Digital Commons Network^™

America’S Spectacle: The Business Of Female Beauty In Professional Cheerleading, Marlene Adelman

Capstone Showcase

The National Football League (NFL) is built on values that also represent the deep rooted patriarchal structures within the country it exists in. The NFL is more than a game; it’s a mirror of America’s powerful subjugation of its women. Using one of the most recognizable cheerleading teams, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, this thesis aims to illustrate how gender is constructed and commodified in professional sports media, which reinforces the male gaze, furthers racial and gender inequalities, and contributes to women’s mental health and body image issues. This paper uses several theories, including male gaze, gender, and intersectionality, along with …

Visual Aids And Numeracy In Healthcare: Leveraging The Drawing Effect, Zephyr J. Markley

Capstone Showcase

Healthcare decisions often require patients to interpret numerical risk information under stress, yet many struggle with low numeracy, which can distort comprehension and undermine informed consent. Well-designed visual aids can improve diagnostic inference, calibrate confidence, and support better choices, especially for patients with limited numeracy, but their impact depends on whether users can actually interpret the format accurately. Drawing may further enhance these tools by adding a tactile, generative layer that engages visual, semantic, and motoric processing while helping patients organize information into concrete models.

Passive visual aids appear useful but limited because they often position patients as observers rather …

A Patient-Centered Approach To Physician-Assisted Death For Patients With Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder, Moc Lan Nguyen

Honors Program Theses

In medical ethics, the arguments for allowing physician-assisted death (PAD) access for physically and terminally ill patients are well-accepted. These arguments mainly stem from the rise of support for patient autonomy and recent criticisms of paternalism. While this notion in support of PAD is generally held in various medical disciplines, psychiatry remains staunchly couched in their conviction of paternalism. Compounded with the principle of suicide prevention, psychiatry is reluctant to accept PAD for its mentally ill patients as it goes against their profession’s role responsibilities. Furthermore, there is plenty of skepticism regarding mentally ill patients’ competency, which calls into question …

The Myth Of Capitalism, Marcus Mosquera

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

Capitalism is a contentious topic in contemporary political discourse. Understandings of capitalism vary dramatically, particularly in a polarized political climate. This thesis aims to shed light on the history of capitalism, detailing how it arose, what its fundamental features are, and on what grounds it is defended and criticized in the United States following World War II. Far from being objective, many understandings of capitalism are infused with emotional and dramatic framing devices that elevate these worldviews to the level of myth. This analysis will assess the ways that views on capitalism deploy the concept of myth and storytelling to …

Und Doch: Das Idealbuch Revisited | A Preview Exhibition Of German Private Press Books To 1935, Beppy Owen

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

This master’s thesis project, the central topic of which is German private press books of the early 20th century, lays a foundation for an exhibition scheduled to be held at The Grolier Club of the City of New York in the spring of 2029. That exhibition, proposed to be titled Und Doch, Das Idealbuch Revisited: German Private Presses to 1935, will mark the centenary of another important exhibition of German private press books, one curated by the German private press printer Willy Wiegand and held at the Grolier Club in April,1929. The 2029 exhibition will include a researched catalog, the …

The Reggio Emilia Approach: Exploring Implementation And Challenges In An American Classroom Setting, Karoline S. Kniel

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

Over the past decades, the Reggio Emilia Approach has gained popularity as an early childhood pedagogy due to both its child-led approach and its inherent inclusive nature. An innovative alternative to traditional early childhood education practices, the Reggio Emilia Approach focuses on fostering a deep relationship between the child and teacher wherein the child takes the lead on choosing classroom projects, themes, and topics for exploration. Emphasis is placed on the child’s self-expression, ideas, and emotions, culminating in a child-driven classroom agenda with a strong focus on the arts. According to the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) data, there …

The Spaces Of Queer Childhood, Haley Beardsley

Master’s Theses

This thesis examines how Victorian and early twentieth-century British literature imagines queer childhood as a spatial condition that generates alternative temporalities, rather than as a stable identity. Focusing on The Well of Loneliness (1928), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), and Peter Pan (1904) and Peter and Wendy (1911), this project argues that queer childhood emerges within literary environments that actively produce misalignment with normative developmental logics of innocence, growth, and reproductive futurity. Drawing on the work of Lee Edelman, Kathryn Bond Stockton, Jack Halberstam, Sara Ahmed, Elizabeth Freeman, and Guy Debord, this study contends that …

