Digital Commons Network^™

Sister, Lover, Monster: Gender, Sexuality, And Monstrousness In Batwoman, Carter Click

Honors Projects

Introduced in 2006, Kate Kane is the modern iteration of Batwoman, who is an out lesbian woman, in contrast to her 1950s counterpart that was created to alleviate concerns that Batman was gay. She would go on to star in stories by Greg Rucka, J.H. Williams III, and W. Haden Blackman that were published from 2009 to 2013. This run established core aspects of Kate’s character, supporting cast, and origin story. Though Rucka and Williams’ work has received some scholarly focus, Williams and Blackman’s work has received very little. This project attends to how these Batwoman comics facilitate queer representation …

Joining The Sapphic Tradition: A Contemporary Approach To Translating Sappho And Catullus, Rebekah Shively

Honors Projects

This project explores the accessibility and emotional resonance of ancient lyric poetry by creatively reimagining selected works of Sappho and Catullus through the integration of slang. Beginning with my personal discovery of Sappho in high school and later academic encounters with both poets, I trace the development of my interest from an informal, online fascination to formal research, while also recognizing how many existing resources felt outdated, inaccessible, or disconnected from a modern audience. After providing substantial background information on the two poets, I examine their popular culture presence before moving to similarities between their work, focusing primarily on Catullus' …

“Give A Girl An Education”: Jane Austen On Women’S Academic And Intellectual Enrichment, Ellie Ward

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis explores how Jane Austen, through her novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park, contributed to the cultural conversations surrounding women’s education in Georgian-era England. While women’s education at the time was limited and controversial, Austen critiques the prevailing system and supports the intellectual growth of women. Moreover, this thesis analyzes the influence upon Austen's position, beginning with her own educational history and expanding to consider the effect of Enlightenment ideology, particularly the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Gisborne, and Hannah More, on Austen’s thinking. Ultimately, Austen challenges the restrictions placed on women’s …

Javier Milei, Fenómeno Barrial: Political Slogans As Narrative, Sawyer J. Deshon

Senior Honors Theses

Javier Milei won Argentina’s 2023 presidential race to the surprise of many. His prolific use of political slogans on social media has continued into his presidency, contextualizing his agenda and the potential image he seeks to project when pursuing reelection in 2027. This investigation conducts a critical reading of Javier Milei’s political slogans through the lens of Walter R. Fisher’s narrative paradigm, identifying a clear narrative arc that portrays Milei as a populist political outsider, villainizes the political elite of Argentina, and promises a thriving Argentina rooted in libertarian fiscal policy. The subsequent rhetorical analysis integrates quantitative and qualitative assessments …

The Icarian Dilemma: The Battle Of Faith Versus Identity Addressed With Scenic Design, Allistar G. Barrett

Senior Honors Theses

American Christians and the LGBTQ+ community have long been in a cultural war with one another. However, queer Christians – individuals who are both LGBTQ+ and Christian – have rarely found solace in either community, instead being shunned and ostracized for their beliefs and identities. Using the transformative art of theatre to address cultural divides, a theatrical scenic design was developed for Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R & J, a retelling of the traditional Romeo and Juliet script through the lives of four Catholic school girls. This design uses the Greek mythology of Icarus, Catholic culture, the original Romeo and Juliet, …

Yoder In Brooklyn? Rapidly Expanding Free Exercise Jurisprudence, New York State School Regulations, And Hasidic Yeshivas, Jonathan Acampora

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

It’S Not Like Riding A Bicycle: How A Steadfast And Committed Effort To Writing Can Contribute To The Development Of Student Writers, Meredith J. Whited

Honors Theses

This work investigates the effect of writing routines in public education. Propelled by the words and ideas of Penny Kittle, Cynthia Urbanski, Ralph Fletcher, and many more, a study was completed with high school aged students to find the correlation between writing routines and levels of writing apprehension. These students were given The Daly-Miller Test as a pretest via Google Forms at the start of the study. After responding to a series of five-minute writing prompts over the course of several days, students were given a post-test of the same survey to determine if changes in writing apprehension had occurred. …

Silver Star: The Superheroine Love Of My Life, Primo C. Murillo Jr.

Master's Projects

Silver Star: The Superheroine Love of My Life is a new adult, queer romance novel about a pair of young women living in a modern world filled with superheroes. This manuscript covers the first five chapters of this proposed novel, which is still in development. The story follows Freddie Silang, a Filipina-American superhero fan with no superpowers, who struggles to find her place in life after college. Freddie's mundane life is forever changed, however, when she meets her favorite superhero, Ms. Metropolis, during a battle against a minor villain. After Freddie saves Ms. Metropolis in an impulsive, yet selfless act, …

An Ode To Keats, Makaylah J. Chambers

Master's Projects

This essay is an introduction to a tv pilot script inspired by John Keats.

