Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Watering Place™: Creating Space For Spiritually Dehydrated And Hurried Women, Donna M. Cox

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement and Ministry Context: The Watering Place™: Creating Space for Spiritually Dehydrated and Hurried Women seeks to address the NPO: In a speedy, frenzied world, women need [a] space to pursue healing, spiritual connection, be refreshed, and be empowered to grow into the fullest expression of themselves. This project grew out of my position as founder of Doxology Ministries International, Inc., a 501c3 religious organization. For over fifteen years, I have been leading retreats focusing on women.

Key Insights: The Doctoral Project allowed me to explore issues facing women more deeply, particularly conditions impacting women’s health, such as the …

Kung Fu Panda - A Good Story Well Done, James E. Bruner

Classical Conversations

Storytelling is incredibly important in the everyday lives of humans. Over the course of history, the methods of storytelling have advanced much in the same way society has advanced. However, the constant components of a good story and classic literature have never changed: enticing plots, courageous heroes, and narrative beauty. One of the most popular, modern methods for storytelling for both young and old alike is the animated motion picture. The Kung Fu Panda movies are a series of animated children’s movies created by Dreamworks Animation studios that have witnessed great success in box offices worldwide. However, the journey of …

Moved To Compassion: Envisioning Parables In The Gospel Of Luke, Patrick J. O'Kernick

Dissertations (1934 -)

The primary goal of modern parable studies seems to be objective, more or less impersonal, interpretations. The subjective experience of the reader, the ways in which real readers are active and personally engaged in their encounters with parable texts—these things have hardly been addressed. Moreover, narrow views of reception activity have yielded narrow views of the parables themselves. Why, after all, read a parable firsthand? This is the central concern of my study. From reader response criticism, education-oriented reading research, cognitive psychology, and cognitive literary studies I derive what I call an Envisionment-Development Model of Reading (EDMR). According to EDMR, …

Case Study: Investigation Into The Ownership Of Jean-Honore Fragonard's Blind Man's Buff (1750-1752), Trinity Ghering

Honors Theses

During World War II, Nazis stole 60,000 pieces of Jewish-owned cultural valuables from French collections. German leaders were fascinated with art and saw it as a vehicle to bolster their status and power. Art was specifically stolen on behalf of Adolf Hitler, who intended to build his own museum: the Fuhrermuseum.

One of the most influential families in France at that time was the Rothschild family. During World War II, the Jewish family was forced to flee their home while over 3,500 pieces of artwork from the Rothschild collection were stolen. Most were never recovered. I suspect that Jean Honoré …

The Southern Baptist Convention’S Perception Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Compared To African American Pastors’ And Leaders’ Lived Experiences, Jeffrey J. Wallace

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The study of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is complex and multilayered. Similarly, the study of DEI within an ecclesiastical and ecumenical Christian movement like the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has its challenges. Challenges and tensions surrounding the SBC, relating to women's leadership issues, the infiltration of partisanship and politics in the pulpits, racial injustice flashpoint moments, and the lack of ethnic diversity in a crucial leadership position have impacted the overall lived experience of African American pastors and leaders. This phenomenological study explored the Southern Baptist Convention's perception of diversity, equity, and inclusion compared to African American pastors’ and …

Giving Voice To The Body: Slam Poetry In The Poet X, Stefanny Leung Yu

Student Theses

When the world silences her, can slam poetry become her voice? Elizabeth Acevedo, an author and poet, uses her beautiful piece of slam poetry to explore how language can empower marginalized voices, speaking on behalf of those who are usually silenced. The Poet X is a verse novel that narrates the powerful story of a young Afro-Latina girl, Xiomara Batista, who navigates the intersecting pressures of school bullies, family issues, religious conservatism, patriarchal rules, and racialized body politics in her Harlem community. This research engages with Acevedo’s work to focus on how slam poetry serves as a powerful outlet and …

Traumas Effect On Children’S Development, Spatial Design As Intervention: The Role Of Interior Design In Supporting Children With Trauma, Brooke Slater

Capstone Projects

After facing trauma, young children react emotionally, physically, and mentally in efforts to protect themselves from past or present trauma that they have faced. Young children may not always be able to recognize that the dangers they once went through are roots of trauma that have not been correctly addressed within their life. These roots may now be the result of uncontrollable behaviors, emotions, and reactions. After analyzing the lack of resources some families and children may have, a space that is uniquely catered to the children who are facing or have faced trauma that provides balanced schedules, particularly focused …

Patient Centered, Kiara Bartlett

Capstone Projects

It is inevitable to adapt uneasy feelings leading up to and during a doctor's appointment. The question is why do humans feel this? Research indicates that many medical offices and appointment spaces are designed for employee efficiency, rather that patient experience. This sheds light on the fact that there is a disconnect between provider needs and patient needs in this important, shared space.