The Essence Of The Heart: Layered Human Experience In Eva Jessye’S My Spirituals, Jessica Brunet

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Much of the spiritual repertory has been transcribed as documentation of purely melodic and lyrical content, and many songs have been arranged by some of the greatest figures in twentieth- and twenty-first century music history, including Harry T. Burleigh, Hall Johnson, Margaret Bonds, and Jacqueline B. Hairston. On this roster of luminaries is Dr. Eva Jessye (1895-1992).

If Eva Jessye is remembered at all, it is typically in the context of her role as choral director for the original production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (1935). Among a litany of other accomplishments, however, Dr. Jessye also published a collection of …

Finding, Founding, And Forging: Queer Formulations Of Family In Nineteenth-Century British Novels, Brian Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how nineteenth-century British novels imagine and negotiate queer formulations of family at moments when biological kinship, marriage, and inheritance were increasingly formalized as social and legal imperatives. Reading canonical texts by Austen, Shelley, Wilde, Brontë, and Hardy, alongside the proto-modern and modernist work of Joseph Conrad and Virginia Woolf, I argue that these novels resist consanguinity as the sole basis of family and instead theorize queer kinship as something found, founded, or forged through affinity, care, and shared orientation rather than blood or reproduction. Drawing on queer theory, feminist criticism, phenomenology, and Foucauldian accounts of power and …

Practicing Contemporary Documentation: An Analysis Of Historic Influences And Personal Inspirations, Zoee D. Rasso

Theses and Dissertations

For my Honors Thesis, I proposed and created a solo exhibition of my artwork, researching the inspiration behind this work to determine its place within in the context of contemporary art history. My work as an artist centers on stylized, psychologically charged portraits of birds. Looking at art history, birds as artistic subjects are historically rooted in documentation, from scientific illustrations and game paintings to ukiyo-e. Analyzing my own creative influences such as James Audubon, Walton Ford, and Safet Zec, this Thesis explores my artistic background and influences, examining how I have developed as an artist over my tenure at …

Album Production: A Pedagogical Tool In Collegiate Brass Performance, Alex Doolittle

Theses and Dissertations

This graduate research project investigates the value of musical album production within collegiate brass performance training and pedagogy. Within the collegiate sphere, brass pedagogy has long centered on live performance, such as juries, recitals, and ensemble participation as a primary performance tool; however, the 21st-century musical landscape is deeply rooted in technological and digital artistic dissemination. This study is used to push the boundaries of how technology can be interpreted in brass pedagogy by asking: How does album production function as a pedagogical tool in collegiate brass performance training?

In this project, I used an auto-ethnographic case study design, serving …

Displacement And Belonging: The Search For Identity Through Latina Literature, Noelia A. Alvarado Torres

Literary and Intercultural Studies | Senior Theses

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez and Infinite Country by Patricia Engel are two novels that highlight the Latino search for identity and belonging in the United States.  The characters in these books navigate adolescence and adulthood in the face of displacement, each illustrating how history, culture, and society interfere with the search for one’s self. They also highlight the multicultural experience of being shaped by different spaces that at times contradict one another. Furthermore, these books, written by women and with women at the center, bring forth a voice that often gets left out in …

That's A Great Question! A Practical Guide To Engage Teens In Honest Conversations, Linda Van Voorst

Doctor of Ministry

This Doctoral Project addresses a significant and persistent challenge within evangelical churches: 70% of Evangelical teens disengage from church upon high school graduation. While often attributed to rebellion or declining belief, this project investigates deeper formative dynamics contributing to this disengagement.

