Digital Commons Network^™

The Spiritual Communities Of Bronies, Amie Sexton

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Bronies, adult, typically male, fans of the cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, have long been regarded for seemingly breaking expectations around gender norms. This study finds that Bronies break expectations around what is expected of spiritualism. Through interviews and ethnographic observation of social media spaces Bronies frequent, it is found that spirituality based on the cartoon within the fandom is broad, diverse, and at times, normative. A proportionally-small group of fully sincere spiritualists with plural experiences and strong convictions inspire a much larger community of post-ironic aspirants. Aspirations towards spiritual experiences and the development of profound terminologies create …

But What Did I Really Know?, James C. Schaap

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Managing Migration And Political Change: Lessons From Sweden’S 2015 Asylum Crisis For South Korea’S Emerging Immigration Era, Sean Lee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project is to analyze how two nations that have little in common in terms of geography or politics have been required to deal with immigration issues in ways that their institutions did not anticipate. One nation has been dealing with immigration-related issues for some time now, while the other nation has yet to do so. In 2015, when Sweden received approximately 162,000 asylum applications in one year alone, Sweden’s housing systems were strained, many of the municipalities were unable to keep up with the demand, and the political climate began to shift in ways that …

Revolutionary Petunias In The Hallways: Adultification, Identity, And Black Girls’ High School Experiences, Renee Niles

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines how adultification, the racialized misperception of Black girls as more mature, responsible, and self-sufficient, shapes high school experiences and identity development. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory and Black feminist epistemology, the study draws on interviews with eight Black women to explore how these experiences are interpreted over time. The study conceptualizes adultification as a form of developmental governance, an ongoing structural process that regulates perception, behavior, and identity from adolescence into adulthood.

Twitteratura: Digital Social Reading And Active Reception Of Literary Texts In The Context Of Italian Contemporary Literature, Iuri Moscardi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores Digital Social Reading (DSR) as a novel mode of literary engagement, focusing on the Italian project Twitteratura, a series of social reading experiments conducted on Twitter (2012–2016) and later on the Betwyll app. The research situates Twitteratura within the intersection of Reader-Response Theory, Digital Humanities, Reception Studies, and Sociology of Literature, demonstrating how digital environments reshape the act of reading and interpretation. Through detailed analyses of four DSR projects centered on major twentieth-century Italian authors—Cesare Pavese, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italo Calvino, and Natalia Ginzburg—this dissertation argues that Twitteratura provides a concrete, data-rich demonstration of Wolfgang Iser’s reader-response …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Privacy On Sexual And Reproductive Health Using Reports On The 2010 Earthquake In Haiti, Jillian E. Myers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In 2010, a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the capital city of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, causing great destruction of infrastructure and the devastating loss of about 316,000 lives and over a million homes. The earthquake destroyed agricultural production and clean water sources, causing severe resource scarcity along with the overcrowding in the relief camps. Following the earthquake, international aid organizations flooded into Haiti in an effort to help provide immediate relief. The relief efforts were unprepared and lacked coordination among each other to efficiently implement the needed aid services. Without strategic planning to ensure all people’s needs are met, women and …

Theatrical Agency In The Constitution Of Logical Space, Esther Marveta Neff

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation takes advantage of our current moment of collapse and shifting episteme to move from resistance and critique into modes of position, prefiguration, and praxiocentricism, giving not only a critique of the colonial-modern logical space of Theatrum Mundi, but also aiming to configure the thetic consciousness that grounds “theatrical agency” in the logic of cognitive and social epistemological modelling.  In what ways do we “build our own worlds”? What does “theatricality” tell us about human agency, especially in the domain of “theoretical attitudes,” and “consciousness”? In what ways, and to what extent, are we responsible for constituting …

Teach In English Or Perish: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Lives Of Three Emi Educators, Michela Gronchi

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Teaching in English Medium Instruction (EMI) programs can significantly reshape educators’ professional identities particularly when English is not their first language. This article summarizes a previously published phenomenological study with three Italian EMI educators in educational linguistics. Drawing on creative fortune lines to trace their experiences, the study showed that participants’ disciplinary field played a central role in their lived identity, intersecting with issues of language teaching and native-speakerist ideologies. The findings also revealed a heightened awareness of multilingual competence across English and other languages, which contributed to identity formation, alongside a pronounced tension between their professional selves expressed in …