Hybrid Bermudagrass Drought Tolerance In A Cool-Season Climate, Ashley J. Beazer

Theses and Dissertations

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (KBG) is the most commonly grown cool-season C3 turfgrass. However, as global temperatures rise, KBG struggles to tolerate higher temperatures, leading to increased irrigation demands--a growing concern in arid and semi-arid regions facing escalating drought conditions. In contrast, hybrid bermudagrass (HBG; Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers. x Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt Davy), a warm-season C4 grass, has demonstrated promising adaptability in traditionally cool-season climates. Since 2008, HBG has been successfully grown with minimal winterkill in Provo, UT, USA, and is now being considered for broader adoption in similar climates. Two separate studies were conducted to evaluate the …

Facebook Comments-Based Assessment Model For Food Product Companies Using Four Machine Learning Methods With Arabic/Iraqi Lexicon, Raad Sadi Aziz, Sura Mazin Ali, Ahmed T. Sadiq

Baghdad Science Journal

People's need for food is increasing day after day due to the large population increase that has occurred in human society, which has led to a significant increase in the activity of food product manufacturing companies in the world. Hence the necessary need to evaluate the performance of food production companies. We found that the best way to evaluate the performance of these companies is through social media comments, because it is the newest and most common method among people. In this paper, 4 machine learning techniques were relied upon to evaluate participants' comments in evaluating food production companies after …

Interference Management For Next-Generation Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, Jie Wang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The exponential growth of wireless devices and bandwidth-intensive applications has intensified the demand for efficient spectrum utilization, exposing the limitations of traditional static spectrum allocation schemes. Next-generation spectrum sharing has emerged as a transformative solution to enhance spectrum efficiency by enabling multiple wireless systems to coexist opportunistically in the same frequency band and geographic area. However, such dynamism introduces significant challenges, particularly in interference management, which is critical to enabling reliable coexistence, ensuring access priority, and building mutual trust across diverse applications. This thesis advances interference management by developing advanced techniques for interference prediction, monitoring, and control in dynamic spectrum …

Essays In Macroeconomics, Manu Garcia

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is organized into three chapters, each offering novel insights into macroeconomic theory and practice. While the chapters address distinct phenomena, a common thread runs throughout: each study examines a transmission mechanism---whether of monetary shocks, normative change, or academic strategies---and underscores the importance of heterogeneity and dynamic adjustment in macroeconomic outcomes. In Chapter 1, I explore one of the most direct channels of monetary policy transmission---the refinancing window in the housing market. By exploiting comprehensive mortgage data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) spanning several decades, the analysis identifies episodes of heightened refinancing activity as quasi-natural experiments. Regions …

Ai-Assisted Model-Guided Image Reconstruction Methods For Photoacoustic And Ultrasound Computed Tomography, Luke Joseph Lozenski

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) and ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) are two emerging medical modalities that hold great promise for both pre-clinical and clinical imaging applications, including cancer diagnosis and management. PACT is a hybrid imaging modality that combines benefits from both optical and acoustic imaging to provide high contrast images of biological absorbers. USCT is an ultrasound imaging modality that provides high-resolution quantitative images of acoustic properties utilizing accurate physics models. Both PACT and USCT can be applied for monitoring or diagnosis of cancer and are non-invasive and radiation free. However, both imaging modalities are in the early stages of …

Citizens United: The 2010 Crisis In The Marketplace Of Ideas, Abbagayle Grace Madanat

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

In Citizens United v. FEC (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that corporations, like individuals, have First Amendment rights, enabling limitless corporate spending on political advocacy. This decision, made in the name of free speech, discounted concerns about corruption and destabilized the marketplace of ideas by granting corporations disproportionate influence and effectively drowning out citizens’ voices. I demonstrate how Citizens United deviated from legal precedents and the Framers' intentions for the First Amendment. Drawing from On Liberty, I argue that John Stuart Mill, one of history’s greatest free speech advocates, would have opposed the ruling, recognizing its distorting effects. I further …

Study Group Environments And Their Connection To Study Plans And Strategies, Tatyanna Caputo

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Students have a mental image of how they intend to study but may fail to anticipate possible distractions or unexpected obstacles. A potential solution is for students to collaborate in study groups. If students fear disappointing their fellow peers, they may be more likely to fulfill their intended plans. In addition, studying in groups may encourage the use of active study strategies. In this study, college students reported their upcoming study plans, which were then analyzed to see if students planned to work with others and use stronger study strategies. We correlated their plans with the students’ later self-reports on …

