Myth, Spirituality, And Thought Patterns In Two African And Brazilian Ritual Dramas, Dele Layiwola

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

This essay conceptualizes and historicizes the phenomena of religion, custom, and belief systems by utilizing two celebrated dramatic texts and performances as practical illustrations of the complex roles they play in the social, political, and cultural lives of human beings, irrespective of their geographical locations. The arguments demonstrate that religion or spirituality is a given phenomenon in the personal and public lives of the denizens of various societies. It possesses its own logic and rules, which may not be mutually compatible, nevertheless constitute a constant universal principle. The paper employs dramatized examples to show that in classical or modern times, …

Ikenga: Symbolism, Spirituality, And Sociocultural Importance In Igbo Traditional Belief Systems, Chinyere Ndubuisi

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

The Ikenga, a noteworthy relic of the Igbo people of southern Nigeria, is examined in this paper as a major art object for a better understanding of African traditional religions and belief systems. Ikenga is a wooden sculpture traditionally made to represent an individual's power, achievements, and spiritual essence among the Igbo. Ikenga is ascribed the embodiment of the relationship between personal action, ancestral respect, and divinity within Igbo mythology. Within the framework of Igbo traditional religion, this paper examines the ontological significance, spiritual purposes, and social consequences of the Ikenga. The symbolic relevance of Ikenga as both a personal …

Language And Culture: Exploring The Links Between Africans And African Americans, Joash J. Gambarage

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

Due to the generational distance between contemporary African Americans and the earliest generations of enslaved Africans, the deep cultural connection between these two groups has not been sufficiently explored. Moreover, much of the existing literature on African culture in the Americas primarily focuses on retentions related to religion, music, food, and language, often missing other critical aspects of cultural continuity within the African diaspora, such as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and Niger-Congo linguistic ties, naming practices, and African epistemologies. This exclusion limits our understanding of how the historical movement of Africans and the persistence of African cultural legacies, have …

Situating Everybody Hates Chris (Ehc): The Appeal Of The Show, Elizabeth Johnson, Donald Culverson

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

"Everybody Hates Chris" (EHC) achieved critical success by employing comedy to address significant social issues, distinguishing itself in early-2000s television. Unlike earlier and contemporary series such as "Moesha," "The Hughleys," and "The Cosby Show," EHC offered a nuanced portrayal of Black family life, engaging an audience often overlooked or misrepresented by mainstream media. This article examines shifts in the television industry from the late 1990s to the early 2000s that facilitated EHC's innovative approach. The series departed from traditional family sitcoms, functioning not merely as entertainment but as a social commentary on the complexities of the family as a societal …

Christian Missions’ Medical Work In The Colonial Ilorin Province, 1900 To 1960, Rasheed Onagun

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

A scarcity of labor and the pursuit of optimal profit maximization led to the colonial government's collaboration with Christian missions to disseminate and expand Western healthcare to the populace. In Ilorin Province and Nigeria as a whole, missions undertook the majority of colonial medical work and public health initiatives. For the first time in the history of Ilorin Province, missionary endeavors introduced Western medicine as an alternative healthcare source to many, necessitating a historical examination. This paper explores existing literature, oral testimonies, and extensive archival documents to analyze the impacts of missionary medical work on the well-being of the people …

Editors’ Note: Introducing The Inaugural Edition

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Student Awards

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Awards for Outstanding Papers Written in 2025

Dam Negotiations: Water, Diné Sovereignty, And The Navajo Dam, George Smith

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

On July 30, 1958, contractors working for the Bureau of Reclamation broke ground on the Navajo Dam, located about 35 miles east of Farmington, New Mexico. Diné Tribal chairman Paul Jones had called the dam a “new hope for [his] people,” anticipating increased agricultural and industrial capacity from irrigation and flow management. Though officially approved in 1962, the contingent Navajo Indian Irrigation Project (NIIP) that was to provide those many of those benefits remained to be completed in 2024. By contrast, the San Juan Chama Project (SJCP), the other project contingent upon the dam, diverted water from the San Juan …

Marcion And The Crisis Of Second-Century Christianity, Samuel Petersen

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Almost a century after the death of Christ and his original apostles, the 2nd-century Judeo-Christian church found itself in a vicious struggle for survival catalyzed by an ongoing negotiation between the church’s traditional Jewish roots and establishing its own identity. The loose confederation of Jesus-believers fought to gather themselves into a functional body as they wrestled with questions surrounding the very nature of the Christian faith.

“No Hen Should Herald The Dawn Lest Misfortune Follow”: Gender, History, And Power Sima Guang’S Comprehensive Mirror, Zoe Ngan

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

It was not a particularly notable occasion when Emperor Gaozong 高宗 of the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) established Wu Zetian 武則天 as a mid-ranked concubine in 654. Emperors, throughout Chinese history, were polygamous rulers who acquired no shortage of concubines per the Rites of Zhou 周禮, an ancient ritual text which proposed that rulers obtain 121 wives and consorts. Wu’s nomination signified the unpredictability of imperial favour and almost certainly did not turn heads when her appointment occurred.

