Digital Commons Network^™

Columbia Chronicle (05/08/2024), Columbia College Chicago

Columbia Chronicle

Student newspaper from May 8, 2024 entitled The Columbia Chronicle. This issue is 24 pages. Cover story: "The Mental Health Issue: Finding Solutions in a Crisis". Editor-in-Chief: Olivia Cohen.

Experiences Of Families Bereaved By Opioid-Related Death, Danielle Hicks, Emily Phasman, Sydney O'Shay, Luisa Kcomt, Stella Resko

Publications

Family members bereaved by a drug-related death are underserved. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 people bereaved by a close family member’s opioid-related death. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify themes in four areas: emotional responses (e.g. anticipatory grief), communication about the death (i.e. open or closed), supports (e.g. social or formal), and advice for others who lost a family member to opioid-related death. Findings highlight the need to support and reduce stigma toward people who use drugs and their families. This study guides social work practice by identifying the needs of families bereaved by opioid-related death.

Lindenwood Digest, May 8, 2024, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

Then And Now: Comparing The Representations Of Gender, Race, And Class In Rom-Coms From The 1990s To Today, Madeline Goldberg

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The formula of the romantic comedy is relatively consistent. The couple meets, they get closer, there are trials and tribulations in their relationship which lead to a confession of love, and they live happily ever after from that point on. Popularized by films such as When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and You’ve Got Mail (1998), the rom-com genre had a modern resurgence in the 1990s led by the films of Meg Ryan, and has continued to have many moments of relevance in the decades since. Romance can be a divisive genre. People who enjoy it do …

Decolonizing 20th Century Consumerism: Analyzing The Role Of Advertising In Amauta, Sam Roberts

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Nike Omni Sense Swim Guardian Googles, Dallas Silva-Dunn

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In a world where innovation meets athleticism, there is room to push the boundaries with the introduction of the Nike Omni Sense Swim Guardian Goggles. This groundbreaking smart swimwear technology represents a paradigm shift in swim safety, offering unparalleled features designed to empower swimmers of all levels. The Nike Omni Sense Swim Guardian Goggle Public Relations Campaign aims to amplify the launch of this new revolutionary product, leveraging strategic communication tactics to build brand awareness, foster consumer trust, and drive engagement among target audiences.

The Perfect Model: Exploring Gender Differences Within Commercial Graphic Design Preferences, Adeline Roberts

Undergraduate Theses

Personal preferences within graphic design are heavily shaped by social factors, including cultural practices. This project explores the effect of gendered-based experiences on visual design preferences, through investigating men’s and women’s preferences regarding graphic design elements, and the source of these opinions. The data was then used to create two educational images, which mimic contemporary magazine covers, visually illustrating the effects of gendered marketing and experiences on personal design preferences. These images were then attached to an interactive website, so that the findings and pieces from this project can be easily accessed by future audiences.

Teacher, Model, Father: An Autoethnography Of Long-Term Mentoring Between A Male Teacher And A Male Student, Si Chen

The Qualitative Report

This autoethnography offered an opportunity to have an open conversation to explore the nature of the long-term relationship with my mentor, Mr. Jiang, who has guided me to grow since I was a high school student. With confidence being a significant theme, our interaction has changed along with my growth from a boy to an independent adult man, a teacher, and now, a doctoral student. Feelings between us have been complicated and featured as puzzled, doubtful, hurt, happy, guilty, and moved. The nature of the relationship is challenging to define accurately, but it is similar to a father/son-like mutually beneficial …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald: Ways Of The Future, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period April 8 - May 5, 2024.

