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Masters Theses

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Resiliency In The Shadows Of The Ivory Tower: Examining The Strategies Utilized By Undocumented Students To Succeed In Higher Education, Estefany Paniagua-Pardo M.Ed May 2022

Resiliency In The Shadows Of The Ivory Tower: Examining The Strategies Utilized By Undocumented Students To Succeed In Higher Education, Estefany Paniagua-Pardo M.Ed

Masters Theses

Undocumented students experience uniquely distinctive barriers in their pursuit of postsecondary education. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which undocumented students make meaning of their lived experiences by examining the various dimensions of their educational journey outside of the broader legal and political context. The study specifically highlighted undocumented student stories to investigate the strategies used by individuals to survive, persevere, and navigate institutions of higher education. Rooted in Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth Model, this qualitative study used semi-structured interview methodology to unveil the ways in which undocumented students utilize numerous and intersecting forms …


Police Education And Its Influence On Traffic Enforcement Performance, Shatavia Monique Kennedy May 2022

Police Education And Its Influence On Traffic Enforcement Performance, Shatavia Monique Kennedy

Masters Theses

In demanding occupations, the preference for formal education is presumptive when improving competency and workmanship. This study assesses the correlation between college education and traffic enforcement performance within a local police department in Aberdeen, North Carolina. In this study, performance strictly refers to issued traffic citations and traffic enforcement. The research consisted of a secondary analysis (public records) using qualitative data. Data were collected to determine which officers issued the most traffic citations from the highway patrol unit from January to June 2021. Second, qualitative data were collected via an interview with one of the department officers to obtain demographic …


A Case Study In Developing An Apologetic Discipleship Model Among Second Generation Haitians In Florida, Mesack Dieudonne May 2022

A Case Study In Developing An Apologetic Discipleship Model Among Second Generation Haitians In Florida, Mesack Dieudonne

Masters Theses

This thesis seeks to demonstrate that equipping second-generation Haitian believers in Florida requires a contextually-appropriate, apologetics discipleship model. This project starts with an examination of the weakness or absence of the use of current apologetics discipleship among second-generation Haitians, which gives birth to unequipped second-generation Haitians ravaged by worldview conflict and who leave the church in record numbers. Building upon this foundation, this work sheds light on a cultural shift among second-generation Haitians. The objective is to isolate some key discipleship factors among second-generation Haitians in Florida by examining the fear of some Haitian pastors to address voodoo and its …


A Convention To Save America, Andrew Todd Looker, Jr. May 2022

A Convention To Save America, Andrew Todd Looker, Jr.

Masters Theses

Article V of the United States Constitution articulates the methods for amending the Constitution. Amendments are formally recommended by either a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress or by a vote of two-thirds of the state legislatures. This latter method is known as a Convention of States. Despite its inclusion in Article V, no amendment has yet been proposed for ratification by such a convention. This research aims to explain the history of Article V, the process for an Article V Convention, the current efforts to call such a convention, and amendments that should be considered at this convention. …


The Decline Of Middle School Music Programs In Major U.S. Inner-City Schools, Kuronde Washington May 2022

The Decline Of Middle School Music Programs In Major U.S. Inner-City Schools, Kuronde Washington

Masters Theses

This study examines the correlation of music programs in inner-city schools to affluent schools. This thesis will view the impact of socioeconomic status, living environment, retention of teachers, high-accountability testing, and how these factors affect the reduction of secondary music programs in inner-city schools. This research is intended to aid music teachers as well as administrative supporters improve the quality of music education in inner-city schools.


Exploring Strategy Planning And Execution Methods In Church Missions Programs, Jonathan Daniel Deming May 2022

Exploring Strategy Planning And Execution Methods In Church Missions Programs, Jonathan Daniel Deming

Masters Theses

The aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which church missions programs employ strategic planning and execution methods. In order to validate available literature on the topic of strategic planning (both biblical and secular), the author contributes a current survey dataset which validates the problem and highlights specific areas of potential improvement. This research successfully articulates the need for North American Southern Baptist Convention churches to focus on strategic planning. In analyzing the survey data, one is able to understand the cause-and-effect relationships between successful strategic planning and a church’s ability to optimize their ability to advance …


Homeschool 101: Using Visual Media To Promote Awareness Of Homeschooling, Steven Roscoe Sherlin May 2022