How Effective Are Machine Learning Algorithms In Enhancing Marketing Strategies?, Kassidy Dunn

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

In recent years, machine learning algorithms have become a vital tool in marketing, yet their impact remains underexplored. This study investigates the mechanisms and applications of machine learning algorithms in marketing strategies, assessing whether they benefit or restrict the effectiveness of marketing strategies. Through relevant research and case studies, we argue that while machine learning-driven marketing offers measurable benefits in personalization and return on investment, its implementation must be balanced with ethical considerations to avoid biased outcomes.

Cliona Delitrix Population Demographics And Ecological Succession On San Andrés Reefs, Colombia, Maya Clarke

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

As climate change decimates coral populations, excavating sponges are becoming prominent in some reefs as critical bioeroders. This thesis aims to assess ecological succession patterns and population demographics of the excavating sponge Cliona delitrix on San Andrés, Colombia reefs over 20 years. Population growth was quantified. Growth was constant, with recruits replacing dead mature sponges at an equal rate. A frequency analysis was run to assess the successor prevalence per substratum. On live corals, succession after C. delitrix death is dominated by a diverse community of organisms, including macroalgae, turf algae, sponges, calcareous algae, and others. Understanding reefs as dynamic …

Digital Discourse On Alzheimer’S Disease: A Text Analysis Of Crosscultural Sentiments In Online Communities, Maryam Imran

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological condition characterized by a significant decline in cognitive function. Due to its severe effects and the absence of a cure, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for slowing its progression. My project examines how cultural perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease are reflected in digital discourse. Using Voyant, a text analysis tool, and the NRC Emotion Lexicon, I analyzed Reddit discussions from South Asian, East Asian, and North American individuals, categorizing their posts into three themes: diagnosis perceptions, treatment decisions, and family/social dynamics and classifying sentiments as negative, positive, or neutral to gain a deeper understanding of …

The Potential Of Brain Organoids In Addressing The Heterogeneity Of Synucleinopathies, Xiao-Jun Diao, Claudio Soto, Fei Wang, Yu Wang, Yun-Cheng Wu, Abhisek Mukherjee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Synucleinopathies are a group of diseases characterized by neuronal and glial accumulation of α-synuclein (aSyn) linked with different clinical presentations, including Parkinson's disease (PD), Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and Multiple system atrophy (MSA). Interestingly, the structure of the aSyn aggregates can vary across different synucleinopathies. Currently, it is unclear how the aSyn protein can aggregate into diverse structures and affect distinct cell types and various brain regions, leading to different clinical symptoms. Recent advances in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-based brain organoids (BOs) technology provide an unprecedented opportunity to define the etiology of synucleinopathies …

Employability Of International Postgraduate Taught Students In The Uk: A Systematic Literature Review Using Prisma, Fa Wang, Rong Huang, Jingyu Wu, Wai Mun Lim

Plymouth Business School

One-year postgraduate taught programmes in the UK attract global talent through high-quality education, yet the employability and career pathways of these students remain understudied despite their recognised vital economic and cultural contributions. Amid the UK's higher education financial crisis, marked by funding cuts, staff layoffs, rising costs, and reliance on international student recruitment, this study employs the PRISMA 2020 framework to systematically review literature (2014–2024) on international postgraduate taught student employability. Analysing 13 studies from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, the findings reveal gaps in tailored sector-specific career and employability support, access to employment development opportunities and work-integrated …

Fact-Based Counter Narrative Generation To Combat Hate Speech, Brian Wilk, Homaira Huda Shomee, Suman Kalyan Maity, Sourav Medya

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Online hatred has become an increasingly pervasive issue, affecting individuals and communities across various digital platforms. To combat hate speech in such platforms, counter narratives (CNs) are regarded as an effective method. In recent years, there has been growing interest in using generative AI tools to construct CNs. However, most of the generative models produce generic responses to hate speech and can hallucinate, reducing their effectiveness. To address the above limitations, we propose a counter narrative generation method that enhances CNs by providing non-aggressive, fact-based narratives with relevant background knowledge from two distinct sources, including a web search module. Furthermore, …

Leader Development Goes Global: Gli Leadlab & The School Of Leadership, Erich Baumgartner, Ramiro A. Quero, Randy Siebold

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Chimes: April 28, 2025, Calvin University

