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Toward An Anthropology Of The Expressive Individual: Reformational Insights Into Emotions, The Heart, And Christian Formation, Isaac Kantola

Senior Honors Theses

Contemporary Western culture is increasingly defined by what theologians and sociologists call “expressive individualism,” driven by an “ethic of authenticity” in which one’s emotions and desires are seen as the primary arbiter of identity and meaning. Responding to this cultural movement, the Church has appropriated the language of desire, happiness, and the affective in its preaching, ministry, and apologetic endeavors. Figures such as John Piper, James K.A. Smith, and Timothy Keller have each, in their own way, sought to contextualize the faith so it may be better understood by a culture obsessed with their longings and therapeutic self-concern. While these …

Volume 17, Christian O’Neill, Kyara Greene, Savva Sidorov, Laura Bisaillon, Luke Clemmer, Hannah Gordon, Kitt Benson, Taylor Blount, Rachel Danzitz, Nicholas Duellman, Chase Gionis, Hima Fernando, Seth Franzyshen, Onyx Gonzalez, Bryan Lin, Samantha Start, Ysabel Wells, Maggie Duncan

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research

From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell

Cover Artist’s Statement Maggie Duncan

On Mentoring Dr. Yulia Uryadova

Ukrainian Resistance in the Face of Russification: Nestor Makhno and Anarchism

by Christian O’Neill

Life Vest by Kyara Greene

Isolation and 16S rRNA Identification of Bacteria from Fire Department Connection Pipe by Savva Sidorov

The Effectiveness of Planned Exercise in Reducing ADHD Symptoms in Children by Laura Bisaillon & Luke Clemmer

Linguistic Analysis on Confidence and Communication Strategies with Disparities Between Sign Fluency and Hearing Impairment by Hannah Gordon

Freedmen in Indian Territory by Kitt …

Processing Conditions In Narrative Interpretation: A Structural Account Of Cf/Ef Divergence In "The Clerk's Tale”, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

This paper applies the framework established in Paper 19, "Cognition Is Not Content: A Structural Account of Processing Conditions," to re-describe Chaucer's "The Clerk's Tale" from The Canterbury Tales.

The same narrative produces two incompatible interpretations: a record of domestic violence, and a story of genuine love. This divergence does not arise from differences in ethical judgment or emotional response. It arises from structural differences in the conditions under which information is reconstructed.

This paper does three things. First, it analyzes the characters Walter and Griselda in terms of CF (Core-foregrounded) and EF (Modulation-foregrounded) processing conditions. Second, it describes …

Where Springs Not Fail, Hannah Guo

Graduate Thesis Collection

Where Springs Not Fail is a 23-minute multimovement work for mixed choir, mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists, and a chamber instrumental ensemble. Drawing texts from Gerard Manley Hopkins and Rabindranath Tagore, the composition explores themes of spiritual darkness, anxiety, and a profound yearning for hope—shared human experiences that are often under-acknowledged. The work aims to reside between sacred and secular expressions, offering a space of vulnerability, reflection, and honesty for performers and listeners alike.

The composition engages a wide range of stylistic influences, including serial and minimalist techniques, chant-like melodic writing, modal language, and motivic symbolism. Structured as an arch form, …

Dis/Remembrance: Expressions Of Intergenerational Memory And Where Legacy Lingers: American Warfare, 50 Years From Saigon, Eli(Se) Davidson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Over fifty years from the Fall of Saigon, the United States continues to question its participation in unjust warfare, both as a nation and as a people. This study examines the transmission of war stories amongst families: specifically, what becomes negotiated in the thresholds of memory and narrative, and what might become of those spaces across past, present, and future. While prior discourse has centered on the authority and authenticity of war memory through political discourse, historical narrative, and public memorialization, the role of storytelling within families remains underexplored. This research addresses that gap through interdisciplinary inquiry and qualitative ethnography …

Heaven In My Head: Finding Beauty, Interest, And Humor In Grief Through Essays On Death. Installment 1: Two Ceremonies And A Short Lesson In Physics, Katherine B. Thuma

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Death, loss, and grief are inherently difficult components of the human experience, but grappling with such emotions as an undergraduate student has been an especially unique journey. After my father passed from cancer at the end of my junior year, I chose to follow in the footsteps of many great authors by using writing as a tool for grieving. In writing a memoir collection of interconnected essays, I have created an outlet to process my emotions and think critically about my relationship with death. These essays focus on my recollection of the dying process and its aftermath while weaving in …

A Thesaurus Of The Greek Language: Cataloging Dimitrakos's Historical Lexicon, Harikleia Georgiou Sirmans

