Digital Commons Network^™

Reconciling Theory And Praxis. Defending Subjective Agency Against Althusser's Structuralism - Daniel Guerrero, Daniel Guerrero

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Louis Althusser labels Marx’s early works as humanist, pseudo-materialist, and self-contained within the ideology of German idealism. Therefore, all attempts to develop a Marxist theory based on these works are futile and ideological. Instead, Althusser proposes a ‘scientific’ reading of Marx developing a structuralist theory based on dialectical materialism. I argue that his interpretations deny individual agency and reduce social relations to mechanistic processes, which directly conflicts with fundamental Marxist ideas like alienation, production, and species-being. By discussing authors within the Marxist Humanist tradition, I argue that a theoretical framework based on Marx’s early works is not only possible, but …

Community Music, Counter-Stories, And Social Inequality In Central Florida's Music Spaces, Katia Destine

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Black working-class musicians have shaped American popular culture for centuries. Despite their contributions, they have faced decades of marginalization and exploitation by record companies, executives, and consumers. While systems of exploitation affect musicians of all backgrounds, Black working-class musicians are in a double bind, susceptible to both economic and social exploitation. Musicians who live within the subdominant groups of race, gender, and class frequently face obstacles that place them at a disadvantage. Through semi-structured interviews, the research draws on the lived experiences of Black working-class musicians in Central Florida. I argue that community music serves as a vital resource, offering …

Understanding Women's Access To And Utilization Of Syringe Service Programs, Annelisa E. Swiersz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As of 2020, 138 million Americans ages 12 and over reported illicit drug use in their lifetime, with over 3 million of those people injecting drugs. There are risks for all people who use drugs, but people who inject drugs (PWID) pose specific risks such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with women who inject drugs (WWID) facing even more risks. WWID involved in sex work have a higher risk of HIV transmission and lack access to sterile injection devices and sexual and reproductive health services. To address these risks, syringe service programs (SSPs) were developed …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Cultural Stigma, And Identity Distress Among College Students, Jessica T. Frank

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cultural stigma, and identity in a sample of college-age students. Previous studies have primarily focused on children, yet few have examined ADHD as it persists into adulthood. Likewise, studies examining cultural stigma and identity were limited and primarily examined stigma toward mental health as a general concept rather than ADHD-specific attitudes. To address these disparities, a sample of undergraduate college students enrolled in psychology courses at a large metropolitan university (N = 339) were recruited and took an anonymous online survey in exchange for course …

What Factors Improve Police Legitimacy?, Nyomi Powers

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Legitimacy in law enforcement can be defined as the perception of the police as an appropriate and respected source of power and authority. United States law enforcement is facing a legitimacy crisis stemming from a growing distrust in the police and decreased police community relationships. In order to address this problem, solutions are being sought in both police agencies and by researchers in the field. This systematic review aims to compile all relevant experiments and analyze the findings to create a comprehensive list of policy implications that most effectively improve police legitimacy. For experiments to be included in this review, …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Working Memory, Lake Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Extensive research has shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as sexual abuse, poverty, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, can negatively impact an individual’s development. The presence of ACEs has also been linked to an increase in one’s engagement in risky behavior, dropping out of school, unemployment before the age of 21, and a variety of health issues. Currently, there is a gap in literature regarding the performance of different working memory (WM) tasks and the presence of ACEs. This study focuses on filling this gap in literature by measuring participants’ Philadelphia ACE score, which is a 16-item questionnaire, …

Shifting The Paradigm: Empowering School Social Workers As Leaders In Family Engagement Policy And Practices In K-12 Education, Amber Onkst

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone examined the school social worker’s role in family engagement in K–12 education. It consists of three products that collectively review the current literature, conceptualize a gap in practice, and provide a tangible application to school social work in Kentucky. The first product, the systematic literature review, critically examines literature related to the school social worker’s role in family engagement policy and practices to inform an understanding of increasing engagement at the macro level. A narrative review was conducted to assess common themes. There was substantially limited research regarding this topic, showcasing a knowledge gap. The literature primarily revealed …

A Nurse-Led Transitional Care Intervention To Prevent Readmissions In A Low-Income-Serving Urban U.S. Hospital, Melissa Scollan-Koliopoulos

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Diabetes-related hospital readmissions within 30-days are costly and an indicator of suboptimal care resolution. Nurse-led transitional care interventions may improve glucose control and reduce emergency department recidivism following hospital discharge in very low-income populations.

