Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Portraiture Of Women During The Italian Renaissance, Rachel D. Masters

Honors Theses

From research, it is clear that gender is one of the greatest influences on Italian Renaissance portraiture. Gender affects multiple aspects of portraiture including its function, position of sitter, emphasis of costume, and the degree to which a sitter is idealized. Until recent years, art historians performed little research on the subject of women as seen in Italian Renaissance paintings. In the 1970s, scholars began to assess the representation of women from this time period using Renaissance treatises, recorded debates, and paintings.

This study of the portraiture of women during the Italian Renaissance seeks to interpret the function of portraiture, …

Study Of Students' Knowledge Of The Profession Of Graphic Design, Rachael C. Thomas

Honors Theses

Research, or rather the lack thereof, seems to indicate a lack of appreciation for graphic design, designers themselves, and the work they do in both the public and scholarly society. Without proper acknowledgement from the public and academia, graphic design as a profession is in danger of disappearing. The problem may stem from graphic design being a relatively new field if one is to think of it as really taking off with the invention of computers. This lack of understanding may also contribute to the absence of a single definition for graphic design. To address these concerns, this study will …

The Who, What, Where, And How Of Foreign Languages: A Study Of Foreign Language Curricula At Four-Year Colleges In Mississippi, Mariah S. Senegal

Honors Theses

This paper studies the eight four-year public universities within the state of Mississippi and their French and Spanish foreign language curriculums in order to compare their curriculums to those of The American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ standards of the Five C’s: communication, communities, culture, connections, and comparisons. The results are broken down into three sections by each college’s overall rankings, each college’s individual course offerings, and culture offerings. The data provides interesting results that shows that while a university may offer more or less foreign language courses, their curriculum did not necessarily reflect the standards that ACTFL …

Visual Branding In Graphic Design, Leslie E. Kirk

Honors Theses

Brands are all around us - no matter where we go, no matter what we do. As consumers, we are bombarded by images of logos and advertising campaigns every day. However, we rarely think about the process by which brands enter our lives. Before any product is ever produced or sold, it must first be branded. Every idea, from initial sketches to patented logos, supports a branding strategy, or the decisions a production team has made about what will drive a consumer to choose their brand over that of their competitors.

One problem small companies face when trying to get …

Exploring The Influence Of Students’ Socioeconomic Status Upon Musical Instrument Choice, Laterence E. Varnado

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) of students on their instrument choice. Information about SES and instrument choices could be valuable to music educators, especially at the beginning band level. If socioeconomic status affects instrument choice, teachers who recommend instruments to students may more effectively prescribe choices and take considerations for their students. Also, it would be helpful to know if certain students from certain socioeconomic groups are predisposed to certain choices or restrict themselves to certain instruments.

A sample population of band students was taken from two schools. One school had …

“I Have Beene A Reall Actor”: Analyzing The Writings Of John Smith Through The Lens Of Performative Documentary Theory, Kristen L. Walker

Honors Theses

In this thesis I turn to two of the originating texts of American literature: John Smith’s The Generall Historie of Virginia, and A True Relation. The General Historie was first published in 1624, sixteen years after Smith had returned to England, and A True Relation was published in 1608, just a year after Smith arrived Jamestown. These two were not the first or only texts Smith published. During his time spent as a mercenary, solider, and explorer, Smith also wrote eight other works. These two featured texts, The Generall Historie and A True Relation, present Smith’s time …

The Search Continues: Modernizing The Quest For The Holy Grail In Film, Jody C. Balius

Honors Theses

I focus here on The Natural (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and The Fisher King (1991). These three are clearly Grail-oriented stories that have different definitions of what the Grail truly is and means, but all have characters with internalized quests to find both greatness and peace within themselves. I used a literary approach to analyzing the films’ plots, themes, and motifs. Being a narrative analysis, the study focuses on the plot, characters, and content. Certain visual aspects of the films are also important to these narrative components, but the visual will be discussed insofar as it …

