Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Revision Of United States Drug Law, Alexander Fernandez

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In this essay I will lay out two distinct but associated arguments that will show that United States drug policy on is both in principle and in practice unjustifiable. I will be focusing specifically on marijuana cocaine and heroin. While there are many controlled substances in the DEA schedules, I take it that showing current policy to be unjustifiable for these three substances will be sufficient to show that the policy of total prohibition and harsh punishment is wrong. The first section will normatively analyze the current policies of prohibition and punishment for use and sale of illicit substances. I …

Character Surfacing And Feathering For Ufo, Sarah R. Runge

All Theses

This thesis focuses on the methods used to create the look of the unusual flying ostrich in UFO, a short, stylized film about an earthbound bird with his head in the clouds. That this aspiring aviator is not an ordinary ostrich is visibly indicated by his unusual markings, reflecting his unusual mindset that allows him to achieve the impossible. The techniques used to accomplish the final appearance of the unusual ostrich will be explored in this thesis, with a particular focus on the methods used to create and style the feathers, and the techniques used to hand paint the assorted …

Making The South New, Keeping The South "Southern": Bob Jones, Fundamentalism, And The New South, Anderson R. Rouse

All Theses

The New South, the period of southern history, lasting from the end of Reconstruction to the end of World War II was defined by urbanization and industrialization. Protestantism influenced the development of the New South by instilling working discipline in the southern labor force. Protestantism encouraged workers to embrace earthly vocations as divine callings, sanctifying even the most mundane activities. Protestant ministers became allies with industrialists and boosters in the process of creating the New South.

The career of Bob Jones, a fundamentalist Methodist evangelist from Alabama, demonstrates the close connection between industrialization and religion. Jones believed that success was …

Finite Perceptions, Hilary Erin Siber

All Theses

I perceive that our world is ever-changing. I believe that as humans, we are not static creatures, but complex beings living in a complex, beautiful and broken world. External factors influence and engage our self-construction. Cerebral and emotional components operate in conjunction with the physical aspects of our humanity. Unmet expectations surface. Unforeseen conflicts arise. Life is not as we think we see it. One small shift in a vantage point can easily undo the very ground underneath our feet, fragmenting our own history of understanding. And while these fragments pierce us deeply, they are the pieces used to reconstitute …

Intersectionality In Jane Eyre And Its Adaptations, Laurel Loh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the almost 170 years since Jane Eyre was published, there have been numerous adaptations in many different mediums and genres, such as plays, films, musicals, graphic novels, spin-off novels, and parodies. The novel has been read in many different critical traditions: liberal humanist, historicist, feminist, and postcolonial approaches dealing with topics such as the problem of female authorship and consciousness. In addition, it has been read in terms of an ideological struggle based on race, class, and gender; xenophobia and imperialism; female labor politics; and genre issues, to just name a few. As literary critics have explored numerous themes …

Into The Fold: Deleuze, Desire, And Art, Madeline Wells

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

The purpose of this essay is to understand how I, as a visual artist, understand and utilize the fold. I will trace the many ways in which a fold functions, oscillating between my own practice and those of other contemporary artists, including Orlan and Shana Moulton. From twentieth century baroque to spiritual cleansing, theatrical staging to suggestive metonymy, the fold invites the desire to transform—for something more than what the everyday offers. Through photography, video, or sculpture, we have the ability to express an expanded, more accurate understanding of the real and the virtual, the human and the nonhuman. For …

In-Betweeness On Stage, Qiyuan Liu

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

It all started with the question of “where are you from”. Coming from China and making art in America, I have been confused by people’s question about where am I from and, more importantly, where I identify myself belong. By using installation as the main format, I created works with strong theatrical quality to restage and reenact my social and cultural experiences that finally led to my understanding of the “in-betweeness” of myself: I reside in neither of the two cultures but rather moving back and forth between them. I carry influences from both sides with me and present them …

The Representation Of Non-Traditional Bodies, Elizabeth J. Perkins

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

My work largely addresses the close-minded Western ideals of the human body, particularly those related to females. Stemming from struggles with my own sense of security, I strive to create accessible works of art that both challenge and expand these ideals by representing figural imagery beyond such social constraints. Though my works may seem to serve the purpose of mockery at first, the urgency of the issues portrayed becomes apparent as the pieces are studied more carefully. I explore how exposure, vulnerability, grotesqueness, and intimacy within my work serve as a means to expand our cultural ideals for the human …

Word Muscles, Jimena O. Gracia

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

Through video performance, I question whether the tangible expressive significance of written language is not just in the record of it, but in the experience of writing as well. The ability to contract and relax is a property of the muscles in bodies as well as in language. In response to this idea of the contractile nature of the body, I link writing to dancing by pairing the record of one with the process of the other. In doing so, I set up a parallel between the malleable nature of the body – which allows for the proximity between graceful …

Shameless, Madison Marilyn Becker

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Madison Becker MFA Creative Project

Effective Effects, Lyn Kristi Smylie

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

For my thesis project, I decided to give a recital containing music that featured a variety of extended techniques. In order to give a performance appreciated by audiences, I needed to examine how to best introduce music with extended techniques to audiences.

