Digital Commons Network^™

Watching The Match Burn After You've Set The House On Fire, Michael Opal

Pomona Senior Theses

An examination of synecdoche as the fundamental rhetorical form of phenomenology, and paranoia the motivating ideology.

The Chimerae Of Their Age:Twelfth Century Cistercian Engagement Beyond Monastic Walls, Daniel J. Martin

Pomona Senior Theses

One of the great paradoxes of the medieval period is the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1225), in which monks of the Cistercian Order took an active and violent role in campaigning against the heretics of the Languedoc. Why, and how, did this order officially devoted to prayer and contemplation become one of the prime orchestrators of one of medieval Europe’s most gruesome affairs? This thesis seeks to answer that question, not by looking at the crusading Cistercians themselves, but at their predecessor Bernard of Clairvaux, who—I will argue—made the Albigensian Crusade possible by making it permissible for monks to intervene in the …

(De)Psychologizing Shangri-La: Recognizing And Reconsidering C.G. Jung's Role In The Construction Of Tibetan Buddhism In The Western Imagination, Alec M. Terrana

Pomona Senior Theses

Popular literature on Tibetan Buddhism often overemphasizes the psychological dimension of the religion's beliefs and practices. This misrepresentative portrayal is largely traceable to the writings of the psychoanalyst C.G. Jung. By employing distinctly psychological terminology and interpretive strategies in his analyses of the Tibetan Book of the Dead and mandala symbolism, Jung helped to establish precedents that were adopted in subsequent analyses of the religion. Imposing a psychological lens on Tibetan Buddhism obscures other essential elements of the tradition, such as cosmology, physiology, and ritualism, thereby silencing the voices of Tibetans in analyses of their own practices. Jung's imposition of …

Bridging The Justice Gap: Exploring Approaches For Improving Indigent Access To Civil Counsel, Kelsey Atkinson

Pomona Senior Theses

The United States is among one of the only democratic industrialized nations in the world that does not provide guaranteed access to civil representation in cases involving basic human need. This leaves indigent litigants who are at risk of losing their homes or their children left to seek counsel through insufficient pro-bono programs or limited scope legal self-help centers. This thesis provides a history of the struggle for the right to civil counsel, known as Civil Gideon, and explores a variety of proposed solutions to bridge the justice gap for indigent litigants. Despite considerable support for Civil Gideon among scholars …

Digesting Modern Acting Theory For Young Performers, Brandon Yagel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An actor seeking to improve his craft can find numerous sources containing countless tips and techniques on the art of acting. However, the majority of these books target the adult actor often leaving young performers struggling to understand complex acting theory. With the goals of creating a nurturing learning environment and quality performance work within a compact rehearsal schedule, this thesis project created and evaluated a new synthesis of modern acting theory for directors to use when working with young performers. This technique adapted and coalesced several perspectives on foundational acting theory-specifically looking at the use of a character's wants …

Halloween Horror Nights And/Or Visceral Theatre, Patrick Braillard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Visceral [vis-er-uh l] -adj 1. of, relating to, or affecting the viscera 2. characterized by intuition or instinct rather than intellect ("visceral," def. 1-2) The above words speak to define far more than merely the word "visceral." They speak to also embody and classify a previously untitled form of theatre. Visceral Theatre: A form of theatre that uses the instinctual awareness of the audience- the audiences' perception of popular culture, societal contexts both historical and geographical, as well as their instinctual-physical aversion to danger- to cause physiological and emotional responses through the overstimulation of the senses in a non-tactile attack. …

The Art Of The Technical Director, Victoria Oakes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The theatrical scenic design process does not end at a picture on paper or with the presentation of a scale model. The design must be translated to the stage. There are a myriad of questions to be answered and decisions regarding construction style, process, material choices, structure, safety, etc. that must be made in order to fully realize the design. In a common, contemporary American production hierarchy, the person that is most often responsible for this translation process is the technical director. Often, the technical director is stereotyped as solely a craftsman or a technician following a set of pre-established …