Regardless of the type of offices, from general practice to dermatology, every physician office and appointment space have common spatial and operation needs. All healthcare offices need the same type of circulation that creates ease while moving …

Inclusive/Exclusive, Sophia Shettler

Capstone Projects

Throughout history, inclusivity and exclusivity were both common in all areas of society. Inclusive civilizations like Mesopotamia laid the groundwork for an inclusive society where women and men were nearly equal, getting to own land, file for divorce, and own their own businesses¹. However, the societies within Mesopotamia soon broke off into smaller communities¹, the previous equality dwindled as civilizations formed across the world. As time went on, inclusion was revived. In the United States specifically, slavery was abolished², women were granted the right to vote³, same-sex marriage was legalized4, and so …

Anti-Woman Invective On The Early Modern Stage: Abuse, Degradation, And Resistance, Savannah Xaver

Dissertations

On the early modern stage, gendered epithets like “strumpet,” “mermaid,” “minx,” “hobby horse,” “courtesan,” “drab,” and “whore” are not just markers of misogyny. Instead, these insults harm the male user as well as their female target. My cross-playwright and cross-genre connections show the complex, wide use and impact of anti-woman terms. A wide-ranging study of the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries reveals that gendered insults signify masculine mental decline in tragedies as well as comedies and tragicomedies. In tragedy, the increasingly violent language of male slur users – like, for example, the frustrated Othello, who declares, of his wife, …

Healthy Souls And Steady Hands: A Relational Model For Soul Care Of Rural, Assemblies Of God Pastors, Nathaniel E. Rhoads

Doctor of Ministry

The NPO: Pastors and their spouses, of rural, Assemblies of God (AG) churches, need a relational structure for sustainable soul care to maintain a healthy spirituality and ministry. Pastors expend great energy caring for the welfare of others through acts such as teaching, counseling, and visiting. But who provides care for pastors? How can pastors take care of themselves? If the souls of pastors are dry, disordered, and dismayed, their relationship with God and service to the church suffers. Pastors in rural communities, typically in small congregations, face particular challenges, especially from geographical isolation and expectations of church growth. In …

Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Vaccination Rate Among The Latino Population In South Carolina, Brynn E. Lynagh

Senior Theses

It is common knowledge that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Furthermore, these sects of the population exhibit increased vaccine hesitancy and lower vaccination rates as compared to the aggregated population of the United States, furthering the risk posed by COVID-19 to these communities. In particular, this study focuses on the Latino population in South Carolina, the vaccination rate among this community, and the perspectives which contributed to their vaccination decision. Two hundred Spanish and Portuguese speaking residents of South Carolina were interviewed using a paper survey conducted by pre-trained interviewers. The survey gathered data …

Humanity's Fate: An Analysis Of Speculative Human Evolution In Literary Fiction, Celeste T. Johnson

Senior Theses

Speculative human evolution is a literature subgenre of science fiction that explores the potential future of humanity and descendant species. Little academic research has been done to evaluate the scientific accuracy of works of this genre or assess the relationship between the themes presented in the works and our current world. Future human species and their evolutionary journeys were assessed for scientific possibility through comparison with current research in fields such as anthropology, evolutionary biology, and sociology. It was found that the species depicted in works of speculative human evolution were largely based in scientific accuracy and could possibly exist …

The Screen And Generation Z: How Media-Streaming Services Affect Curation And Environment Of Film And Television, Collin Graham

Senior Theses

This thesis focuses on Generation Z’s relationship to media-streaming services, using both analysis of academic texts and independent research consisting of a survey and a series of interviews with Generation Z as the intended audience. The analysis of academic texts focuses on the differences in viewing behaviors/consumption between streamed film/television and non-streamed film/television more generally, as well as how these behaviors factor into Generation Z’s perception of film/television and media-streaming services more specifically. The results of the survey and interviews show Generation Z’s awareness of the pressures streaming services put on viewers to watch content in an isolated and individualized …

Public Opinion And Support On Physician Assisted Suicide, Emma Gottschalk

Political Science Theses and Capstones

I investigate the connection between public opinion and physician assisted suicide, using data in the SPSS data set from 2021. The strength of support a person feels towards PAS and what influenced that view is studied, religious affiliation, age, sex, education level, income, race, and region are considered in the study. The data set was collected through surveys that willing persons over the age of 18 completed. I analyze who is more willing to support PAS and why. I find that religion has a huge impact on public support for PAS, while other factors like education, sex, age and race …

Banned Or Grand?: Why Graphic Novels Maus And Persepolis Belong In The Classroom, Lauren Volk

Munn Scholars Awards

My capstone essay, “Banned or Grand?: Why Graphic Novels Maus and Persepolis Belong in The Classroom,” seeks to research both the objections to oft-banned memoir graphic novels being incorporated in the secondary school curriculum and the reasons why these graphic novels should not only be incorporated into the curriculum, but also why they assist students in developing necessary skills, such as higher-level critical thinking, a deeper understanding of complicated historical events, and the analysis of form and structure in literature, rather than just content. To enhance my research, I connected my main points to the pedagogical theory of learning transfer.