• Anderson, Alexandria. Letter from the Editor – Science, Technology & Business
• Anderson, Alexandria. Women in STEM Make Advances
• Novoselia, Mariia. Turnover on Fountain Square: Local Businesses Share Concerns & Success Stories
• SOKY Rentals Offers New Apartments
• Walk2Campus: Where Home Meets Community
• Bush, Camden. Can a Baseball Team Reduce Their Goals to a Math Problem?
• Hawkins, Kaylee. Student Business Owners Share Experiences – Gatara Townsend, Andrew Garrett, Brittiny Sadler
• Ivory, Larkin. Bikewalk BG, WKU CHHS Offer Chances for Healthy Lifestyle – Health & Human Services

The Mexican Immigrant Experience In Northwest Iowa: A Qualitative Pilot Study, Gabriela J. Luevano

Honors Thesis

This study focuses on acknowledging and amplifying the voices and experiences of the Mexican immigrant community in Northwest Iowa. To that end, the primary question this study answered was: “What is the experience of Mexican immigrants in Northwest Iowa?” Furthermore, this study focused on community, how Mexican immigrants understand it, when they do and do not experience it, and how they seek to create it. This study aimed to shed light on the unique experiences of this population and provide insights into better ways to support their well-being and integration among local communities.

Through thematic analysis, this study found that …

Los Intérpretes Médicos Son Un Derecho, No Un Privilegio, Morgan Uesseler

World Languages and Cultures Senior Capstones

This essay explores medical interpretation as a right, not a privilege. It argues that medical interpretation is a vital service that should be required in all healthcare settings, not just in those that are funded by the government. Themes addressed include the difference between interpretation and translation, face-to-face interpretation versus telecommunication, liabilities and risks associated with untrained and uncertified medical interpreters, and the federal law Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Challenges experienced during any medical session are underscored, while giving special focus to limited English proficient Hispanic patients whose healthcare literacy is in Spanish, not English.

Image Repair Strategies And Theories And The Lost Apology In Crisis Communication, Bridget Crowley

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This research paper examines different image repair strategies and theories, and how well three different real-life examples of recent responses to crisis utilized strategies that are discussed. The literature review covers specific image repair strategies and theories, and then there is the analysis of specific cases where public figures went through a crisis and responded in an effort to clear their names. The findings summarize why each case was not successful, and why people with large followings need to know key image repair strategies that can help save one’s reputation.

Simulating Information And Communication Applications In Employee Interaction Network Models, Matthew Kanter

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Information and communication technology (ICT) use has been identified throughout its development and evolution with the Internet boom as a net positive tool for most employees and organizations in the working world. Only recently have studies regarding employees’ well-being begun to come to the forefront of research regarding these rapidly evolving technologies, however these are important issues to discuss in the context of work-life boundary management, emotional exhaustion, overwhelming stress levels, and moral disengagement among other employee well-being dimensions. To explore how employees’ well being might be influenced by ICT use, this study conducted a quantitative survey and analyzed a …

The Prevalence Of Anti-Feminist Content On Tiktok And Youtube Shorts, Naomi Jones

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In today's digital landscape, online platforms serve as hubs of political discourse, akin to modern-day town halls. Among these platforms, TikTok has surged in popularity, emerging as a significant arena for ideological exchange. However, it has also become a breeding ground for anti-feminist rhetoric, a trend not exclusive to TikTok but also observable across competitors like YouTube Shorts. A content analysis conducted on the initial 100 videos suggested by both TikTok and YouTube Shorts for a new account revealed several noteworthy insights. Within this sample, it was found that 5% of TikTok videos contained anti-feminist themes, while only 3% of …

Asian American Represenation In Sitcoms, Anna Blake

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Representation of minorities in the media is powerful in shaping the public’s perceptions of a community or group. Some well-known Asian stereotypes are that they are good at math, tiger moms, and foreigners. In the literature review, I found that in addition to those common stereotypes, Asians were commonly portrayed as model minority myth, kung fu master, dragon lady/lotus blossom, and family-oriented. Using a quantitative content analysis approach, I examined how Asian Americans are portrayed in American sitcoms and searched for positive and negative representations. I analyzed 24 episodes of Fresh Off The Boat, which aired from 2015 to 2020 …

Media Censorship’S Development In The Information Age: Authoritarian Case Studies In Europe During The 20th And 21st Centuries, Carter R. Linke