Technical Communicators In Marketing: Switching Roles And Changing Ethical Perspectives When Working With Content Marketing, Nicole Alvarez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an alternate career path for technical communicators in the area of content marketing and expands on the ethical and goal-related issues associated with a career change to a marketing-focused role. Many of the skills necessary for technical communication are transferable to marketing communication roles; however, a successful career change requires that technical communicators understand how the ethical values and goals of marketing professionals can differ from those of technical communicators. Through a detailed literature review and autoethnographic study, this thesis discusses the performance goals of marketing professionals to determine how these clash with those of technical communicators. …

Understanding The Effect Of Formulaic Language On Esl Teachers' Perceptions Of Advanced L2 Writing: An Application Of Corpus-Identified Formulaic Language, Alison Youngblood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A quantitative study was conducted to determine if the amount of formulaic language influenced ESL teachers' perceptions (n=102) of non-native writing skill, as evidenced by composite and sub-scale scores on the ESL Composition Profile (Jacobs et al., 1981). Formulaic language was operationalized as 25 three-word strings sampled from the writing sub-list of the Academic Formulas List (Simpson-Vlach & Ellis, 2010) and further validated as frequent in the Michigan Corpus of Upper Level Student Papers. The target formulaic sequences were divided into three experimental groups representing a low, mid, and high amount of formulaic language. Four advanced non-native writers generated argumentative, …

What You Leave Behind: A Collection Of Travel Essays, Madison Bernath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What You Leave Behind is a collection of essays framed by the theme of travel. The essays seek to understand the changeability and the consistency of the self when exposed to new cultures and new environments. They also explore what travel tells us about varying world perspectives, and how much of those varying world perspectives people can hope to understand. Lastly, these true-life stories and ruminations explore how travel shapes relationships: familial, romantic, and platonic. At its core, this thesis strives to reveal how traveling can inform the way people understand themselves, the world around them, and the relationships they …

The Effects Of Non-Native Species On Two Life-Stages Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica, Wei Yuan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since their recent introductions into Florida waters, three nonnative species [Perna viridis Linnaeus, 1758 (Asian green mussel), Mytella charruana d'Orbigny, 1846 (charru mussel) and Megabalanus coccopoma Darwin, 1854 (pink titan acorn barnacle)] have expanded both north and south along the Atlantic coast. Very little research has been done to understand how these nonnative species interact with the native eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica Gmelin, 1791), which is a keystone species that provides important ecological services and economic benefits. To test the potential effects of P. viridis, M. charruana and M. coccopoma on C. virginica, I addressed the following questions: 1a) Does …

The Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of A New Measure Of Self-Objectification, Danielle Lindner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have traditionally used two measures of self-objectification, the Self-Objectification Questionnaire (Noll & Fredrickson, 1998) and the Objectified Body Consciousness Body Surveillance subscale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996), to demonstrate that self-objectification is related to body shame and dissatisfaction, appearance anxiety, decreased awareness of internal states, decreased flow experiences, disordered eating, depression and sexual dysfunction. Although the SOQ and OBC have been used widely, they also have several limitations, including problems with missing data, lack of generalizability, and concerns about content validity. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new measure of self-objectification called the Self-Objectification Beliefs …

Development Of Traffic Safety Zones And Integrating Macroscopic And Microscopic Safety Data Analytics For Novel Hot Zone Identification, Jaeyoung Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traffic safety has been considered one of the most important issues in the transportation field. With consistent efforts of transportation engineers, Federal, State and local government officials, both fatalities and fatality rates from road traffic crashes in the United States have steadily declined from 2006 to 2011.Nevertheless, fatalities from traffic crashes slightly increased in 2012 (NHTSA, 2013). We lost 33,561 lives from road traffic crashes in the year 2012, and the road traffic crashes are still one of the leading causes of deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In recent years, efforts to incorporate traffic …

Testing The Fertility And Allelopathic Abilities Of Arctotheca Prostrata (Salisb.) Britten (Asteraceae, Arctotideae), A South African Plant Species That Has Naturalized In California, Jordy Veit

