Education Commons^™

Whole Genome Sequencing Of The Whipple Azalea Garden, Afia Asamoah, Elizabeth Toth, Amy Vasudevan, Sarah Justice, Elizabeth D. Hasenmyer

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Taylor University houses a large collection of North American azaleas. Deciduous azalea species, like those found on campus, are vastly understudied. This project aims to provide publicly available genomic data which will be used to study the genetic basis behind their physical characteristics and their relatedness to other species.

Water Filtration System For Hospital In Bangladesh, David E. Mitchell

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

The Chadraghona Christian Hospital serves the people of Bangladesh in a Christ-centered way, providing quality care for the people of the region. The hospital has several significant infrastructure needs, including a source of clean water. Currently, the hospital does not have a filtration system and draws its water directly from an adjacent river that is polluted and often cloudy with particulates. Prior work on this project, performed during the summer of 2022, began the design of the filtration system for the hospital. The work performed this summer focused on improving and extending last summer’s work. Improvements in the system design …

Christ The Preeminent, Firstborn, And King - Colossians 1:13-20, Elisabeth Nieshalla

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Who is the Son of God? Jesus Christ is the obvious central figure in the New Testament, which consists of four distinct accounts of his life and ministry and numerous other books and epistles pointing others to follow and give their lives to him. Reading through the Old Testament, however, Christ the Son, the second person of the Trinity, seems to be strangely absent, at least upon first glance. In Colossians 1:13-20, though, the apostle Paul helps us to see the creative and redemptive role of Christ from the beginning, displaying his divine nature, supremacy and authority over all of …

The Lord's Providence To Work Evil For Good - Genesis 50:15-21, Elisabeth Nieshalla

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Genesis, the great first book of the Bible, concludes with a redemptive and reconciliatory scene between Joseph and his brothers that strikes the heart of those. Joseph had endured much hardship at the hands of his brothers, having been sold by them into Egyptian slavery and then thrown into prison when he was falsely accused of sexual assault by Potiphar’s wife. Through it all, however, he remained faithful to God and was entrusted with authority over all of Egypt to lead them through a famine that would have otherwise devastated the entire region. This scene in Genesis 50 testifies to …

The Son's Easy Yoke And Light Burden: A Biblical Theology Study Of Matthew 11:25-30, Keegan Matheson

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Matthew 11:25-30 is a rich passage that reveals the nature of God's revelation to His people and the spiritual rest that He generously offers to them. This paper discusses both of these prominent themes and how they connect this passage with the rest of God's grand story. Furthermore, this paper addresses the implications of this passage on the life of a disciple.

A Biblical Theological Analysis Of Isaiah 11:1-10, Kaeley Sells

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Fear, unrest, and hopelessness were just some of the emotions that marked those living in Judah during the time that Isaiah was writing. Following the realization of the reality that Judah is to be destroyed, Isaiah was motivated to give prophetic words of encouragement to the people. He wrote to shed light on the great plan God had for His people and the ultimate righteousness, hope, and peace that He promises His people. For many today the emotions of fear, restlessness, and desolation are everyday occurrences as people wrestle with hopelessness amidst a world that seems to be falling apart. …

Ezekiel 36:24-28: God Promises Salvation For The Sake Of His Name, Emerson Claire Jones

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Ezekiel 36:24-28 is an important passage both for the original audience and for modern day Christians. In this paper, the connections between this passage and the rest of the biblical narrative will be addressed. Why is God saying that He will give Israel a new heart? What is the motivation of God's action? How should we respond today? What led Israel to be in this position? These are all questions that will be addressed.

