Digital Commons Network^™

Marci Whitehead, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

After graduating from LIU and securing both a teaching position, which proved not to be her passion, and a social work job at Abbott House, Whitehead continued her involvement in Greek life. In the early 1980s, Whitehead joined the Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), where she served as President, Graduate Advisor, Membership Chair, and Bachelors Standard Chair during her tenure. She was a very active member and leader, striving to keep the organization’s spirit alive through the various events such as “rites of passage, all of our acts of greed, programs, Aka Rosa, our highway beautification, The …

Laverne D. Best King, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

Soror D. B. King served as the 14th Basileus from 2003-2006. She continued the legacy of outstanding service leading the chapter’s signature program AKATeens Rites of Passage.

During her administration, the chapter achieved the following:

• The Chaplains committee was instituted.

• The chapter won Chapter of the 2nd place,

• Soror Pauline L Monsanto was awarded the Angel Award.

• The chapter received an Educational Award for Reading One to One. 2004.

Soror Laverne remains dedication to the Chapter’s Signature Program, AKATeens Rites of Passage (ROP) program for high school girls, the program completed its 30th year helping girls develop leadership and life …

Candice Scott, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

Soror Scott authored the book "Color Me Nia" in 2017 and worked with Emmett Wigglesworth, the renowned artist and illustrator.

From 1978 - 1991 Soror Scott taught general science at CIS 166X, started their Arista Program, conducted Career Day with some of the Sorors in the Chapter. She held the position of Interim Acting Assistant Principal for two years without pay.

Dr. Scott's years of dedication and service had improved the lives of countless individuals, and she has received numerous awards, accolades, and proclamations of appreciation, including:

• Honored as the Woman of the Year for The Black Caucus of the …

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Edward Lowe - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Members of Lowe’s family continue to stand up for their values and help others. This willingness to fight for what is right dates back to a very important member of Lowe’s family, Edmund Kelly. Lowe shared a photo of Kelly’s letter to Abraham Lincoln on August 21st, 1863. The letter is titled “The Colored Man’s Interest in the Present War.” He wrote the letter supporting the recruitment of troops for the U.S. Colored Troop at the time. Kelly was also known for being a minister. He bought himself and Betty out of slavery. To Lowe, the Civil War is alive …

Mark "Po" Dean, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Dean, first exposed to music through his mother’s occasional record playing, would attend parties and occasionally dance against other b-boys. Upon watching DJ Kool Herc continually unload equipment, Dean found himself immersed in hip hop by first helping DJ Kool Herc move his equipment. He reminisces on the free park parties that these sound systems were taken to, and the ability of the people across the river to hear the sound. Continuing, he discusses the difference between b-boys and breakers, the profound influence of MC’s on hip hop, and the necessary contributions of graffiti to the overall culture. Each part …

Alice Mckenzie - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Part 2 of an oral history recorded for the Bronx African American History Project with Alice McKenzie, who grew up in the United Workers Cooperative Colony, or the Allerton Coops, located at 2700 Bronx Park East. In this second part of her oral history, Alice speaks more about her experiences as a professional dancer, her time in the New York public school system, her experiences of race and sexuality, what the Coops represents to her, and much more.

LINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW: https://cdm17265.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/baahp/id/99/rec/54

Alice Mckenzie - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Part 1 of an oral history recorded for the Bronx African American History Project with Alice McKenzie, who grew up in the United Workers Cooperative Colony, or the Allerton Coops, located at 2700 Bronx Park East. Alice's father was a Guyanese national of African descent and her mother an Ashkenazi Jew from Poland. In this part of her oral history, Alice speaks about her family history and background, her experience growing up in the Coops, and much more.

LINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW: https://cdm17265.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/baahp/id/102/rec/53

Value And Valuation In Experience And Nature, Leonard J. Waks

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Bread And Circuses, Rosie Thomas

Capstones

This project documents clowns and their props and performance and rehearsal spaces in New York in the fall of 2025. The photos explore the surreality of practicing performance and indulging in art. I am asking what it means to have and explore creativity - queerness, weirdness, community, and play - while acknowledging that a community that gathers to exhibit their own freedom of expression is making an active choice and a prioritisation at every moment.