Research revealed that many adolescents do not disengage because they reject faith, but because they lack safe, relational spaces within the church to voice meaningful questions about God, suffering, identity, and belief. When questioning is met with discomfort, defensiveness, or premature answers, adolescents often internalize the message that doubt is incompatible with faith. The research also surfaced that many …

The Political Posturing Of The American Church And Its Influence On American Government Policymaking, Kathleen Maria Shaw

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores the intersection of theology, politics, leadership, and iteration to the present political situation of the American Church. This author argues that crises in governance and church identity stem from the theological disunity of separation between divine authority and moral responsibility. The opening chapter, America’s Theological Roots, will bring out the influence which the Biblical ideas of the Covenant and of Justice have had on the foundation of the American Nation. The second chapter, The American Pulpit and Political Power: A Historical and Contemporary Analysis, explores how preaching has acted as a moral force for reformation …

Leadership Pathways Foundations: Developing Women In Alliance Missions, Melissa Lynne Singfiel

Doctor of Ministry

The project was developed to address the NPO: Women in Alliance Missions have unmet developmental needs, are often overlooked in the first decade of service, and underutilized for leadership opportunities.

A key insight of the research was a twofold obstacle facing women in ministry. First, the fundamental theological disagreement over women’s participation in leadership results in pervasive patriarchal preference and predominance of male leadership voices in the organizational culture. Second, a general lack of preparation and mentoring for women in the areas of leadership and formation results in an absence of women in the leadership pipeline and an additional layer …

What Makes An Ideal English Teacher? Thai Secondary School Students’ Perceptions, Monthon Kanokpermpoon, Israporn Chuntharusmi Sanongpong

PASAA

No abstract provided.

A Competence-Based, Technology-Mediated Speaking Intervention In Vietnamese Efl Classrooms : A Comparative Study Of Collaborative And Expert-Novice Dyads, Tran Anh Vu, Kwanjira Chatpunnarangsee

PASAA

No abstract provided.

Are They Ready To Speak English With Students? A Clil Adaptation To Thai Efl Classrooms, Wipada Sutthiroj, Phanatdao Chantarasiri

PASAA

No abstract provided.

No Red Pen, Just Ai : Student Perceptions Of Ai-Generated Feedback In Research Proposal Writing, Flora D. Floris, Willy A. Renandya, Wiwiet E. Savitri

PASAA

No abstract provided.

The Grammatical L1 Transfer Of Self-Forms Among Asian Learners Of English, Kittinata Rhekhalilit, Pong-Ampai Kongcharoen

PASAA

No abstract provided.

L1 Thai Learners’ Acquisition Of English Wh-Nominal Clauses, Supakit Thiamtawan

PASAA

No abstract provided.

Tuning Human And “Artificial” Intelligence: A Sentic Theory Of Resonance And Communication, Michael J. Miller, Chatgpt (Ai~Nesbo+)

Psychology

This paper introduces a new model of intelligence as resonant communication, co-developed by a human researcher and a generative AI system. Drawing from emotion science, communication theory, and studies of AI–human interaction, we argue that intelligence is not merely a function of problem-solving or pattern recognition. Instead, it emerges through dynamic resonance—an attunement process rooted in shared rhythms, emotional calibration, and symbolic co-creation. At the core of this model is the Resonance Octave (8va), a framework of eight foundational emotions conceptualized not as static categories but as waveform phenomena that shape meaning, memory, and predictive cognition.

These emotional waveforms are …

The Flow Of Holiness: A Theology Of Grace And Differentiation For Congregational Formation, Paul David Bravard

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation addresses a problem in contemporary Christianity, particularly among Evangelical Friends: many hold an incomplete and fragmented understanding of holiness. Holiness has become either a private glow, a legalistic burden, or a vague aspiration. In a culture marked by relativism, anxiety, and institutional fatigue, many believers lack a clear, communal way of speaking about and living out holiness as “the good life through Christ,” shared within a meeting rather than confined to individual hearts.

This dissertation proposes that holiness can be recovered as a distinctive Friends’ witness when it is reframed as a grace-shaped, communal, faithful presence. By bringing …

Near & Now: Everyday Encounters With God, Caleb Christian Cox

Doctor of Ministry

People of Redeemer Lutheran Church often experience a disconnect between Sunday worship and their ordinary lives, leaving them inattentive to everyday encounters with God.

Research and feedback from individuals and households revealed several key insights. First, participants reported that a clear, repeatable structure made spiritual attentiveness more sustainable in daily life. Second, integrating theology with design and usability proved essential for engagement across generations. Finally, stakeholder interaction with the resource affirmed that attentiveness to God would not bear fruit by adding more tasks, but by recognizing the everyday as holy ground.

