Digital Commons Network^™

"At A Loss For Words": Theatre, Performance And The Northern Ireland Prison Protests, Lionel Pilkington

Kritika Kultura

In plays as diverse as Brian Friel’s The Freedom of the City, Frank McGuinness’s Carthaginians and Vincent Woods’s At the Black Pig’s Dyke, there is evidence of an intemperate opposition to the idea of republicans performing protest against the state in Northern Ireland. Using Augusto Boal’s conception of theatre as a cultural weapon with a powerful emancipatory and utopian potential (“theatre as a rehearsal for revolution”) and drawing on Joseph Roach and Nicholas Argenti’s ideas of the kinesthetic imagination, this essay considers the republican prison protests that took place Ireland in the period 1978-81. “At a Loss for Words” argues …

"A Note On What Happened": Experimental Influences On The Irish Stage: 1919-1929, Elaine Sisson

Kritika Kultura

This essay proposes that stage design offers a means of establishing visual links to an aesthetically radical European modernism which was being explored by a post-Revolutionary generation of Irish artists and writers. Existing histories and critical studies of Irish theatre privilege literary approaches and consequently a rich seam of contextual visual material and information has been neglected. Given theatre’s important cultural role in shaping questions of national identity, “A Note on What Happened” argues that the study of theatre as spectacle is crucial to an understanding of how contemporary Irish audiences were introduced to avant-garde ideas.

"To Speak Your Truth": Dialogues On Political Theatre And The Troubles, Bill Mcdonell, Joe Reid

Kritika Kultura

This essay is structured in two sections: At the outset, Bill McDonnell provides an overview of the broader political and cultural context which produced Belfast Community Theatre, and other significant grass-roots Republican community theatres from the 1970s. Together, and especially in the case of Republican theatre groups, the essay argues that they constitute the only radical theatres in post-1945 Britain and Ireland to meet Erwin Piscator’s stringent criteria for a political theatre. This is followed by a series of dialogues on theatre and the war in the north of Ireland, which take up the larger part of the essay. The …

Fostering Conceptual Roles For Change: Identity And Agency In Esea Teacher Preparation, Brian Morgan

Kritika Kultura

English Changing, the theme and title of the 2009 ESEA conference held in Manila, raises specific challenges for language teacher education: To what extent do we prepare teachers to be passive recipients of the social, cultural, and economic changes that align with the global spread of English? Alternatively, how might we encourage teachers to become active participants—“agents of change”—through their mediation and implementation of language curricula and pedagogy? The author addresses such questions by first reflecting on his own personal and professional development in EFL and EAP teaching contexts. These experiences are then related to the growing research literature in …

Radical Remembering: Contaminating Memory In The Works Of Martin Lynch, Tom Maguire

Kritika Kultura

Martin Lynch has been prominent in the practice of community theatre in Northern Ireland through works like The Stone Chair and The Wedding Community Play and his role as founding Chair of Belfast’s Community Arts Forum. This essay argues, however, that in his work as a playwright engaged in staging the remembered histories of Belfast’s working class, it is possible to regard him as a radical playwright. Locating Lynch in the tradition of John McGrath’s popular theatre allows his work to be seen as both recovering working class experience and, crucially, probing mythologies that have justified and perpetuated political violence. …

The Collected Poems Of J.R.R. Tolkien (2024), Edited By Christina Scull And Wayne G. Hammond., John R. Holmes

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by John R. Holmes, of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien (2024), edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond

Universal Basic Income Policy And Its Potential Impact On Welfare Reform, Adriana S. Hines, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

This systematic review synthesizes the current Universal Basic Income (UBI) research. As income inequality continues to affect health outcomes, UBI has been proposed as a strategy to reduce gaps in healthcare access, food security, housing, and overall well-being. The review examines 12 peer-reviewed articles to understand how UBI can impact the direct and indirect factors contributing to the disparities that the current welfare system may not adequately address. The findings indicate that UBI can help alleviate poverty-related stress, potentially leading to better mental and physical health outcomes through improved nutrition, more stable housing, and greater life satisfaction. Additionally, UBI has …

Nelson James Spruiell

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors In The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Vic Morris

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Morris, Victor E. “Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors in the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2024. 285 pp.

