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Challenges To Musical And Organizational Growth In Small Rural Community High School Instrumental Music Programs In Georgia, William Kenneth Garrett May 2024

Challenges To Musical And Organizational Growth In Small Rural Community High School Instrumental Music Programs In Georgia, William Kenneth Garrett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Rural school instrumental programs are commonly categorized as small and struggling. Teaching in these programs is often considered a stepping-stone for music educators. Despite common challenges such as limited or less educated staff, underdeveloped musicians, and a lack of resources, some rural programs have found inventive solutions to combat the obstacles of rural schools and grow successful band programs. There is a need to address the obstacles of being a high school band director whose program is growing or needs to improve regarding student participation and musicianship in this setting. This qualitative research study seeks to uncover similar challenges current …


A Defense Of The Neronic Date Of The Book Of Revelation, Jason L. Quintern May 2024

A Defense Of The Neronic Date Of The Book Of Revelation, Jason L. Quintern

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are two primary dates for Revelation that are generally accepted: the early or Neronic date (A.D. 64-68) and the late or Domitianic date (A.D. 95-96). In this dissertation, the early date of the book of Revelation is defended against the commonly accepted late date. The study engages with two major texts: Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.’s Before Jerusalem Fell, supporting the Neronic date, and Mark L. Hitchcock’s dissertation “A Defense of the Domitianic Date of the Book of Revelation,” defending the Domitianic date. This present study discusses the central arguments of both Gentry and Hitchcock as it defends the Neronic …


An Exegetical Analysis On Zechariah 11, Jian Wu May 2024

An Exegetical Analysis On Zechariah 11, Jian Wu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The prophetic book of Zechariah, the longest one of the Twelve Prophets, contains many interpretive challenges. This dissertation focuses on Zechariah 11 while acknowledging textual issues and heavy influence from the Major Prophets and offers a harmonized holistic interpretation of the two sign-acts, the shepherds and staffs, and other relevant issues such as the thirty pieces of silver through applying five research methodologies. This dissertation argues that Zechariah 11 provides a retrospective of what Israel experienced to raise an alarm for them to obey God’s command. This partly explains the abrupt shift in tone from hope and promise in Zechariah …


Representation Matters: The Importance Of Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color (Bipoc) Students Identifying With Academic Advisors, Temeshia N. Lemons May 2024

Representation Matters: The Importance Of Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color (Bipoc) Students Identifying With Academic Advisors, Temeshia N. Lemons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the underdeveloped identifiable relationships with assigned academic advisors for students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at a public higher education institution. The theory guiding this study was the relational cultural theory (RCT), as it assisted with understanding the importance of BIPOC students developing identifiable relationships with assigned academic advisors. This study's central research question asked, "What are the experiences of BIPOC students building positive relationships with assigned academic advisors?" A qualitative research design was chosen for this study to explore further the experiences shared among …


A Causal Relationship Between Mobile Health Wearable Devices’ Use And Improved Hypertension Management In African-Born Immigrants Aged 45-75 In Maricopa County, Arizona, Nelson Mcnova Bryant May 2024

A Causal Relationship Between Mobile Health Wearable Devices’ Use And Improved Hypertension Management In African-Born Immigrants Aged 45-75 In Maricopa County, Arizona, Nelson Mcnova Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine if differences exist between the use of mHealth wearable devices, specifically smartwatches, and the improvement in hypertension control. The target participants were 100 African-born immigrants, both males and females aged 45-75 who lived in Maricopa County, Arizona. In the study, 100 research participants with a hypertension diagnosis were divided into two equal groups. Group 1 consisted of 50 African-born immigrants who used mHealth wearable devices, specifically the Dafit M2 smartwatches to manage hypertension (which they received for free from the researcher). Group 2 consisted of 50 African-born immigrants who used a …


Change For The Better? An Examination Of How Technology-Based Instruction During Covid-19 Changed Teaching Methods In Band, An'cheyl Davis May 2024

Change For The Better? An Examination Of How Technology-Based Instruction During Covid-19 Changed Teaching Methods In Band, An'cheyl Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite having access to such technologies, most music educators were not using online worksheets, playing exercises, or video questionnaires during daily instruction prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. For example, in the band world, the only daily use of technology may have been the metronome, as most band directors focus on playing exercises and literature during class. Band classes are “hands-on” and performance-based. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, band directors had to transition from traditional teaching to teaching band online quickly. To combat the rapid spread of the coronavirus, schools in all fifty states and all U.S. …


