The Light Farm., John Wrestling Brewster Clay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Light Farm is a creative examination of the convergence and divergence of truth and meaning, told in a collection of three short stories that both supplements, and is supplemented by a thesis exhibition of fine art. These stories are told using an episodic format that facilitates world building across time periods, while the sculptures, photographs, and text within the exhibition function as a physical entry point into a space in which the line between fact and fiction is tested. The impetus for this project was a lifelong interest in the disorderly confluence of corporatism, power, mortality, morality, human potential, …

Concepts And Sources Of Authority In Early Christianity, Carter Dean Yancey

Masters Theses

The concept of authority, though seemingly clear in everyday discourse, is in fact a multifaceted and elusive subject upon closer examination. This paper seeks to untangle the intricacies of authority in order to better understand and discuss biblical and early Christian positions regarding the matter. The study begins by surveying the philosophical literature on authority to establish a clear and robust vocabulary for discussing the topic. Differentiating between the various concepts and paradigms of authority helps avoid the pitfalls of vague or inconsistent usage that have hindered the historical, philosophical, and theological debates on the matter.

Central to this thesis …

Exploring Spatial Arrangements And Smart Technology To Manage Cognitive Load In Kitchens For Aging In Place, Monique Chabot

Full-Text Theses & Dissertations

Older adults undergo natural physiological changes in various physical and cognitive functions, including balance, strength, memory, attention, and executive functioning. Memory, attention, and executive functioning integrate to form functional cognition, a skill that allows people to safely and efficiently complete daily tasks. Functional cognition is integral to the ability to age in place and is sensitive to demands in the environment. While a decline in some cognitive functions is expected with age, it is not typically observable except in the presence of pathological conditions or situations of cognitive overload from complex tasks or high environmental demands.

Older adults have identified …

A Slight Pinch, Carling Mcquinn

English Honors Projects

This project is a short story collection featuring four independent stories that each explore what it means to embrace the chaotic independence of adulthood and to confront, often for the first time, an inescapable sense of self-awareness. The first story, “Ghost Town,” follows a 19-year-old ghost confined to the Airbnb where she died, forced to face the self-destructive behavior that led to her death. Next, “Camilla” depicts the volatile friendship of college student Lexi and her best friend Camilla as it forms, shifts, and inevitably implodes as the years pass. The third piece, “A Slight Pinch,” explores the complexities of …

Grief Is Isolating. The Elegy Is Not: An Exploration Of Loss And Grief In Poems, Jennifer Terry

All Theses

Grief is a messy, complicated process, one that can be all-consuming and isolating after a loss. Victoria Chang’s poetry in Obit and Ada Limón’s Bright Dead Things both explore loss and grief by using forms and free verse to characterize the stakes that come with a loved one’s decline and the aftermath of death. Michelle Zauner’s memoir, Crying in H Mart does similar work through the use of poetic elements in the memoir form. In my collection, Elegies of Home, I encounter the same struggles like the loss of identity, loss of a parent, and use the elegy as …

One-To-One Chromebook Best Practices In Secondary-Level English Language Arts Classrooms, Jonathan M. Cook

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study aims to examine the lived experiences of secondary-level English Language Arts (ELA) teachers to better understand what, if any, best practices exist for the use of one-to-one Chromebooks in these teachers’ classrooms. Seventeen participants agreed to be interviewed for this study. All participants had at least two years of teaching experience and at least two years of Chromebook experience. Interviews took place over Zoom and were digitally recorded. Five common themes emerged from these collected data: 1) the importance of training; 2) the frequently problematic oversight from administrators; 3) the overall lack of innovation in classroom …

Ministry In A Secular World, Steve Case

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

The Securing Of Divine Attachment: The Role Of Intergenerational Sharing In Attachment-Oriented Discipleship In Youth Ministry, Kristina Freed

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Divine attachment styles, whether secure or insecure, are strongly influenced by intergenerational interactions and attachments. This paper considers the role of multiple generations on faith transmission with a view toward fostering and securing divine attachment in a way that leads to increased participation in vertical and horizontal discipleship relationships and activities. Specifically addressed are the significance of certain applications of theology and psychology to attachment processes, and how attachment styles and relationships influence faith development. Suggestions for fostering intergenerational ministry within the context of divine attachment relationships are made