How Classical Saxophone Music Influenced By Jazz, Alfredo Alexander Maruri

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

An Honors Recital of Classical Saxophone Music influenced by Jazz

"They Are Hiring The White Women But They Won't Hire The Colored Women": Black Women Confront Racism And Sexism In The Richmond Shipyards During World War Ii, Paige Tuft

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Historians disagree about the lasting progress wartime defense work helped women and blacks achieve. Both gender and race historians explored the meaning of progress in terms of economic opportunities and social change. Ultimately, the progress debate centers on whether the war afforded women and minorities greater opportunities or whether remaining barriers limited these opportunities. This thesis complicates the progress narrative by looking at black women, a group largely overlooked by both gender and race historians. This thesis defines progress specifically as the ability to secure skilled jobs in the shipyards.

This thesis also takes an in-depth look at the reasons …

The Mystical Union Of Infant Baptism: How Baptists Contributed To The Idea Of Race By Their Rejection Of Infant Baptism, Isaiah E. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the first three centuries CE, the sacrament of baptism proved to be a universal tool which united people beyond age, race, or ethnicity as we understand it today. To put it simply, the theological meaning of baptism was reinforced by the sacrament of infant baptism. That is to say that the Christian faith was for all, irrespective of one’s race, age, or social-status. This openness to Christianity changed in the early modern period. In the seventeenth century the Baptists rejected infant baptism, for a more rational faith based on Enlightenment and Romantic assumptions. What the Baptists did not realize …

A Qualitative Historiographical Case Study Of The Educative Properties Of Eugene V. Debs And John Dewey: 21st Century Implications For Education, Bradley Countermine

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to shed light on the current state of educational reform rhetoric through an analysis of previous attempts to shape public education for the benefit of all. Analyzing Eugene V. Debs’s and John Dewey’s views on democracy and education during the Progressive Era promotes a version and vision of education that inspires people to think critically, to navigate contemporary society, and to acknowledge current issues within public education and United States society at large. Because education both reflects society and has the power to transform it, the struggle for fair, equitable, and enlightening education is paramount to the …

Teacher Involvement In Implementing State Personal Finance Mandates, Deanna Franklin

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined strategies teachers are implementing for personal finance instruction in answer to the state financial-literacy mandates in Central Texas. One-on-one interviews, focus groups, and document analysis found that teachers are relying on personal experience, community resources, and Internet resources to instruct in personal finance in absence of personal finance curricula. No data emerged that school districts were providing resources; however, administrators are willing to provide resources if they were available. Teachers are using a variety of creative methods to enhance personal financial literacy in the classroom. Sporadic in-service/professional-development opportunities were available to train teachers in personal financial-literacy instruction; …

The Chinese Civil Service Examination's Impact On Confucian Gender Roles., Albert Oliver Bragg

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

St. Dominic Deaf Center, May-June 2015

Saint Dominic Deaf Center

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Houston, TX

Saint Dominic Deaf Center Finding Aid

Newsletter Catholic Deaf Of Detroit, May 2015

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Detroit, MI

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit Finding Aid

“A More Stainless And Splendid Name?” Contrasting The Wartime And Peacetime Strategies Of William Pitt, Earl Of Chatham, 1757-1778, Lori Ann Holmes

History Theses

In 1757, a global struggle ensued between Great Britain and France. Britain had faltered in the early stages of the Seven Years’ War until William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, became the Southern Secretary of State. During his tenure, he shifted the focus away from Europe, instead focusing on North America. It was the strategy he employed that destroyed the French Empire in the New World and created the large and powerful British Empire. It was his success that elevated him to popularity in both Britain and the Thirteen American Colonies. His success would cause King George III to grant him …

The Ideal Museum Vs. The Real Museum: How Do Museums In Western New York Implement Preventive Conservation?, Jennifer R. Conn

History Theses

This thesis examines the need for preventive conservation in museums. Preventive conservation is an effort aimed at reducing damage and deterioration to collections by improving the environment. Out of the 4.8 billion objects in the museum collections in the United States, many of the objects are in need of some attention. They are at high risk of being lost forever, leaving future generations without such collection to learn from and enjoy. This thesis studies five institutions in the Western New York area. It examines how their preventive conservation practices hold up to standards put forth by museum experts. There are …

Raymond E. Jackson And Segregation In The American Federation Of Musicians, 1900-1944, Lance Boos

History Theses

In 1944, the American Federation of Musicians abolished the practice of subsidiary local chapters, granting autonomous charters to the twelve chapters of African American musicians who were bound to a white parent chapter in their respective cities. While most black musicians in the AFM were organized in “separate but equal” chapters, those under subsidiary status were obligated to pay dues to the white local but generally had no access to union offices, voting rights in union elections, control over booking of and payment for jobs, or representation at the national convention. This change was prompted by years of advocacy by …

