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"Get Me The Girl For A Wife": Feminist Readings Of Genesis 34-35, Jacqueline Sanchez-Small Osb

Obsculta

This essay, originally written for “The Hebrew Scriptures: History, Theology, and Controversy,” considers the story of the rape of Dinah, exploring the text’s history and its traditional interpretations. Drawing on the work of Phyllis Trible’s Texts of Terror, the piece proposes a feminist and liberatory reading of the passage, one that centers the personhood of Dinah and the other women of the story.

Patient Response To Find New Meaning In Familiar Language, Kelly Olson

Obsculta

This piece is a reflection of the ongoing controversy of feminism in a patriarchal society. The reflections in this essay are limited to the conversation of male versus female body but it should be understood this is not intended to overlook or undermine the diverse spectrum of gender expression. While there is much needed to be said, explored, contemplated and shared regarding gender identity in the Body of Christ, this reflection addresses the female narrative in scripture.

A Central Task Of Theology: Authenticity In Relationship With God, Lydia Mattern

Obsculta

This work is a reflection on the beautiful mystery of Theology and what it means to be in authentic relationship with God. It is a cumulative piece of noteworthy ideas taught by Dr. Kristin Colberg in Thinking Theologically, a class that changed Lydia's life. It demonstrates that Theology is a vehicle used to come to understand God.

Nonviolent Communication: A Foundational Skill For Ministry, Mary L. Parks

Obsculta

A need for more formation has been identified during the continental phase of the Synod on Synodality. Furthermore, a conference of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative has observed a lack of time devoted to nonviolence in existing Catholic formation. This paper will demonstrate how incorporating Nonviolent Communication (NVC) into formation will meet these needs.

Keeping Covenant: The Story And Scholarly Scrutiny Of David And Goliath, Peter Tran

Obsculta

The story of David and Goliath is a tale of courage, duty, and faith in God. What is taken for granted, however, is whether or not David was actually the one who killed Goliath. Some critical scholars have begun to question the long-standing claim that David defeated Goliath. So, who really killed him and what are the theological implications? A thorough examination will shed light on this question.

Jesus' Identity As "The Son Of God" Revealed In The Narrative "The Transfiguration Of Jesus" (Mark 9:2-8), Hang T.H. Nguyen Op

Obsculta

This article is an exegesis of the narrative “The Transfiguration of Jesus” in Mark 9: 2-8, the powerful evidence of Jesus’ full identity as the “Son of God” and the manifestation of His glorious state that are inseparable from his suffering, death, and resurrection. His final triumph must take place in and through his suffering and death. Thus, we, as his followers, are invited to participate in the future triumph and glory of God by following his “way” to gain the promised glory.

Self-Revelation Of God In Jesus Christ As Love And The Kingdom Of God In Walter Kasper's Jesus The Christ, Hang T.H. Nguyen Op

Obsculta

This article is an examination of the Christology of Walter Kasper, a German Catholic cardinal and theologian. Through his work of Jesus the Christ, Kasper shows God’s self-revelation as love in the person Jesus Christ – the earthly and the exalted Jesus, who brings to human beings the message of his Kingdom, in which they can attain salvation, joy, peace, and justice.

This Is The Way: Christian Asceticism Alive In The Star Wars Universe, David Allen Osb

Obsculta

This article is a creative reflection on how the Desert Fathers, especially St. Antony, could be compared in a pastoral way to the Jedi Masters found in the Star Wars Film and Television Canon.

