Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Bluegrass Backstory: Connecting People To Local History Through Podcasting, David Hunter Hartlage

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Kentucky has a rich cultural identity, built upon a storied local history. Unfortunately, certain aspects of local cultural history, such as the origins of Kentucky vernacular music or how the bourbon industry has promoted growth in Kentucky’s communities, are not readily apparent. The increasing popularity and accessibility of podcasting offers local historians an opportunity to address this problem.

The goal of this project was to create a podcast program which makes information regarding the history, culture, and identity of Kentucky accessible to all in a scholarly—but engaging—way. I researched podcasting equipment and how to use it, then purchased that equipment …

Progress In The Bluegrass: An Analysis Of Grassroots Organizing In Kentucky Post 1970, Brooklyn Lile

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

While historians and other scholars have explored grassroots organizing in Kentucky, most historiography on this topic is limited to the 1930s through 1970s and focused on coal, labor, and the Civil Rights Movement. This paper fills a gap within the historiography by extending the discussion of grassroots organizing in Kentucky past the 1970s. Through the examination of organizational documents, membership newsletters, and oral histories, this paper explores the transformation of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth (KFTC) from 1981 to 2020. KFTC began as a small Eastern Kentucky organization focused predominantly on fair taxing practices in coal companies. Through efforts to diversify …

Does "Good" Mean White?: Understanding The Complexities Of Refugee Resettlement In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Molly Shaddix

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Bowling Green, Kentucky is a relatively small town comparable to its counterparts across the South. However, Bowling Green has a significant population of refugee inhabitants that have resettled in waves since the late 1970s. This paper describes the lived experience of refugees resettling by analyzing community action and troubles faced while working for independence in their new homes. Some factors explored are access to affordable housing, language barriers, and trouble in education. In addition, this paper contextualizes their lived experiences with other resettlement communities across the United States to understand how Bowling Green fits into patterns of societal xenophobia, racism, …

An Ethnic Cultural Landscape: German Breweries And Social Institutions In Covington, Kentucky, 1860-1920, Andrew Jones

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

A useful marker for recognizing the impact that ethnic groups make to the social and cultural characteristics of a city are the institutions and material landscapes created by those groups. In northern Kentucky, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, German immigrants and their descendants in the city of Covington established institutions such as breweries, saloons, social associations, and churches that became the heart of ethnic neighborhoods and shaped the form of the landscape. This research examines institutional and cultural landscape markers of German cultural identity in the city of Covington, Kentucky, from 1860 to 1920. Demographic and spatial data …

Gender And Gravestone Epitaphs: A Warren County Cemetery, Mariah S. Callis Goodwin

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The socio-cultural factors that influence us in life are present in what is left behind. My thesis project investigates evidence of socio-cultural status on gravestones. I systematically recorded data from all the grave markers at the Hays Cemetery in Warren County, Kentucky. Data collected and considered included epitaphs, art forms, and monument marker style. Each stone was also photographed as I recorded the data. My starting hypothesis was that the markers would, to a degree, convey information about the gender and possibly the socio-economic status of the individuals that the stones represent. The paper will describe to what degree and …

Refugee Services In Kentucky: A Case-Study Of Cedars In Bowling Green, Ky, Mia J. Jackson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis documents existing refugee organizations and services in Kentucky with an in-depth focus on the Center for Development, Acculturation, & Resolution Services (CEDARS) in Bowling Green, KY. CEDARS was established in 2011 with the mission of connecting various community resources in order to assist refugees and immigrants in their resettlement transition following the initial 90 days when government assistance ends. This case-study of CEDARS examines the non-profit’s history, organization, missions, accomplishments, and areas of needed improvement. The research looks at how CEDARS fits into the context of Kentucky’s existing non-profit refugee service organizations and, more specifically, within the small …

A Comparative Analysis Of Judicial Selection Methods In Tennessee And Kentucky: Appointed V. Elected, Eileen M. Forsythe

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis explores the relationship between judicial independence and judicial accountability by investigating the question of how selection methods shape state appellate court decisions. I conducted a case study using the states of Tennessee and Kentucky and the judicial selection methods of appointments and elections. I then conducted a sample of cases and did a comparative quantitative analysis of reversal records between the two states in the hopes of finding a statistical difference from my research. The debate between judicial selection methods is not a simple question and this thesis alone cannot provide the answer, but I hope that my …

The Casualty Of Home, Molly Koeneman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Casualty of Home is a novel-in-stories focusing largely on the displacement felt due to situation or family. Often, members of a family have trouble making connections with each other, for each has its own thoughts, desires and expectations. Still, they have something rudimentary in common: blood. Because they are related, family members are inclined to care for individuals they might not even know, much less love. Spanning three generations, the characters in Casualty of Home deal with the constraints of family, the pressures of adolescence, and the limitations of the rural Southern culture in which they live. The characters face …

"Is Kentucky A Southern State?", Leah Dale Pritchett

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

his paper explores the cultural identity of Kentucky. Many people have asked, “Is Kentucky as Southern State?” Being the borderland between the North and the South, the Commonwealth has been viewed as Southern, as part of the Midwest, and something completely unique. To define Kentucky as Southern, I have examined the literary works of different regional authors. Looking at the character traits those authors have relegated to their manufactured people, I have decided, from the evidence provided, whether that author considers his or her setting as part of the South. One can tell whether the author identifies with the South …

Once Was Lost, Or Turtles All The Way Down, Evan Gribbins

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

These are seven stories set in the rural, Central Kentucky Town of Lebanon. These stories, besides the intermission, may or may not chronicle the life of one young man. They revolve around the young man’s life and friends during his time living in the area and his sense of loss upon his return.