Digital Commons Network^™

Immigration Stories And The Construction Of A Bilingual American Identity, Camden Bowman

Honors Theses

This project seeks to document first-generation, Spanish-speaking Americans' immigration stories by transcribing and translating their oral accounts from Spanish to English, in an attempt to increase understanding between Anglophone and Spanish-speaking populations. The project envisions immigration stories as the basis for a distinct American folklore, at the same time connecting Americans to their ethnic or national roots and distinguishing them from their ancestors, giving them a unique American identity. With this sort of nationalizing "myth" in mind, the project seeks to create a record of first-generation permanent Americans, painiting a picture of the beginnings of a new Spanish-speaking U.S. identity.

Narrative And The Maintenance Of Great Lakes Native American Cultural Identity, Lacey E. Barroso

Honors Theses

This paper examines the relationship of the trickster character to the maintenance of Great Lakes Native American cultural identity by using interviews and literary analysis. The interviews gathered statements from participants about their personal experiences with narrative, and the social context of narrative, within their tribes. The literary analysis examines three stories in the Manabozho cycle: "The theft of fire," "Manabozho and wolf," and "The flood." The themese in these stories fulfill all four of William Bascom's four functions folklore. The hypothesis that narrative is a necessary factor of cultural maintenance has been supported by both the interviews and the …

A Mathematical Model Describing The Dynamics Of Hiv Virions And Cd4+T Cells In The Human Immune System, Matthew Chacko

Honors Theses

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an intracellular parasite that attacks cells of the immune system called CD4+T cells. In ecology the Lotka-Volterra models, a classical set of differential equations, describe three interactions between species in ecosystems: predator/prey, mutualism, and competition. The human body is also an ecosystem with HIV and T cells exhibiting the three Lotka-Volterra interactions with each other. I pose a mathematical model that predicts T cell/HIV dynamics by incorporating the three Lotka-Volterra interactions and other salient biological phenomena that influence the dynamics, such as T cell senescence and the presence of viral reserviors.

Photocatalysis Using Cdse Quantum Dots, Luis K. Garibay

Honors Theses

In this project, we synthesized water soluble CdSe quantum dots (QDs) that photocatalyzed the reduction of reazurin to resorufin. Absorption spectra of the CdSe QDs in water solution is the same as in the toluene suspended QDs solution. The retention of optoelectric properties implies tht the QDs retain their chemical properties upon water solubilization. Absorption spectra also showed photoreduction of resazurin to resorufin after a period of light exposure only in the presence of quantum dots. These preliminary results suggest that CdSe quantum dots could be viable photocatalyst for productoion of hydrogen gas through the wate splitting reaction.

Analysis Of The Icelandic Oral Hymn Tradition As Seen In The Twentieth-Century Enthnographic Recordings Of "Stridsmenn Krist" ("Christ Bears His Cross"), Navina M. Dueck-Stefansson

Honors Theses

The Hymns of the passion are a collection of Icelandic poems (1656-1659) that have been important to Icelandic religious life since the seventeenth century. Until an organ was first brought to Iceland in 1840, hymns were unaccompanied both in church and in the home. Though the words of the hymns were reprinted several times, the musical notation seldom accompanied them, allowing for a strong oral tradition to form. I transcribed 31 field recordings of the hymn "Stridsmenn Krist" ("Christ bears his cross"). I then compared these transcriptions in order to identify rhythmic and melodic variations. The final stage of my …

Programa De Rescate De Miembrosque Han Desertadode La Iglesia Adventista Central De Cali, Colombia, Juan Caicedo Solis

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. The Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cali, Colombia, was a successful church in the past, boasting a membership of almost 300 active parishioners. Unfortunately, for several years, many members have left this church. In 2010, the Central Church had only 50 members. This research was done with the purpose of developing a program that would help church pastors and leaders as well as the local Conference leaders to understand and to deal with the issue, and to obtain positive results.

Methodology. The research explains the causes, characteristics, and consequences of leaving the church. A Bible-based program was designed, focusing …

Impact Of Storytelling To Effect Life Change At Raleigh Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Robert Louis Cundiff

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. The Raleigh Seventh-day Adventist Church is a large metropolitan congregation with many media saturated professionals, young adults and busy students. As such, spiritual growth is hampered and preaching is degraded from a transformational experience to an informational event. This result is often an inability to engage the preaching event so that life change can happen. Hearers need to listen actively to experience transformation.

