" and Other Stories is a collection of short stories focusing on complex relationships among characters who are estranged from their families and their pasts; some seek to reestablish connections, while others decide to simply walk away. All of the stories are set in Florida. In "Stained Glass," Abby returns home after seventeen years to help care for the father who disowned her. In "Blue Green Red," Melaney is compelled to find her brother after years of lying about his existence...
Show more"Moonflowers" and Other Stories is a collection of short stories focusing on complex relationships among characters who are estranged from their families and their pasts; some seek to reestablish connections, while others decide to simply walk away. All of the stories are set in Florida. In "Stained Glass," Abby returns home after seventeen years to help care for the father who disowned her. In "Blue Green Red," Melaney is compelled to find her brother after years of lying about his existence. Selina, the protagonist of "Fatty Walsh" is so embarrassed by her family she will not tell her friend Alucia where she lives, although she must ultimately choose between her younger brother and her friendship with Alucia. All of the stories in this thesis find characters desiring to establish or restore relationships despite past mistakes and grievances, evidence of their innate longing for human connection.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001980, ucf:47428
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001980
- Title
- FORMALITY.
- Creator
-
Emley, Bryce, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Of the many aspects of the composition of poetry, the most common component of the form involves emotional response. There is an infinite number of ways to write a poem, and likewise an infinite number of forms which a poem can be structured according to. In writing this collection of poems composing my thesis, I set out to write poetry in as many ways as I could to explore how different forms, devices, voices, points of view, sounds, tones, and as many other variables as I could think of...
Show moreOf the many aspects of the composition of poetry, the most common component of the form involves emotional response. There is an infinite number of ways to write a poem, and likewise an infinite number of forms which a poem can be structured according to. In writing this collection of poems composing my thesis, I set out to write poetry in as many ways as I could to explore how different forms, devices, voices, points of view, sounds, tones, and as many other variables as I could think of affect poetry as stimulus. The poems in this collection cover a range of classic poetic forms and styles as well as variations of free verse and contemporary forms. My hope is that the readers of these poems will be able to experience a wide range of emotional responses and gain the same insight into the vast abilities inherent in poetry that I gained in writing them.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003783, ucf:44735
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003783
- Title
- A comparative analysis of public school collective bargaining agreements in Florida.
- Creator
-
Berk, Aliza, Bartee, RoSusan, Gordon, William, Doherty, Walter, Edyburn, Dave, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study examines the terms and conditions found in the 67 Florida public school collective bargaining agreements. Such collective bargaining agreements are negotiated between two parties, the teacher unions and their employers, under Florida Statute 447. The purpose of this mixed-methods study, conducted using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, is as follows: 1) to determine the extent to which CBA provisions exist within the master contracts of Florida teachers (2016-2017...
Show moreThis study examines the terms and conditions found in the 67 Florida public school collective bargaining agreements. Such collective bargaining agreements are negotiated between two parties, the teacher unions and their employers, under Florida Statute 447. The purpose of this mixed-methods study, conducted using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, is as follows: 1) to determine the extent to which CBA provisions exist within the master contracts of Florida teachers (2016-2017) and; 2) to determine the extent to which, if any, collective bargaining provisions vary among school districts (i.e. district size, district performance, district locale). The study finds that none of the eight desirable provisions were present in all 66 collective bargaining agreements indicating that collective bargaining agreements vary in terms of the inclusion of desirable provisions for teachers. The study also finds that that spatial relationship plays a role in determining bargaining outcomes. The results of this study provide insight into the terms and conditions of collective bargaining agreements in Florida; thereby providing Florida school districts with information to construct the best possible competitive contracts in the future, which would then attract top talent as well as to protect the best interests of their districts.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007431, ucf:52711
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007431
- Title
- Foreclosures and Crime: Testing Social Disorganization Theory in the Suburbs.