Creating A Trauma-Informed Youth Ministry, Rodney Palmer

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Trauma is an event or experience that surpasses an individual’s coping capacity, often manifesting in response to various situations such as abuse, neglect, violence, natural disasters, or loss. Trauma, especially during one’s formative years, can have long-lasting and far-reaching effects on an individual’s physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Consequently, it is vital to provide a safe and supportive environment for youth who have experienced such trauma. This article provides a guide on creating a safe space, emphasizing key elements such as being welcoming and non-judgmental, using positive language, setting clear boundaries, promoting autonomy, addressing triggers, and fostering healthy relationships. …

An Exploration In Using Aesthetic Creative Modalities In Professional Supervision, Linda Young

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the integration of aesthetic and creative modalities into professional supervision, traditionally dominated by conversation-based methods. Drawing on over thirty years of experience in education, ministry, and supervision, it addresses the need for more creative, diverse, expressive, and reflective tools to be used in professional supervision practice. The study proposes a theoretically and theologically grounded curriculum to equip supervisors in postgraduate training with creative approaches that enrich learning, insight, and practice within the evolving landscape of professional supervision in Australia.

Recognizing Injustice, Reclaiming Voices: Establishing A Missing Persons Database For Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Children In Nebraska, Bayly W. Watson

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Indigenous people have been the victims of harsh persecution since the time of colonization; this has negatively impacted Native communities and has contributed significantly to the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children (MMIWC) across the United States and Canada. Under Legislative Bill 154, Richards et al. (2021) conducted an initial study to identify missing Native cases in Nebraska and in 2023, the Attorney General appointed a Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Liaison to help combat the number of missing Indigenous in the state. This thesis contributes to previous research by analyzing 20,049 reports from three …

Firearm Trauma Across Time: Investigating Civil War Gunshot Trauma And Their Impact On Modern Forensic Analysis, Morgan K. Reeder

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This thesis will examine the ballistic trauma caused by Civil War-era firearms and ammunition. These weapons, each with distinct characteristics, had a profound impact on the nature of combat and the resulting injuries. By investigating how these firearms’ ammunition interacted with human bone structure, this research will offer a detailed analysis of the trauma these weapons produced.

This research intends to answer several key research questions. First, how did the different types of Civil War firearms affect skeletal remains? Second, what are the key characteristics of gunshot trauma caused by these firearms in terms of bone fracturing and fragmentation, and …

Empowering Diversity: A Comprehensvie Approach To Minority Risk Management Education, Jahqethea Johnson

Applied Science Program: Theses

Federal programs are pivotal to the foundation of the United States agricultural sector. Program payments impact the economic well-being of agricultural producers, yet accessibility, outreach and education disparities remain prevalent among socially disadvantaged producer and agriculturists. From 2020-2024, an average of $21.7 billion dollars in federal agricultural payments have been paid to producers. Although federal funding historically supports commodity crops, livestock producers also depend on a distinct set of federal risk management programs, which are often less visible but pertinent for operational sustainability. There is a growing focus on the need for addressing disparities faced by socially disadvantaged producers and …

Telling Their Stories: Contextualizing The Narrative, Legal Atmosphere, And Need For Individualized Care For Human Trafficking Victims, Joy M. Brown

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Though known in name, human trafficking is a silent plague that often goes unseen. Its prevalence is rendered invisible by both the circumstances in which trafficking occurs and the correlation it possesses with other criminal matters. Human trafficking is a deeply individual crime that is multi-layered, and thus is one that requires unique legislation. This essay seeks to ignite clarity as to what prevention, rehabilitation, and healing look like for victims of human trafficking via interviews with providers of legal and social services for survivors. Building on the content of these interviews and my own experience as a direct-care volunteer …

The Evolution Of Dental Aesthetics: An Artistic And Cultural Journey Through History And Race, Naya L. Weems

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This thesis explores the intersection of art, dentistry, race, and healthcare through a critical analysis of how visual culture has shaped societal perceptions of dental aesthetics from antiquity to the modern day. Beginning with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Renaissance anatomical drawings, the study traces how artistic portrayals of teeth evolved into tools of both medical education and social hierarchy. Particular attention is given to the racialization of dental aesthetics, examining how caricatures, colonial pseudoscience, and exclusionary marketing practices contributed to enduring stereotypes and disparities in oral healthcare. Through the lens of cultural symbols like grills—once markers of status among Etruscans, …