The Canadian Armed Forces has outcomes and expectations for warriors to be spiritually resilient but does not have a training program that has been researched, tested, and validated to achieve this. This study investigates how chaplains can prepare spiritually resilient warriors in CANSOFCOM. A chaplain-led spiritual resilience course was created and delivered to CANSOFCOM members. The course was aligned with the holistic wellness strategy of OPF2, and designed as an inductive, experiential learning experience. An …

Horticulture Interventions Impact On Eating Disorder Symptoms, Taylor Kline

Counselor Education Capstones

Nature-based counseling offers a wide variety of options that counselors could incorporate into their session as a complementary form of counseling paired with another theory. Specifically, horticulture interventions have been found to increase clients’ self-efficacy and self-esteem, as well as reduce anxiety, which are all common symptoms of eating disorders. With the lack of research on horticulture interventions and the idea of utilizing them within the treatment of eating disorders, the contents of this paper aim to point out the variety of benefits of said interventions on common symptoms that are often related to eating disorders. Future research should focus …

Navigating Caregiving: Community Resources And Support Systems For Individuals With Severe Mental Illness Living With Aging Parents, Adam Thai

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

People with severe mental illness (SMI) who are cared for by aging parents are a growing concern within the community, due to their potential high utilization on healthcare facilities and community infrastructure. Many utilize hospitals and emergency departments to seek behavioral, social, and housing support instead of outpatient behavioral healthcare. There is a disconnect in finding social support that is a result of learned reliance and dependence on their aging parents for financial and caregiving support. Healthcare providers should be mindful of the long-term issues this population faces once they are without parental support, such as increased risks for criminality …

Utilizing Large Language Models To Synthesize Product Desirability Datasets, John D. Hastings, Sherri Weitl-Harms, Joseph Doty, Zachary L. Myers, Warren Thompson

Research & Publications

This research explores the application of large language models (LLMs) to generate synthetic datasets for Product Desirability Toolkit (PDT) testing, a key component in evaluating user sentiment and product experience. Utilizing gpt-4o-mini, a cost-effective alternative to larger commercial LLMs, three methods, Word+Review, Review+Word, and Supply-Word, were each used to synthesize 1000 product reviews. The generated datasets were assessed for sentiment alignment, textual diversity, and data generation cost. Results demonstrated high sentiment alignment across all methods, with Pearson correlations ranging from 0.93 to 0.97. Supply-Word exhibited the highest diversity and coverage of PDT terms, although with increased generation costs. Despite minor …

Influence Of Internalizing And Externalizing Traits On Cognitive Performance In Typically Developing Children, Carlie Sivils

Psychology ETDs

This study investigates the relationship between emotional traits—internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) subclinical characteristics—and cognitive performance in typically developing children (TDC). INT and EXT measures from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and cognitive task performance in various cognitive domains, including in verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, memory, and cognitive inhibitory control, using standardized neuropsychological test battery (NIH Toolbox, WASI) were examined. Regression analyses, ordinary least squares and robust regression models, were used to explore associations between INT and EXT traits and cognitive task performance, controlling demographic factors such as gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and ethnicity. Results indicate INT and EXT …

A Quantitative Study Of The Factors Leading To Veteran Teacher Retention In Central Virginia Public Schools, Timothy J. Crawford

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Teacher retention and attrition are constant concerns for administrators in public schools. Having quality teachers can be a major factor in determining a student’s level of success. Following a tumultuous time in education throughout the COVID pandemic, it is ever important to public school administrators to retain quality veteran teachers who have the best ability to assist students with their educational needs. With the existence of virtual teaching options and higher pay in other sectors, it is becoming increasingly hard to retain teachers and to fill teaching vacancies. This study aims to identify reasons teachers chose to stay in the …

The Burden Mothers Bear: Using The Health Belief Model To Understand How U.S. Mothers’ Intersectional Identities Shape Health Decision-Making During Covid-19, Sydney O'Shay, Kaitlin E. Phillips, Marissa J. Sáez

Publications

The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color and the burden placed on mothers created a need to better understand how mothers of color made health decisions for their families and communicated these decisions with others during the pandemic. This study investigated how this populations’ intersectional identities played a role in their health decision-making processes and overall experiences during COVID-19. Using the health belief model as a sensitizing concept, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with mothers of color across the United States about their lived experiences during the pandemic. Our findings suggest a need for health communicators to address …

Coastal Marine Heatwaves In The Santa Barbara Channel: Decadal Trends And Ecological Implications, Kit Yu Karen Chan, L. Kui, A. M. Mcdonald, A. L. Ritger, G. E. Hofmann