- Creator
-
Hoskin, Sara, Lynxwiler, John, Corzine, Harold, Gay, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Foreclosures have increased in the US since the 1970's. The increase in foreclosures has caused concern among some researchers on their affect on crime. Social disorganization theory measures the effect various structural characteristics, such as poverty, residential instability/mobility, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, and family disruption have on crime. This study, though, is concerned with residential instability/mobility, or the presence of foreclosed houses in neighborhoods. Although most...
Show moreForeclosures have increased in the US since the 1970's. The increase in foreclosures has caused concern among some researchers on their affect on crime. Social disorganization theory measures the effect various structural characteristics, such as poverty, residential instability/mobility, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, and family disruption have on crime. This study, though, is concerned with residential instability/mobility, or the presence of foreclosed houses in neighborhoods. Although most studies using this theory look at low-income neighborhoods, the following research looks at middle- and upper-income neighborhoods, which have been greatly affected by foreclosures. The theory also argues that the level of collective efficacy can reduce crime even in neighborhoods that are otherwise considered to be socially disorganized. Using ArcGIS mapping, the following research investigated 30 neighborhoods in Orange County, Florida that have high foreclosures in neighborhoods for the years of 2005-2009. Canvasses were conducted in all 30 neighborhoods to measure the level of collective efficacy within the neighborhoods to help explain the presence of high or low residential burglary. Thirteen neighborhoods stood out as noteworthy because they fell at the far end of the spectrum (-) high foreclosures and high crime, and high foreclosures and low crime. Some of the neighborhoods with high residential burglary did have strong indicators of low collective efficacy, while neighborhoods with low residential burglary had indicators of high collective efficacy. The majority of the indicators found in this research support previous research on various indicators of collective efficacy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004386, ucf:49374
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004386
- Title
- Only the End: A Collection of Connected Short Stories.
- Creator
-
Sneeringer, Lucy, Milanes, Cecilia, Roney, Lisa, Neal, Mary, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In a series of connected short stories, the author explores the funeral industry by following a body as it is prepared for its final resting. The EMTs, mortician, funeral director, and cremators offer their unique perspective on the many faces death can take. However, it is the eyes of the mourners and Benny himself that see the deeper impact of his passing. By uncovering who Benny was in life, a man struggling with marriage and fatherhood, the author shows just how far the impact of his...
Show moreIn a series of connected short stories, the author explores the funeral industry by following a body as it is prepared for its final resting. The EMTs, mortician, funeral director, and cremators offer their unique perspective on the many faces death can take. However, it is the eyes of the mourners and Benny himself that see the deeper impact of his passing. By uncovering who Benny was in life, a man struggling with marriage and fatherhood, the author shows just how far the impact of his death reaches.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006662, ucf:51242
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006662
- Title
- The Hammer or the Anvil: Developing Operational Adaptability through Simulations at the Tactical Level.
- Creator
-
Mccarthy, Michael, Kincaid, John, Smith, Peter, Maxwell, Douglas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Operational Adaptability is a vital characteristic identified by senior Army leaders in today's military force. The U.S. Army is struggling with the definition and training of operational adaptability at the tactical level. In order to be a critical enhancement to the operational mission, operational adaptability needs to be trained through a training model that supports current U.S. Army doctrine. To develop a base foundation of operational adaptability, Soldiers must train as a collective...
Show moreOperational Adaptability is a vital characteristic identified by senior Army leaders in today's military force. The U.S. Army is struggling with the definition and training of operational adaptability at the tactical level. In order to be a critical enhancement to the operational mission, operational adaptability needs to be trained through a training model that supports current U.S. Army doctrine. To develop a base foundation of operational adaptability, Soldiers must train as a collective unit in a simulated operational environment in order to apply characteristics of operational adaptability.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006536, ucf:51353
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006536
- Title
- The Neighborhood (&) Cat Eyes: Stories.