Lux Et Fides - Full Issue (Volume 1, 2023)

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Volume 1, 2023

The Fight Against The Threat Of Witchcraft And Paganism In Anglo-Saxon England, Russell I. Knapp

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Unlike the general assumption that England was completely Christianized after Augustine’s mission to the island, witchcraft and paganism thrived all throughout the Christian period of Anglo-Saxon history. Sources condemning witchcraft and paganism increased during the Danish raids in the mid-ninth century and beyond due to an increased sense of a perceived threat of paganism. King Alfred himself reacted to this threat by doing everything he could to strengthen his people in their Christian beliefs through education reform and his law code. The Church battled against the perceived threat through penitentials–which they used to discourage pagan practices. Lay-people fought against …

The Success Of Project Mercury Through The Persona Of The Mercury Seven, Cameron D. Reagan

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

There has been no shortage of literature written on the Mercury Space Program, focusing on many different aspects ranging from the personnel, technology, politics, and achievements of the program. The prevailing discussion of the space program focuses on the astronauts themselves as they gained celebrity status long before they had done anything to merit it. The vast body of scholarship on the topic takes the popularity of the Mercury Seven astronauts as matter-of-fact rather than viewing it as manufactured by NASA in order to bolster support for a largely unproven space program. By emphasizing the “everyman” aspect of the astronauts, …

Wirtschaftswunder: A Macroeconomic Study Of Germany, Connor M. Dollarhite

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

The German economy is currently known to be an economic powerhouse of the present, but it is a mystery to most as to why this is so. By investigating historical examples, we can determine whether proposed economic policy will work, and Germany proves useful to this idea through the continued historic usage of Eucken and Erhard’s economic theories that generated the German economic miracle (Wirtschaftswunder). Germany has survived dark economic collapse and become thriving economic powerhouse today. This proliferation of success is through the three consistent pillars of their macroeconomic profile, balanced fiscal budget, maintaining price stability, and always allowing …

Protecting Youth From Mexican Drug Cartel Recruitment: The Prospects Of Educational Interventions, Lisa Hochstetler

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

This investigation considers the impact of Mexico’s War on Drugs since 2006 and the influence of widespread cartel networks on the youth population. As both victims and perpetrators of drug-related crime, the young individuals of Mexico are the center of this research. The goal of this investigation was to determine how education in Mexico’s grade schools could be leveraged to protect its youth from drug-related violence and cartel recruitment. Therefore, the study examines both the challenges suffered by the education system due to the Drug War and the prospects for educational interventions to strengthen and protect youth over and against …

Chart Study, Abigail Franklin

English Senior Capstone

Chart Study is a collection of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that recounts moments of my life and explores my interpretation of the world. It spans decades and continents, from the Midwest to the Middle East, while following the thread of uncertainty that has always wrapped around me. Themes of self-discovery, independence, and insecurity are prominent as I play with formal poetry and sectioned essays. The title refers to my father’s time as an aviator and is an homage to all of the characteristics and quirks he instilled in me that are explored more fully in the project itself.

The Gospel Of Luke: Major Themes, Narratives, And Theology, Adelyn Schoenbeck

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Within the paper, major Lukan themes are portrayed. The birth narrative is reimagined with major themes of the narrative, especially the purpose of the birth narrative to Theophilus, Luke's mentor. The paper defines and identifies Christology and discipleship which is formed from Luke. The paper illustrates what Jesus really means by stating the first century was an "evil and adulterous generation" (Luke 9:41). The essay concludes with the passion narrative and personal challenges that I have faced as studying the book of Luke.

Drawing Empathy: The Benefits Of Utilizing Graphic Memoirs In Secondary Classrooms, Hailey Simmons

English Senior Capstone

The use of graphic novels and graphic memoirs in the classroom is an active discussion in many schools. Some individuals who oppose using the genre with students argue that it does not provide enough depth to have an effect on the reader. By analyzing Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Nora Krug’s Belonging, this paper explains how graphic memoirs can provide depth for readers. As Spiegelman and Krug learn of their family history with the Holocaust and World War II, they utilize the techniques of representational art, the repetition of structural elements, and the use of color and shading to portray …

The Stories Already Written: An Intertextual Analysis Of The Book Thief And Belonging, Jenna Kortenhoeven