Georgia Library Quarterly

Library catalogers often work with challenging materials, particularly foreign language. This article documents a cataloger’s research of the journey to publication of the Great Lexicon of the Entire Greek Language. It tells the history of the dictionary’s entries from Ancient to Koine to Byzantine to Demotic and to Katharevousa Greek. The article also includes a biographical sketch of its creator, Dimitrios V. Dimitrakos, a self-made publisher. It describes his sociopolitical struggles to produce this work and his commitment to education. The dictionary is a massive 15-volume scholarly work, covering over 200,000 entries in 8,056 pages. Awarded by the Academy of …

Substance Use And Childhood Environment In Adolescent Head Injury: Examining The Effects Of Race, Jessica A. Phelps

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adolescents participating in sports are at an increased risk of concussion, which is particularly important given the difficulties with cognitive function, emotion regulation, and impulsivity that may occur as a result of this brain injury. These symptoms can predispose adolescents to subsequent concussions, leading to further damage during a critical time in neurodevelopment which can result in mental health disorder development in adulthood. It is crucial to understand what factors may predispose youth to increased rates of concussion for these reasons. As such, this paper explored whether race/ethnicity, gender, grade in school, childhood environment, and risk-taking behaviors were associated with …

Hannah, Nora Brigid Monahan

Theses and Dissertations

Hannah is a contemporary adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, which reimagines Ibsen's heroine as a "stealth" (or undetected) transsexual woman living among the American conservative elite in Washington D.C. Newly married to George Taylor, a charismatic but financially strained far-right media personality, Hannah struggles to maintain the façade she has constructed when Eliot Loving, a volatile political streamer and figure from past, reappears in her life. Their collision, orchestrated by the manipulative power-broker Judge Brock, upends Hannah's sense of self and forces her into a desperate struggle for her own autonomy and security. In a deliberate subversion of …

Experiences Of Hispanic/Latine Graduate Students In Unco’S Audiology And Speech-Language Pathology Programs Within A Hispanic-Serving Institution Context: Qualitative Thematic Analysis From A Moderated Focus Group, Ashley Fuhrman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Existing literature has examined workforce diversity in healthcare as a factor that may shape patient rapport and the delivery of culturally responsive, patient-centered care. Given the increasing demand for audiologists (AuDs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with diverse and multilingual backgrounds, it is important to understand how graduate programs prepare students to serve linguistically and culturally diverse populations. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Hispanic/Latine graduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), a recently designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The study explores students’ perceptions of training, support, and experiences in serving diverse populations. …

"I Exist In Triple": Parisian Influence, And The Three-Way Split In James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room (1956), Paloma Lupino

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

James Baldwin's novel Giovanni's Room was received as a rebellion against his cohort of ex-patriate Black writers due to its entirely white cast. This thesis investigates how the Parisian influence of the Black writers in Paris served as inspiration for the creation of Baldwin’s second publication. The use of racial frameworks progresses the discussion of a different topic: queerness. Giovanni’s Room will be explored in the following ways: Paris as the internal environment of the novel and Baldwin's backdrop in the novel's creation, the conversation of ex-patriate Black writers, feminism, intersectionality, hygiene as queerness, and a three-way split of consciousness. …

Design For Death, Serena Domsic

Interior Design Capstones

Although cemeteries are the eternal final resting places for countless souls, the design and purpose of burial grounds are often rudimentary and their impact has turned obsolete throughout the years. Cemeteries have become forgotten in the community landscape and are perceived as sinister and morbid through the eyes of modern American culture. Because encounters with death have dwindled for most of the population, many people ignore developing their beliefs about death and how to cope with loss until they are in the midst of emotional distress. This capstone project proposes an enhanced cemetery design that engages the community so individuals …

Unity In Design: Life As An Immigrant In The Built Environment, Julia Sainz

Interior Design Capstones

In the United States, Latinx immigrant communities often face social and systemic challenges that contribute to heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and displacement. While the built environment plays a critical role in shaping emotional and social well-being, architectural and interior design practices frequently overlook the lived experiences and cultural identities of these populations. This study explores how culturally responsive and participatory design strategies can foster safety, access, and empowerment for Latinx immigrants. By examining the intersection of migration, identity, and the built environment, this project proposes design as a tool for community resilience, cultural expression, and holistic well-being.