Honors Thesis

The Information Age has dramatically changed how people consume information. With the availability of smart devices and the Internet greater than ever before, a population’s ability to receive multiple news reports and instant messaging has continued to prove beneficial to democratic societies. With these same technology improvements, authoritarian governments have been forced to adapt censorship policies to eliminate the Information Age’s push towards the free press. Since the 20^th century, authoritarian countries have introduced policy solutions to the growing connectivity across the globe. From the German Holocaust to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, censorship has aimed to control their …

Ethnic Identity Development And South Asian Stereotypes In 'Never Have I Ever', Priya Dutta, Allison Noyes

Honors Thesis

Intersectional media serves as poignant representations of marginalized communities, and as few positive models exist, researchers must explore the efficacy and impacts of celebrated works on consumers’ perspectives.

“Ethnic identity is less a process of ‘being’ and more a process of ‘becoming…’ The factors that form an ethnic identity allow its members to establish their distinguishing features from other groups, creating a sense of solidarity, belonging, and connection within their own definable cultural group through customs and celebrations, like festivals and religious gatherings, as well as through particular cultural artifacts, like a style of dress” (Stuart Hall, 1996). I will …

The Activist Corner - Ecojustice Insights From The Field, Coralie Boulard, Lucas Zabotin

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

No abstract provided.

Diverse Voices, Sticky Maps And Wicked Patterns. Using Creative Methods To Explore Environmental Justice, Clare Saunders, Daksha Patel

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

Environmental justice is multi-faceted. It is distributional, procedural and context inter-dependent. Achieving environmental justice therefore requires transdisciplinary thinking and collaborative practice with participants holding a variety of experiences and knowledges. This paper explores the different meanings of environmental justice in theory, and through artistic practices. It introduces and evaluates a series of creative workshops designed to enhance understanding of environmental justice. The workshops consisted of 1) image-informed co-created cross-national Zoom conversations; 2) using colours and shapes to tease out meanings of environmental justice; and 3) mapping local environmental injustices while centring more-than-humans. It proposes that these creative methods are useful …

Powering Justice: Sketches For A New Ethos In Energy Policy, Erin Rizzato Devlin

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

Energy politics lie at the heart of human activity. In a time of ecological and energy crisis, it is fundamental to realise that our reality systems are always open to change and that, in order to respond to the challenges of a changing energy landscape, we must explore the full possibilities of technology in a radical way. This research aims to consider the ethical implications of energy and technology, presenting an urgent case for cosmotechnical pluralism, that is the diversification of world-views, knowledges, technologies in the pursuit of energy justice in global politics. To reconstruct the world and its politics …

Notes On Contributors

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

No abstract provided.

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 8 - May 2, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 8 - May 2, 2024. 28 pages.

Collective Memory And Place Attachment Expressed As Communicative Constitution Of Community, Amy Jo Ellefson

Dissertations

Twenty-six residents of Ralston, Nebraska recorded oral histories for use in the city library’s 100-year anniversary celebration. The recordings build a limited history of the city and expose residents’ collective memories as a conduit to place attachment in a changing community. By positioning the City of Ralston as an organization using the Four Flows approach to the communicative constitution of organization [CCO], I examined communication by members of the organization as maintaining the city. Qualitative coding of the city’s Facebook page and narrative analysis of the oral history recordings produced identifiable categories related to collective memory, place attachment, and the …

An Open Conversation: Deliberating Perceptions Of Power Through New Media, Abigail Barnes

Dissertations

This research aims to investigate aims to critically assess how mediated participants utilize new media spheres deliberate upon perceptions of power through rhetorical criticism and critical discourse analysis. Since the conception of social media, users have utilized the platforms to network, negotiate, and dissent from controversies through mediated public deliberation. The present study aims to nuance how Habermas’ original conception of deliberative rhetoric has transformed through new media deliberation. To exemplify this change in deliberative rhetoric, the present study will also critically evaluate online social movements through the case study of the AOC Tik Tok Challenge, responses to online controversies …