Biology Faculty Works

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are of increasing concern due to the emerging ecological and socioeconomic impacts on coastal ecosystems. Leveraging the data of the Santa Barbara Coastal Long-Term Ecological Research project, we analyzed the MHW event metrics observed in the kelp forest ecosystem and across Santa Barbara Channel, CA, USA. Not only was there a significant positive trend in the number of MHWs recorded, their duration and intensity were also increasing over time. MHWs were detected year-round, suggesting that marine organisms have exposure risks regardless of their phenology. Exposure at one life history stage could have a legacy effect on the …

Trade Openness, Human Capital, And Economic Resilience In Saarc Countries: A Post-Covid-19 Analysis, Sumra Khalid, Khalid Mahmood Mughal, Bushra F. Malik

Accounting, Business Analytics, Economics, and Finance Department Faculty Articles

The present study analyzes the interrelationship between trade openness, labor force participation, human capital, and economic growth in the SAARC countries, with particular attention to the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on these linkages. In this paper, an attempt has been made to gauge both the short-run and long-run impacts that have resulted in the facilitation of economic growth through trade openness by increased market access, technology transfers, and competitive efficiency. However, the pandemic distorted trade flows and lost labor to more labor-intensive industries, generally hitting the low-income and marginal groups harder while underlining vulnerabilities in the trade-dependent economies. These …

The State Of The City's Bridges, Leo G. Miranda

Capstones

An analysis by NYCity News Service of 2024 federal bridge inspection found that 118 segments of city bridges are in poor condition, around 8% of all bridges citywide. Among these are segments of major highways and bridges like the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, FDR Drive, Harlem River Drive, Grand Central Parkway and even a part of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. On a single stretch of highway, where the Grand Central Parkway and the Whitestone Expressway meet in Queens, there are seven parts of highway or ramps in poor condition.

Bridge segments can be any raised roadway that passes over another parkway, …

The Structure And Function Of A Coastal State Aquaculture Plan, C. R. Fong, C. M. Gonzales, M. Rennick, H. J. Lahr, L. D. Gardner, B. S. Halpern, H. E. Froehlich

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Aquaculture contributes approximately half of all global aquatic food production and will be critical in addressing future seafood demand, including the United States (U.S.). Many states, territories, and countries are developing and updating aquaculture specific policy in an effort to plan for, and better manage the expansion of aquaculture in their territorial waters. The U.S. has considerable potential to sustainably expand aquaculture production, which has been a focus in both federal and state policy. State aquaculture plans have been used for over 40 years to help plan and coordinate aquaculture development, with a growing emphasis on sustainability. Here, we located …

Top Ten Epilepsy Research Priorities: A Uk Priority Setting Partnership, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Purpose: Research into epilepsy has experienced decades of chronic underfunding compared to other neurological conditions despite its prevalence and seriousness. To evidence the need for greater investment, the Epilepsy Research Institute (formerly Epilepsy Research UK) funded, led and managed a James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnership (PSP). This “industry standard” methodology brings together healthcare professionals, patients, carers and patient group representatives to identify and prioritise research uncertainties within a defined area of health or care.Methods: The UK Epilepsy PSP is a once-in-a-generation, national consensus that collated and ranked the research priorities of the UK epilepsy and associated condition community. …

Gad314.1 Example 1, Sae University College

Exemplars

A submisson for GAD314.1 - Portfolio for the period of 24T3 of high quality to serve as an exemplar for future trimesters

Marvelous Bodies: Italy's New Migrant Cinema, Vetri Nathan

Purdue Studies in Romance Literatures

Historically a source of emigrants to Northern Europe and the New World, Italy has rapidly become a preferred destination for immigrants from the global South. Life in the land of la dolce vita has not seemed so sweet recently, as Italy struggles with the cultural challenges caused by this surge in immigration. Marvelous Bodies by Vetri Nathan explores thirteen key full-length Italian films released between 1990 and 2010 that treat this remarkable moment of cultural role reversal through a plurality of styles. In it, Nathan argues that Italy sees itself as the quintessential internal Other of Western Europe, and that …

Decentralized And Divided: Philadelphia’S Public Assistance System And Community-Based Initiatives, Gianna Casey, Shari Orisich

Honors Theses

Public assistance programs and community-based initiatives have aided Philadelphian’s residents in a cohesive effort to fill the gaps of community-needs. While both are inherently different in their methodologies and executions, their structures are built upon a collective foundation of legislative principles and policy-based ordinances in Philadelphia. These concepts, first began with poor laws and religious organizations in the 19th century, have turned into a complex system that has fallen tremendously short of sufficiently addressing the specialized needs of Philadelphian families. The surrounding laws for public assistance program administration (e.g. TANF and WIC), are founded within the objectives of these poor …

Aim110.2 Emotional Intelligence Example 1, Sae University College

Exemplars

Submission for the 24T3 AIM110.2 project Emotional Intelligence.

