Arts and Humanities Commons^™

I Wrote Myself Awake: A Personal Encounter With A/R/Tography, Michelle Geipel

Theses

This project and its accompanying short story function as visual and narrative representations of a/r/tography, demonstrating how creative practice can be used to explore and construct personal meaning through writing and art-making. The co-written story exists alongside the altered book as evidence of how the creative process not only engages the brain through neuroplasticity, but also supports meaning-making and the formation or discovery of identity. Through the integration of life writing, visual art, and reflective inquiry, this work illustrates how understanding can emerge from within the act of creation itself.

Reclaiming Suppressed Symbols: Yoruba Iconography And Nuyorican Identity In The Art Of Nitza Tufiño, Ariana Williams

Theses

This thesis examines the work of Afro-Puerto Rican artist Nitza Tufiño through Yoruba iconography, diasporic memory, and gendered Nuyorican identity. Grounded within the cultural and political context of the Nuyorican Movement of the 1960s and 1970s and, this study argues that Tufiño’s visual practice reframes suppressed African spiritual symbols through a woman-centered perspective, positioning Black femininity and spiritual labor as sites of resistance to colonial erasure and racial marginalization. Drawing upon Yoruba-derived cosmologies, Santería, and processes of visual syncretism, Tufiño integrates African, Indigenous Taíno, and Caribbean traditions to articulate a gendered visual language rooted in care, ritual, and collective memory. …

User-Centered Design For Public Financial Services: A Federal Student Loan Management App Case Study, Carmen River Christopher

Theses

Researchers have studied several facets of federal student loans, such as the impacts it has on borrowers’ finances, mentality, and life goals, plus the history of the federal student system and potential changes. There has been little research conducted on how borrowers make decisions regarding repayment, including choosing plans, navigating the repayment system, and understanding the long term implications of their choices. Since this research largely does not exist, there are few tools and resources to help guide borrowers as they manage the large, complex, and dynamic landscape that is navigating the federal loan system and repaying their debt. I …

Anastasis: Slow Fashion, Barbara Bultman

Theses

This thesis explores how slow fashion principles contribute to the longevity and cultural significance of iconic garments. Using qualitative research methods, including historical analysis, literature review, and practice-based design research, this project analyzes and recreates six iconic garments: the little black dress, trench coat, wrap dress, shift dress, wide-leg trouser, and women’s suit. The research investigates couture-level construction techniques, sustainable materials, and timeless silhouettes, demonstrating how these strategies can extend garment lifespan and foster emotional attachment between consumers and clothing. Ultimately, the research concludes that slow fashion provides a practical framework for creating durable, meaningful garments that support both environmental …

Staging Collapse: Anita Berber’S Cocaine And Morphium As Disability Aesthetic Performance, Blair Summers

Theses

This thesis examines Anita Berber’s performances Cocaine and Morphium within the cultural climate of Weimar Germany, where the body became closely tied to ideals of health, productivity, and national renewal. Through the framework of disability aesthetics as defined by Tobin Siebers, this study argues that Berber transforms addiction, collapse, and bodily decay into a visual and affective language of artistic and political critique. Rather than present the body as disciplined or morally ideal, Berber stages instability, excess, and death through gesture, costume, set design, and music. In doing so, she reimagines the stigmatized female body as a site of agency …

Analyzing Comparisons Of Seascapes By Caspar David Friedrich And Fitz Henry Lane Through A Digital Gallery Show, Adrianna Murphy

Theses

This project focuses on a comparative digital exhibition and analysis between Caspar David Friedrich and Fitz Henry Lane’s seascape artwork. Both artists have not been shown together in a gallery; thus this research into common themes in their works reveals a new perspective on early- to mid-19th-century seascape art. This perspective shows how their different geographies and historical contexts converge through the shared visual language of contemplation, morality, and reflecting in the mystery of life through nature. The project aims to create a digital gallery that showcases an ideal layout and a comparison of the artists, with curated works that …

