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Academic


"Shaping Opinion with Opinion: Survey data as social proof"

University of Chicago MA thesis, 2011

I consider whether opinion polling data affects the subsequent survey responses of those who encounter it, particularly when the question induces ambivalence or uncertainty, thus reducing the level to which the subsequent survey captures the true beliefs and attitudes of the sample. I base this theory on the concept of social proof, which suggests individuals unsure of how to act will imitate the actions of others.

PDF | Data

"Old-Fashioned Politics: The life and work of Omaha's
John P. 'Red' Munnelly, 1918-1989"

University of Nebraska BA honors thesis, 2008

This biographical account of John P. Munnelly examines his early life, his rise to prominence within the Kennedy campaign in Nebraska, his ascendance to postmaster of Omaha, and his ultimate mistakes and fall from grace.

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"Global Citizenship: Updating Conover, Crewe and Searing's 'The Nature of Citizenship in the U.S. and Great Britain'"

University of Nebraska capstone research project, 2008

This paper recreates a classic 1991 study to discover how British and American citizens understand citizenship through three concepts: citizen identity, citizen rights and citizen duties. It also examines whether the Internet age has affected these conceptualizations.

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Features


"Endless Possibilities"

Renovating the Republic, Germany depth report, 2007

The Deutsche Oper Berlin buzzes tonight. It's Friday, and as the work week ends, the weekend entertainment roars to life. At the opera house, citizens trickle into the lobby to buy tickets and rub elbows with friends and acquaintances before the main event. The modern building, clearly influenced by the architectural styles of the 1960s, begins to bustle as curtain time approaches.

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"Living Side by Side"

Renovating the Republic, Germany depth report, 2007

Harun Bulut feels comfortably at home and yet, at the same time, uneasily far away from it. In the basement of Berlin's Sehitlik mosque on this Sunday night, he and a dozen men, heads covered and shoes removed, crowd in a corner, clutching prayer books and speaking in Turkish about the word of Allah before the day's evening prayer.

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"Thank you, Johnny!"

UNL FPA Alumni News, 2008

Carson snapped a few shots of his table, mostly occupied by family members, and said he wished he could climb up into the rafters to get a shot of the whole stage. Surveying the scene, he commented to the person standing next to him about what he had seen that weekend. "Yeah," he said, "my dad did a good thing here."

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"UNL organ professors retire this summer"

UNL FPA Alumni News and Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

Other than a few papers and office supplies on the desk, George Ritchie's office is completely empty. He and Quentin Faulkner are meeting in the office down in the basement of the Westbrook Music Building. The two UNL organ professors retired this summer after a combined 54 years of teaching. But there's more to these two men than college courses. They're also two of the most respected figures in local music.

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"What it's like to have a sibling with a disability"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

When asked about life with their siblings, those with a brother or a sister with a disability are usually more than willing to talk. But they're not always sure why they or their brothers and sisters are such a big deal.

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"Local traditions reflect distinctions in American Buddhism"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

It's about an hour after services ended at Linh Quang Buddhist Temple, and members are still hanging around the building. Some are socializing and making plans for the rest of their Sunday, others are cleaning and doing yardwork. Nearly all of the estimated 600 families involved with Linh Quang immigrated to Lincoln from Vietnam, and for them Buddhism is more than a religion. It's a way of life.

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"Origami meets landscapes in unconventional art"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

Linda Stephen knows plenty of other origami artists. She's certainly not the first. Nor is she the first landscape artists. There's plenty of those around, too. Stephen, however, might be the first and only artist to combine those two disciplines. "I haven't met or found anyone who's doing anything like this, at least," she said. "I don't even have a name for it yet. I've just been calling it 'origami art landscape.'"

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Entertainment


"Living The Good Life"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

Tim Kasher is still trying to make that record. After six years, three full-length albums and an EP with The Good Life, the mellower of his two bands, Kasher hasn't done it yet. Now, he's not saying the band's work isn't good music, but in his head there's a melodramatic promised land of sorts, and The Good Life isn't there yet. Maybe it never will be.