Trump And China: The Rocky Road Ahead, Mel Gurtov

Politics and Global Affairs Faculty Publications and Presentations

China’s consistent message to the U.S. since Donald Trump’s election is the need for deeper cooperation. But Trump and his hawkish advisers and Congress members seem bent on a trade war and closer ties to Taiwan. His strategy is that once the Middle East and Ukraine are “solved,” he will be positioned to force Xi Jinping’s hand. But the Chinese have options for dealing with U.S. economic pressure. Still, Trump might bargain on U.S. security ties if he can get a deal on trade. The most likely outcome is more tension in U.S.-China relations and a further drift toward Cold …

Working Paper No. 85, Alexis De Tocqueville And The American Wealth Gap, Chloe Kneedler

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that French lawyer and scholar, Alexis de Tocqueville, observed as early as the 1830s, what would later emerge as the American wealth gap. After a nine-month journey that included his traveling through different parts of the nascent United States, Tocqueville wrote a two-volume book titled: Democracy in America [1835]. Over the length of his two volumes, Tocqueville reflects upon his experiences and observations drawn from the American nation in its fifth decade. Throughout this book, Tocqueville described the democratic structure of this country as emblematic of what could be expected from this “New World,” and …

Partisan Rhetoric And Polarization: The Year In C-Span Archives Research, Volume 10

The Year in C-SPAN Archives Research

Partisan Rhetoric and Polarization: The Year in C-SPAN Archives Research, Volume 10 features chapters written from a variety of perspectives that address divisions in American politics. The topics range widely, including TikTok, abortion, the middle class, the January 6 riot, and partisan rhetoric in Congress. The unifying theme of the volume is that each author uses C-SPAN videos to examine how members of Congress and other elites speak and act on these issues. Two other thoughtful pieces examine Supreme Court justices speaking off the bench and emotional reactions in presidential debates. Partisan Rhetoric and Polarization provides context to understand how …

New Trends In The Study Of Haredi Culture And Society, David N. Myers, Nechumi Malovicki-Yaffe

The Jewish Role in American Life: An Annual Review

Who are Haredim? And why are they the source of both increasing attention and continuing misunderstanding? New Trends in the Study of Haredi Culture and Society draws on the innovative research of leading scholars from a variety of disciplines—including history, religious studies, demography, linguistics, and geography—to trace the growing prominence of Haredi (often called ultra-Orthodox) Jews in Jewish life. Haredi Jews are committed to preserving a measure of segregation from the rest of society consistent with the guiding principles of their forebears; yet increasingly, they are appearing more visibly and assertively in public spaces. Demographic analysis suggests that they will …

Construction Site Planning And Logistical Operations: Site-Focused Management For Builders, Second Edition, Randy R. Rapp, Bradley L. Benhart

Purdue Handbooks in Building Construction

Organizing and administering a construction site so that the right resources get to the right place in a timely fashion demands strong leadership and a well-defined, disciplined process. Good logistical operations enable profitability, and this book is the essential, muddy boots guide to such management. Written by experienced educator–practitioners, Construction Site Planning and Logistical Operations is a popular guide to the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by project superintendents, especially, but useful to all constructors. This second edition is updated to include new technologies, resources, and details of operational planning. Leadership imperatives and management techniques remain integrated throughout. The book …

Non-Conformity As Queerness: The Phenomenology Of Gender Identity Beyond The Binary, Gretl Josselyn

Honors Scholar Theses

Gender non-conformity is a defiance of fixed binary ideas of gender identity and expression which are enforced within societies. The phenomenological concept of breaking free from expectations based on one’s gender assigned at birth allows freedom of expression and an acceptance of non-conformity. Building on the works of Judith Butler, Sara Ahmed, María Lugones, and Iria Marion Young, among others, the act of performance and queering one’s identity and actions are explored. Gender identity is constantly evolving, and each expectation of what one’s gender expression should look like is a performance put on to conform. Individuals are not born with …