English Senior Capstone

Intertextuality is a theoretical notion which enables a critic to analyze the way a writer’s story is the sum of the stories the writer has read and which can examine how human identity is also constructed from reading. Within Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief and Nora Krug’s Belonging, the writers find their story and identity through reading, their relationship with words mirroring their relationship with themselves, others, and the world. The Book Thief details the story of Liesel Meminger, showcasing how her entire life is shaped by words and emphasizing how her growth as a reader leads her to …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Identity Achievement In The Lives Of Pip And Heathcliff, Brianna Leigh Blosenski

English Senior Capstone

Charles Dickens’s novel Great Expectations and Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights both focus on characters orphaned at a young age. Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are clearly present throughout these characters’ adolescent lives, as they face various types of neglect, abuse, and household dysfunction. The presence of these ACEs thus influences their identity achievement: the settling of their moral codes and ethical standards. Through the exploration of their identities from childhood to adulthood, the reader observes Pip attaining identity achievement—due to the influence of a positive parental figure—and Heathcliff failing to do so.

The Pieces That Make The Self: Finding Balance Between Social And Individual Identity In Frances Burney’S Evelina And Virginia Woolf’S Mrs. Dalloway, Jenna King

English Senior Capstone

In their novels Evelina and Mrs. Dalloway, Frances Burney and Virginia Woolf pursue an understanding of the pieces of one’s “self.” Through the journeys of Evelina Anville and Clarissa Dalloway, Burney and Woolf explore how a woman’s identity is formed by both her social role and her individuality. Although the social settings examined in the two novels vary greatly due to differences in both time period and the main characters’ stages of life, Evelina’s and Clarissa’s stories are united by their shared goal of gaining understanding of and ownership over themselves. Ultimately, both Evelina and Mrs. Dalloway argue for …

A Choice To Make: The Portrayal Of Female Characters’ Agency And Emotion In Madeline Miller’S Circe And Anaïs Mitchell’S Hadestown, Abby Swartzentruber

English Senior Capstone

In the novel Circe and the musical Hadestown, Madeline Miller and Anaïs Mitchell create transformative retellings of selected Greek myths, where the narrative perspective is shifted to the women, allowing for a deeper examination of the complexity of these characters. Circe details the life of the titular goddess as she grapples with the tension between her exile and her agency, experiencing a complex web of non-linear emotions. In Hadestown, Eurydice must learn to overcome her pessimism to trust another, while Persephone must abandon her coping mechanisms and finally stand up to the abuses of her husband, Hades. Mitchell …

Insomniac - A Collection Of Poetry, Fiction, And Creative Non-Fiction, Jason Abishekaraj John

English Senior Capstone

As the title would suggest, Insomniac is a multi-genre collection which represents a handful of my written works that were born during bouts of insomnia and depression. The poems I have placed in this collection revolve around my friendships with specific (and at times multiple) individuals. The creative non-fiction pieces focus on my experiences with depression, dissociation, suicide, anxiety, hypersensitivity, epilepsy, and self-harm in hopes that they might promote conversation. Lastly, the short stories are my own spin on Bhoot (Ghost) and ¬Shikari (Hunter) stories I hungrily devoured in my childhood. My hope is that each of these pieces can …

"Everyone Learns, Nobody Changes": Images And The Ideal In Anna Karenina And Closer, Leah Kiers

English Senior Capstone

The main characters in Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and Patrick Marber’s Closer literally and figuratively surround themselves with images of themselves and others that define how they choose to see and be seen. Using the framework of Tolstoy’s What Is Art?, this paper evaluates how these images affect the characters’ relationships with one another. Tolstoy writes that art should enable humanity to pursue an ideal of unity with one another, but the characters’ ideals are more self-centered, making it so that the images they use prevent them from authentically connecting with each other. Proximity with suffering and death can tear …

Highlights Of Taylor Etiquette: 2022 Edition, Taylor University

Heritage Books and Booklets

Students in Dr. Aaron Housholder's ENG110 class collaborated with Special Collections & University Archives to produce an updated etiquette guide. The original etiquette guide was booklet produced circa 1930 detailing the expectations of Taylor University students. Sections in the booklet included:

• As Regarding the Dining Hall
• As Regarding the Campus
• As Regarding Chapel

Students in the ENG110 (College Composition) course spent time reviewing the original etiquette booklet, identified guidelines that should be carried forward into 2022, and then worked together to generate several new "guidelines" they felt were relevant to today's Taylor culture.