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Arctotheca prostrata is a perennial plant species native to South Africa that reproduces vegetatively by long runners. In South Africa it also reproduces sexually, producing fruits with fertile seeds. The species was brought to California to serve as a ground cover but fruits had not been reported. Historically, it has been said to be infertile. This study tested the fertility of A. prostrata in California by crossing plants from California with each other and with plants grown from imported South African seeds. Pollen viability was tested and morphological measures were made on heads, leaves, and pollen. Mean Californian and South …

Relationships Between Isolating Land Use And Amphibian Populations In Sub-Boreal Peatlands Of The Midwestern United States, Jeana Rose Albers

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Successful conservation efforts of amphibians depend on the knowledge of habitat preferences because the biggest threat to amphibian populations is considered to be habitat loss. Sub-boreal peatlands in the Midwest may be a refuge for amphibian populations, but little is known about the flora and fauna of these peatlands. My study examined amphibian species richness and species diversity in 17 sub-boreal peatlands in Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2011 and 2012. I assessed the relationship between land use of lands adjacent to peatlands and use of those peatlands by amphibian populations at three spatial scales by examining landscapes surrounding peatlands in …

High Fat Diet Increased Serum Glutamate Dehydrogenase More Than Chronic Acetaminophen Dosing In Female Mice, Elizabeth Ruth Behmer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This laboratory study examined the effects of acetaminophen overdose in normal fed and high-fat fed female mice. Forty female mice were placed on normal and high-fat diets at 4 weeks old. When the mice were significantly different in weight (between 6 and 9 months old), half the mice were dosed with acetaminophen. These mice were daily given an overdose of acetaminophen for 14 days. The dose used was 300 mg/kg mouse (LD50 = 338 mg/kg). The control group was given 10 µl water/g mouse. Levels of serum glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) were measured to indicate liver damage. GDH is released from …

A Dynamic, Distributed Hydrologic Model For The Blue Earth River Watershed, Minnesota With Implications Regarding Land Use And Water Quality, Michael L. Merlini

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Blue Earth River (BER) watershed covers approximately one million acres of south-central Minnesota and northern Iowa. Modern farming practices have led to the loss of over 90 percent of the watershed's original wetlands. Corresponding changes in runoff and stream flow have led to dramatically reduced water quality in the BER's main stem following most precipitation events. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships among precipitation, infiltration, base flow, and runoff in the Blue Earth River watershed basin.

This study developed a calibrated numerical hydrologic model for BER watershed using the distributed flow model, Vflo™. The model …

Accessing Law: An Empirical Study Exploring The Influence Of Legal Research Medium, Stefan H. Krieger, Katrina F. Kuh

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The legal profession is presently engaged in an uncontrolled experiment. Attorneys now locate and access legal authorities primarily through electronic means. Although this shift to an electronic research medium radically changes how attorneys discover and encounter law, little empirical work investigates impacts from the shift to an electronic medium.

This Article presents the results of one of the most robust empirical studies conducted to date comparing research processes using print and electronic sources. While the study presented in this Article was modest in scope, the extent and type of the differences that it reveals are notable. Some of the observed …

Digital Interactive Games For Assessment: A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Digital Game As A Measure Of Students' Understanding Of Boolean Logic, Mohammad Ali Haji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Digital games have been used mostly for entertainment but recently researchers have started to use digital games in other areas such as education and training. Researchers have shown that digital games can provide a compelling, creative, and collaborative environment for learning. However, the popularity of computers and the Internet brings this question to mind: Are the assessment methods falling behind and remaining traditional? Will the traditional methods of learning and knowledge assessment be sufficient for this new generation who are starving for new technology? This study investigates the effectiveness of using a digital interactive game as an assessments method - …

Blivits!, Charles Sutter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blivits! is a feature-length documentary produced, written, and directed by Charles Sutter in pursuit of the Master of Fine Arts in Film & Digital Media from the University of Central Florida. This thesis examines the ethical questions of making a documentary in the digital era. In accordance with the restrictions of the program's guidelines, this film was completed a budget of less than $50,000. The film was shot over 18 days, in various locations up and down the east coast of the United States. This thesis is the record of Blivits!'s journey through development until completion of picture lock.