“I, Too, Want To Be Free”: Women And The Birth Control Movement In Utah, 1914–1940, Evelyn Wilcox

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Like many other women, I too, want to be free,” explained a 33-year- old Utah woman in a 1925 letter to Margaret Sanger, a prominent leader in the birth control movement. This woman, whose name is unknown, was married to a 78-year- old man with whom, she thought, “in her ignorance,” that she would never have any children—she was proven wrong. With six children under the age of eight at the time and wanting to prevent having more, this woman’s predicament reflects Sanger’s mission to inform everyday women of birth control so they could make their own reproductive choices. After …

Christianity Behind The Iron Curtain: How Creative Arts Gave A Voice To The Voiceless, Riana Johnson Wills

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In 1988, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) held celebrations across the Soviet Union to mark the Millennium of Christianity in Russia, commemorating a thousand years since the baptism of Rus in 988. While this was a monumental day for Christians, many believers across the Soviet Union felt a sense of dissonance. For decades, religious freedom and worship had not been privileges they enjoyed. Thousands of Christians suffered for their belief. The communist regime began in 1922 with Vladimir Lenin. The USSR built upon Marxist ideology where atheism is a fundamental and they expected nationwide compliance to these ideologies. …

Rationed Victory: A Study Of American Civilian Rationing In World War Ii, Alex Moulder

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In any conflict or competition it is often said that the winner is “fueled to victory.” This could come as a result of training, diet, stamina, support from others, or sheer willpower. Even small variations in any of these elements can have significant consequences and affect outcomes. The same can be said about civilians during wartime, especially during the largest conflict of the twentieth century, World War II. The war cemented the United States as a global power, thanks in part to its massive economy, technologies, and industries, which helped to overcome the war of attrition against the Axis powers. …

“It Was The Women Who Kept It On”: The 1984–85 National Union Of Mineworkers Strike In Wales, Brett Bodily

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

On March 3rd, 1984, more than 140,000 miners, all members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) walked out on strike in protest of proposed colliery, or “pit” closures. Years of disputes culminated in a major showdown between the largest labor union in the United Kingdom and a resurgent national conservatism led by Margaret Thatcher— leader of the Tory party. The communities built around coal mining recognized the Tory pit closure plan for what it was—an existential threat to their way of life. Women within these communities rose to the occasion and took on leadership and organizational responsibilities, many for …

Leasing Land, Losing Sovereignty: Us Military Land Leasing In Okinawa, Japan, Kathryn Blau

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Military land leasing in Okinawa has played a central role in limiting Okinawan political sovereignty since the end of World War II by fostering economic dependence on US military bases and enabling policies that override local opposition. Tracing the evolution of the leasing system under both American occupation and Japanese administration reveals how land expropriation, compensation policies, and increasingly generous financial incentives encouraged reliance on base-related income while discouraging advocacy for land reversion and base reduction. The analysis further demonstrates how the Japanese government's legal enforcement of mandatory lease renewals, particularly during the 1996 Okinawa land dispute, curtailed the rights …

Editor's Preface, Gabe Smock

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

This editor's preface explores the origins and enduring mission of The Thetean, BYU's undergraduate history journal. Through archival research in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, the journal's founding history is traced to its inaugural 1967 edition, revealing the origin, pronunciation, and meaning of its distinctive name as a reference to Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society. The preface highlights the journal's longstanding commitment to encouraging scholarly research, providing publication opportunities, and introducing students to the work of historians. By recovering the journal's own history, it underscores the broader value of historical inquiry: understanding the past to better …

Front Matter

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Solvable Diagrams And Equations Over Groups, Andrew Clifford, Paul Cummings

University of Tennessee Mathematical Journal

Given a presentation $\mathcal{P}=\langle X|R\rangle $ of the group $G$ and an equation $e\in G*\langle t \rangle$, we define a solution to a van Kampen diagram over the presentation  $\mathcal{P}_e=\langle X\cup\{t\}|R\cup\{e\}\rangle$. We prove that $e$ is solvable over $G$ exactly when every diagram over $\mathcal{P}_e$ has a solution.

Bloomington Community Brain Health Services Program: The Intersection Of Law Enforcement And Brain Health, Janet Yeats, Luke Campbell, Booker Hodges

Forensic Scholars Today

In 2023, the Bloomington Police Department launched the Bloomington Community Brain Health Services (BCBHS) program in response to increasing mental health crises, provider shortages, long wait times for services, and rising law enforcement involvement in crisis calls. The Bloomington Model integrates licensed therapists and supervised graduate-level interns directly within a police department structure. The program aims to reduce mental health-related calls, stabilize residents experiencing crisis, and eliminate cost barriers by offering up to 15 sessions of free, short-term therapy delivered in homes, schools, virtual settings, and community spaces.