A Gift For The Emperor DawāʾIr Al-ʿUlūm Wa-Jadāwil Al-Ruqūm, A Mediaeval Graphic Encyclopaedia Of The 19th Century, Juan Acevedo, Inês Bénard Da Costa

Abdou Filali-Ansary Occasional Paper Series

The recent discovery of a 19th-century Arabic manuscript in the Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, initiated a period of intense collaboration between the Museum and the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, culminating in the 2023–24 exhibition ‘Power of the Word V: Circles of Knowledge.’ The first part of this article describes the manuscript, while the second part looks at its contents, a striking visual encyclopaedia, mostly from Safavid sources, entitled Tuḥfat al-Khāqān: Dawāʾir al-ʿUlūm wa-Jadāwil al-Ruqūm (A Gift for the Emperor: Circles of Sciences and Tables of Numerals). Its sections range from cosmogony and alphanumeric cosmology to geography, geomancy and the …

(De)Composing Transhumanisms: Fungal And Trans Ecologies In Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation, Miles Nives Qapevewni Enriquez-Morales

English (MA) Theses

This thesis project analyzes the novel Annihilation (2014) by Jeff VanderMeer and situates the biologist’s transformation and transition in the book in a trans ecological framework. By expanding on foundational texts such as Jackson Jesse Nash’s “‘I Am Not Returning Home’: A Transgender Reading of Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation”, this paper argues that representations of fungus in Annihilation present a possibility for trans futurity rooted in transformation, ecological entanglement, and a rejection of binary thought. Additional articles from Transgender Studies Quarterly and A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies orient this fungal transformation in the larger framework of rejecting normative …

The Rise Of Romantasy: Female Desire, Monstrous Feminists, Fairy Tale Ideology, And Societal Panic, Rachel Stucki

English (MA) Theses

This thesis argues that the contemporary rise of Romantasy is not merely a publishing trend but a significant literary and cultural development through which female desire, agency, and subjectivity are being renegotiated. Tracing a historical continuum across Gothic horror, fairy tale discourse, and contemporary fantasy romance, I contend that patriarchal ideology has long constructed women according to a restrictive binary: either silent and compliant, or monstrous and punishable. Drawing on theorists including Jack Zipes, Barbara Creed, Cristina Santos, Maria Tatar, Louis Althusser, and Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, this project examines how literary forms have both reflected and reinforced cultural anxieties surrounding …

The Log Cabin | Public Perception And Mediated Reality (1840 – 1980), Aspen M. Regan

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This capstone examines the evolution of the log cabin from 1840 to 1980. At its core, the project questions the legacy of the log cabin from its origins as simply being a traditional dwelling typology to its establishment as a cultural icon or rather, an enduring vessel that established the American Dream and ideals of self-reliance, freedom, and individualism deep within the heart of American culture.

Chapter One situates the log cabin historically and architecturally, defining the popular frontier dwelling as being a single-pen horizontal log constructed cabin. It then explores the cabin’s emergence as a cultural image through political …

Exploring Social Emotional Learning Competencies In Middle School Theatre Education, Katherine J. Mullins

Honors Theses

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a method of education in which students are taught to grow in multifaceted ways. Students learn and grow as more than just students in their respective subjects, they grow in emotional intelligence, empathy, and interpersonal skills as well. SEL is not always easy to incorporate into teaching practices, but it tends to lend itself well to a theatre education setting. In a middle school specific setting, SEL and theatre-based activities yield positive results in student competencies both in and out of the classroom. In this research, through comparative analysis and reflective inquiry, I aim to …

Expanding The Vocabulary Of Staff Notation By Notating The Vocal Instrument, Ryan J. Berry

Honors Theses

The aspects of vocal music performance that are often the most engaging, expressive, and creative cannot be conveyed with the established vocabulary of staff notation. Consequently, discussion of artistic choices is limited to oral or written-word formats that are neither internationally interpretable or widely shared. This research proposes a remedy by creating notation symbols for the larynx, tongue, and formants so the movements of a singer's instrument can be described in staff notation. These symbols, along with the International Phonetic Alphabet, were applied to four performances to highlight specific artistic choices. Additionally, this paper discusses the history of vocal sheet …

Romantasy's Inevitable Lasting Legacy, Devon T. Gibson

Honors Theses

The “romantasy” subgenre of YA literature has become influential for its novel combination of romance and fantasy as well as its popularity on Booktok, the book-based subsection of the popular social media app, Tiktok. This connection has become somewhat infamous in popular culture and has been underresearched due to how recently both concepts became significant forces within the publishing industry. This thesis argues that romantasy is a novel and lasting YA subgenre that is not dependent on Booktok to maintain it. The analysis of Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) and Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing (2023) …

The Culture Of The Convent: How Recruitment Shapes Success In Religious Life, Elizabeth A. Minneci

Honors Theses

Catholic nuns in the United States have experienced a substantial decline in membership, with an 80% decrease in new members from 1965 to 2023 (CARA, 2023). Sisters impact their communities in a multitude of ways, often through education or volunteerism efforts (CCUSA, 2026; Levin, 2011; Sisters of Mercy, 2025). Previous research on Catholic nuns has not qualitatively explored Catholic nuns’ recruitment efforts, with most research providing quantitative data insights (CARA). Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the recruitment methods convents utilize to identify pain points and avenues for improvement. Seven religious sisters were recruited for this study. …

