Digital Commons Network^™

10-03-06 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 24, Issue 5)

2006 -- 2007

No abstract provided.

Best Books Of The Decade For Children And Young Adults, Rachel Schwedt, Janice A. Delong

Faculty Publications and Presentations

With 250,000 titles on the market, teachers, librarians, and parents have an enormous challenge before them to choose the best books for the young people in their care. This presentation focuses on books for elementary and high school students, which have won state, national, or international awards within the past ten years.

"Some Spirit Was Pursuing All Of Us": Literary Perspectives On Death, Tess Stockslager

Senior Honors Theses

This paper will pursue the theme of death as a transgression against the created order through the works of five authors-the Apostle Paul, William Shakespeare, Alfred Telmyson, Dylan Thomas, and J.R.R. Tolkien-while also providing a brief overview of the perspectives on death presented in each author's writings. The paper will demonstrate that although the five authors treat death with varying degrees of positive and negative tone, often in proportion to the orthodoxy of their Christian beliefs, their writings are in agreement that man was not created to die, and that death should not be spoken or written of lightly.

Poetry Alive, Rachel Schwedt, Janice A. Delong

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Do you struggle to find poetry that students will read? This presentation introduces current poets who speak to the needs of middle school students.

"You Do Not Want To Go To The Island: "A Rhetorical Panorama Of "The Island", William Logan Barron

Senior Honors Theses

The first glance at the tropical haven emerging from the luminous teal waters arouses an awe of such a paradise. The inhabitants of a facility in the Michael Bay film, The Island, daily abide in that awe, assured in their eminent continuance succeeding a lethal global contamination. Their perception, however, is limited.

The inhabitants are components of a rhetorical vision and their view of the Island is less that panoramic. Through a rare analysis of film, the device of Fantasy Theme Analysis, devised by Ernest Bormann, interfaced with a notion of vampiring, an unobstructed cyclorama of the Island is made …

09-19-06 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 24, Issue 4)

2006 -- 2007

No abstract provided.

09-05-06 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 24, Issue 2)

2006 -- 2007

No abstract provided.

Teacher Professionalism., Christopher K. Shon

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Is teaching a profession? This article compares teachers with other professionals, such as medical doctors or lawyers, in professional knowledge, autonomy, and commitment to the welfare of the clientele. The implications for teacher professionalism include establishment of national/state standards for professional teachers, increased autonomy in teacher education, salary increase, and opportunities for promotion. However, there still remains a question of whether there will be a genuine improvement in the quality of education with “professional” teachers.

How Leaders Support Teachers To Facilitate Self-Regulated Learning In Learning Organizations: A Multiple-Case Study, David Duby

Faculty Dissertations

Leaders are rightfully concerned about the role they play in achieving an organization’s desired outcomes. For leaders in learning organizations, these outcomes are often demonstrated by academic achievement. Recent research has suggested that the selfregulated learning model is an effective way to achieve desired academic outcomes in various learning environments from kindergarten classrooms to corporate training and development departments. This dissertation addressed the leadership role in facilitating self-regulated learning in learning organizations by employing qualitative research to investigate the following research question: how do administrators in schools that support the self-regulated learning model encourage and equip teachers to facilitate self-regulated …

“Three Strikes” Legislation: Utilitarian Deterrence, Paul R. Rickert

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The author argues that current "three-strikes" legislation does not have justice as its end-goal, because it is based in utilitarian philosophy.

Select Counselors’ Perspectives On Alcohol And Substance Abuse Among Hispanic Adolescents., David E. Tetrault

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative instrumental case study investigated the issue of alcohol and substance abuse among Hispanic adolescents through the perspectives of select counselors. Hispanic-Americans are the largest and fastest growing minority population in the United States. Simultaneously, alcohol and substance abuse among Hispanic adolescents is increasing with the commensurate consequences and need for solutions.

Data was collected using semi-structured, recorded, transcribed interviews with middle school and substance abuse counselors—key informants—who practiced in a community located in the Southwestern United States. Participants’ interactions with Hispanic adolescents spanned Hispanic adolescents’ experience with alcohol and substance abuse prior to onset through treatment.