Method. Research was conducted in which new storytelling methods were field tested from the Raleigh pulpit. The program included these steps: 1. A hypothesis was developed to guide the research and provide a rationale for data …

Implementation Of A Conference-Wide Church Planting Strategy Within The Texas Conference, Tom L. Evans

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. Recent statistics reveal that Texas has eight of the 15 most rapidly growing large cities in the United States. Annual growth rates for Texas are double the average for the rest of the United States. Due to a strong economy and a reasonable cost of living, both documented and undocumented immigration is on the rise. People in transition are more open to the gospel, but there needs to be a plan to reach them. Between 1995 and 2001, Texas added 18 churches (an average of only 2.6 churches per year). Based on 200 churches and companies, the average increase …

Trinitarian Leadership As A Seventh-Day Adventist Perspective On Empowering Leadership In Local Churches In Western Ontario, Alex Golovenko

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. Most Seventh-day Adventist churches in Western Ontario are not growing. Elders are present in every Seventh-day Adventist church. However, practices and responsibilities of elders differ from church to church. There is no network among elders for support and leadership development. The expectation is that the vocational pastor will solve problems and produce church growth, yet, contradictory, indecision exists among elders about whose responsibility it is to grow a church. Elders do not have certainty about biblical expectations laid upon them. They do not entirely function according to the job description outlined in the denominational handbook. Ideas about what the …

Development Of A Program For The Empowerment Of Black Single Mother Families In The Church Congregation, Richardson Honore

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. The most rapid growing family type in the United States is the single parent family. It is the dominant family type in the African-American community. According to the United States Bureau of the Census (2010), 69% of all Black children are born to single mothers. Single mother families are at a dramatically greater risk for drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, suicide, poor educational performance, teen pregnancy, and criminality (National Center for Health Statistics, 1993). These findings are alarming and present great challenges for African-American single mother families. In an attempt to address this crisis, the church, as an …

A Comparison Of Certain Doctrinal Views Of Martin Luther And Seventh-Day Adventists In The Context Of Present-Day Dialogue, Kenneth L. Knosp

Professional Dissertations DMin

Martin Luther stood on the principle of Sola Scriptura or “Scripture Alone.” Based on this principle Luther declared the Reformation tenet of justification by faith. While both faiths, Lutherans and Adventists base their source for their beliefs and practice on Holy Scripture, Lutherans, however, have a strong respect for certain traditions. Careful research was done to fully investigate a thorough comparison of Luther’s beliefs with that of the Seventh-day Adventist beliefs.

Implementing A Prison Ministry As An Active Factor To Refresh The Spiritual Life At The Salem Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Florin Liga

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. With a history of almost 70 years of Adventist presence in Marion County, Illinois, the church had gradually shifted from a church growth focus to a survival focus. The Adventist traditions had been kept faithfully, but the people in the church suffered because their witnessing didn’t impact their community and neighborhood anymore. While they were ready for new outreach tools they were hesitant to try such a new approach that challenged the status quo and ultimately created a demand for spiritual renewal in their personal and church life. Prison ministry to a population group the church had previously not …

Evaluating And Enhancing The Personal Prayer Life Of The Members Of The Standifer Gap Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Robert D. Mix

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. Daily, disciplined personal prayer is one of the most difficult, yet important exercises the Christian can undertake. Many Christians today talk about prayer more as a burden than as a pleasure. Even many pastors, including myself, have been frustrated about their prayer experience. I discovered very few of my church members or leaders spent much time in prayer on a daily basis.

Method. A ten-month sermon series and curriculum was formed and delivered during 2009. Its purpose was spiritual enhancement. It included ten sermons on the prayer life of Jesus and the early church, and ten interactive discussion periods …

Un Programa Para Incrementar La Participacion De Lideres En La Testificacion Entre Los Hispanos De La Upper Columbia Conference, Walter Hernan Pintos Schmidt

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. The Hispanic Ministry of the Upper Columbia Conference (UCC) was developed within a framework of public evangelism and witnessing, keeping these activities relevant in order to develop a healthy church. However, reports in recent years indicated that evangelization is not reaching its full potential. Moreover, since 1972, when the first Hispanic church was planted, there was the phenomenon of "migrant workers," particularly in the territory of the UCC. Migrant workers come temporarily to the region in the harvest time and return to their homes in the off-season. The departure of these workers, after being baptized and added to the …

Youth Evangelism, "Link2llife," A Strategy To Reach Postmodern Youth In Germany And Switzerland, Stephan Sigg

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

In terms of cross-cultural mission youth are the most crucial group of people to be reached with the Gospel. From a theological, a sociological as well as a psychological point of view adolescence can be seen as the most receptive phase of life regarding the adoption and integration of faith, a coherent value system and a meaningful life narrative. The process of individuation in the adolescent years offers the biggest potential for both conversion and apostasy. Despite a professionalized youth ministry youth evangelism has never been high on the missional agenda of the Christian Church.