Homeschool 101: Using Visual Media To Promote Awareness Of Homeschooling, Steven Roscoe Sherlin

Masters Theses

Parents who are making decisions about the education of their children can benefit from a general awareness of the full range of schooling options available to them. Although the United States has seen its homeschooling population grow to all-time highs in recent years, many people are still unfamiliar with what homeschooling is actually like in practice. Some parents fail to recognize homeschooling as a viable option because of they are unfamiliar with its potential benefits, standard homeschooling methods, and resources for homeschooling families. This thesis reviews the homeschooling research literature and overviews relevant case studies to inform a visual solution …


Praise, Prayer, And The Power Of God: Modern Miracles, Leslie Parker Jackson May 2022

Praise, Prayer, And The Power Of God: Modern Miracles, Leslie Parker Jackson

Masters Theses

Miracles exist, and the study of them and their existence has continued for years. By studying credible, contemporary research about miracles, scholars and everyday people alike can determine this fact. The research provides definitions, although one consistent definition is not agreed upon by scholars. Examples of Old Testament, New Testament, and modern-day miracles follow these definitions to prove to those who are searching for answers that miracles happen all the time. The only requirement is for everyday people to look around them and observe the miracles taking place in their lives. In this thesis, I will convey the definitions of …


Next Gen: Guiding Dads As They Spiritually Guide The Next Generation, Deylan Michael Smith May 2022

Next Gen: Guiding Dads As They Spiritually Guide The Next Generation, Deylan Michael Smith

Masters Theses

The spiritual development during the teenage years are pivotal in determining the religious and spiritual values as teenagers transition into adulthood. As serious as this stage of development is, there is a lack of involvement in the faith development of teenagers on the part of parents, specifically Christian fathers. With this lack of paternal support during faith development, the percentage of those leaving the church during adolescents and early adulthood is rapidly increasing. The aim of the research was to understand important milestones in spiritual development of teenagers, why Christian dads are uninvolved in this development, and best strategies for …


On The Shores Of Perga: A Theological Analysis Of John Mark’S Departure From The First Pauline Missionary Journey And Its Implications For The Gentile Mission, Erbey Galvan Valdez May 2022

On The Shores Of Perga: A Theological Analysis Of John Mark’S Departure From The First Pauline Missionary Journey And Its Implications For The Gentile Mission, Erbey Galvan Valdez

Masters Theses

In approximately AD 48, the Apostle Paul, his coworker Barnabas, and Barnabas’ cousin, John Mark, boarded a ship at Seleucia and headed for Cyprus to initiate their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4). It was during this mission that an unexpected setback occurred—John Mark departed from the mission shortly after their arrival at Perga in Pamphylia. Although Luke offers no direct reason for Mark’s departure, the events that soon unfold point to an unprecedented movement that occurs within the Gentile mission. This study examines the viability of the idea that John Mark's departure was potentially motivated by theological differences with Paul …


A Two-Part Rebuttal Of Probability-Based Arguments Against Christian Theism, David Keith Wilson May 2022

A Two-Part Rebuttal Of Probability-Based Arguments Against Christian Theism, David Keith Wilson

Masters Theses

This thesis addresses probability-based arguments (PA) from atheism against theism. This popular form of atheistic argument, rather than arguing that there is no such being as God, instead argues that God’s existence is very improbable. This would imply that the theist is unjustified in their belief, and therefore epistemically obligated to forsake their belief. By pairing a cumulative warrant with Alvin Plantinga’s inside straight argument, it is shown that the theist is under no such obligation. As there are many things that are unlikely as well as true, it can be that theism is both unlikely and true. Therefore, the …


Vaccine Hesitancy And Biden's Rhetoric, Samuel J.M. Bell May 2022

Vaccine Hesitancy And Biden's Rhetoric, Samuel J.M. Bell

Masters Theses

Within the setting and context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study uses Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) framework to analyze fantasy themes which emerged from the rhetoric of the American President, Joe Biden, regarding vaccinations. The main question of this study is why President Biden’s rhetorical vision either chained out and was accepted among the American public resulting in increased vaccination or failed to chain out resulting in Americans refusing to become vaccinated. To answer this question, a selection of artifacts consisting of examples of President Biden’s rhetoric are gathered, and using those artifacts, SCT fantasy themes are developed. …


The Pastoral Connection - Examining Parallels Between Pastoral And Political Rhetoric During The Revolutionary War, Abigail A. Zedwick May 2022