Three-Dimensional Structural Analysis Of Temple 16 And Rosalila At Copan Ruinas, Luis Tuarez

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Temple 16 is an ancient Maya structure located at the heart of the Copán Ruinas Acropolis in Western Honduras. Temple 16 contains several earlier structures within it that were built on top of each other throughout Copán’s history. One of these earlier structures, Rosalila, is one of the most culturally significant structures within the Acropolis due to its preservation. An intricate series of archeological tunnels have been excavated throughout Temple 16 to allow for its study. However, significant cracking has been observed within Rosalila and several tunnels have experienced partial collapse. This not only poses a life safety issue for …

Rock Art And State Formation In Ancient Egypt, Luke Trull

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The process of state formation in Egypt has been variously modeled. Lapidary tableaux from the eastern and western deserts of Egypt have been dated stylistically to the later period of state formation, the Late Predynastic. This thesis provides an overview of select theories on state formation, with particular focus on ancient Egypt. Those theories are then used as a lens, through which three rock art tableaux might be better understood and dated. This thesis will examine specifically the chronological stages of state formation outlined by Anđelković. After dating two other rock art tableaux to the Late Predynastic Period, I assign …

Libyan Social Identity And The Importance Of Kinship In The Third Intermediate Period (Dynasties 21-24): An Analysis Of Libyan And Egyptian Genealogical Texts And The Royal And Elite Burial Assemblages At Tanis, Kathrine Michelle Gosnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

As there is limited archeological evidence of Libyan society from Libya, assigning a social identity to an individual living in Egypt during the Third Intermediate Period (Dynasties 21-24, ca. 1076-723 BCE) is challenging. Comparison of textual and visual themes across a range of artifacts will allow further investigation into a connection between Libyan social identity and kinship. Case studies will cover genealogical texts, including texts on stelae and block statues, to provide insight into their function and significance to the Libyan people. In addition to investigating a living Libyan social identity, the presentation of the social identity of the dead …

Review Of Beren And Luthien, Jonthan B. Himes

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of J. R. R. Tolkien, Beren and Luthien, ed. by Christopher Tolkien (New York: HarperCollins, 2017). 288 pages. $30.00. ISBN 9781328791825.

Review Of Deeper Magic: The Theology Behind The Writings Of C. S. Lewis, David N. Beckmann

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of Donald T. Williams, Deeper Magic: The Theology Behind the Writings of C. S. Lewis (Baltimore, Maryland: Square Halo Books, 2016). 287 pages. $16.99. ISBN 9781941106051.

C. S. Lewis On Atheism, Joel D. Heck

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

Lewis had a lot to say about atheists and atheism, mentioning the topic at least seventy-eight times in at least thirty books and essays. Having been an atheist himself, he understood Christianity from—as he put it—the outside. He held many of the same positions that atheists did in the 1910s and 1920s and for many of the same reasons that still influence people today. Although he did not compose any sort of systematic description, definition, or formal reaction to atheism, we can glean a great deal from his writings. Perhaps most important of all, Lewis knew quite a few atheists …

Universe And You: A Search For Universal Moral Values, Jillian Meyer '23

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

Intercultural and multicultural communication can be difficult when opposing points of view try to find common ground. This is, in part, due to the different moral values people hold, which can come from their spiritual beliefs, legal systems, personal principles, relationships, and more. The present study aims to find a set of universal moral principles that apply to all humans in order to improve intercultural and multicultural communication. This study will synthesize the current literature on universal moral values across six different disciplines. These disciplines include philosophy/ethics, religion, communication, developmental psychology, evolutionary psychology, and anthropology. First, this paper will review …

Morality And Me: An Investigation Of A Moral Framework For College Students, Jillian Meyer '23

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

The field of moral psychology studies how people make decisions about right and wrong. These moral decisions can be based on a number of different moral considerations in the dilemma. The present study looks at the moral considerations of college students in the U.S when faced with a moral dilemma. We surveyed U.S. college students in February 2023 by presenting them with a moral dilemma they might come across during their college years and asking what they would do in the situation and why. This study developed the Moral Dilemmas Questionnaire to test the moral reasoning of college students. The …