Grace, Grace, By The Side Of The Road, Hannah Tienvieri

English Senior Capstone

"Grace, Grace, By the Side of the Road" is a collection of poetry and creative nonfiction that contemplates the messiness of growing up and the events, relationships, and environments that shape a person’s identity. This collection traces my experiences from early childhood to college and maintains a particular interest in the landscape of the Midwest as being as integral to my sense of self as family, friendships, and the body. The text itself is an attempt to wrestle with the question: what does love look like amid hardship, change, and imperfection? In “Grace, Grace, By the Side of the Road,” …

As The Angles, Joell Paul Russell

English Senior Capstone

No abstract provided.

From Renaissance To Robert: The Machiavellian Cycle Of Life, Death, And Rebirth, Noah Huseman

English Senior Capstone

In this paper, I explore the recursive nature of cultural commentary as it is informed by evolution of the monster. As one culture rises to prominence, so does the monster which comments upon it. I specifically examine the cultural monstrosity of the Machiavellian archetype as it is portrayed across time, first placing Machiavelli's theory in its original context, then branching out to the cultural context surrounding its appearance in both the literature of Renaissance England and the stories of today. Once I set up the broader theoretical context, I probe more deeply into two literary depictions of the Machiavel: Iago …

The Effects Of Trauma On Identity Formation: Pursuing And Obtaining Individual Freedom In Emerson’S Nature And Creech’S Chasing Redbird, Mckenzie Hershberger

English Senior Capstone

Nature and Chasing Redbird provide poignant examples of the restorative power found in the natural world, and a thorough analysis of the works and lives of the authors reveal past trauma created the need for this restoration. Traumatic experiences shape an individual’s thought processes, as each decision the individual makes is based upon fearing an uncertain outcome. Throughout Nature, Emerson references a child’s innocence, demonstrating that a child’s perspective has not yet been tainted by experience. Emerson idealizes his past childhood as he endured grievances that motivated him to confront his trauma while in nature himself. An example for Emerson’s …

Sanctuary, Abigail G. Chandler

English Senior Capstone

Sanctuary is a collection of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that explores relationships. I pull from my own experiences with family, friendships, self-knowledge, and the divine to connect with readers over shared loss and over attempts at understanding goodness, beauty, and truth. Sanctuary seeks to look at relationships multilaterally, holding pain and pleasure in juxtaposition. Everyone needs people who make them feel safe, wanted, and known, and sanctuary is not found in the same places for everyone.

The Paradox Of Loss, Abby Pugsley

English Senior Capstone

The Paradox of Loss is a collection of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry that leans into the tension humans experience as eternal beings in a world marked by impermanence. We encounter loss in countless ways throughout our lives, and yet we also look toward a future where all is restored. This collection is an exploration of the losses I have experienced, presented in both fictional and nonfictional forms. My hope is to show the life that pervades even in loss, both through our attachment to the physical world and in the way our grief points toward our desire for permanence, …

Note To Self: Don't Forget To Title Your Project!, Abby Wilson

English Senior Capstone

Note to Self: Don’t Forget to Title Your Project! is a collection of creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual art reflecting on the author’s ADHD diagnosis. With an approachable and direct tone, I become a tour guide for my readers as they explore the landscape of my neurodivergent brain. These readers will discover aspects of ADHD that can be strengths or drawbacks, such as executive dysfunction, outside-the-box thinking, emotional dysregulation, and hyperfixation. They will also briefly peek into the way that ADHD intersects with aspects of my identity, such as other neurodivergencies, gender, and spirituality.

Gothic Determinism: The Interplay Of Atavism And Hope In "The Old Nurse's Story" And "The Fall Of The House Of Usher", Madison Howland

English Senior Capstone

No abstract provided.