The Film Score Music Of John Williams: A Guide To Selected Works For The Principal Percussionist, Andrew Charles Crozier Patzig

Theses and Dissertations

John Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. As one of the most well-known, awarded, and financially successful composers in US history, Williams has scored some of the most iconic films of all time. Of note, he has scored more than one hundred films, many of which were directed by Steven Spielberg.

This study explores Williams’ writing for pitched and non-pitched percussion, particularly in his scores for E.T the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Hook, The Cowboys Overture, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

John Williams’ film music is often scored for an extensive inventory of percussion …

An Investigative Analysis Of Fernando Sor’S Introduction And Variations On “O Cara Armonia” From Mozart’S The Magic Flute, Luke James Nolan

Theses and Dissertations

Fernando Sor provides directions for fingering his Introduction and Variations on “O Cara Armonia” in the specific beaming and notation of the work. Although there are numerous publications of Sor’s Op. 9, most fail to provide elegant fingerings for his difficult passages. In these editions, the editor either failed to understand Sor’s intentions rendered in the notation, or disregarded Sor’s technical practices in favor of modern technical practices. Both avenues will lead to a disastrous reproduction of the work. While the piece may offer a challenge for the guitarist, the technical difficulties of Sor’s Op. 9 should not be readily …

Violence, Rebellion, And Compromise In Chinese Campus Cinema ----- The Comparison Of Cry Me A Sad River And Better Days, Chunyu Liu

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the social critiques in Chinese campus films by viewing their development and cultural context. Social Criticism, a prominent trend in Chinese cinema, addresses a wide range of widely concerned social issues, including education, romance, marriage, politics, environmental concerns, psychological repressions, etc. It appears that a Chinese mainland woman filmmaker and a Hong Kong professional director echo each other on the same theme. They are inspired by similar genuine events and share many similarities in the way they orchestrate the relationships and backgrounds of the characters. However, the two films retain their different characteristics. This thesis will discuss …

Contemporary Environmental Art: The Multidimensional Relationship Between Black Communities And The American Landscape, Sophia Perkins

Honors Capstones

Contemporary environmental art can be inspired by personal experience and reflections between the artist and their surroundings. Black women have a unique interaction with and relation to their environment. I would like to unpack the relationships between Black women and the environment by exploring a few different artists’ work, and by dissecting the effects race and gender have on one’s view of the natural world. I have studied the work of four artists: Torkwase Dyson, Allison Jane Hamilton, LaToya Ruby Frazier, and Calida Garcia Rawles. Environmentally, I have a specific interest in bodies of water / Black waterways because of …

“Þer Watz Mete, Þer Watz Myrþe, Þer Watz Much Ioye”: The Manipulative Sotilte Of Middle English Romance, Kelly Evans

English Theses and Dissertations

The Middle English sotilte and its Middle French counterpart, the entremet, refer to the elements during a feast that conjure wonder. Like “feast” and “banquet,” both terms have been used interchangeably, with the entremet coming to signify a sweet dessert at the end of a meal in modern usage of the term. In Middle English romance, the sotilte of the feast builds upon the connotations that “subtlety” carry—guile, artifice, craft, even deceit.

Perhaps the most well-known of all Middle English sotiltes is the sudden intrusion of the Green Knight during the Christmastide feast in Sir Gawain and the Green …

Monetary Muddles: Money And Language, Ethics And Theology, Tyler Womack

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers a theological critique of political economy by turning to Wittgenstein in order to re-think what “criticism” is and can be. It diagnoses the current state of critical discourse about money as incapable of properly dealing with the confusions or illusions such criticism identifies as intrinsic to our ways with money and economic production and exchange. The dissertation argues that while political economic critiques and heterodox theories of money rightly challenge the economic orthodoxy’s individualism and its illusions of an apolitical money and an autonomous market economy, these “social” critiques are caught in a Geltungslogik that dichotomizes “value” …

"Real Women Have Bodies": A Study In Adaptation, Madison Ephlin

Honors Projects

The art of adaptation is a difficult process, and is often hard to please general audiences that have a connection to the source material. As a student who studies both English Literature and Film Production, the question asked through this study is what does it take to write a “successful” adaptation? What qualifies as “successful”? How does an adaptation balance the themes, characterization, and plot of a piece of literature with the continuous momentum and visual complexity that the medium of film requires, all in 120 pages or less? This study engages with these questions by actively practicing adaptation, adapting …