Aged 539 Internship Report: Cal Poly Rodeo Media And Marketing, Anna Grace Durham

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship report examines the role of media and marketing within the Cal Poly Rodeo Program and highlights the integration of leadership, athlete development, and strategic communications in a collegiate athletics setting. Serving as the Media Manager for Cal Poly Rodeo, the internship focused on strengthening the program's digital presence, enhancing brand identity, and increasing community engagement, particularly surrounding the 2026 Poly Royal Rodeo. Through collaboration with University Administrators, the Officer Team, sponsors, and external media partners, comprehensive marketing campaigns were developed and implemented, resulting in significant increases in social media reach, audience engagement, and ticket sales. The project included …

The Broken Body, Benjamin Wagner

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

I remember sitting on the dugout bench wishing that I could play the same way the other kids did. They did not need to labor with such great exertion that their lungs might collapse—but I did. I was born with several chronic conditions that made all physical activities exceedingly challenging. For me, sports, exercise, or even playing with other kids always came with complications. I knew, deep down, that something was wrong with me. My body was not as it was meant to be.

James Joyce’S “The Dead” And The Irish Nation, Hyrum G. Baird

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

This paper investigates themes of Irish nationalism in James Joyce’s short story “The Dead.” Drawing primarily in Joyce’s 1907 essay “Ireland, Island of Saints and Sages” as a source for Joyce's political views at the time he wrote “The Dead,” I outline Joyce’s critique of both Irish nationalism and British Imperialism, which Joyce synthesized into a general contempt for Ireland’s compromised national identity. Benedict Anderson’s theory of nations as “imagined communities” provides a theoretical underpinning for Joyce’s transcendence of nationalism. I argue that both nationalist and anti-nationalist readings of “The Dead” are difficult to resolve with Joyce’s documented political views. …

Beyond The "Mucha Woman": Ornamental Invariance And Sarah Bernhardt's Cross-Gender Poster Persona, 1894-1899, Rose Mary Weigand, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Alphonse Mucha's recurring female figure is often treated as a unified Art Nouveau type, alternately interpreted as an erotic commodity, a decorative ideal, or an emblem of the New Woman. This article argues that the category becomes analytically unstable when it is applied to the theater posters Mucha designed for Sarah Bernhardt. Through close visual comparison of Gismonda (1894), Lorenzaccio (1896), Médée (1898), and Hamlet (1899), with JOB (1896) serving as a commercial countertype, the study develops the concept of ornamental invariance: a stable graphic system that preserves celebrity recognition while role, costume, narrative action, and gender change. Mucha's elongated …

Custom Animatronic Puppet, Jake Schuman, Fredy Herrarte, Madison Reedy, Jackson Reynolds

Mechanical Engineering

This project involved the design, fabrication, and implementation of a custom audio-animatronic puppet modeled after Dr. Brian Davis for the California Polytechnic State University Mechanical Engineering Department. The objective was to create an expressive, lifelike character capable of synchronized speech, head movement, arm gestures, and seated-to-standing motion while demonstrating the integration of mechanical design, controls, manufacturing, and artistic fabrication.

The final system consists of an 18-degree-of-freedom animatronic platform utilizing servo-driven facial and upper-body actuation combined with a pneumatic standing mechanism. A modular aluminum and 3D-printed structural framework was developed using SolidWorks and validated through engineering analysis. Character shells were digitally …

Stella: A Narrative Exploration Of Artificial Intelligence, Grief, And Human Consciousness, Alyssa Grace Gerardo

Computer Science and Software Engineering

STELLA is a narrative-driven 2D puzzle adventure game developed in Unity that explores themes of grief, memory, human connection, and artificial intelligence. Players assume the role of Luna, a young woman searching for a missing friend who becomes trapped within a mysterious garden overseen by a mysterious entity known as STELLA. Through exploration, environmental storytelling, dialogue, and a series of puzzles, players uncover a deeper narrative centered on loss, obsession, and the pursuit of artificial immortality.