Ethics And Us: A Review Of The Moral Psychology Field, Jillian Meyer '23

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

The field of moral psychology is a field of growing interest as psychologists become more interested in the study of how people make decisions about right and wrong. Research from several different disciplines has contributed to the study of moral psychology, making it inherently interdisciplinary. Moral psychology finds its roots in philosophical theories, before finding its place in developmental psychology. More modern research includes contributions from anthropology, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and more. Future moral psychology research may discover more disciplines that can contribute to the research and explain the real-life implications of people’s moral systems. This paper traces …

An Overview Of Viruses And The Infamous Sars-Cov-2, Jake Sun

The Confluence

Background information on viruses is first presented which include topics like evolution, ecology, history, identification, structure, and application. The novel SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, pandemic originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Millions of people were infected with the virus in a short time period causing urgent concern worldwide. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief and general understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 to increase awareness and actions toward preventive measures. COVID-19 is a (+) ssRNA spherical enveloped virion that causes primarily respiratory illnesses. The S protein interacts with ACE-2 receptors on the host cell to gain entry …

Power, Pleasure, And Privilege: Defining Depauw’S Hookup Culture And Its Mental Health Implications, Reanna Stiehler '23

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

Hookup culture is not primarily about sex, pleasure, connection, or freedom. Hookup culture is about power—how power is used, distributed, and desired. Previous work in hookup culture discusses a discourse of desire; however, the root and nature of this desire are unclear. I posit that hookup culture, as it currently exists, is strongly related to rape culture. In this thesis, I will explicate my anecdotal, qualitative, and quantitative evidence supporting this hypothesis.

This thesis provides an overview of what hookup culture is at a broad level. It then focuses more specifically on defining it at DePauw and considering the impact …

Book Review: Under The Weather: Reimagining Mobility In The Climate Crisis., Raymond Murphy

Critical Disaster Studies

Under the Weather: Reimagining Mobility in the Climate Crisis is an insightful, important book that reports on a fine-grained investigation Sodero made of the consequences and response to the disasters resulting from Hurricane Juan in Nova Scotia in 2003 and Hurricane Igor in Newfoundland in 2010, with comparisons to Hurricane Sandy in New York, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the 1998 ice storm in northeastern North America and the Icelandic ash cloud. One original feature is the focus on mobility, how indispensable it is in modern societies, how it is disrupted by extreme weather, and …

Internship Portfolio: Digital Collection Of Dr. Mark Frezzo’S Book Inventory And Exhibit About Us China Relationship: Internship With Um Library, Yunze Li

Faculty and Student Publications

This internship included two projects: 1) an inventory of the book collection of the late Dr. Mark Frezzo, donated to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology by his family, and 2) a library exhibit on the history of U.S.-China diplomatic relations, using data visualization.

Portfolio includes:

• internship report
• spreadsheet of book inventory, made using LibraryThing.com
• Link to Frezzo collection on LibraryThing
• biographical statement about Dr. Mark Frezzo
• Tableau-packaged workbook, containing the data visualizations referred to in the internship report

Mark Frezzo Memorial Collection, Yunze Li

Faculty and Student Publications

After his death in 2020, the family of Dr. Mark Frezzo donated his substantial collection of books to the University of Mississippi's Department of Sociology and Anthropology, where he was an associate professor of Sociology. The collection, initially delivered in over 40 cardboard boxes, was processed in 2022 by graduate student Yunze Li as part of his internship project for the M.A. in Sociology.

Included here:

• Biographical statement about Dr. Mark Frezzo (pdf, docx, html)
• Inventory of Frezzo collection, made using LibraryThing.com
• Link to online inventory on LibraryThing.com
• Data visualization of Frezzo Collection (Tableau workbook)

Queer Representation In The Horror Genre: An Analysis Of Queer Stereotypes, Makenna N. Lambert

Honors Theses

Queer representation has been present across all genres of film since the dawn of filmmaking. Much of the early representation of queer identities originated in the horror genre, specifically during the time of the Motion Picture Production Code (1934-1968). However, many negative stereotypes and tropes still common in media today originated in this time period. Films like Dracula’s Daughter and Bride of Frankenstein included stereotypes like the overly effeminate, weak gay man, the aggressive, ugly lesbian, and the concept that queer people are predatory. Modern-day horror films have started to stray away from these harmful tropes, including more well-rounded and …

