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Harness The Darkness! Blackout Poetry And Drama Therapy For Systemic Existential Dread: A Proposed Methodology, Kerry Sullivan

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the intersection of drama therapy and blackout poetry as a therapeutic intervention to address systemic existential dread (SED) among emerging adults. The proposed methodology is titled "Bringing Blackout Poetry to Life" and consists of five sessions designed to explore the participants’ SED and generate poetry, culminating in a public performance. By integrating elements from psychodrama and drama therapy with the therapeutic process of blackout poetry, the intervention intends to aid processing on all levels of the expressive therapies continuum (ETC), strengthen tolerance for uncertainty, and facilitate sustainable community action. This theoretical framework is supported by a wide-ranging …

Reclaiming The Narrative: Integrating Narrative Therapy And Songwriting For Children And Adolescents Living Through Adverse Childhood Experiences, Emma Smith

Expressive Therapies Theses

Children and adolescents tend to lack agency and power in their lives with their status as minors. Lack of agency can be exacerbated if they are experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Narrative songwriting is an approach with emerging methods that may support liberation, agency, and ownership for this population. Although there is a plethora of trauma-informed songwriting methods in music therapy literature focusing on young populations, there is sparse research about using narrative songwriting with this population. In this thesis, literature from both music therapy and narrative therapy with young populations experiencing ACEs was located and analyzed using a qualitative …

Multicultural Marketing: Rebranding Chick-Fil-A For Chinese Audiences, Christina Pan

Senior Honors Theses

China is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, and consumption is its main cause of growth. With a population of 1.4 billion people, many companies want to establish themselves in China. However, China and the United States markets are vastly different, and China’s post-COVID economy makes success increasingly difficult. Factors such as domestic competition, weakening US-China relations, and increased suspicion in foreign products calls for a new marketing and branding approach for United States companies. Fast-food giants such as McDonald’s and KFC have managed success in the past, but one company that also has potential is Chick-Fil-A. This …

Connected Pastors: The Importance Of Having Safe Support Systems In Ministry, Karin A. Hines

Senior Honors Theses

Pastors minister to broken people, but sometimes they need help themselves. Many pastors do not seek help or do not have anyone safe to go to, often for fear of losing their influence or job. This thesis argues that sharing one’s life with safe people is essential, especially for those who are in high-stress professions. It explores pastoral support systems, examines comparable stigmas against seeking help in other fields, analyzes the science of sharing and isolation and their effects on the brain and body, and considers the Bible’s instructions on living in community for one’s personal well-being. Pastors require intentional, …

Nietzsche And Socrates: Reflections Of Redefined Virtue In Greek Tragedy, Kyle M. Lowry

Senior Honors Theses

The works of Friedrich Nietzsche were used to study how Greek Tragedy was “born” and “died,” particularly in relation to the rise of Socratic philosophy in Ancient Greece. The intoxicated “Dionysian” and disciplinary, artistic “Apollinian,” are the elements Nietzsche claims encompass and catalyze human experience; the former containing the primal nature of the Being, and the latter containing the ordering through which identity is formed and art is created. Tragedy, the art form perfectly balancing these two elements was “born” within the conditions of a Dionysian Pessimism, by which the inevitable life of suffering was redeemed aesthetically. Socrates introduced rationality …

The Brain And Becoming: Integrating Play And Performance-Based Learning In The Community College Classroom, Hannah M. Green

English

Instruction in the community college classroom is in need of a shift, according to neuroscientific, pedagogical, and demographic data. Primarily, students in today’s community college classrooms are instructed in the form of lectures (Nilson 106), but research has shown that game-based learning would be the way to enhance learning experiences for these adult learners. Game-based learning specifically takes form in student learning through games, interactive reading activities such as performance pedagogy, discussions, and small group work. While research shows that play-based learning at the community college level is neurologically beneficial for students, there is a gap in implementing play-based learning …

Illustrated Children's Book: "The Adventures Of Mr. C", Anne-Marie Wadsworth, Joanne Whitcombe

Honors Capstones

"The Adventures of Mr. C" is a children's book written by Anne-Marie Wadsworth and her grandmother, Joanne Whitcombe. It was illustrated by Anne-Marie Wadsworth, 2026 NIU graduate, as her honor's capstone project. The book was presented at NIU's 2026 Visual Communication Senior Show on April 30th. It is a christian-inspired true story about an abandoned bird (Mr .C) that becomes part of Joanne's family. Mr C. flies away from his home and is lost for many months, until Joanne experiences a timely, unexpected miracle that only God and his angels can take credit for.