Modern News Consumption Habits Further Exacerbate Bias And Intellectual Isolation Of Audiences, Gabriella Lee Morando

Communication Science and Disorders Honors Theses

Trends show that users continue to turn to social media as one of, if not their only, source for news. Compared to how legacy news media gives consumers a comprehensive overview of information, social media platforms’ recommender systems and algorithms repeatedly feed users tailored sets of news, or what can be perceived as news. A systematic literature review found that users can adopt the same biased views reflected on their social media feeds as they are placed into echo chambers or “filter bubbles” of information. While social media offers users the allure of feeling informed almost instantaneously, the accuracy and …

Generosity And Philanthropy In The “Third Place”: A Documentary Short To Celebrate And Promote Cause-Driven Community Spaces, Patrick Dowell

Communication Science and Disorders Honors Theses

This thesis explores the vast potential inherently found within community spaces in fostering a sense of belonging and spurring positive social change. Through an in-depth examination of Indianapolis’ vibrant coffee culture and a local coffee shop– Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company– as a case study, the project delves into the dynamics of community building, generosity, and social impact within “third places”. Through interview-based documentary filmmaking, the study highlights the transformative power of community spaces like Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company in nurturing connections, supporting local causes, and promoting civic engagement. The documentary short film, Serving with Generosity, serves as both a celebration …

Spectacles Of Security: Deconstructing Visual Narratives Of Operation Lone Star, Terry Kincer

Theses & Dissertations

Operation Lone Star was a border security initiative launched by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in March 2021. Serving as the intermediary between the military and the public, the Texas Military Department's YouTube channel, TMD Operation Lone Star, produced news-style short digital videos aimed at documenting and promoting increased security along the U.S.-Mexican border. Drawing on Peter Andreas's (2022) concept of the border as a symbolically manipulated site, this study deconstructed these videos to analyze the visual strategies employed in depicting the migrant crisis as a threat to the United States. Through an examination of thematic categories such as massification, …

The Effects Of Communication Overaccommodation On Non-Native English-Speaking Employees In The U.S. Workplace, Elizabeth Curtis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Communication overaccommodation (CO) takes the form of baby talk, speech mimicry, and overcommunication, and its effects on recipients have been studied in physician/patient relationships, civilian/police officer relationships, manager/employee relationships, and native and non-native speaker communications. This study focused on CO in non-hierarchical relationships between native English-speaking and non-native English-speaking employees in the U.S. workplace. I investigated the effects of CO on non-native English-speaking co-workers, regarding their feelings of exclusion and satisfaction with their job. I also investigated the potential moderation effect of English proficiency on non-native English-speaking employees’ feelings of being excluded. It was found that the level of English …

Investigating The Relationships Between Study Abroad, Language Immersion, And Intercultural Sensitivity, Isabella Bea Battistoni

Communication Science and Disorders Honors Theses

An increasing number of students are choosing to study abroad. Once only an experience for those learning a language (University of Delaware, 2024), international education has become much more accessible for students of all disciplines. When choosing a program, students face a decision in choosing the level of language immersion and learning the trip will offer. This study examined the impact of different levels of language immersion on a student's intercultural sensitivity following a short-term study abroad trip. Intercultural sensitivity, defined as, “an individual's ability to develop emotion towards understanding and appreciating cultural differences that promotes appropriate and effective behavior …

Advertising On Snapchat: Exploring The Influence Of Celebrities Among Young Women In Saudi Arabia, Hessah Alqahtani

Dissertations

This study explored the influence of Snapchat celebrities on the purchase decisions of young women in Saudi Arabia. Uses and Gratifications theory and Source Credibility theory were used to investigate motivations for and factors that affect engagement with Snapchat celebrities. An online survey was conducted among 467 social media users. It was found that most Saudi women (62.9%) were motivated to engage with Snapchat celebrities to seek information.They would likely to purchase products endorsed by celebrities who were deemed trustworthy, attractive, and experts in the field. They also responded more favorably to celebrities who they believe are a fit for …