Methods: An intention-to-treat design with randomization of participants (n = 108) compared conventional care to transitional care coordination that included diabetes specialty appointments, monthly support tele-phone calls, medication management, and tailored diabetes self-management education. Both the control and intervention group received a diabetes specialist and primary care appointment.

Results: There was a significant difference between the control and intervention groups (P = 0.018) from base-line …

Perkins Coie V. Us, District Court Of The District Of Columbia

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE 363 LAW PROFESSORS IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND FOR DECLARATORY AND PERMANENT INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

Front Matter

Quidditas

No abstract provided.

"Gladly Wolde He Lerne And Gladly Teche": Balancing Humanity And Pragmatics In Teaching, Peter Steffensen

Quidditas

Teachers of AP courses have to balance passing on love of the subject matter and accomplishing the more pragmatic goals of the course. I have found that in the English classroom those two goals can complement one another when specific approaches are taken to teaching. This article explores those moments when humanity and pragmatics collide in the classroom and provides suggestions for navigating these sometimes conflicting goals.

Review: Shaping Intellectual Disabilities In Early Modern England, Mardy Philippian

Quidditas

In Shaping Intellectual Disabilities in Early Modern England, Alice Equestri has assembled an impressive collection of essays by researchers interested in early modern conceptions of intellectual disability. Like Hobgood and Wood's groundbreaking collection Recovering Disability in Early Modern England (2013) and Leslie C. Dunn's edited collection Performing Disability in Early Modern English Drama (2020), Equestri's volume will benefit scholars for some time to come. Of use to both early career scholars and those well established in the field of early modern disability studies, Shaping Intellectual Disabilities in Early Modern England invites readers into twelve individual studies of a diverse …

One Thing Leads To Another: A New Approach To Teaching Medieval Literature In The Twenty-First Century, Nicholas Markellos

Quidditas

Part of the problem with defining the "Middle Ages" stems from nineteenth-century historians' attempts to distinguish the Renaissance as a unique period that brought about modernity. In examining the literature of this period, however, it is clear that there was a certain element of queerness that surrounded this bewildering age. As a literature teacher, I found that my students do not always see these strange and important elements in the antiquated translations of the texts. To that end, I designed a new curriculum unit that approaches the reading of several medieval stories through a queer perspective, as well as a …

Medieval Old Age As Discourse: Conflicting Views And Perspectives In Pre-Modern German And European Literature From The Early To The Late Middle Ages, Albrecht Classen

Quidditas

This article revisits and reviews the broad and intense discourse on old age in the medieval and to some extent early modern worlds and examines the major scholarly contributions to this extensive topic. The discussion of old age during the Middle Ages found expression in fields such as history, philosophy, medicine, theology, literature, the visual arts, pharmacy, and military studies. It is not that long ago that old age itself finally gained more interest in historical research, but we can by now rely on a number of well-researched monographs and edited volumes dealing with this highly complex topic. Previous scholarship …

Innovating Institute Modeling Empathy With Challenging Passages Of Scripture, Luke Drake, Ryan Webb

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

This article explores various methods for teaching challenging scriptural passages to foster spiritual growth and a sense of belonging. It suggests that instead of avoiding difficult texts or interpreting them narrowly for devotional purposes, teachers can adopt an “empathetic reading of scripture.” This approach emphasizes cultivating compassion for the unique historical circumstances of ancient authors and preparing meaningful ways to discuss this material with Latter-day Saint students. Using 1 Corinthians 11:1–16 as a case study, the article outlines a four-step method that offers guidance on (1) engaging with the “best books” on the passage at hand, (2) identifying principles of …

Mosiah 18:21 And Prophetic Help With The Messiness Of Unity, Nicholas W. Gentile

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

This article explores Latter-day Saint Apostles’ teachings in general conferences from April 2020 through October 2023 about how to achieve unity within the increasing diversity of the global Church. It asserts that diverse disciples can experience the joy of unity by focusing on (1) Jesus Christ, (2) their shared identity as children of God, (3) the two great commandments, and (4)becoming one in spiritual purpose.