Using Perusall To Increase Student Engagement With Assigned Readings, Diana Moore

Open Educational Resources

This assignment uses collaborative annotation through Perusall to encourage students to complete course readings and engage more actively with assigned texts. Advance discussion questions and peer annotations help students identify key ideas, develop critical reading skills, and improve their ability to summarize and synthesize information. By grading annotations for completion rather than length, the assignment promotes authentic student voices, supports the development of effective reading habits, and reduces reliance on AI-generated responses.

A Word From The Writing Team (June 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Ammonihah's Allegory Of Damnation: "Fire And Brimstone" In The Book Of Mormon And Doctrine & Covenants, Ella Bethany Sessions

Honors Projects

This paper examines D&C 76, an 1832 revelation penned by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon that details Mormon theology in regards to eternity, salvation, and damnation, and Mosiah 27 and Alma 9–14 from the Book of Mormon to observe and analyze how the D&C 76’s specificity is mirrored and encased in two Book of Mormon stories: Alma the Younger and Ammonihah. The first section synthesizes D&C 76’s doctrinal claims and contextualizes Mormonism’s salvation and damnation as uniquely epistemic—or reliant on knowledge—and oriented around the internal processes of progression towards or away from God as necessary precedents to external and eternal …

Lesson Plan: Sr. Levadura (Mr. Yeast), Kali Elise Rye

World Languages and Cultures

This project addresses critical microbiology misconceptions concerning microbes and fermentation. Alongside Nuestra Ciencia’s lesson development team, this activity was researched and tested to demonstrate ideal fermentation conditions for yeast. In addition to the hands-on experiment, this project also required an interactive worksheet to be completed alongside the activity. With feedback from undergraduate students, researchers, and professors, the content was shaped to create an engaging, easily comprehensible activity that introduces microbiological concepts to students. As it has progressed, the Sr. Levadura (Mr. Yeast) activity has been implemented in two quarters of SCM 302 (Learn by Doing Lab) where over 400 elementary …

Voces Del Exilio Cubano, Jesenia Alvear

World Languages and Cultures

This project examines how Cuban immigrants, particularly those who fled the Fidel Castro regime, developed political perspectives after migrating to the United States. By focusing on Cuban immigrant communities, this project seeks to understand how experiences under a communist government and migration have shaped political beliefs. Within the United States, Cuban-Americans have become one of the most politically active Latino communities. As a Spanish and Political Science double major with Cuban family ties, this project represents both my academic interests and my own family experiences. Growing up, I listened to political conversations at family gatherings that seemed to consume the …

Black Language Matters: Capitalizing On Black English For Educational Success Through Linguistic And Cultural Competence Training, Fritz Lauriston

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This dissertation explores the impact of culturally responsive professional development on K–12 educators’ perceptions and understanding of Black English, also known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The study responds to the longstanding marginalization of Black English in educational environments and its implications for academic equity, cultural identity, and student performance—particularly among African American learners. The central intervention, titled “Do You Understand Me? Linguistic and Cultural Competence Black English Professional Development,” was designed to increase teachers’ linguistic awareness, dismantle deficit perspectives, and promote inclusive instructional practices that validate students’ home language.

Using a mixed-method design, 59 certified educators participated in …

A History Of The Underground Comix Scene: The Seriousness Of An Unserious Genre, Harris Darcie Shugart

Master's Theses

The Underground Comix Scene of the 1960s and 1970s was born out of an age of censorship. The Comics Code Authority, a regulatory body created by the Comics Magazine Association of America in 1954, established guidelines requiring publishing houses to self-regulate following a recommendation from the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency in 1953. Comix with an X, for their X-rated nature, represent an emerging counter-culture in the latter half of the 1960s and the 1970s, with an epicenter of San Francisco. These comix and their artists were not interested in obtaining the looming ‘Seal of Approval’ from the …

Ra Hub: Streamlining Resident Advisor Workflows Through A Mobile App, Samantha Danahe Gonzalez

Graphic Communication

This project explores the need to improve the workflow experience for Residential Advisors (RAs), specifically focusing on polychat logging and event planning workflows that currently rely on multiple disconnected software platforms. This fragmented system creates confusion and makes it difficult to complete responsibilities efficiently and accurately. Survey findings revealed frustrations with tracking tasks, managing workflows, and navigating between systems. In response, this project proposes a centralized workflow system designed to create a more organized, accessible, and userfriendly experience for RAs.