A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences Of English As A Second Language Adjuncts, Dawn Annette Bell May 2024

A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences Of English As A Second Language Adjuncts, Dawn Annette Bell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of adjunct English as a second language (ESL) teachers in a collegiate setting in the Southwestern United States. The central research question was: What are the experiences of adjunct ESL instructors in higher education settings? The sub-questions explored the adjuncts’ experiences with students, colleagues, and the institution. Purposeful criterion sampling was used to secure 14 participants. The setting was a community college in the Southwestern United States. The theory guiding this study was the social exchange theory (SET) since the study described teacher experiences related to students, colleagues, …


An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Exploring African American Women’S Perceptions Of Access To Healthcare In The Midwest, Ramona D. Benson May 2024

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Exploring African American Women’S Perceptions Of Access To Healthcare In The Midwest, Ramona D. Benson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore access to healthcare through the lens and lived experiences of African American Women (AAW) in Midwestern towns throughout the United States. African American women and other people of low socio-economic backgrounds continue to live with poorer health outcomes than many of their counterparts African American Women experience barriers to healthcare from a unique perspective than their White counterparts. Although medical professionals endeavor to attain equal treatment among each of their patients, significant healthcare disparities are prevalent among AAW Commonly recognized ethnic stereotypes are not always intentionally supported, however, their mere …


Determining The Impact Of Mindfulness Activities To Increase Joy In Work And Decrease Burnout: An Integrative Review, Kimberly Gleason Bogart May 2024

Determining The Impact Of Mindfulness Activities To Increase Joy In Work And Decrease Burnout: An Integrative Review, Kimberly Gleason Bogart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This integrative review aims to evaluate whether mindfulness effectively increases joy in work and decreases nursing burnout. A lack of joy leads to feelings of burnout and negatively affects nurses and their desire to leave the profession. Nursing is often accompanied by intense emotional and physical demands that can lead to job dissatisfaction, anxiety, and stress. Burnout diminishes the quality of care and negatively impacts nurses’ well-being. This integrative review aims to explore mindfulness interventions to increase joy within nursing and potentially alleviate burnout. Drawing upon existing literature, this paper examines various mindfulness interventions and factors contributing to burnout among …


Overcoming Ethos: How To Give Sport Broadcasters Credibility Who Did Not Play Their Sport At A High Level, Tyler Hill May 2024

Overcoming Ethos: How To Give Sport Broadcasters Credibility Who Did Not Play Their Sport At A High Level, Tyler Hill

Senior Honors Theses

A common assumption among viewers of broadcast sports is that broadcasters who have not participated in the sport they are discussing do not have the same credibility as broadcasters who have played Division 1 or professional sports. These broadcasters may not have the same level of ethos, which is known as one of Aristotle’s three pillars of credibility. This thesis examines different approaches to build up credibility among broadcasters who do not have experience as Division 1 or professional athletes. The methodology includes a review of scholarly and popular literature to discover what is known about credibility in sports …


The Fight Over Ideology: The Soviet Subversion Of Hungarian Culture In The Cold War Era, Mackenzie Vandixhorn May 2024

The Fight Over Ideology: The Soviet Subversion Of Hungarian Culture In The Cold War Era, Mackenzie Vandixhorn

Senior Honors Theses

In the aftermath of Nazi Occupation during World War II, Hungarians were unable to escape the clutches of dictatorial government. The Soviet Union ousted the Nazis only to assert its own control in the years following the war. To sustain its subjugation of Hungary, the USSR needed Hungarians to accept communism. The Hungarian Revolt of 1956, however, revealed Hungary’s deep resentment for Soviet rule. To sway public opinion in favor of Soviet ideology, the USSR relied on propaganda, including statues, that sought to display the USSR in a positive light during the years 1945 to 1960. However, these attempts to …


The Social Experiment: How The First Amendment Influences Private Social Media Companies, Collyn J. Kim May 2024

The Social Experiment: How The First Amendment Influences Private Social Media Companies, Collyn J. Kim

Helms School of Government Undergraduate Law Review

Social media has become one of the biggest mediums by which people communicate, socialize, and interact with each other. People follow political figures, cultural icons, and news outlets, among others, to gain knowledge on current events or the hot topic of the day. Many users, regardless of the platform, use their medium of choice to speak their own opinions and comment on the world’s issues. From prime ministers to popular memes, social media is a never-ending timeline of speech. With the constant speech and expression exhibited on social media, two important questions must be asked. First, does the First Amendment …