Changing The Nature Of The Beast: An Analysis Of Significant Variations From Madame De Beaumont’S La Belle Et La Bête In Disney’S Beauty And The Beast, Heather A. Stevens

Honors Theses

Madame Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont wrote and published La Belle et La Bête while working as a governess and educator in 1757. She told the tale to a young female audience as a means of teaching important life lessons. Walt Disney’s animated film Beauty and the Beast, released in 1991, is clearly inspired by Beaumont’s story, yet Disney makes many alterations to her characters. This thesis locates and analyzes these changes, arguing that they greatly alter the message of Beaumont’s story from one that is empowering to women to one that is harmful and ultimately anti-woman. This thesis also examines …

What’S Love Got To Do With It? A Content Analysis Of English And Spanish Idiomatic Expressions, Allie R. Solomon

Honors Theses

Idiomatic expressions are figurative in nature and vary from language to language, offering valuable insight toward understanding cultural connotations concerning the topics expressed. This study focused on idiomatic expressions that contain the word “love” or its grammatical variants found in the English and Spanish languages. The aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative analysis of these idiomatic expressions in order to identify cultural connotations, insight, and patterns regarding the communication of love within these expressions. A sample population of these expressions was obtained from a collection of available idiom and phrasal dictionaries and books written in English and …

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: Welcome To The Zoo, Sarah Zegree

Honors Theses

I have been working as the 5th-8th Grade music teacher at the Gagie School in Kalamazoo, MI for the entire 2012-2013 year. This mucis program represents not only the culminating project of my work at Gagie, but also a representation of all the skills I have acquired in my years at WMU in the hopes of using them in a variety of possible future careers.

I got the idea for this program from my students. In wanting to make sure they had a say in what music we performed I asked them what their favorite songs were. The overwhelming answers …

If The Shoe Fits…An Artistic Analysis Of The Classic Fairy Talecharacter Cinderella, Corinne Andrew

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Sisters Of The Spirit: Black Women In The Civil Rights Movement, Terra Warren

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

"'More Safe I Sing With Mortal Voice': The Bard, The Reader, And The Problematics Of Creation In Paradise Lost", Benjamin Moran

Honors Theses

For the first three centuries following its initial publication in 1667, John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost was understood by its critics the epitome of stateliness, a poem brimming with grandeur, and above all, the product of a writer certain about his poetic skills and his theodical mission. Joseph Addison, one of the poem's earliest and most influential critics, summarizes this orthodoxy when he wrote that readers find in Paradise Lost "all the Greatness of Plan, Regularity of Design, and masterly Beauties which we discover in Homer and Virgil." In this essay, I directly and indirectly address Addison's argument as …

Hans Von Seeckt: Reformer Of The Reichswehr, Aaron Miller

Honors Theses

During the Great War, armies saw the transition from mobile war to static war. This resulted in an astronomical death toll and a war of attrition. When the war was over, the Allied Powers wrote the Treaty of Versailles with the hope of dismantling the German military to such a degree that Germany would never again be able to threaten the world. Despite these restrictions, the German army during the Weimar Republic (the Reichswehr) sought to rebuild its fame and power in Europe. In this process, General Hans von Seeckt, the Commander-in-Chief of the Reichswehr, emerged as a …

Closing The Book On Libraries? Challenging The Idea That Libraries Are Obsolete And Discovering Why They Are More Important Now Than Ever Before, Kayla Hampton

Honors Theses

Libraries have been a part of civilization for thousands of years, but many people are beginning to believe that the information centers are becoming obsolete due to the Internet and other technological advancements. This thesis challenges that opinion by focusing on the past, present and future of libraries. In “The Past” section, the historical background of libraries is discussed, beginning with the first libraries in Greece during the fourth century B.C. to the first public library that opened in the United States, which was located in Peterborough, New Hampshire. During the portion of the thesis that discusses the challenges that …

