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2026 The Lindenwood Gateway Reader, Lindenwood University

The Lindenwood Gateway Reader - Full Issues

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The Resurgence Of Nationalism In Germany And The Alternative Für Deutschland, John L. Wardlaw Jr

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

I examine the rise of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) within the broader historical and ideological course of German nationalism. In doing so, I argue that following the Prussian-led unification of Germany in 1871, nationalism became entrenched as a constitutive feature of the German identity, not only as a political ideology, but also as a foundational sociocultural framework. Rather than emerging sporadically, nationalism persisted in a latent form throughout Germany’s modern history; latent in that nationalism could be reactivated and shaped through the intentional efforts of particular political parties during periods of sociopolitical and economic strain. To analyze this phenomenon, …

A Preliminary Study On A Variant British Recension Of De Excidio Troiae, Kailee M. Rowe

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dares Phrygius’s De excidio Troiae (“On the Destruction of Troy”) is a fifth or sixth century historical account of the Trojan War that gained significant attention during the medieval period in western Europe. Surviving in over 200 manuscripts, De excidio Troiae had been widely disseminated, developing different traditions in Latin as well as inspiring translations and adaptions in vernacular languages, such as Irish, Middle High German, and Old Icelandic. Dares was considered one of the most reliable sources on the Trojan War, partly because of the decline of Greek in Western Europe, but also partly because of its claim to …

Learning From Practice: Autoethnographic Reflections & Practitioner Perspectives On Inclusive Engagement For Bipoc, Mml, And Special Education Students, Mikayla A. Aquino

Program in Community Action (PICA)

This study examines how educators conceptualize, enact, and experience inclusive engagement for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, multilingual learners (MLLs), and students with disabilities, and how structural conditions shape their capacity to implement equity-oriented practices. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with ten educators from Lakewood, Illinois, and Harborview, Connecticut, alongside autoethnographic reflection, this qualitative study centers practitioner voices to investigate the gap between educational policy and classroom practice. Grounded in Bettina Love's abolitionist teaching framework and Alison Kafer's political-relational model of disability, the analysis situates educator experiences within systems shaped by racism, linguistic hierarchy, and ableist normativity. Thematic …

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

The first edition of the Florence Normal College Quarterly

Blue Waves And Razor Blades: For Large Jazz Ensemble / Big Band, Mikel Shane Prather

Graduate Thesis Collection

The concept and main theme of Blue Waves and Razor Blades originally began in 2014 when I was a young composer attending Butler University for my master’s degree in composition. The idea of the piece was to use flow and motion based upon my imagining of an ocean wave crashing into the bank, sometimes moving past rocks and barriers causing slight tension. The theme and the beginning structure was created and originally titled Blue Waves. Before I could really focus on this piece, opportunities arose in Los Angeles where I started my current career in the music film industry and …

Immigrants: Neighbors Or Strangers? An Analysis On Christian Thought And Immigration, Mariah G. Rivera

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This thesis examines the relationship between Christian thought and perspectives on immigration in the United States, particularly in the context of the current Trump administration, which is focusing heavily on restrictive immigration policies. It explores the historical relationship between religion and government through government commissions, as well as changes in key immigration policies such as the “sensitive locations” guidelines affecting enforcement at and near places of worship. Drawing on biblical scripture, the thesis identifies key themes of loving the stranger, assisting the vulnerable, and obeying governing authorities, all of which inform Christian interpretations of immigration.

Through analysis of national and …

¿Salvar El Mundo O Las Notas? Mahō Shōjo En El Contexto De La Reforma Educativa Lomloe, Daniel Romero Benguigui

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

La década de los 90 supuso la apertura cultural japonesa, pues sería cuando las producciones anime se realizaron para ser visionadas en el extranjero, lo que llevaría a la globalización de unas narrativas asentadas en la sociedad japonesa. Esto queda manifiesto en la distinción shonen/shojo, siendo el primero un producto dirigido, respectivamente, a una audiencia juvenil masculina o femenina, siguiendo la demografía nipona mediante una serie de temas y referencias que, para el resto de países y sus comunidades, no podían interpretarse del mismo modo, fomentando una lectura propia.

Un ejemplo de ello se localiza en Sailor Moon (1991), …

Unpacking American Reception Of Glocalized Non-English Content In The Netflix Era, Sur Govindarajan

Dissertations

The swift growth of streaming services has revolutionized the worldwide distribution of media, making it possible for non-English and non-English-adjacent content to reach American consumers on a never-before-seen scale, which is sometimes perceived as an indication of increasing cultural tolerance. However, while a lot is known about what audiences see, far less is known about how they really understand and assess these stories. There is a fundamental vacuum in our understanding of audience reception as a lived, meaning-making process because previous research has mostly focused on consumption patterns. In order to close that gap, this study examines how American audiences …

Neither Academy Nor Convent: Reconciling Religious And Feminist Readings Of Mary Astell, Hannah E. Brown