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"Criteria delivers 'full-frontal rock and roll'"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2005

With a new CD out and a full U.S. tour pending, Stephen Pedersen seemed as enthusiastic as any human could possibly be. As the creative force behind Omaha "rock-anthem" band Criteria, he recently celebrated the release of the band's second album, "When We Break." One week later, Pedersen had no idea if the album was selling, but with an upbeat attitude uncharacteristic of most rock musicians, he made his prediction.

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"Neva Dinova just guys havin' fun"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2005

For a band that specializes in the slow, melancholy alt-rock usually reserved for angst-ridden, whining musicians, Neva Dinova sure doesn't act the part. "We're a pile of drunk, galavanting jackasses that love being fat and ugly and stupid," said frontman Jake Bellows, possibly joking, but definitely erasing suspicions of depression and distress.

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"Of Montreal debuts in Lincoln Friday night"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

Get ready for a dance party. That's what Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes said he's bringing to Lincoln tonight, when his psychedelic, vaudevillian pop group hits Knickerbockers for the band's first concert here. Known in the past for injecting a bit of theatrical production into its shows, Of Montreal might not be doing as much of that this time around, Barnes said.

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"Clay Aiken to bring 'Joyful Noise' to Mid-America Center"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2005

Last year, pop idol Clay Aiken's holiday album, "Merry Christmas with Love," dominated the Christmas music charts and helped the "American Idol" alumnus launch his "Joyful Noise" tour. With a little help from readers, we asked Aiken about his new tour, his Bono-rific charity work and his opinion on celebrity wrestling matches.

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"Def Leppard continues to ride success of the '80s"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2005

Nothing's going to stop Def Leppard. Not age, not critics and certainly not tornadoes. Just one day before the band was to play Live 8 in Philadelphia, it was preparing for a show in Camden, N.J., when a storm brandishing 75 mph winds ripped through the area and soaked all of the group's electronics.

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Reviews


"Hungry for hamburgers: Best burger in Lincoln 2006"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

Kent Wolgamott, Jeff Korbelik and I reviewed burgers in Lincoln. Bottom line: for two weeks, I got paid to eat cheeseburgers.

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Bright Eyes - "Noise Floor"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

In one of my first record reviews, I wrote about a Bright Eyes b-side collection. I must admit, at this point in my writing career, record reviews were not my strong suit.

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Cursive - "Happy Hollow"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

With a few more dissonant guitar noises and the introduction of a horn section - possibly as a substitute for Cohn's cello - "Happy Hollow" is as good as anything Cursive's ever recorded. It's not the deeply personal record one might expect from Kasher and Co., but it's thought-provoking and has the one thing that really matters in modern music: It flat-out rocks.

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Thom Yorke / Muse record reviews

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

Yorke hasn't lost his self-righteousness. And thank goodness for that. But Yorke injects just enough self-assurance into it to make the music interesting. If not for that, it would probably be panned as a rip-off of Coldplay, who we all know rips everything off from Radio … ahem, moving on.

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Incubus - "Light Grenades"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

After almost a decade, Incubus finally has refined the rambunctious, unhinged displays of sound from earlier days into a more melodic and masterful style. The band has graduated from the school of nu-metal to something resembling real musicianship.

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"Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo suffers from deja vu"

Lincoln Journal Star, 2005

After astronomical success at the box office, "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" was one Rob Schneider film just screaming for a sequel. Now, for those who have trouble recognizing sarcasm in writing, here's a hint: Re-read that last paragraph until it sinks in. Regardless of whether a sequel was wanted or needed, someone somewhere somehow greenlighted "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo."

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CATS the Musical review

Lincoln Journal Star, 2006

The Journal Star sent me to review a local production of the musical CATS. I hate "CATS".

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2014