This article outlines the program’s development, implementation, and early outcomes, highlighting key …

Back Matter Of Volume 14 Issue 1, Editor Business Review

Business Review

Aims & Scope

Back Matter Of Volume 13 Issue 2, Editor Business Review

Business Review

Aims & Scope

Back Matter Of Volume 13 Issue 1, Editor Business Review

Business Review

Aims & Scope

Back Matter Of Volume 12 Issue 2, Editor Business Review

Business Review

Aims & Scope

Back Matter Of Volume 12 Issue 1, Editor Business Review

Business Review

Aims & Scope

Efficient Spectrum Recovery Via Psd-Aware Power Re-Concentration, Hp Inc

Defensive Publications Series

This proposal introduces a fundamentally different way to utilize spectrum under interference conditions by leveraging power redistribution instead of spectrum avoidance. Rather than searching for interference-free tones, the design reduces the number of active tones within a given bandwidth, thereby increasing the power allocated to each tone under fixed PSD constraints. This effectively boosts per-tone SNR, enabling successful transmission even when the entire band appears to be below the noise threshold.

By transforming unusable bandwidth into recoverable SNR margin, this approach challenges the traditional assumption that interference-affected spectrum must be discarded. It operates fully within regulatory PSD limits while extracting …

Wh‑E5 — Interplanetary Water Engine Earth • Mars • Moon • Deep Space Open‑Hardware • No Patents • No Secrets • Builder‑Ready • Lab‑Ready • Habitat‑Ready, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

 Abstract

WH‑E5 is the world’s first interplanetary water engine, capable of harvesting, extracting, purifying, and conditioning water across:

• Earth’s atmosphere

• Mars’ thin CO₂ atmosphere

• Lunar regolith ice deposits

• Deep‑space humidity reclaim systems

• Asteroid ice pockets

• Emergency landers and survival modules

WH‑E5 uses:

• Mg‑Gallate ultra‑dry sorption (0.2% RH capture)

• MOF‑303@LiCl composite bed (+50% uptake)

• Ultrasonic desorption (<5 min cycles)

• SLS hex‑lattice sorption substrate

• Phoenix‑Water Engine‑2.0 purification

• VMR Titan‑2.0 PFAS/microplastic destruction

• Forgecell Prime‑2.0 thermal buffering

• CRFG‑1R thermoacoustic gradient smoothing

• Arachne‑Chip‑2.0 telemetry + CIFRS‑N environmental logic

• Mechanic’s Battery‑2.0 off‑grid power

• URES‑2.0 resonant micro‑power harvesting

This posting unifies all WH‑E5 editions into a single interplanetary architecture.

Autonomous No-Op Mode, Hp Inc

Defensive Publications Series

Devices such as Bluetooth headsets/earbuds/speakers, Mice/keyboards and USB equivalents can be easily misplaced or stolen. Individuals other than the Device’s owner may attempt to use the Device as their own. It is valuable to the Owner for the Device to have a system or systems that can either prevent an unknown user from using the Device, or to guide the Owner to the Device so that it may be recovered, or both.

The solutions available are capable of (1) Cryptographic authentication: devices have built-in cryptographic information which the host authenticates before allowing the connection from devices. This may require TPM …

Environment-Adaptive And Collision-Minimized Bluetooth Channel Allocation In High-Interference Multi-Device Scenarios, Hp Inc

Defensive Publications Series

In environments with high wireless interference, such as office spaces with multiple laptops and overlapping Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth communication often suffers from frequency collisions and degraded performance. The standard Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) mechanism employed by individual Bluetooth devices is decentralized, requiring each device to perform its own interference scanning and channel adaptation. This results in duplicated overhead and limited visibility of global channel usage, leading to inefficient spectrum utilization and inter-device Bluetooth channel collisions. This invention provides a centralized system and method for managing Bluetooth channel allocation across multiple devices. The most suitable central host PC collects environmental interference …

Wh‑E5 (2026 Max‑Viability Trl‑9+ Ultra‑Dry Dual‑Mof Edition) The All‑Weather Water Engine Open‑Hardware • No Patents • No Secrets • Builder‑Ready • Lab‑Ready • Field‑Ready, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

Abstract — Ultra‑Dry, Ultra‑Efficient, Ultra‑Viable

WH‑E5 is a fully open‑hardware atmospheric water engine capable of harvesting water at 0.2% RH, purifying it to PFAS‑free, and operating off‑grid with ultrasonic desorption, dual‑MOF sorption beds, resonant energy harvesting, and cavitation‑plasma purification.

This edition integrates:

• Mg‑Gallate ultra‑dry sorption layer (0.2% RH)

• MOF‑303@LiCl composite bed (+50% uptake)

• SLS hexagonal lattice substrate (−20% pressure drop)

• Ultrasonic desorption (<5 min cycles)

• Cavitation‑plasma PFAS destruction (VMR Titan‑2.0)

• Gyro‑cavitation pre‑purification (GCI‑v3.1.2)

• Resonant micro‑power harvesting (URES‑2.0)

• Arachne‑Chip‑2.0 adaptive telemetry

• Forgecell Prime‑2.0 thermal buffering

• Mechanic’s Battery‑2.0 off‑grid power

• VAR‑280 ultra‑low humidity vortex capture

• CIFRS‑N environmental modeling

• WSM‑1.0 moisture sponge

This is the …