The Minimum Wage And Teen Unemployment: A Study Of The Effect Of The Fair Minimum Wage Act Of 2007, Alexander Pino

Pepperdine Policy Review

The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 increased the national minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour. We attempt to evaluate the impact of this statute on low-skill labor. We do so by analyzing the effect of the law on the teen unemployment rate in the five states with no state minimum wages (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Using the adult unemployment rate as a control in a difference-in-differences analysis we find that the 2007 minimum wage increase had a negative effect on teen employment in these states.

How To Apply Molinism To The Theological Problem Of Moral Luck, Robert J. Harman

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

William Lad Sessions, Honor For Us: A Philosophical Analysis, Interpretation And Defense, Jason Decker

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Book Review Of Gary Olson's "Empathy Imperiled: Capitalism, Culture And The Brain, Kris Franklin

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

Prescribing Multiple Neurostimulants During Rehabilitation For Severe Brain Injury., Amy A. Herrold, Theresa Louise-Bender Pape, Ann Guernon, Trudy Mallinson, Eileen Collins, Neil Jordan

Clinical Research and Leadership Faculty Publications

Background. Despite a lack of clear evidence, multiple neurostimulants are commonly provided after severe brain injury (BI). The purpose of this study is to determine if the number of neurostimulants received during rehabilitation was associated with recovery of full consciousness or improved neurobehavioral function after severe BI.

Method. Data from 115 participants were extracted from a neurobehavioral observational study database for this exploratory, retrospective analysis. Univariate optimal data analysis was conducted to determine if the number of neurostimulants influenced classification of four outcomes: recovery of full consciousness during rehabilitation, recovery of full consciousness within one year of injury, and meaningful …

A Legal Practitioner’S Guide To Indian And Tribal Law Research, Kelly Kunsch

Faculty Articles

This article is a guide to legal research with the specific goal of assisting practitioners. The typical practitioner would be an attorney, but many professionals who work within the arena of Indian and tribal law may not have the formal legal training that attorneys do. The article is a discussion of the resources available to research the law, the issues that often arise in the area, and the approaches to take in applying the resources to the issues. It is not a classic bibliography listing resources (often alphabetically), and is not intended to be comprehensive in the resources mentioned. Acknowledging …

Impeachment By Unreliable Conviction, Anna Roberts

Faculty Articles

This article offers a new critique of Federal Rule of Evidence 609, which permits impeachment of criminal defendants by means of their prior criminal convictions. The article draws on three aspects of the contemporary criminal justice system to show that in admitting convictions for impeachment courts are wrongly assuming that they are necessarily reliable indicators of relative culpability. First, courts assume that convictions are the product of a fair fight, despite the adversarial collapse revealed by the nature of plea-bargaining, the crisis in public defense, and the data on wrongful convictions; second, courts assume that convictions demonstrate relative culpability, despite …

Citizens United & The First Amendment Of Labor Law, Charlotte Garden

Faculty Articles

The Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission sparked a widespread dialogue about the fundamental First Amendment right of free speech and the future of election spending. This article contributes to that dialogue with a focus on how the Citizens United decision affects labor unions. After explaining the Court's rationale in Citizens United, the author juxtaposes Citizens United with earlier cases concerning the First Amendment rights of labor unions. Specifically, the article explores inconsistencies in two areas: first, labor protest rights, as to which pre-Citizens United Supreme Court decisions upheld certain speaker-based restrictions on protest tactics; and …

“If They Hand You A Paper, You Sign It”: A Call To End The Sterilization Of Women In Prison, Sara Ainsworth, Rachel Roth

Faculty Articles

The context in which the sterilization of incarcerated women takes place is a deeply coercive one. The practice of sterilizing incarcerated women, whether intentionally coerced or not, takes place against a backdrop of mass incarceration and the long and ignominious history of forced and coerced sterilizations directed at poor people and women of color in the United States. Professor Sara Ainsworth and Dr. Rachel Roth explore this backdrop, and the federal sterilization regulations that arose from this history and from women's activism to change it, in Part I. In Part II, they explain how the appallingly bad and often unconstitutional …

The Islamic Influence In (Pre-)Colonial And Early America: A Historico-Legal Snapshot, Nadia B. Ahmad

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.