The first …

The Self-Perceived Leadership Characteristics Of Female Producers, Teresa A. Becker

Masters Theses

Through the implementation of the transformational leadership theory and selfconstructed metaphors this study seeks to understand the self-perceived leadership characteristics of female producers. By means of qualitative analysis, the leadership characteristics of twelve female producers have been subjectively and objectively analyzed. A survey constructed using the transformational leadership characteristics found by Bemard Bass, the characteristics of groundbreaking women found by Barbara Polnick et al., as well as the emotional intelligence leadership characteristics presented by David Goleman et al., was electronically distributed to twelve women from six different television news and entertainment stations in the United States, Canada, and England. The …

Developing A Purpose Driven Model For Today’S Korea Evangelical Holiness Church Pastors-Teachers, Seung Min Chang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis is to develop a purpose driven model for the pastors-teachers of the Korea Evangelical Holiness Church. This project explains that being a purpose driven education ministry means following the biblical principles behind the movement rather than copying specific characteristics that are unique to the Saddleback Church. In that view, this paper discusses how to implement Rick Warren's paradigm in the educational setting of the KEHC that has its own theological and cultural distinctives. Two kinds of surveys show that the denominational educational needs can be effectively covered through the results of the implementation.

The Women House Church Leaders Of China: Interviews With A Muted Group, Timothy R. Wommack

Masters Theses

While studying the Bakweri people of Cameroon in the 1960s, Edwin and Shirley
Ardener discovered that it was the men who dominated and controlled the power and language of the group and created the societal understanding and the cultural makeup of their tribe's identity. The men did not allow the women to speak or have a say in the elements of their culture; these women were muted. Throughout history many individuals, especially women, have been muted in any number of ways. These include political, economical, social, cultural constrictions, even to the point of death, to keep them from being represented. …

Moral Self-Concept Of Public And Christian School Teachers In An Atlanta Metropolitan Area County, Timothy Reid Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Historically, the importance of moral and ethical behavior has helped govern the educational process in the United States. The research shows that students notice and are affected by the moral character of a teacher as it is conveyed by a teacher’s behavior and lifestyle, both in and out of the classroom. This quantitative causal-comparative study, conducted in October and November of 2004, examined the moral self-concept of teachers as measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Second Education (TSCS:2). The population consisted of 210 teachers from a metropolitan Atlanta county employed by public and Christian elementary and secondary schools. The investigation …

Korean Women In America: A Comparison Of The Perception Of Leadership Between Korean American Women And Korean International Women, Eun Hye Kang

Masters Theses

This study supplements the scarcity of research on Korean women in America. It explores the perception of leadership between Korean American women and Korean international women. It was inspired by stories that were told by Korean women indicating that Korean women in America first and foremost deal with the question, "Who am I?" An additional question for this thesis was, "Who am I as a leader?" The majority answer found for Korean American women was: "I consider myself as a Korean American, although deep down I always know I am Korean." Korean international women without a doubt regard themselves as …

Audience Interpersonal Identification With The Television Series Friends As It Is Reflected In Avid Viewers Within The Twixter Life Stage, Renee Ruth Peckham

Masters Theses

Twixter is a term, popularized by Time magazine, to define what sociologists classify as individuals in their mid to late twenties who are finding themselves "betwixt and between" adolescence and adulthood (Grossman, 2005). Researchers Cote and Allahar (1996), Bennett (1994), and Buchmann (1989) have identified mass media as a key contributor to this new transitional life stage, specifically discussing the influential potential of television. As individuals identify with various televised content, fictional characters establish role models that individuals then emulate. The series Friends, in particular, portrayed this Twixter life stage. This thesis addresses Kelman's (1961) theory of identification as it …

04-04-06 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 23, Issue 19)

2005 -- 2006

No abstract provided.

Teacher-To-Student Ministry Within The Christian High-School, Joan F. Stratton

Doctoral Dissertations

The Christian high school’s central distinctive and focus should be the discipling of young believers through teacher-to-student ministry. Such ministry is its primary function as an arm of the Body of Christ and in fulfillment of biblical mandates. This project discusses the roles and needed qualifications of the educators involved in this ministry; it examines the perceptions of students, parents, teachers, and administrators regarding such ministry; and it suggests practical measures that will help schools to prioritize the work of teacher-to-student ministry and to select and nurture the teachers who can fulfill its tremendous potential.

