Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Honors Project Database Ui Redesign, Fred L. Johnson Jr.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For my Honors Project I designed a new user interface for the Honors Project Database on the Honors College website. I also developed training materials for the Honors College staff and facilitated a training session for them that showed them how to keep the database updated.

Screaming From The Inside, Kelly M. Kunze

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This collection of fiction and nonfiction stories examines the effect of my introversion on the creative work I produce as well as the role my observational nature plays in my writing. My original intention was to write stories about introverted characters and their perspective on the world, but the stories ended up focusing on the theme of family. I was dedicated to the stories being written from an honest, organic place and the result is a manuscript that discusses family from the earnest perspective of an introvert.

Honoring The Victims: How The Change In Ethics Ruined Science In The Third Reich And What To Do With The Remaining Medical Data, Kathleen M. Mitchell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper analyzes both sides of the debate over using the Nazi medical data and brings forth one possible compromise. While using the data can provide the scientific community information that can be beneficial for society—and thus salvaging some good out of the evil—are the survivors’ sentiments on the subject truly being heard? The idea that the victims are once again being abused by using the information without their consent is not a matter to be taken lightly. On the other hand, if the data is valuable, it can be detrimental to scientific experimentation to deny access or destroy the …

Perversions Of The American Dream In The 20th Century Novel: Requiem For A Dream And The Great Gatsby, Mary C. Menzemer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The American Dream’s outlines are pretty clear: find a good job, make enough money, raise a good family, love your neighbors and friends, and uphold American laws. In this essay, I am going to explore what happens when the dream’s goals are darkened, corrupted, and attempted to be found by unconventional means and shortcut through the lens of two novels written in the 20^th century, at the height of the American Dream’s popularity: Requiem for a Dream and The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, at a time when a slew of immigrants were seeking better …

Philosophy Of Mathematics: Theories And Defense, Amy E. Maffit

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this paper I discuss six philosophical theories of mathematics including logicism, intuitionism, formalism, platonism, structuralism, and moderate realism. I also discuss problems that arise within these theories and attempts to solve them. Finally, I attempt to harmonize the best features of moderate realism and structuralism, presenting a theory that I take to best describe current mathematical practice.

Life Histories Of Refugees From Burma In Akron, Ohio, Megan Powley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper examines the life histories of members of the Karen refugee community in Akron, Ohio. This research was done to better understand the difficulties the community faces as the Karen adjust to life in the United States. The larger historical context of ethnic conflict in Burma, the country they fled, is explored before a discussion of the anthropological work that was undertaken by the author. Life histories, collected through interviews, were analyzed thematically. Finally, suggestions are made for ways to aid in the transition of the Karen with a focus on the process to gain U.S. citizenship.

Gender And The Popular Heroines (And Heroes) Of The Young Adult Dystopia, Kara E. Hemphill

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For the past few years, dystopian stories have ruled the young adult fiction aisles and the box office. Taking the reins from similarly popular predecessors like Harry Potter and Twilight, the genre has set itself apart by telling stories of action, war, and heroism that are often led by a young female protagonist. This project examines a variety of gender-related themes in six young adult dystopian novels, chosen for their popularity and subject matter. While it is not a comprehensive look at the genre, it is meant to analyze some of the most widely known works, which is important because …

Understanding And Implementing Extended Saxophone Techniques, Tyler R. Bokman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Contemporary classical music often pushes the boundaries of how instruments should be played and what kinds of sounds they should produce. A great deal of contemporary music requires the player to utilize playing techniques that may seem very strange and difficult to those who are unfamiliar with them. These unusual practices, known as extended techniques, can include playing in extreme ranges, manipulating pitches in particular ways, and applying abnormal articulations. While once seen as a sort of novelty, these extended techniques are becoming increasingly essential to the contemporary musician. This is especially true of the saxophonist.

While nearly every other …

Inspiring Piety: The Influence Of Caravaggio’S Paintings In Santa Maria Del Popolo, Cara Coleman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This article looks at the way Italian Baroque painter, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio broke from the artistic conventions of the Renaissance and Mannerist styles in his religious paintings to create an entirely new style that reflected the needs of the post-Tridentine Catholic Church. Caravaggio pushed painting throughout Europe in a new direction, away from the idealization of the Renaissance and the artistic extremes of Mannerism, by popularizing realism in art. Caravaggio’s unique style is examined through comparisons of his paintings, The Conversion of Paul, c.1601 and The Martyrdom of Saint Peter, c.1601 in the Roman basilica, Santa Maria del Popolo …

An Exploration Of The French And American Schools Of Classical Saxophone, Sarah E. Miracle

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is an exploration of the relatively short history of the classical saxophone genre. It will focus mainly on the styles created by Marcel Mule, the second professor of saxophone at the Paris Conservatory, and Larry Teal, the first full-time professor of saxophone in America. Mule and Teal’s contrasting ideas of playing and teaching created distinct French and American schools of classical saxophone playing. This project explores the similarities and differences between these two schools of thought, and places them each in historical and cultural contexts. In addition, it traces the subsequent lineage of prominent saxophone performers and pedagogues, …

Sketching The Stories Of The Ausbund, Carita B. Keim Ms.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project investigates the ballads compiled into the Ausbund, which literally means “a true selection or sampling. This hymnbook is the oldest one continuously in use in the world. Although the hymnbook was compiled by Amish and Mennonite ancestors, only the Amish use it today. Through creative non-fiction, this series of essays sketches ways in which the hymnbook continues to influence the Amish and Mennonite community. It attempts to prove that the Ausbund is a unique piece of art that has literary, cultural, and spiritual value. It had value in the sixteenth century, when most of the hymns were penned, …

The Only Dreamer, Katelyn H. Long

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For my Senior Honors Project, I submitted an excerpt from a novel length story about a family line with the inheritable ability to take objects out of people’s dreams. In this young adult fantasy, Melody is a nineteen year old girl who struggles with the fact that her twin sister has inherited the ability while she has not. The excerpt introduces Melody’s family and shows the tension that exists between them while hinting to the reader that there is something more sinister that drives Melody away from her home.