Learning Through Reading: Confronting Novel Linguistic Forms In Literature, Quinn Doyle

German Studies Honors Projects

How do readers learn to engage with novel forms of written language that fall outside of their established linguistic repertoire? And how do texts themselves facilitate this process? This thesis looks for answers to these questions in literary theory, multilingualism studies, applied linguistics, and a diverse corpus of literary works. I propose a comprehensive descriptive vocabulary of novel language use in literature, and then observe how these frameworks work in concert in an exemplary text by analyzing Christine Brooke-Rose’s multilingual novel Between. I conclude by discussing how the “exceptional” cases explored in this thesis can change our understanding of …

Influences Of Musical Experience On Absolute Pitch Memory, Mia A. Guzman

Music Honors Projects

Absolute pitch (AP), colloquially known as “perfect pitch,” is the ability to identify or recreate any musical note without an external reference tone. While many believe AP is an exceptional, innate musical talent, I argue that AP is a continuous ability influenced by experience. Using a mixed-methods approach that combined behavioral tasks with interviews, I examined AP memory in AP possessors and non-possessors with varying musical backgrounds to understand how experience-based factors, such as language, primary instrument, and the onset and style of musical training, might influence individual performance on established AP measures.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal for Florence Normal College, October 1909.

*Press of The Florence Times*

Je Me Vois En Toi: La Construction D’Identité Nationale Française À Travers Les Représentations Filmiques De La Triangulation Franco-Américaine, De Demy À Godard, Molly E. Friedrichs

French Honors Projects

This project explores the role of cinema in the establishment and rupture of “Franco-American triangulation” through representations of the United States in French cinema. Through an analysis of films by Jacques Demy and Jean-Luc Godard, I apply theories of the definition of the nation, the image, and the spectacle to analyze the relationship between the French nation and the cinematic image of the United States in the Nouvelle Vague. Ultimately, this paper uses technical and visual analysis to understand the powers and limits of film both to facilitate Franco-American triangulation, and to represent and critique French national ideology.

It’S No Longer Greek To Me: A Gamified Parsing Study Tool, Josiah J. Lane

Senior Honors Theses

Learning Koine Greek presents significant challenges due to the language’s complex morphology, including multiple verbal forms encoding tense, aspect, mood, voice, person, and number. Traditional methods relying on rote memorization often fail to support long-term retention and rapid parsing ability. This project presents a web-based parsing study tool designed to address these challenges by integrating spaced repetition algorithms, active recall, and gamification principles. The system leverages a relational database of lexical forms and parsed words, enabling adaptive scheduling of practice items based on individual learner performance. Gamified elements, including scoring, progress tracking, and immediate feedback, sustain engagement and encourage consistent …

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, January 1911.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, May 1910.

Fluid Belonging, Soft Boundary, Jingyi Liu

MFA in Visual Art

This thesis conceptualizes cultural identity as a fluid and dynamically generated process shaped through the experience of migration. Drawing on contemporary art practices and theoretical frameworks of diaspora and hybridity, the thesis is structured around four interrelated dimensions: fluid identity, memory fragmentation, material interaction, and spatial displacement.

Within the artist’s practice, traditional techniques are reactivated as both cultural signifiers and material approaches that adapt and transform across shifting contexts. Fragmentation is understood not as the loss of information but as a mode of reassembly. Materials such as ink, textile, and dye function as active agents that carry time and cultural …

Soma: Exploring Touch As Performance And Performance As Therapy, Erica Pamson

Expressive Therapies Theses

This project investigated the role of touch within a performative context and its potential as a creative intervention within Expressive Arts Therapy. Grounded in phenomenology and intersubjectivity, the study draws on Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT) and Performance Art frameworks that position meaning as emerging through embodied, co-created experience. Existing literature identifies touch as a primary mode of perception and communication, essential to both physical and emotional well-being, while also noting its increasing absence and regulation within contemporary Western culture. Performance art literature further highlights the body as both medium and site of relational exchange, often dissolving boundaries between performer and …