The Forgotten Pandemic: A Short History Of The 1918-1919 Influenza Outbreak & The Effect On Kalamazoo And Western State Normal School, Katie Jones

Honors Theses

The influenza outbreak of 1918-1919 began its widespread destruction in September of 1918. Before the outbreak was over, more than twenty-five percent of the United States population became ill. However, the United States was not alone in this silent war. The influenza outbreak (named the “Spanish Flu” or “La Grippe” at this time) killed approximately fifty million people worldwide and is still considered to be the “world’s worst pandemic” since the onset of written history. The state of Michigan, including Kalamazoo and the campus of Western State Normal School were not immune to this highly contagious virus. From October 1918 …

Continuums: Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Leadership Program, Jacob Smallegan

Honors Theses

In 2011, Western Michigan University was one of three Michigan universities to be ranked in the Top 25 Gay Friendly Universities according to Newsweek and the Daily Beast. This is not surprising considering WMU’s current 4.5 out of 5 score on the Campus Pride Index. The Campus Pride Index lists 362 universities and WMU is one of 22 with a score of 4.5. In the LGBT-Friendly Campus Report, there are only eight areas identified that are not currently in place at WMU, one of which is an LGBT studies program. I decided, given my interest in the Student Affairs …

Glottopoeia: A Case Study In Language Change, Ian Hollenbaugh

Honors Theses

"Glottopoeia: A Case Study in Language Change" is a thesis in the form of a I32-page grammar booklet, entitled An Elementary Ghau Aethauic Grammar, with a preface detailing what I did, why I did it, and how I accomplished it. In effect, I invented a language called Ghau Aethau. It was created almost entirely ex nihilo, borrowing nothing in the way of phonetics, morphology, or vocabulary from any real language. It does employ grammatical concepts present in many real-world languages, but also several of my own design. I chose this project for two reasons: first, to explore the art form …

Editor-In-Chief Of The Laureate, Andrea Walker

Honors Theses

The Laureate is an undergraduate literary journal that is distributed by the Lee Honors College (LHC) of Western Michigan University. It accepts submissions from all undergraduate students from Western. In fall 2012, I was selected as editor-in-chief of this operation with Becky Cooper as my faculty advisor. My first task was to create a team of assistant editors. The LHC and Sigma Tau Delta sent out emails that let students know of this opportunity. I interviewed several applicants before selecting three assistants. My next task was to create flyers let students know how to submit. I created the flyers myself …

Teaching Grammar In Context, Katie Pingle

Honors Theses

An English 1000 instructor’s search for the best practices in teaching grammar through a reflective teaching experience which references leading scholarship and critically examines classroom activities and students’ writing abilities.

Life In The Hopeless Emptiness : The Search For Authenticity In Revolutionary Road, Austin Marie Carter

Honors Theses

Richard Yates’ Revolutionary Road opens, appropriately, with the “final dying sounds” of the Laurel Players’ dress rehearsal of The Petrified Forest. The suburban community theater is preparing for its inaugural show, and from these opening words, it is clear that this is a novel of performance—of failed performance, specifically. Even though the Players have little theatrical experience, both they and the community have allowed themselves to begin to believe in the “brave idea” of the show (7), and they “let the movement of the play come and carry them and break like a wave” (6). Revolutionary Road is populated by …

Morale Maintenance In World War Ii Us Army Ground Combat Units : European Theater Of Operations, 1944-45, Kevin Kane

Honors Theses

This paper examines how both the Army as an organization and its small unit leaders attempted to maintain the soldiers’ morale in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Morale was critical to the Allied victory in the war, yet the morale of frontline GIs was often neglected. This occurred with such frequency that many combat soldiers suffered from a new category of wound known as “combat exhaustion.” Through an examination of what influenced combat soldiers’ morale, a clearer understanding of what the Army did well and how it failed to support combat GIs emerges, as does an …