Honors Theses

Mary Astell is frequently interpreting through competing frameworks: as either a feminist advocate of women’s rational autonomy or a religious conservative committed to Anglican orthodoxy. This division reflects a broader tendency in Astell scholarship to separate her intellectual, moral, and theological commitments into distinct and often conflicting domains. This paper argues that such fragmentation is not grounded in Astell’s own philosophy but is instead the result of interpretive assumptions—particularly the view that intellectual autonomy and religious obedience are incompatible. By examining Astell’s account of reason, education for women, and spiritual development, this paper demonstrates that these elements form an integrated …

American Coverage Of The Killing Of Awdah Hathaleen: A Case Study, Charlie F. Nichols

Journalism

This project analyzes coverage from major American news outlets regarding the killing of Awdah Hathaleen by Yinnon Levi, using firsthand accounts of the event as a point of reference. These accounts are organized into a timeline of the event that coverage is compared with. The propaganda model outlined in Manufacturing Consent by Herman & Chomsky (1988) is used as a theoretical framework, namely the concept of unworthy victims. This framework posits that victims of violence perpetrated by American client states are framed as deserving of said violence. This addresses a gap in the literature of comparing coverage with a verifiable …

The Implications Of Music Therapy On The Human Mind, Mckayla Martin

Senior Honors Theses

Music therapy harnesses the power of music in clinical settings. It is primarily used to support mental health. Music affects areas such as anxiety, memory, and brain plasticity. Therapeutic music practices can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance specific types of long-term memory, and encourage neuroplasticity. It is an effective, non-invasive treatment for those experiencing mental distress. Ongoing research on the effectiveness of music therapy in clinical settings has the potential to significantly improve the treatment of mental illness, disorders, and disabilities.

Swimming Sucks, A Retrospect On Hard Work And Dedication, Braydon Ohrtman

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This is my take on the popular This I Believe media project that originated in the 1950's. They're around 500 words, and are supposed to explain a core belief of someone through a story of someone's life. My essay is about my experience swimming and how it gave me the ability to persevere, and how I applied my perseverance to my academic life.

History Of The State Normal College, D. S. Burleson

Documents

An article on the history of State Normal College, including LaGrange College and Florence Wesleyan University, written by D. S. Burleson. Published in the Florence Normal College Quarterly. 

New Clubs: Taking Roots, Diorama, 1981

Documents

Article with photographs describing the 1981 introduction of four new campus organizations: Delta Sigma Theta, Ascending Voices, Fashion Forum, and the University of North Alabama Film Society. The article is derived from the Diorama, the student yearbook.

Internalizing Diasporic Peoples: How Do We Keep Native Hawaiians Connected?, Kallie P. Kaaihue-Paopao

Whittier Scholars Program

In the attempt to better understand the grounds for the generation culture disconnect of identity in Native Hawaiians, I study the diaspora of my people. Diaspora is the dispersion of people from their native lands. I find interest in this aspect of my people because the most common studies blame our dispersion on socioeconomic status and as a Native Hawaiian that wishes to do more for her people, I want to express that while it plays a part that there is a disconnection between the social actions and reactions of Hawaiʻi’s people. Common questions that I find unanswered are, why …

The "Evil Forest" As Threshold: A Computational Eco-Feminist Study Of The Forest In Nigerian Fantasy, Cynthia O. Mbagwu

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the representation of the “evil forest” in Nnedi Okorafor’s Zahrah the Windseeker and Ukamaka Olisakwe’s Don’t Answer When They Call Your Name, arguing that the forest functions as a liminal threshold that catalyses female transformation. Combining close reading with computational tools like TF-IDF keyword extraction in Ruby and sentiment analysis using VADER, the project investigates how pre-colonial and colonial connotations of the “evil forest” are re-imagined in contemporary Nigerian fantasy fiction. By segmenting each narrative into pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal phases, the study tracks shifts in sentiment toward the forest and correlates them with thematic developments …

The Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference: Breaking Down Constructed Borderlands, Melissa Rios

Music ETDs

Despite its significant contribution to the educational mariachi movement in the United States, the history of the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference (LCIMC), established in 1994, remains largely absent from existing scholarship. This study offers a historical account of mariachi music in Las Cruces and the development of the LCIMC, establishing a foundation for future research on mariachi music in the Mesilla Valley. Distinct from other mariachi conferences that emerged at the turn of the 21st century, the LCIMC was shaped by its location in a border city in New Mexico. Conceptualizing both physical borders and metaphorical border spaces as …

Transforming Theory Into Action: Feminist Frameworks In Reproductive Justice Organizing, Ella R. Mitchell

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This honors thesis examines how feminist theoretical frameworks can be translated into practical strategies for reproductive justice organizing. Grounded in a reproductive justice framework and drawing on three key feminist frameworks, intersectional feminism, queer feminist theory, and feminist ethics of care, this paper explores how each provides critical tools for understanding and responding to reproductive oppression. Intersectional feminism illuminates how overlapping systems of inequality structure reproductive experiences and political marginalization. Queer feminist theory challenges heteronormative assumptions about family, gender, and reproduction, expanding reproductive justice discourse to include LGBTQ+ communities and diverse forms of kinship. Feminist ethics of care emphasizes relational …