Method

The youth ministries …

A Pilot Project To Increase Member Participation And Revitalization Of The Coffeyville And Independence, Kansas, Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The Central States Conference, Andre M. Trofort Jr.

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Mt. Moriah and South 18th Street Seventh-day Adventist Churches, located in Coffeyville and Independence, Kansas, had not experienced membership growth in the ten years of 1987-1997. These two churches were part of a three-church district, which also included a church 145 miles away in Springfield, MO. That church was active in developing outreach and evangelistic strategies whereas the Kansas churches were not. The two Kansas churches were headed toward closing due to stagnation. Unless revitalization and consistent leadership training took place, a turnaround would never happen for these two small churches.

Method

This project explored the Coffeyville and …

Modelo De Evangelismo Continuo Para A Igreja De New Bedford, Massachusetts, Paulo Gerhardt Vieira

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Problem. With 50 years of existence, the New Bedford church was founded in order to evangelize the community. Recognizing that the purpose of its origin consists in the ability to fulfill its mission, its first years as a church were dedicated to practicing personal and public evangelism, and various methods of growing the church were adopted. The church’s history shows evidence of great results in its primary years of existence. However, as time passed on, conventional methods were no longer producing the same effects, and the church officials dedicated themselves to elaborating programs that only were directed to the …

Toward Enhanced Military Chaplaincy Education At Andrews University Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary, Michael A. Chester

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. Military chaplains who are graduates of the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program at Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (SDATS) will require enhanced military chaplaincy training to identify and cope with the rapidly changing needs of modern military chaplaincy. Information relating to the United States (US) Navy Chaplain Corps will be presented within this project to illustrate the broader need within the military chaplain community. The needs within the US Navy are largely due to the implementation of four programs: The revised Chaplain Command Program within Secretary of the Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST) 1730.8B, Professional Naval Chaplaincy within SECNAVINST 5351.1, …

Coping Strategies For Members Of The Zion Seventh-Day Adventist Church Who Experienced Multiple Losses And Complex Grief After A Major Crisis, Jean-Renaud Joseph

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

This dissertation explored the prevalence of trauma exposure, complicated grief, and related symptoms among survivors and members of Zion Seventh-day Adventist Church who had lost family members in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Method

The sample included participants who were members of Zion Seventh-day Adventist Church (n =39) who had either personally witnessed the 2010 Haiti earthquake and/or had lost family members in this traumatic event. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to explore the relations between the scale items of the IES (Impact of Event Scale) as well as between the subscales and other variables of interest. …

Light Intensity And Time Of Day Influence Female Acheta Domesticus Phonotaxis, John Hyun-Sik Ahn

Honors Theses

Positive phonotaxis occurs when a female cricket walks toward the source of an auditory stimulus. This study tested the effects of light intensity and time of day on phonotaxis of female Acheta domesticus. First, females were tested at four times of day; second, under three light intensities; and third, under four combinations of light intensity and time of day. Our results show that these two factors combined exert a more pronounced effect on female A. domesticus selectivity than either factor individually, and subsequent research will test these factors against the current neuronal model for SP-selective phonotaxis.

Spatial And Seasonal Signals In Stable Isotopes Of Incisor Enamel From Free-Ranging, Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrels, Jacob Andrew Brassington

Honors Theses

From early May through late September, 2012, we captured, tagged, and collected body masses from multiple, free-ranging thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) in southwestern Michigan, with 14 individuals recaptured 1 or more times through the season. Beginning in mid-June, we captured and euthanized 12 or these individuals (on average, about 1 per week) to allow study of their lower incisors. We serially micro-sampled enamel along squirrel incisors using laser ablation and determined stable isotope ratios (d13 and d18 O) with gas chromatography-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS). The resulting values fell into two spatial groups. Specimens collected within 25 m of a …

A Pilot Study On Gender Disparities In The Accounting Profession: Overcoming The Disproportionate Workplace, Laury Fouche

Honors Theses

The public accounting industry was described for many years as the most difficult of all the fields or a woman to break into. Today, female accountants have made significant inroads in a traditionally male-dominated profession. While institutional barriers including informal networks and resistance to organizational changes have thwarted advancement, personal factors such as confidence and family considerations have also influenced the advancement of women's careers. This research project shows that women in public accounting are nearing parity with their male counterparts due to governmentl efforts, accounting firm initiatives, and individuals' determination to attain upper management postions.