The Justification Of Authority : A Response To Raz, Reilly Wilson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Politicization Of Biblical Analysis By Protestant Army Chaplains During The American Revolution, Andrea Stevens

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the presence of political ideology within sermons delivered by chaplains in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. In particular, this thesis studies sixteen sermons delivered by Episcopal, Anglican, Congregationalist and Presbyterian chaplains between the years 1776 and 1802. The analysis of these sermons reveals an influence of the political climate during the Revolution on the ways in which the chaplains taught from the Bible. This essay begins with the formation of the chaplaincy as a response to four main needs of the soldiers: the need for a justifier, encourager, disciplinarian and religious teacher. The chaplains referenced …

The Process Of Preparing A Historical Exhibit Involving Textiles: Conservation And Mounting Techniques, Emily Kelley

Honors Theses

"The Process of Preparing an Historical Exhibit Involving Textiles: Conservation and Mounting Techniques" This project revolves around textile conservation, with an undertone of collections management. The processes detailed are to serve as a guide for creating mounts for historic textiles and to give preliminary information on how conservation works and how to identify textiles that are appropriate for conservation and display. Addressed in this project are the methods behind choosing which textiles to exhibit, mounting different types of textiles, and the three basic types of textile conservation. Choosing objects for an exhibit requires thought and consideration, for the desired story …

Following The Glory Cloud: Bethel Church & Maintenance Of The Revival Church, Jenny Edwards

Honors Theses

This departmental honors project examines the effects of routinization of charisma upon Bethel Church in Redding, California. As a movement related to both the Assemblies of God and the Toronto Blessing of the 1990s, Bethel has begun to declare an eternal revival based in their city. To prevent the movement from routinizing and dissipating, the leadership has instituted several structures within the church. The overall corporate hierarchy, the recent policy of inclusion within the hierarchy regardless of gender, the involvement of the congregation in performing miraculous acts, and the discipleship of future generations of participants and leaders through established ministry …

Senior Recital On Violin And Viola, Veronica Cieri

Honors Theses

Includes program for music recital, and descriptions of the music played.

White Female Criminals In Civil War Richmond, 1860-1865, Frances Sisson

Honors Theses

This study tells the story of white female criminals and addresses the problem of the white female criminality and the resulting reaction of the patriarchal society in Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War, specifically the years 1861-1864. During the Civil War, white female criminality became a daily occurrence because of the wartime conditions in Richmond, such as inflation and overpopulation. Because of the established patriarchal society and the lack of emphasis on the women's rights movement in the South, the female involvement in crime during the war was extremely shocking to the male driven society. The judicial system struggled with …

Self-Presentation Symbols And Their Effect On Heroic And Villainous Drive, Amelia Knight

Honors Theses

There is a significant body of research reflecting that human beings are drawn to hero stories. This fascination stems from a basic human need for hope and the inspiration to achieve greatness. Most hero stories, especially fictional ones, contain symbolically embedded information, which helps us to mentally represent particular heroes. For example, when asked to visualize Batman and Superman two distinct images come to mind: Batman’s mask and Superman’s cape. In the real world, these symbols are a little more obscure, like a Policeman’s badge or a Fireman’s hat. Symbols are important for the understanding of viewers, but they can …

Les Contes De Fées Oubliés: Vision D'Un Monde Plus Égal, Deborah Amato

Honors Theses

J’ai toujours aimé les contes de fées et j’ai toujours été intéressée par la question de l’égalité entre les sexes. Il y a deux ans, j’ai suivi un cours intitulé « Women in Myth and Fairy Tale». Nous avons lu et analysé des contes de fées aussi vieux que Cupid and Psyche, qui date du IIe siècle, et aussi récents que la version de Disney de la Belle et la Bête (1991). J’ai examiné alors pour la première fois les stéréotypes masculins et féminins que ces contes présentaient. Après cette expérience, j’ai voulu approfondir ma connaissance des premiers contes de …