Teaching Future Clinicians: Curriculum Development Emphasizing The Inclusion Of Trans Individuals And Families In Marriage And Family Therapy (Mft) Education, Eli J. Huffman

Honors Capstones

The field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) is deeply flawed when it comes to the inclusion, representation, and treatment of trans individuals and families. This is despite the fact that MFT could be of unique benefit to the trans community, as they are a community who experience high rates of both familial issues and mental health issues (Katz-Wise, 2021). However, due to education that is often incomplete or inadequate, many mental health providers—including, but not limited to MFT’s—feel they lack the competencies necessary for working with trans individuals and families in practice (Dalton, et al., 2021). This research project …

From Central To Refinery: Labor And Hierarchy In The American Sugar Empire (1919-1962), Ben Woloch

History Honors Projects

From 1919 until 1962, the American Sugar Refining Company (ASRC) oversaw an empire, stretching from two Cuban sugar estates (centrales) to its Brooklyn refinery. The relationship between workers at both poles of the ASRC’s empire constituted a transnational labor hierarchy. Divergent management programs at the Brooklyn refinery and the centrales Jaronú and Cunagua confined the workers to distinct social positions. Brooklyn workers pursued labor-management collaboration in support of the sugar industry’s exploitative system, while workers in Cuba reimagined the sugar empire's power structure. The transnational workforce of the ASRC maintained a disunified relationship, which fractured the possibilities of working-class solidarity.

Exploring Identity Through Clay: A Humanistic Art Therapy Case Study With A Blind Chinese Adoptee, Virginia Jade Leicht

Expressive Therapies Theses

This qualitative case study explored how working with clay in art therapy can help support a blind man’s identity exploration. This paper addresses the problem of many traditional therapeutic approaches within the art therapy realm: They rely too heavily on visual engagement, which can limit the accessibility and opportunities for self-exploration and identity development for those who are blind. The study was grounded in current research and foundational theories based on the humanistic art therapy approach. Clay is considered an accessible medium that engages multiple senses and allows for emotional exploration and meaning making, specifically through tactile and sensory-based engagement …

Ai And E-Commerce: A Comparative Analysis Of Amazon, Jumia, And Alibaba, Lauren Grace Barden

Honors Projects

Globally there is a great divide between consumer acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) and the reluctance of the services due to lack of knowledge on its systems. Major global shopping platform, Amazon has adopted the use of AI into their experiences for upholding their pillars of optimization, utilization, and personalization. In the global e-commerce framework,  adoption of AI has been similarly found also in companies like Alibaba (Chinese-based) and Jumia (Kenyan-based). Though these companies have seen customer satisfaction increase with the availability and quality of the service they provide, it is pertinent to note that there are still underlying issues …

The Business Of Music: Where Planning And Performing Meet, Mac Heelein

Honors Capstones

This project explores the intersection of business and music through the planning and execution of a collaborative recital featuring the NIU Viola Studio. In this process, I served as both the organizer and a performer, applying project management principles to handle logistics such as scheduling, venue coordination, and event promotion. The project required managing multiple moving parts while keeping both the artistic and organizational aspects aligned.

Through this experience, I found that while project management provides a strong structure, artistic settings require flexibility when unexpected challenges arise. This project also highlighted the importance of balancing organization with creativity to ensure …

A Place At The Table: Lessons In Hospitality For Women Elders In The Churches Of Christ, Karen Cooke

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project concerns women who serve as elders in Church of Christ congregations. In the fall of 2023, a survey found that these women desire training to better serve their congregations. In response to that expressed need, a group of collaborators engaged in Participatory Action Research (PAR) to create the plan for a conference to provide training to women serving as elders in Churches of Christ. The conference will provide training in the theology and practice of hospitality to support these women in guiding their churches to be places of welcome. This dissertation presents a theology of hospitality drawn from …

Fraternities, Athletics, And Masculinity: Exploring Male Perspectives On Sexual Violence And Coercion Prevention In University Settings, Gabrielle A. Phillips