New Insights Into The Paleovegetation Of The Ancient Underwater Forest Located In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Karla Lizarraga Garcia

Master's Theses

A well-preserved remnant of an ancient bald cypress forest (hereafter, Underwater Forest) constitutes the only known archive of a glacial refuge on the once exposed continental shelf of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. This forest existed around 41-72 yBP (MIS 3-5) according to the existing dating methods applied on previous studies. As the climate conditions and sea levels changed, the vegetation of this glacial refuge shifted from bald cypress forests to open marshes, altering the vegetation dynamics. The present research analyzed four new cores (21DF-5A, 21DF-5B, 15DF-6, and 16DF-3A), which provided additional insights into the vegetation that once existed in …

A Realistic Path Towards A More Affordable Healthcare System For The United States, James Loome

Honors Theses

This study was performed in order to try to discover ways in which the American healthcare system can improve and become more affordable for its citizens. The main focus was to see how implementing a universal healthcare system could benefit the United States. I analyzed aspects of many different universal healthcare system structures and chose aspects that I think should or should not be included in a revised version of the US healthcare system. There was a strong focus on the aspects of Japan and Costa Rica’s healthcare systems. I also pointed out weaknesses in the US healthcare system that …

Review Of C. S. Lewis’S Perelandra: Reshaping The Image Of The Cosmos, Sørina Higgins

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

Review of Judith Wolfe and Brendan Wolfe, eds., C. S. Lewis’s Perelandra: Reshaping the Image of the Cosmos (Kent, OH, 2013). 160 pages. $40.00. ISBN 9781606351833.

Exploring The Effect Of Artificial Sweeteners On Streptococcus Mutans Growth And Ph Level, Hannah Jaghab, Thomas Osika

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This study examines S. mutans growth in broths containing one of the following artificial sweeteners: sucrose, sucralose, sorbitol, or xylitol. Using spectrophotometry and pH measurements, correlations between sweetener and colony growth could be made. Results suggest that the high growth rates of glucose and fructose are similar to that of sucrose. Contrastingly, the lowest growth rates and pH drop were noted in Xylitol. Sucrose had visible biofilm formation whereas xylitol did not. The potential correlation between high sucrose consumption and increased dental hygiene risk may invoke further studies to investigate the viability of consistent sweetener use with minimal oral detriment.

Self‑Objectification During The Perinatal Period: The Role Of Body Surveillance In Maternal And Infant Wellbeing, Lauren M. Laifer, Olivia R. Maras, Gemma Sáez, Sarah Gervais, Rebecca L. Brock

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Pregnancy represents a unique time during which women’s bodies undergo significant physical changes (e.g., expanding belly, larger breasts, weight gain) that can elicit increased objectification. Experiences of objectification set the stage for women to view themselves as sexual objects (i.e., self-objectification) and are associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Although women may experience heightened self-objectification and behavioral consequences (such as body surveillance) due to the objectification of pregnant bodies in Western cultures, there are remarkably few studies examining objectification theory among women during the perinatal period. The present study investigated the impact of body surveillance, a consequence of self-objectification, on …

Feminist Retellings Of Homer's The Odyssey, 2005-2022, Brenna R. Bretzinger

Honors Capstones

Over the past two decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of feminist retellings of Greek mythology. These retellings serve to give voice to the marginalized female characters from ancient stories whose characterizations were deprioritized over their male counterparts. Furthermore, these stories connect the plights of ancient women with modern feminists to champion issues that women continue facing today. This study focuses on retellings of Homer’s The Odyssey, but these ideas and arguments are still largely applicable to other retellings of Greek mythology. Along with discussing The Odyssey, this project also analyzes three feminist retellings: …