The Pastoral Connection - Examining Parallels Between Pastoral And Political Rhetoric During The Revolutionary War, Abigail A. Zedwick

Masters Theses

This paper examines the parallels between rhetoric in sermons preserved from the Revolutionary War period and rhetoric in political speeches and writings from the same period. The aim is to establish the extent of the parallels in rhetoric and to demonstrate that the rhetorical stances from the pulpit preceded the same rhetorical stances in political, secular work through establishing the date each document was published or presented. Studying these sources alongside reliable secondary sources on both the political and religious rhetorical themes will demonstrate, when put together to form a more complete picture of the period, that the political rhetoric …


The Struggle For Identity: How Female Writers Find Their Voice, Allison Joanne Call May 2022

The Struggle For Identity: How Female Writers Find Their Voice, Allison Joanne Call

Masters Theses

The purpose of this project is to examine the value and purpose of the female voice in literature. In the first part of this project, my artist’s statement clarifies my intent as a writer and an academic. This statement describes certain specific works that have influenced my writing style and content, and my literary aspirations. The second part of the project is the critical paper, which analyzes the importance of the feminine voice and identity in literature throughout different time periods and through different lenses. Within this paper, I examine how male writers have dominated the writing world and explore …


The Ruinous Northern Frontier: The Decline And Collapse Of Frontier And Roman Civilizational Integrity On The Danube, A.D. 370 - 500, James Knight May 2022

The Ruinous Northern Frontier: The Decline And Collapse Of Frontier And Roman Civilizational Integrity On The Danube, A.D. 370 - 500, James Knight

Masters Theses

The imperial Roman advance to and entrenchment along the Danube from the times of Augustus to Aurelian, mirrored by the slow development of various Germanic peoples beyond the 1,700-mile river’s northern bank, set the stage for a series of climactic engagements between the late Roman Empire and their various barbarous neighbors along what had quickly become the Empire’s most important and unstable frontier. The immigration and settlement of Goths from the Pontic Steppe, fleeing the Huns as they emerged from Central Asia, within the Roman Balkans undermined the Danube frontier, eviscerated the Eastern Roman field army, and enabled Alaric’s role …


“The Mount Atlas Of Independence”: Forgotten Founder Roger Sherman, Kaitlyn Kenney May 2022

“The Mount Atlas Of Independence”: Forgotten Founder Roger Sherman, Kaitlyn Kenney

Masters Theses

Roger Sherman is perhaps the most important forgotten founder of the United States. Best known for creating the Connecticut compromise which reconciled the VA and NJ plans by having the House of Representatives be based on population and having each state have one vote in the Senate, he also was instrumental throughout the founding. He was the only man to sign and help draft every major founding document of the United States, one of a select group of self-taught founders and a man who served in practically every civil service position imaginable. Born in Massachusetts, Sherman would move to Connecticut …


A True American Citizen: The Intellectual History Of U.S. Indigenous Policy From 1890-1968, Ariel Kate Norris May 2022

A True American Citizen: The Intellectual History Of U.S. Indigenous Policy From 1890-1968, Ariel Kate Norris

Masters Theses

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Indigenous Americans witnessed a significant national change in both their political and social status. Despite the persisting belief that Native Americans belonged to a “race destined to fade into the inevitability of progress” and the ongoing categorization of Indigenous individuals as wards of the federal government, by the end of the 1900s, tribes across the nation were deemed to be sovereign entities and were allowed to determine the paths of their own people. This autonomy did not happen overnight, but instead was a direct result of pivotal legislative decisions; struggles such as the assimilation …


Music Of The Brown Church: Connecting Religion, Social Justice, Latina/O Studies And Worship Practices, Ann Richelle Jeandrevin May 2022

Music Of The Brown Church: Connecting Religion, Social Justice, Latina/O Studies And Worship Practices, Ann Richelle Jeandrevin

Masters Theses

This thesis project aims to explore music that is being used in churches that serve the Latino/a/x/e communities in the United States, which is also referred to as The Brown Church. As music serves a vital role in the cultural background in these communities, as does faith, the connection between these facets will give better insight into this growing and changing society in the United States. In addition to exploring the relationship between faith and worship music, there is a connecting component through understanding the dark history of the Latin American church and how that impacts faith, worship, and social …