- Creator
-
Barth, Brad, Roney, Lisa, Peynado, Brenda, Poissant, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The Neighborhood (&) Cat Eyes: Stories is a collection of short stories dealing with themes related to isolation, otherness in the modern world, and suburban dread. These two sets of stories deal with different variations on these themes.In the (")Cat Eyes(") collection of stories, isolation becomes a more prominent thread. These four stories each center on a different individuals afflicted with having cat eyes in place of normal human eyes. Through the lenses of childhood, adulthood, and...
Show moreThe Neighborhood (&) Cat Eyes: Stories is a collection of short stories dealing with themes related to isolation, otherness in the modern world, and suburban dread. These two sets of stories deal with different variations on these themes.In the (")Cat Eyes(") collection of stories, isolation becomes a more prominent thread. These four stories each center on a different individuals afflicted with having cat eyes in place of normal human eyes. Through the lenses of childhood, adulthood, and someone not afflicted with the cat eye condition, otherness and isolation are explored. Each individual offers a unique glimpse into the lives of these people and how they exist in a world that seeks to other them, often times through force.In (")The Neighborhood(") collection of stories, the idea of suburban dread comes into full-effect with the inclusion of corpses, skeletons, geysers, and medieval style siege parties. These five stories contrast against the very real lives of the individuals living through these situations. The different families affected by these issues come into contention with the unnamed rules of suburban living as well as their own personal torments made manifest through the oddities that surround them.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0006975, ucf:51653
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006975
- Title
- A Clutch, A Pride, A Murder.
- Creator
-
Miles, John, Rushin, Patrick, Neal, Mary, Poissant, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
A Clutch, A Pride, A Murder is a linked collection of seven short fiction pieces and one novella that examine a world much like our own, but with the cover revealed(-)a world laid bare, exposed by its desires, its emotions, its beauties, and all its machinations. All of the stories involve, either directly or indirectly, the fictional Ohio city of Milton. Some of the stories take place within this seemingly typical American city, while others only involve characters coming from or in some...
Show moreA Clutch, A Pride, A Murder is a linked collection of seven short fiction pieces and one novella that examine a world much like our own, but with the cover revealed(-)a world laid bare, exposed by its desires, its emotions, its beauties, and all its machinations. All of the stories involve, either directly or indirectly, the fictional Ohio city of Milton. Some of the stories take place within this seemingly typical American city, while others only involve characters coming from or in some cases returning to this unassuming location. Regardless, the events of these stories either in cause or effect all have their roots in Milton.The world at large also plays a part within these pages. While the stories themselves are completely fictitious, many of the peripheral events that happen beyond the principle storylines are pulled from today's real-world headlines: a series of increasingly devastating tornadoes in the American heartland; a mysterious suicide of a wealthy industrialist; the amazing technological feats of a nation's space program; the heinous crimes of a serial kidnapper. These events, each a worthy story in their own right, filter into the events of this collection, much as they do in our world(-)through the media. Television, radio, newspapers, social media all are outlets of information and current events making the stories of others part of our lives as we all live out our own personal adventures. I utilize these true-life events to add scope and breadth to the world of my fictions so that these events might at times inform and offer new perspective on the principle narratives. And while these true-life stories unfold in the backgrounds of their fictitious hosts, the hope is that the reader will be able to have a better sense of the timeline as the events unfold over the days, months, and years that these stories inhabit.Humanity in all its wonder and woe is on full display within this collection. From the journey of idyllic love to tragic romance, and the thin line that turns passion to obsession, we will see all the places theses complex emotions lead: a young botanist travels half-way around the world for a chance to reconnect with a lost love; a young girl's love for her family pushes her to extremes to protect her brother; a man's love for his city challenges his morality; the bond between brothers is put to the test; and a young man's reverence for history, and his love of family leads him down a dark path. How far will someone go to protect themselves? Their loved ones? Or even their way of life? The lengths these characters will go, or in some cases will not go, are central to the stories in this collection. I intend to show those lengths and tell my characters' all too human stories.?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005034, ucf:49988
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005034
- Title
- Applications of Transit Signal Priority Technology for Transit Service.