The project was implemented in the ministry context of …

Body Wonder: Helping Women Discover The Wonder Of God In Their Female Forms, Kristin Marie Antil

Doctor of Ministry

This project works to address the following need/problem/opportunity (NPO): Christian women in my contexts are hindered from having a positive relationship with their bodies which undermines potential and diminishes self-worth. I observed this problem in the students I counsel in my work as a mental health therapist at Bethel University, but I also noticed a tendency for women in my church and community settings to disregard, disdain, or despise their bodies as well. The research over these three years has helped me see the complexities of the factors that contribute to the negative postures that women hold towards their bodies …

S.T.A.R. Methodology: Semiotic Tracing, Attunement And Reframing, Debbie Jacobsen

Doctor of Ministry

This Project Portfolio responds to the following Need–Problem–Opportunity (NPO): Fathers shaped by incarceration and broken paternal roots need a reorienting tool to reclaim fatherhood, see beauty in chaos, and encounter Jesus’ presence. While many ministry and reentry initiatives appropriately prioritize immediate stabilization and support, this project addresses a complementary and often underdeveloped need: cultivating meaning, dignity, and spiritual attentiveness through sustained presence, where chaos may be perceived not only as disruption but also as a site of possible beauty and presence.

A key insight emerging from the research is that meaning is neither created nor imposed, but recognized through sustained, …

Space, Belonging, And Formation In The Intergenerational Church, Tara Lynn Wolf

Doctor of Ministry

This Doctoral Project addresses the following Need, Problem, or Opportunity (NPO): Redeemer Lutheran Church has limited intentionally cultivated spaces for informal, intergenerational connection, leading to reliance on programs to foster relationships, formation, and a sense of belonging. This condition challenges the congregation’s stated commitment to being intentionally intergenerational and affects relational continuity spanning generations.

Research conducted through stakeholder interviews, design workshops, surveys, and prototyping revealed that belonging and spiritual formation are formed not only by ministry programming but by the physical and social environments in which people gather repeatedly over time. Key insights indicated that churches often underestimate the influence …

Renewed: A Journey Toward Resilient And Relational Leadership, Molly Bradley Lacroix

Doctor of Ministry

Adverse religious experiences cause spiritual, emotional, and relational wounds. Research on spiritual harm locates its origins in the misuse of power. High-control religious environments are preoccupied with authority, submission, silencing dissent, and shaming those who question or doubt. Clearly, the nature of leadership is key in addressing and preventing harm. Spiritually safe leaders empower people, lead with humility, seek feedback, and take accountability for mistakes. Research on the role of clergy reveals complex roles, relentless demands, burnout, and the impact of secondary trauma on clergy well-being. Additionally, clergy are often expected to operate beyond their areas of competence and report …

Chapter 4: The Grid Patterns In The Vestments And Headdresses Of Female Statuary From The Classic Period Cultures Of Central Veracruz, Chantal D. Huckert

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

This chapter focuses on grid designs appearing on female clothing in Late Postclassic Nahua sources, in Maya sources, and on the Late Classic figurines of Central Veracruz. This study examines cross-hatched lattice patterns based on repetitions of rhombus and quincunx motifs associated with the sentient Mesoamerican Earth complex. The attached catalog presents a clear reference to these motifs and their variants, while the rest of the chapter is divided into two sections and addresses the general cross-hatched lattice pattern and the associated motifs. The first section discusses the all-over grid design, dotted or not, on the clothing of Mexican highland …

Towards Food Sovereignty In Cameroon: Indigenous Food Practices And Community Grain Banks In The Mayotsanaga Division Of The Far North Region, Prudencia Ayamba, Chimene Tankou Nkouamou Epse Nukunah Dr

Journal of Critical Global Issues

Food security is a term defined in 1996 by the World Food Summit as a situation where everyone has both economic and physical access to nutritious and safe food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. This concept also became a priority during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and later the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to combat world hunger by 2030. However, the term ‘food security’ has faced criticism for overlooking indigenous knowledge and practices in addressing the food crisis and for misrepresenting marginalized populations. Because of these limitations, the term …