Jeremiah “The Prophet”, Loren Spendlove

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

This article, which focuses on the role of Jeremiah as a prophet, is based on a study of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Septuagint. It also analyzes references to Jeremiah in the Book of Mormon and connects those references to current scholarly research on the book of Jeremiah. Consistent with the general consensus among biblical scholars today, as well as Nephi1’s own references to Jeremiah in the Book of Mormon, the author proposes that even though Jeremiah embodied the office of a prophet, he was not recognized as being “among the prophets” during his lifetime. This is a subtle …

Seeing With A Hat: How Joseph Smith Used A Hat In Translating The Book Of Mormon, Stan Spencer

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Joseph Smith’s use of a seer stone and hat in producing the Book of Mormon has been a point of confusion, dismay, and even embarrassment among some believers. These feelings may reflect a lack of understanding of the functions of these objects in enabling Joseph to receive divine revelation. As the term was used in the Bible and commonly used in Joseph Smith’s day, a seer was a “seer” of visions. Accordingly, a seer stone was a stone used for seeing visions. Joseph was reported to have used seer stones to receive the translation of the Book of Mormon in …

"Being Therefore Perfect" Matthew 5:48 In Modern Restoration And Ancient Jewish Contexts, Trevan G. Hatch, Gerrit Van Dyk

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Matthew 5:48 (“Be ye therefore perfect . . . ”) is a salient passage of scripture for Latter-day Saints because of its seeming focus on becoming like God, a key doctrine of the Latter-day Saints faith. But what insights do we gain from analyzing its ancient Jewish context by comparing it to a parallel verse in Luke 6, by examining the verses immediately preceding it, and by considering the Greek grammar of the passage and the ancient meaning of the word translated as perfect in its various contexts? This essay explores these interpretive angles as well as survey show this …

Forgetting, Beth Sherman

Inscape

Beth Sherman has an MFA in creative writing from Queens College, where she teaches in the English department. Her writing has been published in more than 100 literary magazines, including Portland Review, Tiny Molecules, 100 Word Story, Fictive Dream, and Bending Genres. Her work is featured in Best Microfiction 2024. She’s also a Pushcart, Best Small Fictions, and multiple Best of the Net nominee. She can be reached at @bsherm36 or at bethsherman.site.

Sequin, Rose Demaris

Inscape

Rose DeMaris’s poetry appears in Image, New England Review, The Los Angeles Review of Books Quarterly, Narrative, Alaska Quarterly Review, and elsewhere. She received Orison Books’ Best Spiritual Literature Award in Poetry in 2022 and the 2024 Patricia Dobler Poetry Award, and she was a Best New Poets nominee in 2023. She holds advanced degrees in English and Native American Studies as well as an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University, where she was a Creative Writing Teaching Fellow. She lives, writes, and wanders in Montana.

Crocuses, Holly Castleton

Inscape

Holly Castleton is a master’s student at the University of Edinburgh studying Creative Writing. She has an MA in Religion and Literature and graduated from BYU with a major in English in 2020. Her poetry has appeared in Rue Scribe by Underwood Press. She loves to read, eat, and practice yoga.

Full Issue

Inscape

No abstract provided.