- Creator
-
Consoli, Frank, Al-Deek, Haitham, Oloufa, Amr, Tatari, Omer, Uddin, Nizam, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This research demonstrated the effectiveness of Transit Signal Priority (TSP) in improving bus corridor travel time in a simulated environment using real world data. TSP is a technology that provides preferential treatment to buses at signalized intersections. By considering different scenarios of activating bus signal priority when a bus is 3 or 5 minutes behind schedule, it was demonstrated that bus travel times improved significantly while there is little effect on delays for crossing...
Show moreThis research demonstrated the effectiveness of Transit Signal Priority (TSP) in improving bus corridor travel time in a simulated environment using real world data. TSP is a technology that provides preferential treatment to buses at signalized intersections. By considering different scenarios of activating bus signal priority when a bus is 3 or 5 minutes behind schedule, it was demonstrated that bus travel times improved significantly while there is little effect on delays for crossing street traffic. The case of providing signal priority for buses unconditionally resulted in significant crossing street delays for some signalized intersections with only minor improvement to bus travel time over both scenarios of Conditional priority.Evaluation was conducted by using micro-simulation and statistical analysis to compare Unconditional and Conditional TSP with the No TSP scenario. This evaluation looked at performance metrics (for buses and all vehicles) including average speed profiles, average travel times, average number of stops, and crossing street delay. Different Conditional TSP scenarios of activating TSP when a bus is 3 or 5 minutes behind schedule were considered. The simulation demonstrated that Conditional TSP significantly improved bus travel times with little effect on crossing street delays. The results also showed that utilizing TSP technology reduced the environmental emissions in the I-Drive corridor. Furthermore, field data was used to calculate actual passenger travel time savings and benefit cost ratio (7.92) that resulted from implementing conditional TSP. Conditional TSP 3 minutes behind schedule was determined to be the most beneficial and practical TSP scenario for real world implementation at both the corridor and regional levels.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005474, ucf:50343
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005474
- Title
- COLLECTIVE TEACHER EFFICACY AND READING ACHIEVEMENT FOR HISPANIC STUDENTS IN READING FIRST AND NON-READING FIRST SCHOOLS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.
- Creator
-
Hylemon, Larry, Holt, Larry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study examined explicit and systematic reading instruction for Hispanic, limited English, lower SES students in a southwest Florida school district. Additionally, collective teacher efficacy was assessed to determine if differences existed between a Reading First and a non-Reading First school. A total of 68 students participated in the study and were divided equally between a Reading First and non-Reading First school. While the Reading First school concentrated resources on grades 2...
Show moreThis study examined explicit and systematic reading instruction for Hispanic, limited English, lower SES students in a southwest Florida school district. Additionally, collective teacher efficacy was assessed to determine if differences existed between a Reading First and a non-Reading First school. A total of 68 students participated in the study and were divided equally between a Reading First and non-Reading First school. While the Reading First school concentrated resources on grades 2 and 3, all students received some degree of Reading First strategies. Available reading measures for analyses at the time of the study included the Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE), the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Results from two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) did not reveal significant differences between the two groups on a pre and posttest administration of the GRADE. When the two groups were combined, repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference between pre and post administrations of the GRADE with the posttest being significantly higher. Grades 4 and 5 showed significant gains between pre and posttest while grades 2 and 3 did not. It was hypothesized that as students' English proficiency improved, reading instruction became more meaningful and thus positively influenced the posttest. Both the GRADE and the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency test were significantly correlated with the FCAT. Regression analyses revealed that both were significant predictors individually and combined of the FCAT reading score. Collective teacher efficacy was assessed with the short-form of the Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale (CTES). A total of 38 Reading First teachers and 30 non-Reading First teachers completed the CTES and a brief biographical questionnaire. Results indicated significantly higher collective teacher efficacy in the non-Reading First school. Findings did not support the hypothesis that the intensity of the Reading First program and the teacher training required would result in significantly higher collective efficacy. Differences in level of teacher education, experience, and years teaching in a school were speculated as potential variables influencing the level of collective efficacy. Implications from this study were discussed along with recommendations for future research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000737, ucf:46570
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000737
- Title
- THE SCATTERED BRAIN CONVALESCES.