Temperament And Screen Time Into Adulthood, Kareem Barbis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The possible correlation between language skills, temperament, and screen time in adulthood is understudied. It was hypothesized that high effortful control scores and low childhood screentime would corelate with higher cognitive reflection scores and higher language skills. Using a correlational design, 162 participants were studied (M age = 19.17 years old, 80% female, 86% White, 6% Hispanic). Participants completed an adapted version of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (Evans & Rothbart, 2007), Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT; Fredrick, 2005), the Cognitive Reflection Test 2 (CRT-2; Thompson & Oppenheimer, 2016), Thompson & Oppenheimer, 2016), a childhood screen time questionnaire, a bilingualism questionnaire, and …

Gendered Film Criticism And “Intolerable Images”: Representation Of Female Trauma In Brady Corbet’S Vox Lux (2018), Alison Kreul

Film and Media Studies (MA) Theses

This thesis explores Brady Corbet's 2018 film Vox Lux, focusing on its portrayal of female trauma and the subsequent gendered division in its critical reception. The film centers on Celeste, a survivor of a school shooting who rises to pop stardom, depicting an eighteen-year narrative that transforms her personal trauma into a public spectacle and a critique of American culture. Through theoretical frameworks from Judith Lewis Herman, E. Ann Kaplan, Jacques Rancière and Susan Sontag, this thesis examines how the film's fragmented narrative and stylistic shifts represent the long-term psychological aftermath of trauma, manifesting as emotional dysregulation, substance abuse, …

Language, Literature, And Culture Newsletter, Eighth Edition (May 2025), Language, Literature, And Culture Department, Clark University

Language, Literature, and Culture

The eighth issue of the Language, Literature, and Culture department newsletter, which went out in May 2025. The Language, Literature, and Culture department newsletter aims to "share stories, news, ideas, achievements, and important information about and within our academic department that can be helpful to the campus community at large".

Naming The Unpayable: Debt, Inheritance, And Interspecies Futures In Mara Pastor’S Deuda Natal, Melissa Pérez Peña

ELIN Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

A Home In Both Places: Gender, Afro-Caribbean Migration, And Transnational Home-Making In Central Brooklyn, 1920–1980, Ruth Edwards

ELIN Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Who Cares For The Caregivers? How Dance And Movement Can Benefit Caregiving Parents Of Children With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: A Literature Review, Haley E. Gilbert

Expressive Therapies Theses

Caregiver parents of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) are not able to care for themselves as often as they should be able to for their own mental and physical wellness due to their caregiving responsibilities that often carry into adulthood. These can lead to anxiety, depression, grief, and dysregulation for the parent. Dance and movement practices have been found to relieve the symptoms of these experiences while helping the child with IDD and the parent connect more, building stronger relationships. This thesis will include a comprehensive literature review of body-based theories such as the Polyvagal Theory (Polyvagal Institute, 2025), Bowlby’s …

Temporal Dynamics In Spatial Random Field Theory: A Methodological Advance In Fmri Data Analysis, Theophilus Barnabas Kobina Acquah

Dissertations

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a noninvasive tool for studying neural correlates of cognition by measuring task-evoked brain activity. Accurate interpretation of fMRI data depends on modeling the hemodynamic response (HR), which varies across brain regions and conditions. Brain plasticity adds complexity as functional changes during development and aging affect cognition, emotion, and behavior. BOLD signals display complex temporal dynamics influenced by both neural and physiological factors, challenging conventional models. This highlights the need for adaptive frameworks that account for temporal dependencies and spatial heterogeneity in neural activity detection. This current study enhances fMRI data analysis by integrating temporal …

Dancing In The Digital Age: How Social Media Shapes The Commercial Dance Industry, Luke Lisowski

Honors College Theses

Social media has fundamentally transformed the commercial dance industry, reshaping how dancers establish careers, connect with industry professionals, and promote their artistry. This thesis examines the impact of social media platforms – such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube – on career growth by facilitating networking opportunities, increasing visibility, and redefining industry standards. The research explores how digital platforms have shifted the traditional pathways to success, enabling dancers to showcase their work independently while also creating challenges related to self-promotion, competition, and mental health.