The novel explores morality and its gray areas, the difficulty that …

On And Off The Stage: A Look At Working With The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Alyssa Whiddon

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Festivals like the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival allow students an intensive hands-on experience with theatrical principles seen in the professional theatrical world. There are many aspects of professional theatre, and at times, colleges that offer theatrical degrees cannot offer the full scale of practical experience needed to succeed in theatre as a profession. After outlining and analyzing three years of festival experience, it can be seen that festivals help to create a greater understanding of what is needed to work in theatre professionally. One must understand organization and management structure, as well as the fundamentals of acting, directing, …

Almanac, Katherine L. Schultz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is composed of numerous pocket-sized cards, designed to be conveniently portable navigation tools. Each in this series bears a small drawing of a forageable food and a map of the location where the item can be found locally in the city of Akron. The cards also contain references to nearby points of interest, historical sites, and local folklore. The information has been compiled in a non-linear format, creating an opportunity for exploration of the area in an unconventional manner. This approach is intended for logical and imaginative engagement --in addition to delighting the tastebuds, thus making the pieces …

Mandarin Chinese As A Second Language: A Review Of Literature, Wesley A. Spencer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Mandarin Chinese has become increasing prevalent in the modern world. Accordingly, research of Chinese as a second language has developed greatly over the past few decades. This paper reviews research on the difficulties of acquiring a second language in general and research that specifically details the difficulty of acquiring Chinese as a second language. Based on this research, the author also reveals some areas that should be researched further in order to advance the field.

Reflections On Effectively Implementing Culture In The Foreign Language Classroom, Alyssa N. Petsche

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this research project is to explore the perceptions and attitudes of past and current foreign language students regarding the relevancy of culture within foreign language education. The first portion of this paper contains a literature review from a variety of international research articles discussing the necessity, implementation methods, and assessment techniques for implementing culture within the foreign language classroom setting. While the research from the literature review emphasizes for researchers and educators the importance of including culture within the foreign language curriculum, very little research has been recorded regarding the perceptions and beliefs of foreign language learners. …

Chinese Chess Site, Andrew M. Krigline

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project was an effort to demonstrate my technical abilities gained during my time at the University of Akron to design and develop a website dedicated to educating English speakers about Chinese Chess. The design was mocked up and prototyped with sketches and Photoshop. I used a multitude of web techniques when developing the website, including HTML5, CSS3, SASS, jQuery, and Bootstrap. My overall approach was to design a site that felt Asian by way of aesthetics and typography, but also to break the information down into digestible chunks.

Testimony Coming To Life: Revealing The Lord Through Dance, Rachil L. Reynolds

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project is a choreographic work based on a testimony of a woman named Ashley Abercrombie who went from a journey of excellence, to drug abuse, to salvation. The objective of this project was to create an artistic social action piece based on faith. The final work of choreography was movement that was directly related to the story line of Ashley Abercrombie’s testimony, at seventeen minutes in length, and includes a cast of eleven. The final work was publicly presented at the Paul A. Daum Theater, Kolbe Hall, The University of Akron on April 24-25, 2015 as part of …

An Order Of Worlds, Rachel Mast

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Order of Worlds is a creative writing project of personal essays and poems that begins with the story of my Amish grandpa and his world and ends with my transition from a rural farming community to a university campus. It is a journey of love and loss, overcoming odds, and finding that community can be found in places I never thought of looking.

Social Media & Audience Participation In Regard To Television, Jean Marie Mcbride

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Jean McBride

Major: Communications: Radio/TV Broadcasting & Mass Media Production

Project Sponsor: Dr. Sylvia White

Number of Project Credits: 3

Social Media & Audience Participation in Regard to Television

The purpose of my honors project was seeing if social media had an influence on television show ratings and popularity by incorporating audience participation. Especially in regards to television shows that have been around for years, I was interested to see if television ratings went up when using Twitter compared to when they did not use Twitter to increase viewers and audience participation. I surveyed forty-nine collegiate women between the ages …

The Quiet Conversation, Samantha Weisend

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Viability Of Establishing A Children’S Grief Camp In South Africa, Joann Borer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The death of a loved one is an inevitable and unavoidable phase of life that everyone must experience. A variety of thoughts and feelings follow the death a close friend or relative. It is crucial to address the thoughts and feelings associated with the death so that individuals can grief in a healthy manner. Those living in South Africa are most likely going to experience the death of a loved one since South Africa has such a high mortality rate. Through a qualitative study, this paper explores the death system and culture in South Africa. In addition, the organizations and …

The Butterflies That Saved The Dominican Republic, Rachel A. Bodenschatz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Analysis of the Dominican Republic during Trujillo’s regime and the effect of the Mirabal sisters. This paper is the culmination of the research and analytical skills I learned throughout my four years as a history student. I choose the topic because the Massillon Museum wrote a grant for the 2016 Big Read and chose Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies, as the book the community would read. In the Time of the Butterflies follows the Mirabal sisters on their quest to save their country from an evil dictator.