At A Crossroads: Is English-Only Gaining New Ground In U.S. Education Policy?, Joao Goebel

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

This article explores the implications of the recent Executive Order declaring English the official language of the United States, situating it within the historical context of English-only ideology and its impact on multilingual learners. While framed as a unifying policy, the order revokes Executive Order 13166, reducing federal protections for language access and echoing past efforts to marginalize non-English languages in schools. Drawing on precedents from 19th-century monolingual policies to Proposition 227, the article argues the order signals a renewed shift toward restrictive, subtractive approaches, offering an "educated guess" about their potential return and consequences. The analysis considers broader impacts …

We Built This: Redesigning Higher Education From The Ground Up While They Try To Burn It Down, Shawntay King, Juanita E. Marquez, Keisha Rembert, Jolene Taylor, Thera Tilmon

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

Our text, We Built This: Redesigning Higher Education from the Ground Up While They Try to Burn It Down, examines how recent federal policy shifts, particularly the 2025 Dear Colleague letter and the Project 2025 educational platform, function as deliberate acts of deconstruction. These measures threaten to dismantle equity infrastructures in higher education while intensifying the erasure of Black women’s labor, leadership and legacy in the academy. Through Critical Policy Analysis and Black feminist thought, we argue that these policies operate simultaneously as blueprint and wrecking ball, systematically unraveling decades of progress and constraining the very communities that have sustained …

Medical Minds, Literary Voices: The Intersection Of Healing And Storytelling In Russian Literature, Emily Doris Gervais

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

This project examines the intersection of medicine and literature through the works of Russian physicians who became influential authors. Focusing on Anton Chekhov’s Sakhalin Island, Vikenty Veresaev’s Memoirs of a Physician, and Mikhail Bulgakov’s A Young Doctor’s Notebook, this research highlights how their medical experiences shaped both their personal narratives and broader societal criticism. By analyzing the variation of both implicit, individual-centered stories and systemic, sociopolitical commentaries, the project reveals how these authors brought a unique clinical perspective to Russian literature. Their attention to detail, moral and ethical concerns, and use of medical language enriched their writings, imbuing their prose …

Brief Of Lindsay And Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic As Amicus Curiae In Support Of Appellants, John A. Meiser, Meredith Holland Kessler

Court Briefs

Nos. 25-2575, 25-2662
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. President United States of America

On Appeal from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
No. 2:17-cv-04540-WB (Hon. Wendy Bettlestone)

From the Summary of the Argument

The agencies’ promulgation of the Religious and Moral Rules challenged in this case was neither arbitrary nor capricious. Widespread litigation against the agencies’ contraceptive mandate under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act— and multiple trips to the Supreme Court—made clear that the mandate violates the federally protected rights of organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor. After years of failed efforts to alleviate that …

Maya Health In The Days Of Deportation Discussion And The Case Example Of Colectivo Vida Digna, Guatemala, David W. Barillas Chon

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Health inequalities and health racism have a long history in the Americas, as in Guatemala and the United States. Drawing upon testimonies and case examples from the Maya non-profit Colectivo Vida Digna [Guatemala]. Barillas-Chon reveals how some Maya in Guatemala have organized to overcome historic and current challenges and are now working with Maya who have returned from the US.

Women In Santa Eulalia, Guatemala Through The Concepts Of Rootedness, Community, And Migration., Helen Hobson

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

This essay explores the experiences of Maya Q’anjob’al women in the villages of Santa Eulalia in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Women from eleven communities participated in group interviews during the four months I spent conducting fieldwork in 2024, thus building upon my findings from 2022 and 2023. Questions focused on their daily lives, their connections to people and places, strategies for generating income, and the impact of migration on their lives and the community. Two broad themes emerged from the interviews. The first relates to their relationships to the land and community, and how this rootedness supports a wholistic (Indigenous) sense of …