Rethinking Pakistan Studies: The Grounds Of Regional Knowledge After South Asia, Zoya Sameen

FAS Pakistan

This article rethinks Pakistan Studies as both a pedagogical project and a field of knowledge by examining the limits of history as a tool of legitimation. It argues that in the public sphere, history often serves to authorize the present, and shows how Pakistan Studies has historically operated within this framework. At the same time, the article suggests that this condition opens up another possibility: to understand history not as passive inheritance but as an active demand upon the present. Seen in this light, Pakistan Studies emerges not as a stable body of knowledge but as a series of shifting …

The Church Year: A Unifying Story For Christ’S Body, Travis Galle

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Our postmodern world makes much of the diverse range of “human experiences” that subjectively shape the masses. Consequently, the contemporary task of the Church is to discern how best to comprehend and apply her proclamation to these varying experiences. Consider the experience of time. Human experience of time is something that is ostensibly common to all, yet cultural customs shape its perception. Some societies construct their calendars based on the cycles of the moon, others on the sun (such as the modern western calendar). Seasonal variations also universally impact all cultures, but to different degrees based on their respective climates. …

Concordia Seminary Magazine Spring 2026, Ken Ohlemeyer

Concordia Seminary Magazine

Shaped for His Service

Testamentum To Love, Hannah Emmack

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Chainlink Mobile Application, Katherine Davenport

Graphic Communication

Currently, ChainLink exists only as a physical card game, creating an opportunity to expand its appeal as Gen Z and college students increasingly spend more time on digital devices than engaging with traditional games. This shift is reflected in the growing dominance of mobile gaming over physical formats. By developing a mobile version, Viral Studios can improve accessibility, reach a wider audience, increase engagement, and create future opportunities to adapt additional games into digital experiences.

Atomized English: Fewer Whole Books, More Isolated Learning Experiences, Andrew Newman, Jonna Perrillo, Jeremiah Piña

Department of English Faculty Publications

This white paper presents findings from the State of Literature Instruction National Survey, administered online to secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers during the 2024-25 school year. An analysis of approximately 1250 responses demonstrates three key findings: 1) Classes that read whole books are associated with more “social learning” pedagogies; 2) Classes under test pressure are less likely to engage in social learning pedagogies and more likely to offer atomized learning experiences, emphasizing individual, decontextualized skill development; and 3) Digital texts are more likely to be assigned in classes that experience test pressure. We find equity gaps between student identity …

Teaching For Liberation: Using Literature To Combat Oppression In Multilingual Classrooms, Gourika Sharma

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

This article explores the integration of resistance narratives and cultural identity into English literature curricula in multilingual classrooms, highlighting its potential to promote liberation pedagogy. Drawing on the principles of critical pedagogy, it argues that literature can act as a transformative tool to combat oppression, foster critical thinking, and enhance inclusivity. The study employs a qualitative approach, analyzing case studies, classroom practices, and curriculum frameworks to identify effective strategies for teaching literature in linguistically and culturally diverse settings. Key strategies include selecting texts that reflect themes of social justice and resilience, incorporating students' native languages to bridge comprehension gaps, and …

Agriculture, Politics, And Knowledge: The Dissemination And Evolution Of The Pictures Of Tilling And Weaving From The Southern Song Dynasty To The Qing Dynasty, Kaiyi Zhu, Ting Chen

Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia

Gengzhitu 耕織圖 (Pictures of Tilling and Weaving) functions as a cultural artifact representative of agrarian civilization and dynastic governance, fulfilling dual roles as a vessel for agricultural knowledge and a motivational tool for farming practices. Over the course of its transmission from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, a fascinating relationship emerged between the practical knowledge imparted by the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving and its role as a motivational tool for agricultural practices, creating a dynamic interaction akin to a seesaw effect. The fluctuation between the “form” and the “knowledge” of the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving …