Digital Commons Network^™

Crashcourse Literature: Public Humanities By Reception, Emma Luthi Price

Theses and Dissertations

CrashCourse Literature and other educational YouTube videos are essential mechanisms for connecting students and the general public to the humanities. Public humanities projects are in an intellectual tug-of-war between what academia and the diverse developing public want them to be, but that contention can and should be mediated using new media tools like CrashCourse Literature. CrashCourse Literature's emphasis on bringing the reader to the text and the text to the reader, echoes the goals of reception theory. Reception theory focuses on finding meaning in a literary text using the reader's horizon of expectations more than an a traditional, essentialist, "original' …

The Slow Violence Of Eco-Apocalypse In The Poetry Of José Emilio Pacheco, Niels H. Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of his fifty-year career, Mexican writer José Emilio Pacheco has almost habitually written poetry about environmental themes especially those related to pollution, extraction, deforestation, and other related themes of destruction. Simultaneously, his work has engaged with questions of temporality, namely the passing of time and the inherent violence of such questions. In this essay, I examine a selection of Pacheco's poetry from the 1970s to the early 2000s, demonstrating Pacheco's marrying of the two concepts: environmental degradation and time. This marriage results in a provocative synthesis of eco-apocalypse, a phenomenon that details a paradoxical end that never …

"Al This Loude Fare:" The Echo Of Renown In Chaucer's The House Of Fame, Madeline Nicole Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This paper approaches The House of Fame through the emerging lens of sound studies and discusses how Chaucer used the developing sonic theories of his day and other literary works as a catalyst for his discussion of fame in his dream vision. Chaucer's poem shows the fragile and uncontrollable characteristics of lasting fame by comparing it to the Boethian metaphor of sound functioning similarly to rippling water. The construction of The House of Fame ultimately becomes an example of this medieval sonic theory as it engages with, incorporates, and echoes themes and ideas from other texts. In exploring the process …

Creating Community For Parents: Faith, Trauma, And Online Talk, Erica Ellsworth Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood trauma and stress can lead to widespread changes in brain function that can lead to lifelong learning and living difficulties and disability that impact parental stress levels. Increasingly, parents are turning to social media to find systems of support. This Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis explores the online talk of 17 participants to better understand how they make meaning out of their participation in an online, faith-based parenting community designed for parents raising children with complex trauma exposure. Findings based on the data analysis included five overarching main themes: a) A community of experts; b) The community dethrones the experts; c) …

A Self-Study Of The Shifts In Teacher Educator Knowledge Resulting From The Move From In-Person To Online Instruction, Celina Dulude Lay

Theses and Dissertations

Given the competing contexts of teacher education, it is important to uncover what teacher educator knowledge concerning curriculum design and development emerges in design, implementation, and instruction during the transition from in-person to online contexts. Yet, there is little research that uncovers teacher educator knowledge in curriculum making generally, and more specifically, how this knowledge is carried forward or changed as teacher educators create and enact online teaching. Because transitions are an important time to uncover tacit and embodied understanding, in this self-study of teacher education practice (S-STEP), I examined my own teacher educator knowledge during planning, teaching, and reflecting …

Computing The Rank Of Braids, Justin Meiners

Theses and Dissertations

We describe a method for computing rank (and determining quasipositivity) in the free group using dynamic programming. The algorithm is adapted to computing upper bounds on the rank for braids. We test our method on a table of knots by identifying quasipositive knots and calculating the ribbon genus. We consider the possibility that rank is not theoretically computable and prove some partial results that would classify its computational complexity. We then present a method for effectively brute force searching band presentations of small rank and conjugate length.

Improving Understanding Of Liquid Viscosity Through Experiments And Prediction, Jeremy W. Passey

Theses and Dissertations

Liquid viscosity is an important thermophysical property in process design. While liquid viscosity has been studied for over a century, much has been left unexplored. The behavior of liquid viscosity between the melting point and normal boiling point are well established, but yet there is a lack of experimental data – with only 52% of the compounds in the 801 DIPPR database having experimental liquid viscosity data – and inadequate prediction methods. This project was able to measure liquid viscosity for 30 organic compounds to help fill in the gap in the 801 DIPPR database. The measured results also helped …

Micromechanisms Of Near-Yield Deformation In Bcc Tantalum, Joshua Jr-Syan Tsai

Theses and Dissertations

New materials, optimized for increased strength, ductility, and other desirable properties, have the potential to improve every aspect of modern living. To achieve these optimums, the necessary technological advancements are impeded mainly by the limits of available material models. Innovations in this field rely on research into the nature of material behavior. While a typical model of material behavior in the region near yield involves the initial linear elastic response, followed by yield and isotropic hardening, this fails to explain various important phenomena that manifest in a range of materials, such as pre-yield nonlinearity, anelasticity, yield point phenomena, hardening stagnation, …

From Sea To Waterless Sea: Archipelagic Thought And Reorientation In When The Emperor Was Divine, Summer Weaver

Theses and Dissertations

Julie Otsuka's novel When the Emperor Was Divine (2002) retells the trauma of the Japanese American imprisonment through the lens of fictional characters taken from their "white house on the wide street in Berkeley not far from the sea" to "the scorched white earth of the desert" (74, 23). The Topaz Internment Camp in Utah's Sevier Desert, where these characters were forcibly relocated, sits on the site of an ancient inland sea, Lake Bonneville, which submerged that barren desert ground some ten thousand years ago. The paleolake serves as a displaced but active character in Otsuka's novel that shapes the …

A Psychometric Analysis Of The Precalculus Concept Assessment, Brian Lindley Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Precalculus Concept Assessment (PCA), a 25-item multiple-choice instrument designed to assess student reasoning abilities and understanding of foundational calculus concepts (Carlson et al., 2010). When this study was conducted, the extant research on the PCA and the PCA Taxonomy lacked in-depth investigations of the instruments' psychometric properties. Most notably was the lack of studies into the validity of the internal structure of PCA response data implied by the PCA Taxonomy. This study specifically investigated the psychometric properties of the three reasoning constructs found in the PCA taxonomy, …

Domestic Violence Victims, A Nuisance To Society?: Moving Toward A More Equitable System In Protecting Vulnerable Women, Elizabeth Haderlie, Layla Shaaban

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Recent conversations about racial biases that exist towards the black community have required many of us to rethink systems and laws that unconsciously perpetuate racial discrimination. This article uses state, federal, and local lawsuits to argue the case against nuisance ordinances and the negative effects they can have on victims of domestic abuse, namely black women. We dive into the histories and statistics of domestic violence and nuisance ordinances. We provide evidence that indicates a correlation between domestic violence victim’s fear of reaching out for help, and nuisance ordinances being in place. Finally, we urge the federal government to amend …

From Trump Tower To Trump White House: The Rhetoric Of Donald Trump's 'Winning' Brand, Benjamin Metcalf

Theses and Dissertations

Donald Trump's rhetoric of winners and losers has prompted dangerous division in the United States. It is well understood that Trump's divisive discourse appealed to white, blue-collar Americans who had become disillusioned with the political establishment. This study explores how Trump persuaded this audience by transitioning business communication principles, highlighted by his signature 'winners and losers' theme, into politics. Trump's use of the reality television show, The Apprentice, as a branding platform had the rhetorical effect that catapulted Trump's unique 'winning' brand back into the public's consciousness. While the principles of business rhetoric Trump used in The Apprentice were clearly …

A Certainty Of Hopelessness: Adjustments To Student Exceptionalism In Bankruptcy Law, Jordan Higham, Jenica Bunderson

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

For over forty years, student exceptionalism has been a crucial doctrine of U.S. bankruptcy law, stating that student debt can only be discharged in bankruptcy under extraordinary circumstances of undue hardship. This practice has been essential for the survival of the federal student loan program, however, the high and unclear standards for what constitutes undue hardship makes it almost impossible for even the most deserving debtors to discharge student debt. This paper explores the history of student exceptionalism and makes proposals for how to balance fairness between debtor and creditor.

Plea Bargains: Justice For The Wealthy And Fear For The Innocent, Emily Stauffer

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

The Supreme Court has consistently recognized the hardships of the poor in the criminal justice system and has set a precedent that if a person cannot afford access to any level of the criminal justice system, the state must remove that financial barrier. Prosecutorial tactics in the plea-bargaining process coerce the poor into waiving their right to trial. The unequal access to trial between the poor and non-poor violates the Fourteenth Amendment, which requires that states remove any barrier that restricts the poor from the criminal justice system. The Court has left the states to decide which solutions will work …

Statehood Admissions Codification As A Protection Of Voting Rights, James Caleb Uhl

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Historically, the process for admitting territories into the United States as states has been ambiguous and subsequently discriminatory. This ambiguity, when viewed in conjunction with the inherent voting rights of United States citizens, proves a systematic violation of said rights. By defining the statehood admission process, the voting rights of United States citizens residing in territories will no longer be violated. This article proposes legislation that includes five distinct criteria intended to rectify the ambiguity and subsequent discrimination in current admissions procedures while still allowing Congress to retain its constitutionally delegated processional authority.

Bostock’S Paradox: Intersections In Lgbtq Employment Rights And Private, Religious Businesses, Christopher Smith

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Thanks to the recent opinion of Bostock v. Clayton County by the United States Supreme Court regarding the protection of LGBTQ employees in the workplace, discussion has turned to how this protection relates to religious employers. Religious organizations such as churches and mosques are afforded protections thanks to an exemption found in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The role and scope of these protections in regards to private, religious (but not religion-owned) businesses has been debated as recently as 2014 in the Supreme Court. In this paper I address this issue and determine that, underneath current ruling …

A Teacher’S Plea, Tyler Johnson

BYU Studies

Modernity surges from change to change.

The last thirty years, after all, have seen the advent of the smartphone, the proliferation of the internet, the democratization of the press, the dawn of social media, the creation of eBay and Amazon, the beginning of Google, and the birth of the post-9/11 world order.

Captain Moroni And The Sermon On The Mount: Resolving A Scriptural Tension, Duane Boyce

BYU Studies

A natural tension seems to exist between two important features of the Book of Mormon. On one hand, Mormon includes in his record a version of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus gave to the Nephites—an address that sets the standard for discipleship and that contains teachings obviously opposed to violence.1 In it, we hear about not resisting evil, turning the other cheek, going another mile when compelled to go one, loving our enemies—and so forth (3 Ne. 12:39–44). On the other hand, Mormon also presents various Nephite leaders as righteous even though they were immersed in violence. Captain …

Defend Your Families And Love Your Enemies: A New Look At The Book Of Mormon’S Patterns Of Protection, J. David Pulsipher

BYU Studies

A primary purpose of the Book of Mormon, as described on its title page, is to show “what great things the Lord hath done.”1 The whole narrative serves that goal, being saturated with frequent examples of divine goodness and guidance. Then, in the book’s stunning climax, God’s presence is made most explicit through the personal appearance of the resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, during which he displays the physical emblems of his compassion and redemption, heals broken bodies and souls, and invites everyone to become “even as I am” (3 Ne. 27:27). The power of divine love is clearly a central …

Preventing A Permanent Underclass: Why In-State Tuition For Daca Students Just Makes Sense, Christian Bowcutt, Eliza Allen

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In the landmark 1982 Supreme Court Case "Plyler v. Doe", the right to a free education was guaranteed to undocumented students. One of the reasons for this was to "prevent a permanent underclass". Today, we have a similar opportunity to lift our fellow peers by passing legislation to guarantee in-state tuition to DACA recipients. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is a program that grants temporary citizenship to qualifying children and youth who are brought to the United States with their parent(s) or guardian(s). Currently, the majority of states have not guaranteed this right to DACA students. With tuition rates …

Addressing Abuse In Drug Cases: Violence As A Mitigating Factor In Safety Valve Sentencing, Samantha Louise Burton

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Our current criminal justice system does not adequately consider the effects of abuse on drug crime offenders during the process of determining their sentences. Despite the fact that abuse has very real scientifically corroborated effects on a defendant’s culpability, judges sometimes misinterpret how abuse suffered by (predominantly female) defendants affects their participation in a drug crime. Furthermore, the safety valve—a provision that allows downward departure on a sentence for low-level nonviolent drug offenders who meet certain conditions—does not account for abuse at all. This paper proposes adding a qualification to the safety valve that prompts judges to consult with mental …

Left At The Borders: Addressing The Issue Of Inclusivity For Female Immigrants, Elizabeth S. Castillo, Brooklyn Bird, Abby Forrest, Editor

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

The United States laws, regulations, and political discourse surrounding migration is rife with varying sensitivities. These include but are not limited to the physically, emotionally, and mentally exigent circumstances that cause women and girls of many ages and nationalities to flee their home countries for the United States. Because of the structure of American immigration law and the impactful measures taken by the Trump administration, we argue the language found in the Immigration and Nationality Act neglects to address gender-specific persecution, which renders the already difficult process of seeking asylum still more challenging for women hoping to migrate to the …

Beyond #Metoo: Addressing Workplace Sexual Misconduct Cases And The Targeted Use Of Non-Disclosure Agreements, Taylor Percival, Lane Gibbons

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Recent allegations against prominent figures have brought the targeted use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in sexual misconduct cases to public knowledge. NDAs have historically been used in a variety of ways in such cases, but situations of coercion and uneven power dynamics often leave victims with no real choice, and they end up losing their right to speak publicly about their experiences. This paper discusses the history of NDAs in sexual misconduct cases, explores when and why their enforcement is unlawful, and proposes the adoption of federal legislation like the BE HEARD Act to limit the inappropriate use of NDAs.

Religious Rites And Property Rights; Intersectionality In United States Case Law, Rachel Miner

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Religious liberty and property remain two cherished human rights protected under Constitutional law in the United States. While the precedent for both rights include robust protection frameworks, religious liberty is increasingly threatened through a weakening in case law precedent. Property law offers valuable nuances and insights for how the religious liberty legal framework might be strengthened in theory and in practice. Human rights are inherently bundled, therefore, there is significant benefit to analyzing the intersectionality of religious liberty and property law both historically and currently in United States case law.

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Lengthy Minimum Parole Requirements: A Denial Of Hope, Heather Walker

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Using the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, the Supreme Court has made sweeping changes to juvenile sentencing in the last fifteen years. The Court has stated that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole and life sentences without the possibility of parole for non-homicide offenders are unconstitutional. Nevertheless, there are still unanswered questions in juvenile sentencing. One under-researched aspect of this is the role that lengthy minimum parole requirements play in the constitutionality of juvenile sentencing. This type of sentencing lacks express legislative support, it does not have a legitimate penological justification, and it denies juveniles …

Fourier Decompositions Of Graphs With Symmetries And Equitable Partitions, Darren Scott Lund

Theses and Dissertations

We show that equitable partitions, which are generalizations of graph symmetries, and Fourier transforms are fundamentally related. For a partition of a graph's vertices we define a Fourier similarity transform of the graph's adjacency matrix built from the matrices used to carryout discrete Fourier transformations. We show that the matrix (graph) decomposes into a number of smaller matrices (graphs) under this transformation if and only if the partition is an equitable partition. To extend this result to directed graphs we define two new types of equitable partitions, equitable receiving and equitable transmitting partitions, and show that if a partition of …

"Arguing The Point" In Marryat's Midshipman Novels, Jessica Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Rebels haven’t always been sexy. In fact, throughout history “fighting the power” has often revealed the ugliest side of human nature. Of course, sometimes rebellion is necessary, even if it isn’t pretty, but it should never be considered lightly. So, under what circumstances is rebellion against authority—particularly a governing authority—morally sound? Is mutiny ever justified? Such questions are difficult, perhaps impossible, to answer, but literature can be a powerful tool for dissecting them. Captain Frederick Marryat (1798-1848), often called the father of naval fiction, used his novels to air these and other morally ambiguous questions for an early Victorian readership. …

Coal Pyrolysis Models For Use In Massively Parallel Oxyfuel-Fired Boiler Simulations, Andrew Perry Richards

Theses and Dissertations

Accurately modeling key aspects of coal combustion allows for the virtual testing and application of new technologies and processes without the need for investments in lab- and pilot-scale facilities, since such facilities may only be used for a few small tests. However, modeling of subprocesses must not only be accurate but computationally efficient. Modeling of coal devolatilization reactions and processes are one of the important parts of large-scale simulations of coal combustion systems. The work presented here details efforts to improve the modeling of coal devolatilization processes in massively-parallel simulations of coal combustors, including: (1) devolatilization rate/yield models, (2) modeling …

The Effects Of Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback Frequency On Esl Writing Accuracy, Fluency, And Complexity, Suzanne H. Rice

Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic written corrective feedback is a strategy that raises student awareness of the patterned errors they make in their writing. Teacher feedback provides the location and type of error made in the form of error codes. Multiple studies have shown it to significantly improve the grammatical accuracy of student writing. This research examines the effects of the frequency of teacher feedback, on student written accuracy, fluency, and complexity whether daily or every-other-day. The total number of minutes students write for is also questioned since it is directly related to the amount of feedback students receive. This is done to make …