- Creator
-
LaMura, Sam, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The intent for each poem in this thesis: To write without intent. I, ironically, intended to approach the writing process without considering the outcome of each poem. Some of the poems spiraled out of control, while others spiraled into focus. I do not always know what I'm thinking. It may be unfair to impose clarity on poems when clarity is not always part of experience. Each poem took self-examination to understand in the context of my own life. The proposal for this thesis, entitled, "The...
Show moreThe intent for each poem in this thesis: To write without intent. I, ironically, intended to approach the writing process without considering the outcome of each poem. Some of the poems spiraled out of control, while others spiraled into focus. I do not always know what I'm thinking. It may be unfair to impose clarity on poems when clarity is not always part of experience. Each poem took self-examination to understand in the context of my own life. The proposal for this thesis, entitled, "The Unintended Approach," did not mention the unintended consequences of writing poems in such a way. Bursts of energy found their way into the writing. Only in reflection, did I realize that these bursts of energy were understandable in the context of personal memory. This experiment in crafting poems, at times, left me confused. There are images I still can't seem to decipher. I have kept my belief that concise meaning in poetry is not the most important aspect of verse. With rapid urbanization, increased distortion created by fast-paced leaps in technology, and the evolution of celebrity awareness, the world we write in, is not the world we were written into. I have written each poem into their own place on page—allowed them their own discoveries without my approval. People behave in a way that is often erratic. My experience is intrinsic to what I have observed in my life; a schizophrenic cousin, a slurred maternal mouthing, uncles addicted to drugs or hope, for fame. My life has been a series of disjointed events. This thesis is a composite, not a copy. Genetic code is also a composite. Each poem has a life unlike my own. The goal of this collection was to allow these poems their own struggle to understand.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004631, ucf:45254
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004631
- Title
- Writes of Spring 2014: Fostering Creativity in Theatre, Education, and Leadership.
- Creator
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Hodson, Alexandra, Weaver, Earl, Wood, Vandy, Siegfried, Judi, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Creativity is valued in many fields. In theatre, creativity celebrates the imaginative power of a theatrical experience. In theatre for young audiences (TYA), creativity is extended from the stage to the classroom, where theatre empowers learning through creative and imaginative teaching. Teaching artists and theatre makers in the field of theatre for young audiences utilize creativity as a means of connecting artistic and educational value. Through professional development and qualitative...
Show moreCreativity is valued in many fields. In theatre, creativity celebrates the imaginative power of a theatrical experience. In theatre for young audiences (TYA), creativity is extended from the stage to the classroom, where theatre empowers learning through creative and imaginative teaching. Teaching artists and theatre makers in the field of theatre for young audiences utilize creativity as a means of connecting artistic and educational value. Through professional development and qualitative research, this project demonstrates the importance of creativity and its role in the classroom and on stage.This study examines my role as Project Coordinator in Orlando Repertory Theatre's (The REP) Writes of Spring 2014 and the developments I add to enhance the educational and artistic value and project. Specifically, I survey the findings of selected students' submissions in a creative writing contest by developing and facilitating an arts integration professional development workshop for their teachers. By evaluating these findings I gain insight into the positive effect of enhancing creativity in public school classrooms.To project the value of creativity further, I apply a theoretical framework to my research. Specifically, I apply creative pedagogy, constructivism, and collective creativity to develop a fully-supported educational and artistic project. This project allows students to find writing inspiration through theatre, guides teachers to find clarity in new practices through creativity, and encourages artists to celebrate creativity in developing and producing new works.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005627, ucf:50209
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005627