Accommodating Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Museums, William S. Tyler

History Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the question of how current museum access programs meet the needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is an umbrella classification that presents many challenges for individuals in terms of social development and academic growth. It is important that all individuals are given the opportunity to experience the museum setting to their full ability. With this population of individuals at the forefront, an analysis will be done to examine what needs are present and how museum programming serves them. There are a variety of strategies and accommodations that museums can …

An Outsider Amongst Outsiders: Psychosocial Impact Of The Devil’S Backbone, The Orphanage, And Mama, Abigail M. Cathcart

Honors Theses

The horror movie genre has a history of developing stories that use both empathy and fear to reflect upon timeless cultural concerns. Guillermo del Toro’s works, The Devil’s Backbone, The Orphanage, and Mama, are contemporary examples of this formula at work. In this project, I intend to examine the sociality of these films according to the psychological theories of Freud’s “Uncanny” and Todorov’s “Fantastic.” Through these concepts, del Toro and his collaborators fashioned the issue of social isolation in a variety of ways to sculpt villains, victims, and families into entities that engender both our compassion and …

“All That Is Necessary For The Triumph Of Evil Is That Good Men Do Nothing”: Anticommunism, Protestant Christianity, And State Sovereignty In The Civil Rights Era South, Taylor O. Herring

Honors Theses

During the decade after Brown v. Board of Education, civil rights advocates faced segregationist opposition due to both socially ingrained white supremacy and the widespread fear of Communism in the United States. Although the Supreme Court officially mandated racial integration in 1954, segregationist groups like the White Citizens’ Council and the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission organized to oppose the Brown ruling’s implementation. This thesis uses segregationist propaganda material, newspapers, periodicals, and agency correspondences to examine the tactics of those who hoped to preserve racial inequality. In particular, this study focuses on the impact that anti-Communist rhetoric had on the …

A Basis Of The Civil War: The Theological Views Of Nineteenth Century Christians On The Justification Of Slavery, Shaniqua Janeè Wells

Honors Theses

Views on the morality of slavery have produced a paradox within the Christian community. Historically, the issue of slavery has been analyzed tremendously by means of economic and cultural factors. The religious analysis of the institution of slavery has been overshadowed by secular motives. This paradox on the morality of slavery causes disunity within the Christian faith. Christianity, as a monotheistic religion, emphasizes the purpose that one God has for His people. Therefore, the multiplicity of views on God’s intentions for the treatment of human beings cannot be allowed in the Christian community. The abolitionists’ and activist’s views must be …

War Across Language: A Comparative Content Analysis Of Variations Affecting The American And The French Reporting Of Civil War In The Central African Republic, Craig A. Smith

Honors Theses

It is easy to forget that people all across the world read about the same events that you do, albeit published by different media outfits. What they read, though, can differ drastically. This study analyzed the New York Times and Le Monde for their content in reporting. Articles were examined from each paper to better understand what the focus, themes, and views were on the conflict in the Central African Republic, as expressed by each respective media outlet. Literature was collected to establish a basic knowledge of French colonialism and the Central African Republic. All of the selected articles for …

A Queen’S Reputation: A Feminist Analysis Of The Cultural Appropriations Of Cleopatra, Chamara Moore

Honors Theses

While there is no doubt that Cleopatra is considered a notable historical figure and popularly regarded character throughout modern media, there is a distinct pattern in her portrayal throughout time as a woman whose power is defined by her sexual promiscuity. Even throughout periods of powerful female monarchs, political change, and social progress her prowess as a leader has been assumingly attributed to her affairs with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. The purpose of this study is to examine how literature and media has contributed to this sexualized reputation of a queen who yielded authority over such a prosperous nation. …

Out Of The Attic: Agency And Narratives Of Mental Illness By David Foster Wallace And Lauren Slater, Erin L. Mcleod

Honors Theses

Studies of Prozac Diary and Lying: A Metaphorical Memoir illustrate how Slater adapts conventions of fiction to the memoir form to create agency for the mentally ill subject. This study will apply this approach of narrative therapy to David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest to determine if the autobiographical conventions of mental illness may be adapted to fiction. An analysis of these primary texts seeks to address issues related to the therapeutic dimensions of autobiography as these are complicated by the narrative conventions that distinguish memoir and fiction.

The Implementation Of Common Core: Graphic Novels In The Classroom, Chesnie R. Keeler

Honors Theses

The Common Core State Standards are alive and thriving in schools across the nation, and teachers are constantly looking for the best possible ways to implement these rigorous standards with student interests in mind. These standards set goals, or benchmarks, for students to reach at any specified grade level throughout their primary and secondary education; school districts, administrators, and teachers have the choice of deciding how students meet these standards. As a pre-service teacher who will enter the teaching profession, I examine how graphic novels can be implemented into the English Language Arts classroom by analyzing Maus, Persepolis, …