Historic Churches Of Sheboygan, Erin Brehmer

Theses

This project focuses on the histories and architecture of six nineteenth- and early twentieth-century churches in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and developing a museum program about them. The aim of the project is to add to the art historical knowledge of Midwest architecture by researching the Greek Revival architecture used by First Baptist Church of Sheboygan; the Gothic Revival styles used by Grace Episcopal Church, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Hope Reformed Church, and St. Clement Catholic Church; and the Byzantine ornamentation used by St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church. Furthermore, this project uses the historical findings to create a museum public program …

An Introduction To World Art History: Course Curriculum, Skyler M. Bancroft

Theses

Art history as a field has inherent biases that are primarily rooted in Western traditions. A majority of the content which students are exposed to focuses on regions such as Europe and the Americas, with less focus on Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. The purpose of this thesis project is to develop a secondary school curriculum that approaches art history from a world perspective to foster students’ sense of cultural awareness and empathy, as well as the development of skills such as critical thinking and visual literacy. Students will leave this course with a greater understanding of art from various …

The After For What We Leave Behind, Cierra Marquardt

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This creative thesis discusses how art has failed to depict death through the promise of an ideal or an absolute, which is why my speculative solution is to create art that builds out the spectrum of nuance not currently found. I critique the idea of death as a precise moment instead of a network of changes; in understanding death to be an endpoint, the function of death within larger cyclical processes is lost. Through the analysis of the Memento Mori genres of historical and contemporary art work, a methodology is created which informs the creation of a pair of paintings …

Believe It Or Not: An Examination Of The Nature And Implications Of Evidence-Resistant Beliefs, Jack Geruc

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The aim of this thesis is to contribute to a growing body of academic research regarding the nature and origin of evidence-resistant belief systems and examine the influence that they have upon our lives. This examination of the origin of these beliefs draws on two intellectual disciplines: psychology and epistemology. A psychological approach examines the cognitive mechanisms that allow for the formation and persistence of these beliefs. The psychological approach focuses on the biological drives of belief formation and resilience. Furthermore, an examination of the psychology of identity shows an entanglement of one’s identity with belief systems that allows for …

Ai And The Ethos Of Education: Reflections On Human Learning Past And Present, Melanie Trotochaud

Yale Divinity School Theses

This thesis reflects on contemporary issues of “Artificial Intelligence” (AI), while also bringing into conversation 12th century Christian mystic and polymath Hildegard Von Bingen and 18th century Humanist philosopher Giambattista Vico. Hildegard’s and Vico’s contexts philosophically and historically share similarities to our present moment: reassessing our humanity and learning in times of technological, economic, and social shifts. Holding up their writing to various conversations about our contemporary world helps illuminate the present. Key aspects of the discussion include what constitutes tools or technologies, the agency we have in choosing to use or not to use them, and how we make …

A Comparative Analysis Of Jean Sizing And Fit Across Popular Denim Brands, Brooke R. Sterbens

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Denim jeans have been a staple in closets for many decades. In more recent times, human bodies have changed and have a larger variety in shapes than in the past. Brands are looking to create the perfect denim jean for their customer but lack putting in the time and research to make sure their measurement are accurately fitting. Variability in jean sizing among brands creates challenges for consumers to have a consistent fit among different styles and brands. This study aims to examine jean fit through different garment measurement sizing charts across multiple brands at different clothing stores. A quantitative …

Adaptive Leggings For Crohn’S/Colitis/Isbs Patients With A Colostomy Bag, Sarah E. Liebbe

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, continues to rise in the United States, an increasing number of individuals undergo colostomy or ileostomy procedures requiring the use of an ostomy bag (Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, 2023). While these medical devices are essential for maintaining health and quality of life, they often introduce challenges related to clothing, including discomfort, lack of support, limited concealment, and restricted self-expression (Hubbard et al., 2019). Despite growing attention to inclusive design within the fashion industry, adaptive apparel for ostomy patients remains limited in availability, style, and affordability, leaving …

Fields Of Green, Samaira Snow '26

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

Samaira Snow is a senior at DePauw University where she will graduate in May 2026 with double majors in Studio Art and Art History and a minor in Education Studies. Her work is often inspired by procedural efforts and plays with the relationship of layering and texture. She has started to participate in exhibitions.