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis presents a timely and relevant qualitative study addressing a
notable gap in sexual violence prevention research: male students’
perspectives. Grounded in Social Learning Theory, the study effectively
situates its inquiry within a robust theoretical framework while focusing on an
often underexplored population, including student-athletes, fraternity members,
and unaffiliated men.
A key strength of the research lies in its use of focus groups, which allows for
nuanced in-depth insights into how male students interpret and discuss sexual
coercion among peers. The findings are particularly compelling in highlighting
the disconnect between conceptual understanding and practical application of
prevention strategies. The …

A Qualitative Study Of Journalism Course Syllabi In Relation To The First Amendment, Elizabeth L. Bunnell

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this research is to gain more insight into collegiate journalism course syllabi and the First Amendment. The First Amendment is a foundational aspect for a career in journalism, and one way to learn how college journalism students are interacting with the First Amendment is to conduct a qualitative analysis of the syllabi. A syllabus is the contract between professor and student for the course; therefore, it should contain the most important information relating to the course. 47 syllabi were collected from the School of Journalism and Strategic Media from the Spring 2025 semester. After reading through each …

"Pockets Of Existence" The Lighting Design For "Silent Sky", Faith Noel Spencer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will explore how lighting can express wonder, isolation, and discovery through the lens of the play Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson. Produced at the University of Arkansas in February 2025, my design utilized shifts in color, intensity, and movement to mirror Henrietta Levitt’s pursuit of understanding within both science and society. This design sought to balance the expansiveness of the never ending universe with the intimacy of humanity, using lighting to bridge the vastness with isolation. Challenges in this production included creating a sense of infinite space within the confines of a proscenium theatre, having continuity across multiple …

The Invisible Hand: Narrating Wildlife Through Hybrid Scoring, Weiyi Li

Composition/Recording Projects

This paper explores the creative and theoretical processes involved in composing the original score and sound design for "Ningxia Yellow River: The Home for the Avian," a wildlife documentary centered on the Ningxia wetlands in China. The research addresses the challenge of creating a "sonic bridge" between silent natural imagery and a human audience by balancing documentary realism with musical persuasion. The methodology utilizes a hybrid scoring approach that integrates Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) orchestration with organic sound elements, guided by three core pillars: cultural semiotics, acoustic ecology, and technical synchronization. By applying traditional Chinese pentatonic modes alongside Western orchestral …

To Speak In Your Voice: An Exploration In Improvisational Technique, Ezekiel E. Meyer

Composition/Recording Projects

Many iconic musicians have their own unique musical voices, which are found and developed in a variety of ways. Many musicians have a goal of developing their own voice, but struggle to understand how this process occurs. This production paper explores several techniques through the process of recording the album To Speak in One's Voice, providing guidance on how a musician's voice can be identified and nurtured. Improvisational techniques such as pentatonic substitution and harmonic superimposition are discussed, as well as compositional and technological techniques, all within the context of developing a musician's voice. Through this paper, a musician can …

Pixels And Presence: Celebrating 3d Animation And Miniature Model Construction Through Public Exhibition, Robert Pierce

Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media Culminating Experience

Contemporary artists are increasingly expected to expand beyond conventional presentation methods. Through documentation and public exhibition, Pixels and Presence celebrates the artistry of three-dimensional (3D) animation and miniature model creation. This culminating experience document delves into both types of media, through eight supporting works, and challenges their integration through the primary, mixed-media project The Haunted Room. All artworks are included in a curated exhibition, and the development of the gallery display is also documented. The central work combines physical and digital spaces through the use of modern technology, the classic illusion of Pepper’s ghost, and a miniature room environment. With …

When “Voice” Becomes Law: A Caution Against Emancipatory Complacency In Anti-Sexual Violence Feminism, Samantha Lillian To

LL.M. Essays & Theses

This Essay destabilizes a feminist project that seeks to emancipate sexually violated women in the United States through a rhetoric of voice. There is a body of feminist literature that imagines voice as unconstrained self-expression through which sexually violated women resist patriarchal oppression and heal from trauma. When projected onto the courtroom, however, this framework becomes an ideal that the legal process, by its structure, cannot fully accommodate. This Essay presents three claims. First, despite the emergence of a legal promise of “voice” after the enactment of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, feminists should not treat it as the culmination …

Making As A Method For Knowledge Production, Nithikul Nimkulrat, Camilla Groth

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.