An Ancient And Future Model Of Ecclesial Ministry: Exploring Insights From African Ecclesiology For A Revitalized Understanding Of The Catechist In The Amecea Region, Fortunatus Mugisha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ministry of the catechist has historically been an enduring and transformative ministry in the life of the Church in Africa, particularly in the AMECEA region. Within the AMECEA region (Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa), catechists have ministered not merely as transmitters of the faith but as the “unsung heroes and heroines” and vital agents of evangelization, pastoral care, and community leadership serving as the local face of the Church. This dissertation, relying on the insights from African ecclesiologies, proposes a renewed theological and pastoral understanding of the catechist as an ancient and future model of ecclesial …

Nontoxic Paints Using Cornstarch As Binders, Maile Prater

Honors Projects

For this project, paints were created using different metal compounds which interacted with cornstarch and pectin to determine whether the metals would coordinate with these polysaccharides to create new types of watercolor paints. The paints that were created were ran through an RGB analysis to determine how much of each RGB color is present in a solution and then were ran through a rheometer to determine how the viscosity differed between each solution.

The Neverending Manifestations Of Gambling In Children’S Spaces, Brandon M. Malave

Capstones

The pervasiveness of gambling in American culture has gotten out of control. Unlike traditional casinos of that are easily recognizable by their slot machines and blackjack tables, these contemporary forms of gambling lurk in spaces that children frequent, specifically within popular culture. My experiences in contemporary gambling within the computer game Counter-Strike and trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, is following along the century long trend of exploiting culture to generate wealth. Should this continue, gambling will continue to manifest in spaces that it should never be allowed to exist in.

Project Link: https://www.the-analog.net/blog/the-never-ending-manifestations-of-gambling-in-childrens-spaces

Github: https://github.com/brandonmalave/Magic-The-Gathering-Card-Price-Analysis

The American Eye And Greek Music: How Greek Artists Are Changing To Become Palatable To The Non-Greek Listener, Andriana Kourkoumelis

Capstones

International artists are trying to successfully bridge into the U.S. music industry, and Greek pop singers are finally making a dent. This year, some of the biggest names in Greece, along with a couple new faces, were working with their labels to rebrand as a means to connect with the American listener and expand their listenership. With three notable tours happening across the states from muscians like Konstantinos Argiros, Anastasia, and Marina Satti playing venues like the Barclays Center and Sony Hall, it's safe to assume that there is a shift happening in the world of Balkan and Hellenic entertainment. …

Accepting Vs Understanding, Transgender Aliens And Alienation, Reyna G. Aliah

English

Trans people have been the subject of intense discrimination in recent years, suffering dehumanization from right-wing and conservative groups. This dehumanization (and the fear resulting from it) parallels common attitudes in science fiction about actual aliens. Orson Scott Card’s Hierarchy of Foreignness classifies individuals and species into five categories, depending on their sentience; whether they are from the same city, nation, or planet; and whether communication is possible. This paper examines how transgender people can be classified according to this system on a societal level, with said class depending on the lens used to view them as well as the …

Front Matter, Maya America Editors

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Includes Cover Art and Table of Contents

Full Issue - Maya America V7, I2, Maya America Editors

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Full issue of Maya America, volume 7, issue 2.

Introductory Note: Profound Guatemala, Alan Lebaron

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Words have historic and contemporary variations in meaning. People who write about the Maya employ words such as revitalization, resurgence, agency, resistance, authenticity, and cosmovision, for example. “Profound” is the theme for Maya America this issue, and we present three examples, two from the past and one from today. The 1st profound comes from Raúl Leiva’s poem Mundo Indigena, and the second from Guillermo Bonfil Batalla who applied the word to Mexico. Our third example of profound comes from Silvia Patricia López Juan, one of the authors in this issue of Maya America.