Sites Of Peace And Pain: The Black Grandmother Figure In Toni Morrison’S Beloved, Jazz, And Sula, Alexus Joannea Ray

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Toni Morrison captures the genuine lived unique experiences of Black grandmothers and their granddaughters throughout her novels and specifically in Beloved, Jazz, and Sula. My analysis takes a closer look at the complications behind Morrison’s grandmothers in order to demonstrate that, while she is strong, supportive, and family oriented, the Black grandmother figure can also be a person of peril. The main characters, Denver, Violet, and Sula must come to terms with the contradictions of strength and sacrifice that the novels insist are better left in the past. Drawing on Morrison scholarship and Black women’s …

An Exploration Of The Distinct Narratives Of Mark And Matthew In The Gospels, Lanh Nguyen

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Introduction: Reading the New Testament, people can divide the Gospels into two groups: the first group is the Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke; the second one is the gospel of John which seems to be very different compared to the first one. The first group is named Synoptic Gospels (Synoptic in Latin means “seen together”) because of the great similarities among them such as plots, words, and even some order of events. However, by deeply studying each synoptic gospel, readers will recognize huge differences among the three synoptic gospels. What is the purpose/ theological interest in each gospel? …

The Economic, Mental Health, And Social Stressors During The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Native Americans In South Dakota, Savannah E. Lukkes

Honors Thesis

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities test positive for COVID-19 and experience higher mortality than other racial and ethnic groups. These high rates of vulnerability could be connected to the systemic inequalities that have been experienced for centuries. This study aimed to compare socioeconomic stressors, concerns, and mental health experiences during the early COVID-19 pandemic between AI/AN and non-AIAN populations in South Dakota. The study sample (n=1,586) was grouped by AI/AN and non-AI/AN status based on self-identification of being AI/AN alone or in combination with another race/ethnicity. Participant responses to socioeconomic stressors and concerns (e.g., top concerns, level of concern, self-isolation, …

Order, Structure, And Patterns In English Grammar: Utilizing A Classical Christian Methodology, Teresa Lynch

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

Order, structure, and patterns are found in English grammar; however, they are not taught as essentials under a modern pedagogical approach. The classical Christian methodology of education not only teaches the student to recognize these attributes, but also utilizes order, structure, and patterns in the teaching methods themselves. In a world in which education is clearly in decline, a reassessment of educational methods is necessary. This work considers three models of education: modern, classical, and classical Christian. Within each of these pedagogies, the methods used to recognize order, structure, and patterns are also identified. In addition, the results of a …

Propp, Parables, And Paideia: What The Stories Of Jesus Teach Us About Cultivating Culture, Rachelle Bowman

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

The parables of Jesus are well-known and oft-repeated. They are commonly taught to children in Sunday school, but Jesus used them to reveal truth to his adult audiences. This paper explores the importance of Jesus choosing to use stories to teach adults, whether these stories qualify as folklore, and also whether they can be analyzed as literature. After drawing conclusions on these matters, this paper analyzes several of the parables of Jesus according to Vladimir Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale and looks to see if Jesus told stories that fit within Propp’s proposed functions. Finally, this paper asks what can …

Neither Meek Nor Docile: An Analysis Of Margaret Hale And Jane Eyre In Elizabeth Gaskell’S North And South And Charlotte Brontë’S Jane Eyre, Mckell Ferguson

English Department Theses

The Victorian period was an era of societal change in Great Britain. Viewing gender in hetero- and CIS- normative terms, the “woman question” – what to do with unmarried women – became a topic that was widely debated. Activists such as Barbara Leigh Smith, Francis Power Cobbe and Josephine Butler advocated for better education and employment opportunities for women emphasizing the need for women to find dignity and fulfilment outside of the private sphere to which they were relegated. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell reflect the issues facing middle-class women during this period, …

Back To Eden: A Practical Ecotheology And Entrepreneurial Endeavor, Laura W. Gordon

Doctor of Ministry

Back to Eden (BTE) practical ecotheology is a presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, anchored in the Garden of Eden story, before the fall of mankind, enculturated in an African ethos within various African perspectives, traditions, and worldviews. It is useful to reclaim God-given African Christian identity and agency. Essentially, BTE ecotheology is mankind divinely integrated vertically with God and horizontally with humanity and His creation, based on Genesis 1–2. It is an appeal to become deeply rooted in the Spiritual soil of divine truth, to become entrenched in the incarnate Son, and to become planted as an ecological …