What Can Artificial Intelligence Tell Us About The Literary Skills Needed To Dictate A Text Like The Book Of Mormon?, Brian C. Hales

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The first oral draft of the Book of Mormon dictated by Joseph Smith reflected remarkable literary refinement and complexity. Such observations demonstrate that he exhibited highly developed composition and oratory skills. To date, no scholar has attempted to describe the specific skills Joseph manifested while dictating. This essay addresses whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) could generate an accurate list of the skills necessary. It begins by identifying and informally testing eleven chatbots to see if they can accurately predict the skills needed to perform a task. Seeing success, they are next asked a long question about the skills needed to dictate …

Show Me Nagara, Tell Me Shinji:, George Dibble

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

Evangelion is widely regarded by fans and critics as a masterpiece, with its final episodes often described as transformative and perfect (Shinseiki Evangerion, 1995-1996; Erter; Azuma). With its release, Evangelion “entered among the most widely discussed TV series in anime history” (Solomon). However, this profound impact invites a critical examination of its narrative conclusions. In Dr. Mick Broderick’s article “Anime's Apocalypse: Neon Genesis Evangelion as Millennarian Mecha,” he writes that the anime’s protagonist, Ikari Shinji, “learns to break free from his self-absorption, the anomie of selfpity and hatred that has prevented true interaction with family, friends and colleagues.” Yet I …

A Grammatical Analysis Of Code-Switching In K-Pop Lyrics, Sydney Christley

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, has been a rapidly growing area of study for scholars over the past few decades. However, previous research focuses on topics such as the globalization and diffusion of Korean culture instead of examining that diffusion from a linguistic standpoint. As such, there is still a gap in the literature that deals with Korean-English code-switching and, specifically, K-pop song lyrics. This paper attempts to address this gap by analyzing the grammar of English-Korean codeswitching in K-pop song lyrics according to Myers-Scotton’s Matrix Language Frame Model. This model argues that one language involved in code-switching is more …

Isfahan, Half The World, Mehrnoosh Torbatnejad

Inscape

Mehrnoosh Torbatnejad is a poet and attorney. Her poetry has appeared in The Best American Poetry, Ploughshares, and New England Review among others. She won the 2019 LUMINA La Lengua contest and the 2016 Pinch Literary Prize, and is a Best of the Net, Pushcart Prize, and Best New Poets nominee. Her work can be found at www.mt-poet.com.

Tribal Health Self-Determination: The Role Of Tribal Health Systems In Actualizing The Highest Attainable Standard Of Health For American Indians And Alaska Natives, Vanessa Ann Racehorse

Publications

In this Article, I explore the concept of Tribal self-determination in the context of systems that serve American Indian and Alaska Native communities. I investigate the vast health disparities that exist in Tribal communities, as well as the history and current legal framework for the provision of health care in Indian Country. Part of this discussion also provides information on the federal laws and policies that have fractured the traditional lifeways of Native communities and contributed to the disparate health outcomes that now exist. I also provide background on the fundamental federal laws and policies, particularly the Indian Self-Determination and …

Loyalty Disarmament And The Undocumented, Pratheepan Gulasekaram

Publications

Since the Supreme Court's District of Columbia v. Heller decision in 2008, lower federal courts have wrestled with Second Amendment claims raised by categories of people excluded from gun possession. Among those cases, several have been brought by noncitizens challenging their prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5), the federal criminal ban on possession by unlawfully present noncitizens. In the post-Heller § 922(g)(5) cases, judges have opined on whether unlawfully present noncitizens were among "the people" who had the right to bear arms and whether the government regulation met the appropriate level of constitutional scrutiny. More recently, however, the Supreme Court …

Contesting "Address": Conflicts Over The Words We Use To Address And Refer To Each Other, Helen Norton

Publications

Professor Richard Brooks's generative insights provide us with valuable tools for recognizing, and trying to make sense of, address's role in human interactions. That "address"--the words we use to address and refer to each other--has the potential both to offer value and to inflict harm to these interactions sometimes triggers conflict over appropriate forms of address. In this Commentary to Professor Brooks's Frankel Lecture, I examine some of these conflicts.

As we'll see, some address conflicts involve debates over whether and when address actually makes meaning or whether it’s instead relatively trivial--while others involve contestants who agree that address makes …