Chimes

New native meadow breaks ground on Earth Day by Ian Tjoelker

Film students prepare for media showcase by Stella Stachowiak

Students premier original compositions at New Music at Calvin Concert by Graham Kort

Calvin responds to a national wave of visa revocations by Grace Buller

A dive into the world of the The Weather Belt by Ethan Meyers

Women's lacrosse falls to Hope in regular season finale, looks ahead to MIAA tournament by Zach Kern

Students unsure of effects of Calvin's Synod report by Clare Rybicki, McKenna Wilkinson & Sarah Sparling

Top of the Class: Beast Games meets Survivor at …

Rural-Urban Disparities In Hospitalisation For Myocardial Infarction In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus In The Usa, Jasvinder A Singh, Sumanth Chandrupatla

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: To assess whether rural-urban disparities exist in people with SLE for hospitalisation with myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: We used the 2016-2019 US National Inpatient Sample data that contain all hospitalisation data. In people with a diagnosis of SLE, we assessed the multivariable adjusted ORs (aORs) to examine the association of rural patient residence with MI hospitalisation, while adjusting for demographics, payer, income, hospital characteristics and the Deyo-Charlson Comorbidity Index.

Results: We found that the crude rates of patients hospitalised with MI per 100 000 area specific SLE hospitalisations were higher in rural versus urban residents with SLE, 2265 versus …

The Geologic History Of The Chehalis Forearc Basin, Washington State, Usa, Rud Lamb Moe

Dissertations and Theses

The Chehalis Basin, in southwest Washington, is one of a series of forearc basins between the Cascade Arc and the Coast Range in the Pacific Northwest. While the Seattle basin to the north, and the Portland-Tualatin basins to the south are both relatively well studied, the geologic evolution of basins in between is poorly constrained. The Chehalis basin is underlain by accreted Eocene oceanic basalt of the Crescent Formation. The basin fill consists of sedimentary rocks and volcanic rocks deposited throughout the Cenozoic. It has undergone N-S shortening driven by transpressional stress from oblique subduction of the Juan de Fuca …

Seeking Common Ground With A Conversational Chatbot, Judit Dombi, Tetyana Sydorenko, Veronika Timpe-Laughlin

Applied Linguistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Conversational AI is advancing rapidly, enabling significant improvements in chatbots’ conversational abilities. Currently, available conversational chatbots (e.g., Snapchat’s MyAI) appear to generate fairly realistic, often human-like output. As collaboration between humans and machines becomes more common, and AI systems are increasingly viewed as more than just tools, understanding human communication in such contexts is crucial. Despite the vast array of applications and the increasing number of human-bot interactions, research on how humans interact with conversational chatbots is scarce. One possible reason for this gap is that studying human-computer communication may require adaptations of existing pragmatic frameworks, due to the unique …

Heavy Metals In Spices From Lancaster, Pa: Arsenic, Cadmium, And Lead Exposure Risks And The Need For Regulation, Andrew Huff, Hoi Lam, Anuj Ghimirey, Jay Goldring, Michelle Pimentel, Harriet Okatch

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Heavy metal exposure is associated with adverse health effects in children including impaired cognitive functioning. Studies have identified spices as a potential source of heavy metals. However, in Lancaster, PA no such studies have been conducted. Hence the aim of this study was to quantify arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in spices from Lancaster, PA. Spices were either purchased from stores in Lancaster or obtained as donations from families in Lancaster. As, Cd, and Pb were quantified using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the median heavy metal concentrations in store-purchased …

Patient-Generated Health Data: Impact On Promoting Patient-Centered Point Of Care Tobacco Treatment In Patients With Cancer, Jessica Liu, Jingling Chen, Nina Smock, Nicholas B Griffith, Ramaswamy Govindan, Paula Goldberg, Jodi Thole, Kristin Daly, James Reddy, Alex T Ramsey, Laura J Bierut, Aimee James, Robert A Schnoll, Ross C Brownson, Li-Shiun Chen, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Guideline-based tobacco treatment is infrequently offered. Electronic health record-enabled patient-generated health data (PGHD) has the potential to increase patient treatment engagement and satisfaction.

METHODS: We evaluated outcomes of a strategy to enable PGHD in a medical oncology clinic from July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022. Among 12,777 patients, 82.1% received a tobacco screener about use and interest in treatment as part of eCheck-in via the patient portal.

RESULTS: We attained a broad reach (82.1%) and moderate response rate (30.9%) for this low-burden PGHD strategy. Patients reporting current smoking (

DISCUSSION: PGHD via patient portal appears to be a …

Horbat Rimmon: Pottery And Small Finds, Varda Sussman

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.