Spatial And Seasonal Variation In The Stable Isotopic Composition Of Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel Fecal Pellets As An Estimate Of Variation In Diet, Allie Chacko

Honors Theses

We performed stable isotope analyses of fecal pellets to investigate temporal and spatial patterns in the diet of free-ranging, thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus). Samples were collected opportunistically from a population in SW Michigan from May to September 2012. We found a statistically significant increases in d13C values throughout the study period, possibly correlating to a late-season flush of C-4 plants. Also, samples collected within 25 m of a cornfield had a mean d13C value of -20.470%, a value significantly higher than those outside the 25 m border (mean=26.192%). This patternmay be indicative of a C-4 rich diet probably due …

Cyanide Production By Pseudomonas Putida Ath2-1ri/9 Under Biofilm Conditions, Ranita Campbell

Honors Theses

The genus Pseudomonas is a group of gram-negative bacteria having great ecological diversity. Some species produce HCN which may harm plants. The purpose of this research is to determine whether a plant-associated strain o Pseudomonas putida has the ability to produce cyanide under biofilm conditions. Bacterial production of HCN could prove useful in weed control strategies. To obtain these results the experiment involved a six-day experimental scheme. My findings indicate that Pseudomonas putida does produce cyanide under biofilm conditions providing valuable information concerning cyanogenic bacteria especially in the Pseudomonas group.

Mercutio And Romeo: An Analysis Of Male Friendship In The Renaissance, Christian Bacchiocchi

Honors Theses

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (1595/96) depicts the forbidden love of two young individuals -- Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Though many focus on the hardships they endure, a relationship briefly touched on is that of Romeo and his best friend, Mercutio. Mercutio is a very unique character to the play, constantly speaking against Romeo's actions of love and flamboyantly expressing his own opinions on the matter, bringing some scholars to suspect an underlying theme of homoeroticism. However, the tradition of male friendship in the Renaissance, partnered with Gale Edwards' theatrical production, provide the framework for interpreting their relationship to be …

Understanding Expressive Writing, Lindsay C. Dever

Honors Theses

Expressing trauma, specifically through expressive writing, leads to better health, both physically and psychologically. Specifically, the relationship between expressive writing and higher rates of affective (emotional) word use can be explained by reappraisal, a technique that reduces stress through better understanding. Reappraisal is thus related to resilience, and both are correlated with secure attachment. Secure attachment, in turn, is best folstered by authoritative parenting. Because of this research we predicted that there would be a positive relationship between resilience, language use, and authoritative parenting. In this study, 100 college-aged participants reported perceived parenting style and resilience. We randomly assigned participants …

Taphonomic Effects Of Fire On Ostrich And Emu Eggshell, Shelley J. Mclarty

Honors Theses

Dinosaur eggshell and evidence for wildfires are common in the fossil record. The effects of fire on ostrich and emu eggshell, modern analogs for dinosaur eggshell, were examined by burning fragments in flames of two different temperature ranges for a series of time intervals. Percent mass loss increased directly with both time and temperature. Different treatment conditions also displayed regular patterns of change in color and curvature. Exposure of eggshell to flame results in dramatic physical changes, knowlegde of which could be useful to paleontologists studying dinosaur nesting ecology.

Effect Of Latrunculin B On Phonotaxis In Induced Selective Crickets Treated With Jhiii (Acheta Domesticus), Jerome Martin

Honors Theses

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the effect of the actin kinase inhibitor, latrunculin B, on previously unselective crickets. We expected the injecion of a mixture of latrunculin B and juvenile hormones (JHIII) into the prothoracic ganglion would cause a reduction in the affect of JHIII in older crickets, causing them to remain unselective. Based on the results we can conclude that latrunculin B reduces the effect of JHIII, which indicates that creating new synapses is at least a partial effect of JHIII.

Variation In The Calling Song Of The Cricket Gryllus Pennsylvanicus Across Geographic Longitudinal Change, Ioana Danci

Honors Theses

Variation of cricket calling songs can be attributed to environmental factors, including temperature, humidity, vegetation, season, solar elevation, and geographic location. Recent studies found that latitudinal position affects the calling song of male Gryllus pennsylvanicus. My project evaluates whether longitudinal position influences the calling song of G. pennsylvanicus. Using the predicted values of 4 song features based on a mathematical model (Burden 2009), I evaluated data from 6 locatons along a longitudinal axis. I calculated R2 values to determine how well the model predicted the values in my sample populations. The model was found to be a poor predictor.

Comparisons Of Cultural Identities In Relation To Poverty, Amanda A. Corea

Honors Theses

This research focuses on how one's cultural identity relates to their attitudes towards those in poverty and what they attribute to be the causes of poverty. Correlation and difference tests were run on data collected from questionnaires completed by a convenient sample. Beliefs about poverty and patterns of attitudes demonstrated in various culture groups were analyzed. The hypothesis that cultural identity relates to attributions and attitudes toward poverty based on learned cultural attitudes was partially supported. Significant differences were found between different cultural identity groups for both attributions and attitudes.