Using Story In Postsecondary Theological Education To Increase Student Engagement And Formation, Jake Abrams May 2024

Using Story In Postsecondary Theological Education To Increase Student Engagement And Formation, Jake Abrams

Senior Honors Theses

Due to the formative power of stories and their ability to captivate an audience, we should be supplementing contemporary postsecondary theological education (which typically relies upon the relaying of facts and fails to engage students on an emotional level) with story. This article takes a look at three studies that have tested similar concepts in other disciplines. Their findings suggest that stories do, in fact, increase and sustain student engagement, as well as increase the formative impact of the knowledge they impart. Based on their findings and my own analysis of their methods, I conclude that story would be an …


A Red Awakening: An Analysis Of China’S Quest For Global Dominance Through Economic Alternative Warfare Methods, Sarah Beddingfield May 2024

A Red Awakening: An Analysis Of China’S Quest For Global Dominance Through Economic Alternative Warfare Methods, Sarah Beddingfield

Senior Honors Theses

In the 2023 annual meeting of China’s parliament, Chinese President Xi made it clear to his political leaders and the world that he was preparing for war. This should come as no surprise after analysis of China's grand strategy points clearly to the intent to surpass the U.S. as the premier global superpower in all respects. China has been building towards this goal for years through untraditional methods of warfare, forcing the national security community to reevaluate its own strategy and assess the Chinese threat through a different lens. This thesis seeks to address one specific area in which China …


The Evolving Crime Of Sex Trafficking, Madison Krause Apr 2024

The Evolving Crime Of Sex Trafficking, Madison Krause

Senior Honors Theses

Human trafficking is a global crime that occurs in all countries regardless of status or rank. It victimizes both genders and all age groups. The two most common types of human trafficking are for the purposes of forced labor and commercialized sexual exploitation. The demand for commercialized sexual exploitation has increased throughout the United States. Technology and social media have enhanced and made the ability to commit sex trafficking easier and more efficient. The ties between pornography and sexual exploitation have also had an impact on sex trafficking recruiting and grooming.


The Influence Of Culture On Graphic Design: Rebranding Glossier For The Japanese Market, Hannah Kuvshinov Apr 2024

The Influence Of Culture On Graphic Design: Rebranding Glossier For The Japanese Market, Hannah Kuvshinov

Senior Honors Theses

Due to globalization, many companies are expanding their reach into foreign markets that have different cultural contexts. As a result, having versatile branding that can be easily adapted to different cultures becomes extremely important when communicating with consumers from other countries. To develop this branding it is crucial for companies to employ cross-cultural design, which involves much more than simply translating text into the consumers language. In order to successfully expand its products to the Japanese market Glossier will have to apply cross-cultural research to redesign their current branding materials and communication channels. This project focuses on preserving brand cohesiveness …


Improving Student Engagement Despite Lowering Attention Spans In The Classroom, Kaycee Lee Apr 2024

Improving Student Engagement Despite Lowering Attention Spans In The Classroom, Kaycee Lee

Senior Honors Theses

Attention spans have been decreasing throughout society for many years, partially due to the constant increase of technological advances. The average human attention span of eight seconds is particularly concerning to teachers and others in the classroom. It does not seem that the average attention span is ever going to increase, so teachers must implement intentional methods and strategies within their classroom to keep their students’ attention. Physical activities, technology and hands-on supports, small group instruction, shorter lessons, making intentional mistakes, flexible seating, and differentiated instruction are all strategies supported by research to improve student engagement within the classroom. Every …


Sex-Related Differences In Reaction Time During Normobaric Hypoxic Hypoxia In Physically Active University Students, Danielle Passburg Apr 2024

Sex-Related Differences In Reaction Time During Normobaric Hypoxic Hypoxia In Physically Active University Students, Danielle Passburg

Senior Honors Theses

Limited research has been completed on the sex-related differences in reaction time during hypoxic hypoxia. This is concerning due to the importance of reaction time during hypoxic hypoxia in aviation (particularly within the realm of military aviation). The purpose of this study was to examine the sex-related differences in reaction time during hypoxic hypoxia in university students. The study used a normobaric oxygen device to simulate hypoxic states and Delphi computer software to test reaction time. Subjects were physically active university students (10 females, 10 males). The results of the study showed no significant differences between sexes in reaction times …