Living Experiences Of Indigenous Health Practice: Belizean Maya Communities And Belize Migrants, Kristina Baines

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Belize Maya communities, like many indigenous communities around the world, have long experienced challenges to maintaining health as they interface with an ever-expanding globalized model of development. This essay explores the relationship between traditional ecological practices and health in the context of a holistic understanding of what makes healthy bodies, healthy communities and healthy lives. Using the author’s Embodied Ecological Heritage (EEH) framework and a phenomenological lens, the essay shares how sensory experiences become embodied through everyday practice, promoting health and general wellbeing. This grounded theory, developed in and with Maya communities, helps us understand ways to consider and support …

Late-Stage Capitalism And Consumerism In Higher Education: A Morphogenetic Analysis, Kallen Zhou

Publications

Facing widespread student disengagement and dissatisfaction, U.S. higher education is undergoing a paradigm shift, detaching from its civic and pedagogical origins. A key force driving this transformation is the rise of student consumerism. While existing literature documents market-driven actions adopted by higher education institutions (HEIs) and the consumer roles students play, it overlooks structural market forces. Specifically, little theorization exists on the relationship between late-stage capitalism and student consumerism. This paper addresses that gap through two steps: first, offering a historical analysis of the traditional university model, late-stage capitalism, academic capitalism, and the decline of the liberal arts; second, developing …

Article Title: Deconstructing Power And Gender: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis Of Biopolitics, Necropolitics, And Sexual Scripts In Feminicide In Puerto Rico., Migdalia Marrero-Lafontaine

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

Feminicide and gender violence cases in the last several decades in Puerto Rico have continuously increased, suggesting that this problem becomes worse as time passes. This study, therefore, focuses on identifying actionable insights that paint a picture of the impact it has on women over the age of 18 in Puerto Rico. In order to achieve this objective, the study relies on a strong theoretical framework that is made up of Foucauldian discourse analysis, necropolitics, and sexual scripts theories. One of the core findings of this research is that Puerto Rico’s colonial history and cultural norms sustain a cycle of …

Behind Barbed Wire: Jack Powerful Griss And The Material Culture Of Dieppe Pows At Stalag Viii-B, Teresa Iacobelli

Canadian Military History

Through a collection of material culture that includes letters, ephemera and objects, this article traces the Second World War service of Private Jack Powerful Griss. Griss was a survivor of Dieppe and subsequently interned as a POW from 1942 to 1945. Griss’ collection of donated materials reveals his personal story but also sheds light of the broader experience of captivity, especially among the Canadians captured at Dieppe, France in 1942 who were imprisoned in Germany until the end of the Second World War.

À travers une collection de documents culturels, incluant des lettres, des documents éphémères et des objets, cet …

Understanding The Relationship Of Culture And Language With Hiv, Cora Coletti

Student Scholar Symposium

HIV impacts 39.9 million people worldwide. Many people with HIV are the victims of stigmatizing language used by physicians, family members, and community members. In 2015 the Centers for Disease Control and the American Medical Association added language guidelines to prevent additional stigma in medical and scientific literature. Analyzing research from Baltimore, Nigeria, and Rwanda creates a global view of the impacts of language and culture on public health materials presented in communities where HIV is prevalent. Researching the perspectives of women, mothers, and physicians provides a diverse range of experiences people with HIV have gone through. Synthesizing the current …

To What Extent Do Urban Planning Practices Impact Climate Change In Latin America?, Oliver Orellana, Mitchell Roberts

Student Scholar Symposium

Understanding best practices with regards to urban planning and development is crucial to the success of any city. Given the historical, geographic, and economic state of Latin American countries, the role of these practices in innovation is exceedingly vital. By analyzing sustainability strategies employed in cities to mitigate the effects of climate change, this research will identify which practices are the most sustainable in the long run. Because Latin American countries face their own unique challenges in areas like democratic transition, physical landscape, or economic well-being, gaining understanding as to which practices would most benefit the region is pivotal to …

“In A Relationship”: Can Ai Take The Place Of A Human Relationship?, Hannah Smith

Student Scholar Symposium

This research explores the impact of AI on adolescent development, specifically focusing on how large-language models (LLMs) influence the way adolescents approach and value human connections. While AI can offer some benefits, it cannot fully replace the essential elements of human relationships, such as empathy, creativity, and emotional understanding, which are fundamental to a fulfilled life.