The Ethical Imperative To Shift Toward A More Equitable Literary Education, Eleanor L. Bryant

Honors Theses

Choices governing canon formation have material, emotional, and intellectual consequences. Within canon formation, authors of different social identities, consistent with macrosocial power differentials, are unequally valued and shape cultural consciousness about which texts are aesthetically and intellectually valuable. It’s important to recognize canon formation as a process of unequally distributing cultural capital and knowledge production. The strategies and imperatives outlined here are basic first steps toward utilizing the classroom as a site to counter misogyny, racism, classism, colonialism, and homophobia. This project aims not only to deepen understanding of the sociological conditions of canon formation but also to impose an …

Faith And Doubt: Exploring How We Interpret The World, Amber Mccuen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This collection of four fictional short stories explores questions of belief—and practice of belief—in four separate contexts. The first story, “Little Marie,” follows a young girl who’s made her own system of belief created by correlation. The second story, “Last Days,” sees a woman return to her childhood home which has been overcome by the hoarding habits of her paranoid, fundamentalist Christian mother. The third story, “Graduation,” takes place at a divinity school graduation and explores the strength of both social influence and unspoken rules within closed groups. The final story, “Away From the Ninety and Nine,” follows a cult …

Volume Cxlv, Number 20, May 1, 2026, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Longlines, Morgan Tharp '26

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

Morgan Tharp is a Senior English-Writing and Political Science double major. In her free time, she enjoys running for DePauw's cross country and track teams and reading.

The Legitimacy Of International Law: A Kantian-Rawlsian Account, Taeyang Lee

Philosophy

This paper aims to answer the question of whether international law has legitimacy and value despite the absence of global centralized coercive enforcement and whether the concept of legitimacy developed in domestic law theory can be applied to international law. By avoiding the two extremes that claim that international law is nothing more than a non-binding agreement, or that it requires the centralized enforcement of a world government, I will defend a middle position that explains the moral binding force of international law when it satisfies conditions of legitimacy. Drawing on Kant's Universal Principle of Right and Ripstein's three defects …

Conexiones Y Reflexiones Poéticas (Poetic Connections And Reflections), Rianna Debettignies

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This bilingual collection of poetry explores themes of love, tragedy, and necessity, giving voice to struggles that often resist spoken expression.

The "Confidential Whispers" Of Charles Francis Adams From His Teens Through Marriage At Age 22, Mitchell Jay Freedman

History ETDs

The early diaries and letters of Charles Francis Adams (1807-1886) reveal, contrary to previous scholarship, a passionate and sensitive young man engaged in multiple social activities with male and female friends and family, as well as enjoying licentious and respectful personal relationships with women. CFA was strategic with whom he was friendly or reserved, rooted in his hostility towards “hangers-on” and “hypocrites.” CFA also read widely both fiction and non-fiction with an affected sensitivity consistent with his desire for a literary-oriented life, the latter most reflected in his later curating his forebears’ papers. CFA’s early life experiences led CFA to …

Understanding Challenges Faced By Refugee Women And Women With Experiences Of Forced Migration In Entrepreneurship In The Midwest Region Of The United States, Ritu Jadwani

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The labor market participation of refugee women was only 6%. The United States had the maximum employment rate for the refugee women population, which was 40%, as compared to 6% in Germany, Lebanon, and Jordan (Kabir & Klugman, 2019). Refugee women faced many challenges in labor force participation and especially in entrepreneurship. As demonstrated by Desai, Naude, and Stel (2020), refugees faced challenges like cultural integration, language barriers, level of education, and acceptance of education merits. This eventually led to disparities in income generation. Thus, many either remained in low-paying jobs or started their own business (Desai et al., 2020). …

Unveiling Embodied White Supremacy: Therapists’ Experiences And Its Imprint On Therapeutic Relationships In Dance/Movement Therapy, Melody E. Gamba

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative, arts-informed research study explored how White-identifying dance/movement therapists experience and articulate their awareness of embodied White supremacy within therapeutic relationships. Grounded in critical race theory, relational-cultural theory, and embodied critical transformation theory, the study addressed a gap in dance/movement therapy literature concerning how White supremacy is not only cognitively understood, but also somatically felt, relationally enacted, and professionally navigated. The purpose of the study was to understand how White-identifying dance/movement therapists perceive, kinesthetically experience, and make meaning of embodied White supremacy in therapeutic practice, and to explore how these embodied experiences influence therapeutic presence, attunement, and the potential …