The Impact Of Testimonies On Partner Development Strategies: Mission Work In Europe, Kimberly Witte Apr 2024

The Impact Of Testimonies On Partner Development Strategies: Mission Work In Europe, Kimberly Witte

Senior Honors Theses

This study seeks to answer how first-world missionaries can utilize research findings on the effectiveness of testimonials and apply that knowledge to partner development strategies. Research trends demonstrate that most missionaries are being sent to countries with the largest practicing Christian populations, such as those in Africa or South America, and are more likely to receive financial partnerships. Europe has a high rate of non-practicing Christians and is a cultural intersection due to the refugee crisis, leading to a need for mission work. This research will culminate in the creation of a prayer guide, highlighting testimonies of individuals impacted by …


Implementing Effective And Meaningful Environmental Graphic Design Within Modern Protestant Church Buildings In The U.S., Hannah Gilmer Apr 2024

Implementing Effective And Meaningful Environmental Graphic Design Within Modern Protestant Church Buildings In The U.S., Hannah Gilmer

Senior Honors Theses

The Church, the body of Christ, is filled with people gifted in visual arts, which should present boundless creative opportunities to encourage the body and glorify Christ. However, many modern Protestant churches in the U.S. do not reflect this creative potential in their interior spaces. Christian graphic designers have the unique gift of bringing all the visual arts together into a whole solution that communicates the message of the gospel with richness, power, and beauty. This thesis will show the process of creating environmental graphic design solutions that are intended to encourage a local church and glorify the Lord, building …


The Insufficiency Of The Causal Mechanisms Of Scientific Naturalism, Aaron R. Crosby Apr 2024

The Insufficiency Of The Causal Mechanisms Of Scientific Naturalism, Aaron R. Crosby

Masters Theses

Chance and physical necessity, serving as the two accepted causal mechanisms of scientific naturalism, are incapable of explaining the origins of gravity, the gravitational constant, and other fine-tuning parameters associated with Big Bang Cosmology. This thesis explores the origins of Scientific Naturalism, the discovery of fine-tuning parameters associated with Big Bang Cosmology, and several theories proposed under the paradigm of scientific naturalism that attempt to explain, through either chance or physical necessity, how the universe originated.


A Contemporary Pauline Apologetic Toolkit, Jayne Bertovich Apr 2024

A Contemporary Pauline Apologetic Toolkit, Jayne Bertovich

Masters Theses

This thesis recounts that societal history is repeating itself in modern times whereby there is a pattern of similarity with the Millennials and Generation Z and ancient audiences of the Apostle Paul in terms of paganism and humanism at the forefront of hearts and minds pushing back on Christianity (albeit today’s exposure to post-modernism and digital influences do not present in the ancient world of the Apostle Paul). Similarly, the ancient world was interested in the advances of its day of science and philosophy. The Millennials and Generation Z population, a majority of the population globally, are ripe for the …


Charge The Cockpit Or Die: An Anatomy Of Fear-Driven Political Rhetoric In American Conservatism, Daniel Hostetter Apr 2024

Charge The Cockpit Or Die: An Anatomy Of Fear-Driven Political Rhetoric In American Conservatism, Daniel Hostetter

Senior Honors Theses

Subthreshold negative emotions have superseded conscious reason as the initial and strongest motivators of political behavior. Political neuroscience uses the concepts of negativity bias and terror management theory to explore why fear-driven rhetoric plays such an outsized role in determining human political actions. These mechanisms of human anthropology are explored by competing explanations from biblical and evolutionary scholars who attempt to understand their contribution to human vulnerabilities to fear. When these mechanisms are observed in fear-driven political rhetoric, three common characteristics emerge: exaggerated threat, tribal combat, and religious apocalypse, which provide a new framework for explaining how modern populist leaders …


Autism And The Body Of Christ: Understanding, Accommodating, And Accepting Autistic Believers In The Church, Kaitlyn Cook Apr 2024

Autism And The Body Of Christ: Understanding, Accommodating, And Accepting Autistic Believers In The Church, Kaitlyn Cook

Senior Honors Theses

Autism is a neurotype that causes a different set of strengths and weaknesses and thus should be embraced and accommodated within the church. Not only are autistic believers able to grasp Christian concepts, but they also have different perspectives and skills that can be instrumental in building up the church. Promoting a correct view of autism and accommodating neurodiversity within the church will allow autistic believers to follow God’s command to be part of a body and build up the church. The church can employ several strategies to create an accessible environment for believers on the spectrum, including creating sensory-safe …