Progressive Christianity: The Postmodern Mutation Of Theological Liberalism, Lisa Dundov May 2022

Progressive Christianity: The Postmodern Mutation Of Theological Liberalism, Lisa Dundov

Masters Theses

The intention of this thesis is to historically track Liberal Christianity, distinguishing its different shapes, dissecting its current form of Progressive Christianity, and then refute its tenets by holding them to the standard of orthodox Christianity. This project is organized into a chronological, historical approach to Liberal Christianity followed by a comparative approach to Progressive Christianity and orthodox Christianity. The historical research aims to identify and connect common, theologically liberal elements, a distinct man-centered theology, across different historical horizons, including the delineation of modernity, postmodernism, secularism, and humanism, which are influenced and shaped by theological liberalism. Focusing on the current …


Telling The Story: Diabetes Prevention And Management, Brandi Caitlyn Frizzell May 2022

Telling The Story: Diabetes Prevention And Management, Brandi Caitlyn Frizzell

Masters Theses

Diabetes has been studied for thousands of years, however the root cause of this disease is still unknown. Although there are have been many disoveries for treatment options for this disease, there has yet to be a discovery of a cure. Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic that currently affects millions of people and is expected to affect millions more in the future. This disease often results in fatal health complications which contribute to years of life lost and mortality rates. The project proposes a solution for individuals affected by diabetes and those that are currently undiagnosed. The expected outcome of …


Teaching Through Screens, David Dell'osso Ritter May 2022

Teaching Through Screens, David Dell'osso Ritter

Masters Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic affected educational delivery dramatically, as many classes were transferred from ground to online in just a few weeks. This research explored the impact this transfer had on teachers and students. The research focused on student motivation and productivity in the online environment, as well as teacher presence in and preparedness for the online environment. The problem statement for this research is as follows: The COVID-19 pandemic responses to education diminished teacher presence resulting in a steep decline in student motivation and productivity. In addition to an extensive literature review, three case studies to better understand what had …


Understanding Paul’S Approach To Slavery In Ephesians 6:5 – 9, William D. Smith May 2022

Understanding Paul’S Approach To Slavery In Ephesians 6:5 – 9, William D. Smith

Masters Theses

Slavery passages in the New Testament continue to raise questions for some modern readers. This thesis presents an alternative approach to assist Christians in explaining and defending Paul’s command to slaves and masters in Ephesians 6:5-9. It demonstrates how radical Paul’s command was to his first-century audience and their culture and how his command, when faithfully practiced, would have positively affected the perception of slavery and moved toward its abolition. Paul’s command to the first-century household leader is compared with corporate American CEOs and how the CEO’s leadership style affects their organization. This thesis demonstrates that a leadership style change …


Developing Right-Hand Finger Flexibility In Young Violinists: Teaching Colle, Martele, Spiccato, And Sautille Through The Suzuki Literature, Monica Yardley Thiriot May 2022

Developing Right-Hand Finger Flexibility In Young Violinists: Teaching Colle, Martele, Spiccato, And Sautille Through The Suzuki Literature, Monica Yardley Thiriot

Masters Theses

Much is written in violin method books about developing pitch, rhythm, and posture for young violinists. It is difficult to find examples of when to teach right-hand flexibility with bow techniques such as collé, martelé, spiccato, and sautillé. Although many violin teachers throughout the country use Suzuki literature to instruct their students, there are few written instructions concerning these advanced bow techniques in the literature. Instead, Shinichi Suzuki focused his studies on philosophy and the importance of a positive teaching environment, creating a beautiful tone by playing from the heart, ear training, and helping the youngest violin students reach their …


Examining The German Public's Response To The Third Reich's Anti-Jewish Policies, Georgetta M. Moore May 2022

Examining The German Public's Response To The Third Reich's Anti-Jewish Policies, Georgetta M. Moore

Masters Theses

The anti-Jewish policies of the Third Reich progressed from anti-Jewish legislation, stripping German Jews of their rights, to systematic mass murder. Deeply rooted antisemitism and Nazi propaganda serving as a vehicle for ideology fostered an environment of approval among most of the German public for certain anti-Jewish policies such as the Nuremberg Laws. The non-Jewish, German public responses to these anti-Jewish policies by the Third Reich shifted over the course of the Nazi’s rule and during World War II. Most of the German public supported anti-Jewish legislation such as laws removing German Jews from civil service occupations because it made …