Piano Composition And The Role Of Women In Nineteenth Century Europe, Khang Nguyen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In the nineteenth century, women underwent a social transition, slowly obtaining more employment and educational opportunities. The lives of women piano composers were similar, with their status as women affecting their compositional careers. This thesis explores the connection between piano composition and the role of women in the nineteenth century, with a focus on Western Europe. A brief history of Europe in the nineteenth century will be given, followed by an overview on how music and the music industry were gendered at the time. Then, the lives of Clara Schumann, Fanny Hensel, and Agathe Backer Grøndahl will be analyzed as …

Lewis Carroll’S Curious Creatures: Examining Carroll’S Use Of Animal Characters Within The Context Of His Life And Victorian Era England, Nima M. Faunce

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) has maintained a wide readership since its publication, but many aspects of Carroll’s original intentions and inspirations are lost on modern readers. By examining his animal characters through the lens of his personal life and Victorian England, a deeper understanding of his novel is uncovered. Some of his characters directly reflect individuals from his real life, such as the Liddell family, while other characters provide a window into Victorian beliefs and practices. This paper investigates each of Carroll’s animal characters in order of appearance and determines possible points of inspiration from his personal …

The Consumptive Female Ideal: The Case Study Of “Snow White”, Nayla G. Torres Ruiz

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Tuberculosis (TB), also known as “consumption” or “phthisis,” was one of the most pervasive and culturally significant diseases of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Despite its high mortality rate—claiming more lives than cholera and smallpox combined—TB was widely romanticized in art, literature, and popular culture, particularly as a feminine disease associated with beauty, purity, fragility, and moral virtue. The physical traits of consumption—pale skin, rosy cheeks, red lips, glassy eyes, and a slender, delicate frame—became an ideal of female beauty, one that many women sought to emulate through restrictive diets, toxic cosmetics, and evolving fashion trends, such as increasingly tight …

The Illusion Of Absence, Abraham K. Ali

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Illusion of Absence is a collection of thirty poems with a critical introduction that examines the poetic legacy of paternal absence and the reconfiguration of family in Africa and diasporic narratives. I grew up in Nigeria without my father. His absence has shaped my understanding of love, silence, manhood, and home. This manuscript is an exploration of the lasting legacy of my father’s absence and its place within an exploration of masculinity within the broader context of the African and diasporic experience. My mother became the focal point within the home as she brought cohesion and unity within the …

Redefining The Mother Wound: Marianism, The Church, And Communal Mothering In Las Madres: Latinas In The Heartland Who Led Their Family To Success, Maria R. Loya-Pérez

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis reconsiders the restrictive role assigned to Mexican mothers that is perpetuated by the Church and Marianism, and how those restrictions are liberated by communal mothering. In examining how a Mexican mother is expected to act based on cultural expectations, I analyze the stories of three real mothers from the familial autobiography Las Madres: Latinas in the Heartland Who Led Their Family to Success. I analyze three mothers, the matriarch Candelaria, her daughter Rafaela, and her daughter Irene to better understand how the Church and Marianism has restricted them based on the experiences of Candelaria. These restrictions when placed …

Killing The Hot Vampire: Gender, Camp, And The Stakes Of Desire In Nineteenth-Century Vampire Fiction, Ella G. Kehr

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis examines the representation and destruction of the Hot Vampire in nineteenth-century vampire fiction, focusing on Dracula (1897), Carmilla (1872), and The Blood of the Vampire (1897). It argues that these texts construct the female vampire as a figure of excessive sexuality, independence, and deviance which causes both societal (patriarchal) and narrative disruption. In the male-authored texts, the construction of the Hot Vampire is exaggerated beyond the neat bounds of gothic excess and monster theory. The destruction of these vampires also follows this unbound extravagance. The Hot Vampire’s death becomes the ritualized restoration of patriarchal order, which is often …

The Ballad Of Blorg, Isaiah Morgan '26

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

Justus Morgan is a Song major in his senior year at DePauw. He is delighted by those places beyond the expanding frontiers of his knowledge and writes about everything from not falling in love to imaginary wetlands to that one look from Margiela's S/S 1990 runway show. He recommends skygazing.

If The Flowers Were To Wither..., Ira Satpathy '28

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

Ira is a rising junior majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. They work at The DePauw, and also host a podcast on feminist philosophy. Ira loves to draw portraits, play badminton, and scroll their Substack feed endlessly.

Chandu, Ira Satpathy '28

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

Ira is a rising junior majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. They work at The DePauw, and also host a podcast on feminist philosophy. Ira loves to draw portraits, play badminton, and scroll their Substack feed endlessly.

Microbes Among A Decapitated Rabbit, Isaiah Morgan '26

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

Justus Morgan is a Song major in his senior year at DePauw. He is delighted by those places beyond the expanding frontiers of his knowledge and writes about everything from not falling in love to imaginary wetlands to that one look from Margiela's S/S 1990 runway show. He recommends skygazing.

Mondays At Moore's, Jane Duffy '26

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

Jane Duffy is an English Writing and Studio Art double major at Depauw University. She is a painter, a creative writer, and the Editor-in-chief of A Midwestern Review for her fourth year of involvement. She enjoys hiking, drinking coffee, travelling, and creating things inspired by observation of the world around her.