The Effect Of Summer Enrollment In The Boys And Girls Club On Adolescent Peer Attachment, Erik Donavan Henkel

Senior Honors Theses

The formation of friendships is an important developmental step for adolescents. Peer attachment is an attachment relationship that adolescents develop with their closest friends. Research studying peer attachment has divided it into three major categories: trust, communication, and alienation, the later of which is an inverse measure of peer attachment. Youth organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA) offers places outside of school where adolescents can socialize with their peers. This study measured whether the BGCA had a significant impact on increasing peer attachment, trust, and communication while reducing alienation. Adolescents were tested at a local BGCA …

The Effect Of Music On The Human Body And Mind, Dawn Kent

Senior Honors Theses

Music has a vast influence over the nations and peoples on this planet. It has been used in every culture, and is often connected with anxiolytic and analgesic properties. Today it is used in many hospitals to help patients relax and help relieve or ease pain, confusion and anxiety. Music is also commonly used in counseling. Music therapy techniques may include guided listening or improvisational playing and are used within the context of many theories, and for many types of mental disorders, from depression to schizophrenia. Many of the healing qualities of music in counseling are connected to its use …

Minority Presence And Portrayal In Mainstream Magazine Advertising, Megan Kathleen Joiner

Senior Honors Theses

In the spring of 1997, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly published a study by Lawrence Bowen and Jill Schmid entitled "Minority Presence and Portrayal in Mainstream Magazine Advertising: An Update." The two professors of communication had selected editions from 1987 and 1992 of nine mass circulation magazines with a significant minority readership and coded every advertisement in those magazines for minority presence and portrayal. They found that the use of African-Americans in magazine advertisements had increased since the results of past studies had been published, but that the use of Hispanics and Asians remained minimal. They also found that the …

The Effects Of Family Background And Religion On Leadership, Holly R. Hastings

Senior Honors Theses

This study examined the role of family background and religion in predicting leadership skills. Research showed that the impact families and religion have on children and adolescents is significant, influencing children's attributes, habits, and beliefs for their entire lives. The experiment tested university student leaders for a significant effect of family background and religious upbringing on their leadership skills. The subjects were given an informed consent form, a demographics survey, the Santa Clara Religious Faith Questionnaire, and the Student Leadership Practices Inventory. Results are expected to show that a student from a non-divorced, stable family and a religious upbringing will …

Father Presence Matters: A Case For Family, Marcia Redmon Miles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Children from single parent homes experience disadvantages that often continue into adulthood. This qualitative dissertation project examines the pain and lived experiences of a family where father absence continued through three generations. Literature regarding father absence is reviewed, and the negative outcomes associated with fatherlessness are explored. This project combines a l2-week curriculum training, a 12-day Twelve-Step component, and a 12-month mentorship in a faith-based response to fatherlessness. The objective of this project is to reconnect fathers in a meaningful way with their children, ease pain and facilitate healing of all involved parties.

Slavery In The 21st Century, Paul R. Rickert

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper briefly examines the modern practice of slavery. It attempts to demonstrate that slavery is a larger problem than most understand, does exist in the United States, and will outline some effective means to combat it.

The Role Of The Pastor In Southern Baptist Churches: A Biblical View Versus A Prevailing View, Wilford A. Stone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project will address the role of the pastor by looking at the Biblical view of the role of the pastor and the prevailing view of the role of the pastor in the Southern Baptist Church. Biblical research will be conducted and will be presented in the Biblical view of the role of the pastor. Based on surveys sent to Southern Baptist pastors, Southern Baptist seminary students, and laity in Southern Baptist Churches, perspectives on the prevailing view of the role of the pastor will be presented. Then, the two views will be compared.

03-28-06 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 23, Issue 18)

2005 -- 2006

No abstract provided.

Intrapersonal Communication And Post-Disclosure Dialectics: An Examination Of The Dialectical Tensions Expelienced Following Self-Disclosure, Amanda Leanne Carver

Masters Theses

This paper studies the time period directly following a self-disclosure act. The narrative paradigm theory was utilized in the study of 62 narratives to reveal themes in participants' post-disclosure intrapersonal communication experiences. The narratives revealed four prevalent themes, judgment, fear, relational growth and relief. These themes were then used to validate the existence of post-disclosure dialectics. Postdisclosure dialectics refers to the intrapersonal tensions participants experiences in the post -disclosure time period.

An Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Remote Intercessory Prayer On Depression, Jason Gary Wright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study utilized a double-blind, controlled, pre-test/post-test design to examine the effect of remote intercessory prayer on 20 participants who received counseling for depression in various clinics throughout central Virginia. The researcher randomly drew from a pool of 20 numbers; participants given even numbers were assigned to the experimental group and were prayed for by assigned intercessors for 28 days. Participants given odd numbers were assigned to the control group and were not assigned intercessors. Twenty-eight days (or as soon a possible) after all participants took the first BDI-II (Beck Depression Inventory, second version) they completed the BDI-II for …

03-07-06 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 23, Issue 17)

2005 -- 2006

No abstract provided.