A Phenomenological Study Of Adoptive Parents’ Distress, Erica Rhoads Apr 2024

A Phenomenological Study Of Adoptive Parents’ Distress, Erica Rhoads

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of distress in parents who have adopted internationally. The aim was also to discover what this lived experience is like through the perception of both objective and subjective reality, providing understanding and meaning from the perception and experience of adopting and then parenting children who have experienced significant trauma. An additional goal of this study was to evaluate the experience of sharing their adoption story within a narrative therapy support group as a way to alleviate some of their distress. A focus on the background of adoption …


Fear Of Failure In High School Band Sight Reading: Effects On Student And Teacher Experiences, Andrew D. Lightner Apr 2024

Fear Of Failure In High School Band Sight Reading: Effects On Student And Teacher Experiences, Andrew D. Lightner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students' fear of failure among social, cultural, experiential, and internal pressures influence sight-reading abilities in the high school band classroom. Investigating the error culture in band sight-reading skills can affect the learning and teaching methods found in current practice, emphasizing the need to understand the experiences of both students and teachers. Band teachers may refine their teaching and learning methods to address student fears while enhancing sight- reading skills implied throughout the study. Although copious research exists on high school sight-reading methodology and rehearsal strategies to help music educators provide an all- encompassing musical experience, students may need help applying …


The Predictive Relationship Between Pre-Nursing Boot Camp Participation And Successful Completion Of The First Semester And Retention In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Misty Beth Stine Apr 2024

The Predictive Relationship Between Pre-Nursing Boot Camp Participation And Successful Completion Of The First Semester And Retention In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Misty Beth Stine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

First semester students in undergraduate nursing programs are at the highest risk for attrition, so retention of these students is a priority concern. The purpose of this non-experimental correlational predictive quantitative study was to investigate whether participation in a pre-nursing student boot camp is predictive of successful completion of the first semester and retention at an Associate Degree Nursing program at a community college in the rural Southwestern United States. Data was retrospectively obtained from archival student records for all first semester nursing students accepted into the ADN program from 2018-2022. Sample size was N = 227. The chi-square test …


Trait Morbid Inquisitiveness: Horror Attraction, Religion, And The Final Girl, Charley Elles Brown Apr 2024

Trait Morbid Inquisitiveness: Horror Attraction, Religion, And The Final Girl, Charley Elles Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

People are attracted to horror entertainment, such as movies, video games, dark tourism, and human-made haunted attractions, to experience fear and scary play. It is also utilized in research on emotional responses. Three types of attractors have been identified: dark copers, white knucklers, and adrenaline junkies. In horror movies, the evolution of threat management is exemplified by the resourcefulness and adaptability of the final girl. Furthermore, the attraction to horror-based entertainment is linked to morbid curiosity. A new research perspective known as trait morbid curiosity has identified this fascination as the development of psychological traits to handle morbid, threatening, and …


Police Brutality: The Nexus Between Historical Injustices, Police Culture And The African American Experience, Claude M. Rhone Apr 2024

Police Brutality: The Nexus Between Historical Injustices, Police Culture And The African American Experience, Claude M. Rhone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the harassment, maltreatment, and brutality of African Americans by police officers. The recent widespread condemnation and social justice protests in response to incidents of police brutality point to historical injustices inherent to the culture of policing. Slavery provides the overarching backdrop; however, Jim Crow laws cultivated the structural adaptations necessary to fulfill segregation between African Americans and Whites. The American policing model, which evolved from slave patrols to public entities, continued as an apparatus in the marginalization and disenfranchisement of African Americans. The narrative of “defunding the police” suggests that the past’s cultural proximity renders the …


Special Education Teachers' Experiences Addressing Mental Health Concerns In Students With Comorbid Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Alison L. Simmons Apr 2024

Special Education Teachers' Experiences Addressing Mental Health Concerns In Students With Comorbid Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Alison L. Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of special education teachers in public schools regarding addressing mental health needs in their students experiencing comorbid disabilities. The theory guiding this study was contextual organizational framework as it applies to individual special education teachers addressing comorbid mental health concerns in their students. The research addresses the central research question: What experiences within the organizational context(s) do special education teachers describe with regard to working with special education students with comorbid mental health disorders? All participants were special education teachers in either elementary or secondary schools, who …