Through a series of in-depth interviews with professional dancers and choreographers actively working in the industry, this …

The Eugenic Sterilization Of Puerto Rican Women: A Case Of Us Interests And Religious/Spiritual Freedom, Anique Y. Jones

International Studies (MA) Theses

Between the 1930s and 1970s, approximately one-third of Puerto Rican women of childbearing age (20–49) were sterilized— the highest rate in the world during that time. Driven by U.S. political and economic interests, and underpinned by eugenic ideology, Governor Blanton Winship and President Franklin D. Roosevelt championed sterilization as a solution to the island’s perceived "overpopulation" and its associated problems: unemployment, disease, and poverty. While Puerto Rican women were exploited as instruments of U.S. policy, sterilization paradoxically became widely accepted as a form of birth control on the island. This thesis critically examines the power dynamics and collective responses that …

How Mental And Emotional Stress Impacts Vocal Phonation In Adolescent Singers, Samantha M. Thielen Pak

Graduate Thesis Collection

This study examines the relationship between mental/emotional stress and vocal phonation abilities in high school choir students. 17 pairs of General Health Questionnaires and Vocal Screenings were completed by four student participants. These questionnaires and screenings were completed on a weekly basis. Within the General Health Questionnaire, there were several negative correlations with “Concentration” from the General Health Questionnaire results, those being “Loss of Sleep” (r = -0.547, p = 0.023) and “Losing Confidence in Self” (r = 0.575, p = 0.016), as detailed in Table 3. The largest correlations to “Concentration” are “Under Strain” (r = -0.742, p = <.001) and “Feeling Unhappy” (r = -0.746, p = <.001). From the documented screenings, there was very little impact noted on the phonological abilities of the participants. Presence of “Non-Musical Sounds” had a strong correlation with “Tone Quality” (r = 0.683, p = 0.001), showing that there was an increase of non-musical sounds when tone quality had decreased in score.

The Ripple Archives, Aidan Harper Smith

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Throughout my undergraduate education, my writing has turned towards subjects that most people willfully ignore. I’ve been fascinated with the machine of capitalism, and how it often leads to death or unfulfilled life. We pack infinity into a small box we carry around, endless information that leaves us feeling a multitude of ways. With this endless information, progress, and consumption, comes death. Death on the personal level, a human experience for all of our sentient existence, but also death within our surroundings, and deaths worldwide, broadcasted and mediated through our technology and news sources. With the help of my honors …

From Classroom To Cell: Education, Punishment, And The School-To-Prison Pipeline In New York City, Kathryn Adelaide Howell

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Following World War II, reformers and researchers in the United States debated how to properly rehabilitate so-called juvenile delinquents. Central to this debate was the role education played in children's intellectual and moral development. New York City underwent significant changes during this discourse, enacting new disciplinary policies in public schools and opening Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, now regarded as one of the greatest failures of juvenile justice in American history. Though education has long been considered a fundamental avenue to lift individuals from poverty, its absence has also been weaponized by schools as a disciplinary technique. In what has become …

Gaslight, Gateway, Girlboss: The Empowering Possibilities Of Bimbo Feminism, Nicole Raine Foster

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a new trend arose from the social media platform TikTok called Bimbo Feminism. Bimbo Feminism is marked by an authentic embrace of femininity and the democratization of knowledge through generational slang. Through the explanation and analysis of Bimbo Feminism’s three spearheads, Chrissy Chlapecka, Nikita Redkar, and Scene Queen, this thesis defines Bimbo Feminism and explains its possibilities as a gateway feminism. Through its position on TikTok, Bimbo Feminism is able to bring new people into the world of activism. However, Bimbo Feminism must address its internal issues before it can be used as a catalyst for …

Shakespeare, Storytelling, And Science: An Exploration Of The Relationship Between The Early Modern Scientific Movement And Shakespeare’S 17th-Century Works, Morgan Mead

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The 17th-century scientific movement generated a “death of the metaphor” that reverberated across the literary landscape. The creation of the Royal Society in 1660 shifted the ways in which literature and art were represented and respected in Western society. Shakespeare's works, believed to have been written from 1592-1615, show the growing relevance of the scientific and philosophical issues and queries that led to the formation of the Royal Society. A deep dive into Shakespearean metaphor and the scientific works that were causing shifts within Shakespeare’s world provides insight into the mind of an artist consumed and perturbed by matters of …

Embodied Feminist Authorship In Stage And Screen Adaptations Of Mary Shelley’S Frankenstein, Abigail Marie Hoehn, Leah Grace Ollie

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Mary Shelley’s feminist ideals and lived experience have been illuminated by years of adaptation, retelling, and counter-discourse that have told her own story within that of her acclaimed novel Frankenstein. In this thesis project, we argue that through the process of reproducing the narrative of Frankenstein, such adaptations — on both stage and screen — have memorialized authorial identity on Shelley’s behalf, as well as highlighted her feminist outlooks on birth, motherhood, loneliness, and womanhood that live on in her creative works. By first surveying a selection of films that tell the story of both Frankenstein and its storied author, …