Save Our Love, Jaime Constance Belk May 2022

Save Our Love, Jaime Constance Belk

Masters Theses

Andy Crouch wrote in his inspirational book, Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling that “culture is inescapable” and if we are dissatisfied with it, we must “make new culture” (140). These words have inspired my creativity and influenced my writing in so many ways. Romance literature is constantly growing in popularity, but the genre is not evolving. In a world of monotonous storylines and happily-ever-afters, I seek to shift the romance genre with my project, Save Our Love. This is a romance manuscript that tells the powerful stories of Joseph and Denver, two disparate college students who build a bond …


The Twenty-Year Occupation: Cultural Reimagination And The American Occupation Of Japan, Phillip Jones May 2022

The Twenty-Year Occupation: Cultural Reimagination And The American Occupation Of Japan, Phillip Jones

Masters Theses

In the wake of the violence and racial animosity of World War II, the United States carried out an ideologically ambitious occupation of Japan, with the stated purposes of demilitarizing their former enemy and facilitating Japan's reintroduction to the world as an appropriately reformed nation. Between 1945-1952, Japan and the United States engaged in complex and often contradictory processes of cultural reimagination, through which they reimagined the recent past, each other, and their roles in the world. I contend that the Occupation of Japan can only be appropriately understood through these processes, placed within the appropriate historical context. These processes …


An Examination Of The Underutilization Of Mental Health Resources In Collegiate Student-Athletes, Kathleen Olivia Glover Apr 2022

An Examination Of The Underutilization Of Mental Health Resources In Collegiate Student-Athletes, Kathleen Olivia Glover

Masters Theses

Previous and developing literature indicates that collegiate student-athletes, while more susceptible to psychological problems, are underutilizing mental health resources. This project examines the aforementioned problem through the use of extensive student-athlete mental health literature to identify themes that are affecting student-athlete’s likeliness of seeking psychological services. Throughout the themes, the need for additional support from student-athlete stakeholders is presented. A workshop series to guide increased mental health literacy in student-athlete stakeholders to create opportunities to recognize signs of mental illness and form cultures that encourage the utilization of psychological services is constructed. It is anticipated that by including stakeholders in …


The Transfer Equity Program A Plan To Increase Baccalaureate Attainment For Students Of Color, Olivia M. Knodel Apr 2022

The Transfer Equity Program A Plan To Increase Baccalaureate Attainment For Students Of Color, Olivia M. Knodel

Masters Theses

The primary goal of a higher education institution is to provide students with a quality education and help them obtain a bachelor’s degree. By earning a bachelor’s degree this provide an opportunity of a social mobility. The racial institutional stratification in higher education continues to be problematic for underrepresented students and their baccalaureate attainment goals. This issue is important to address, for students of color who start at a community college and transfer to a degree granting institution. The project will explain institutional barriers that students of color face in their post-secondary transition. The project will offer specific services and …


Amendment 4: A Movement To Reduce Ex-Felon Disenfranchisement In Florida, Hunter L. Harding Apr 2022

Amendment 4: A Movement To Reduce Ex-Felon Disenfranchisement In Florida, Hunter L. Harding

Masters Theses

The paper explores the foundations of Felon Disenfranchisement in the State of Florida and how the United States Constitution allowed for individual states to implement disenfranchisement measures. The historical foundations are necessary for understanding the implications of felon disenfranchisement and its disproportionate outcomes on minority communities. With previous attempts to change policy regarding the restoration of civil rights for those disenfranchised, a different approach was needed to solve the plagued restoration process in the State of Florida. Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, a group led by ex-felons, fostered the movement to create the ballot initiative of Amendment 4 in the 2018 …


Building Stronger Student-Teacher Relationships Through A Mentorship Program To Increase Student Reading Achievement, Emily Nicholas Apr 2022

Building Stronger Student-Teacher Relationships Through A Mentorship Program To Increase Student Reading Achievement, Emily Nicholas

Masters Theses

Research has shown that students learn best when their teachers know and understand them. When there are strong student-teacher relationships in place, reading achievement improves. In the following project, teachers will be part of a yearlong mentorship program at their school to improve student-teacher relationships in their classrooms. Teachers that are struggling to build positive student-teacher relationships will be the mentees and they will be paired with staff members who have already established strong, positive relationships with their students and will act as their mentors. The program will have three main components: cultural competence training, community connection and classroom library …