Concerned Philosophers For Peace, Vol. 34 (2026), Concerned Philosophers For Peace

Concerned Philosophers for Peace

In addition to organizational information, honors, awards, and calls for papers and abstracts, this issue contains the following articles:

• “Genocide, Evil, and The Madman's Bluff: The Moral Stain of President Trump's Shameful Threat to Annihilate Iran,” by Andrew Fiala
• “Lest We Forget,” by Anna Malavisi
• “Ancient Lessons on Peace from a Roman Dissident,” by Court Lewis

What Better Means: A Full-Length Album By Fake Baseball, Maggie Heeren

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Scholarship As A Means For Musical Performance: An Exploration Of Johannes Brahms Violin Sonata In G Major, Op. 78, Josh Zallar

Masters Theses

Developing a quality musical performance is a complicated and time-consuming endeavor. Endless hours are spent learning a musical instrument, developing technique, and growing into a mature sound. Learning the notes, rhythms, dynamics, and basic musical markings of a score compound this task, not to mention the preparation for performing by managing nerves, among other areas of concern. Amidst the undoubtedly enormous amount of work, however, often focus gets lost. Musicians forget that, despite the inherent fact that our inner voice is heard when we perform, that it is ultimately the composer whose voice and musical meaning must be conveyed in …

“The Thorns Of The Most Severe Virtue”: Education, Religion, And Cultural Power In Michigan, 1798–1855, Kyle Christopher Vanderwall

Dissertations

This project seeks to demonstrate the centrality of education and religion as cultural power levers used by Americans, Odawa, and Catholic missionaries. Though the power of each culture was uneven, efforts to create educational institutions imbued with different denominations of Christianity, as well as continued contestation over land, remade the cultures of all involved. Americans privileged state-building practices, the Odawa acculturated to remain in Michigan when removal policies were enacted throughout the United States, and the Catholic church attempted to proselytize Indigenous communities.

Although the ethnohistorical method needed to be understood in order to write this project, it is not …

We Are Still Lipan: Identity Erasure, Settler Colonialism, Historical Memory And The Persistence Of The Non-Reservation Lipan Apache, Freddy Cabral

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation challenges the long-standing historical narrative that the Lipan Apache disappeared in the late nineteenth century. Instead, it argues that the non-reservation Lipan Apache survived through strategic adaptation, mobility, kinship networks, and cultural continuity across the United States-Mexico borderlands. By examining the Lipan experience under Spanish colonial rule, Mexican governance, the Republic of Texas, and the State of Texas, this study demonstrates that shifting political regimes consistently pursued Indigenous land, labor, and subordination through structures of settler colonialism and racial hierarchy. Using the frameworks of settler colonialism, white supremacy, genocide studies, oral history, and autoethnography, this dissertation shows how …

Blood, Steel, And Stone, Jennifer Camplair Hassell

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis, Blood, Stone, and Steel, explores the intergenerational impact of trauma, memory, and history through a unique blend of poetry, photography, and personal family narratives. Drawing on archival materials, family photographs, and the tradition of documentary poetry, the work investigates how the legacy of war and immigration shapes identity across generations. Inspired by Marianne Hirsch's concept of postmemory, the author examines inherited memories and their affective transmission, focusing on the experiences of her great-grandfather - a German immigrant and WWI veteran - and the subsequent effects on her family. The narrative is structured in three parts: BLOOD, reflecting loss …

Querida Ana, Lorena Castillo Berrones

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Querida Ana es una novela epistolar de carácter híbrido que narra la relación entre dos amigas separadas, primero por fronteras geográficas y después por la enfermedad. La historia inicia cuando Carlina emigra a Houston, Texas, para reunirse con su familia, mientras Ana Lucía permanece en San Luis Potosí, México. A través de cartas, postales y mensajes, la obra construye un espacio íntimo donde las protagonistas conversan, crean y sostienen su amistad pese a la distancia. La escritura se convierte en el puente que articula la narración y permite explorar temas como la migración, la frontera, la memoria, la enfermedad y …

Whirlpoole: A Creative Thesis And Analysis Of Creating Fiction From Real Life Experiences, Holly Marie Cesario

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

N/A

How To Make Tamales: Stories, Jeanette Colby

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In all its intersectionality, I see my thesis as a female journey of identity and maturation. A common theme in my writing always leads back to my upbringing in some way; my history, memories, and beliefs inevitably plague the storytelling animal that lives within me. These different kinds of narratives represent all the parts of my identity. At the same time, the fictional scenes allow me to dramatize and interpret specific life events, while the mythic narratives provide a symbolic framework for exploring psychological and spiritual truths that might transcend conventional logic. Almost all of these pieces reflect various aspects …

Lena's Shadow, Rebecca Lynn Dolloff

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Horror as a History and as a Comfort to preface Lena's Shadow.

Obsequium, And Other Stories, Jesse Epps

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis collection, Obsequium, and Other Stories, explores the emotional and social consequences of poverty, racism, addiction, grief, and generational trauma through a blend of literary fiction, horror, and postmodern satire. Drawing heavily from the author's upbringing in the American South, the collection examines how people navigate systems of oppression while struggling to maintain identity, dignity, and agency. The accompanying critical preface reflects on the author's creative development, personal hardships, and the literary influences that shaped the work, including horror writers such as Stephen King and postmodern authors like Chuck Palahniuk and Percival Everett. Across the stories, recurring themes of …

The Mouse At The Border: Magic, Money, And Manufactured Identity, Ricardo Manuel Hinojosa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates the methods by which The Walt Disney Company constructs and negotiates representations of Latine, gender, and queer identities within contemporary animation, with a particular emphasis on Coco (2017), Encanto (2021), and Wish (2023). Through a critical and intersectional lens, this research posits that Disney strikes a balance between cultural specificity and global market appeal, often leading to representations that are visually elaborate yet narratively limited. Both Coco and Encanto showcase a significant engagement with cultural traditions and themes such as memory and generational trauma; however, they ultimately fall short of thoroughly addressing systemic issues like colonialism and …

Microcosms & Warscapes, Heather J. Lathers

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This poetry collection features sensory-centered writing and common objects, scenes, and interactions to authentically capture the multi-perspective and nuanced experiences of wartime. Detailed language is critical when poets become mouthpieces for those enduring war's pain. Focusing closely on items such as teacups, boots, bones, mud, rice, and rats creates a kind of intimacy not often found in war writing. Specific conflicts addressed include World War I, Vietnam, and The Cambodian Genocide. The poems here, in various forms and voices, aim to spotlight the lost, marginalized, abused, and forgotten-- the much-needed humanity war stories tend to neglect. Ultimately, these pieces seek …

The Outcome Of Falling, Nia Simone Mccray

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The following thesis project is an erotic romance novel, accompanied by a critical essay on it. This project follows the journey of Zane and Adeena as they navigate the enlightening experience of falling in love. Love is not easy - it challenges the characters to inwardly and outwardly reflect on who they are as people and how they live their lives. In the novel, it is seen how Zane and Adeena's connection brings pleasure and catalytic change to themselves. The preface is a critical and aesthetic-based discussion on how the novel came to fruition. The essay includes discussion on the …

Public Art And The Future Of Remembrance In Contested Spaces, Rebecca Ann Munoz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the memorial landscape of El Paso, Texas as a contested site of public memory, cultural identity, and community representation. Situated at the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso functions as a palimpsest of layered histories shaped by colonization, militarization, and ongoing negotiations of belonging. Drawing on memory rhetoric and composition studies, and art history, the paper raises critical questions about community engagement, representational equity, and the politics of visibility in public art processes. The paper ultimately calls for a deeper examination of the rhetorical strategies and institutional frameworks that shape memorial meaning-making at the local level, with broader implications …

The Creature From Space: A Science Fiction Musical, Monroe Nathaniel Oxley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

My thesis examines how the musical The Creature from Space uses metatheatre, musical form, and science fiction to explore identity, conformity, and social control within a fictional 1950s Texas town. Centered on Lilly, a young woman struggling between loyalty to her hometown and the desire for personal freedom, the musical reimagines conventions of the Golden Age American musical while critiquing the ideological structures embedded within them. Drawing on works such as Oklahoma!, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Schmigadoon!, Little Shop of Horrors, and Ride the Cyclone, the project examines how musical theatre constructs and reinforces social roles through performance. The …