Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Framing Roles Of Protagonists And Antagonists In Visual Media, Jonas Braden Larson

Masters Theses

Many characters and stories have been interpreted over the past few thousand years. Humans are innate storytellers and make connections through various communication methods. Heroes and villains have affected many lives and given people a lens through which to view the world. The perception of stories and their characters in the visual media may not be as subjective as many people think. The framing communication theory was used to study the perception of audience member’s view of protagonists and antagonists in a visual story. Two short films were produced and screened to an audience that filled out surveys on their …

Mr. Wicker: A Horror Novel, David Viergutz

Masters Theses

This thesis analyzes writing in the horror genre that uses characterization and symbolism as literary elements to explore the depiction of good versus evil. The author’s creative writing includes instances of characterization and symbolism and identifies the use of those elements in acclaimed horror novels.

Visions Of Aline: A Foreshadow Of The Past, Allison King

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on the first act of a coming-of-age YA novel. Visions of Aline is about a high school senior, Joey Astor. Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia four years ago, he’s been under a grand delusion that he is the school’s most feared bully. Unhappy that Joey is copying him, the real bully, Kaleb Kane, fights back. For four years, Joey and Kaleb have had a bitter and fierce rivalry. With the end of high school near, the two are determined to prove who rightfully deserves the title of the most feared. When Joey’s schizophrenic episodes start to worsen, …

Constructing Reality: Finding Realism And Finding Jessica, Amy J. Vallotton

Masters Theses

Movies are very influential. They provide enjoyable entertainment and affect the viewer's brain and how it processes the scenes, characters, and plot. Because these processes are often the direct result of the script, the screenwriter needs to understand the effect the camera shots, lighting, pacing, and other techniques have on cognition. The narrative is the script's backbone and a movie's primary source of influence. Movies' effects on the viewer will be discussed through current research and different techniques and narrative examples, as seen in well-known movies and original screenplay. Because movies are so influential, the screenwriter will understand how to …

Thesis Submission Assignment, Monica Cookson

Masters Theses

This paper focuses on the importance of complex character development to form connections with the reader. Readers develop connections to characters who are relatable, so writers need to be aware of what makes a character emotionally important to the reader.

Empires Rise: An Approach To Worldbuilding In Modern Fantasy Fiction, Anthony John Rudd

Masters Theses

Worldbuilding is a critical element to storytelling and involves much more than creating a setting for a narrative – it serves to establish a credible foundation on which authors give life to their creation. There are many great authors who have mastered the art of worldbuilding and their creations can serve as a primer for aspiring authors. This thesis explores critical elements of worldbuilding, provides examples from notable fantasy and science fiction authors such as Tolkien, Jordan, King, and others and explores my approach to incorporating those elements into my own writing.

Evangelizing In Style: How Gen Z Youth Can Use Apparel As A Means Of Evangelism And Christian Self-Expression, Brittany Winter

Masters Theses

Generation Z, also known as “Gen Z”, has grown up with a negative viewpoint on Christian apparel due to outdated and overused designs. As a result, today’s youth do not express their faith through their clothes, causing a lack of potential evangelism. Generation Z makes up nearly half of the global population, and their unique qualities are vital to furthering the kingdom of God. Self-image is an integral part of this generation, and by giving them the means to express themselves through trendy Christian streetwear, they will not only take pride in representing Jesus but also evangelize to their Generation …

Turning Heartache Into Hope: How Fantasy Reveals Spiritual Truth About Sin, Suffering, And Redemption, Sophia Raffaelle Bricker

Masters Theses

This paper examines the problem of evil and suffering through the literary genre of fantasy. Seminal texts written by Christians in this genre present the problem of sin and death through themes and representative characters but also tempers the reality of suffering with the presence of Christ figures, who bring redemption to the characters and story world through an act of sacrifice. Following the examples of these seminal fantasies and building on my personal experience of loss, I approach the problem of sin and suffering in excerpts from my novel in progress, The Mountain Pass Keeper, by presenting an older …

“A More Perfect World”: Posthumanism And Technological Integration In A Memory Called Empire, Garrett R. Johnson

Masters Theses

This thesis considers the relationship of technology to the human through a posthumanist lens, questioning what will become of the human an increasingly more-than-human world through an examination of the novel A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. Through an examination of the imago device from the novel, the thesis evaluates the human experience of memory and the influence of empire. The thesis advances four key concepts: 1. The collapsed divide between the human and the technic through memory and imagination; 2. Technology’s development and use; 3. The user that is integrated with the technic; and 4. The poisonous influence …

Discovering Souls Below: Mythology, Lore, And Christian Feminism In Contemporary Fantasy, Emma Dearing

Masters Theses

There are few things I love more than sitting on a warm, sunny beach with my toes in the sand. With a cool breeze rippling off the waves and the smell of salty ocean, it is easy to feel completely at peace. Yet last summer, as I sat limply in a beach chair experiencing all those sensations, I wondered, “What if this was my last day on earth, and I knew it?” More specifically, what if we chose such a serene day as our last? Of course, that reminded me there is only one way to truly choose our last …

Characterizing The Female Main Character, Addison Leana Butler

Masters Theses

The strong female character is a term tossed around writing groups, book clubs, and TikTok as something to both strive to see and critique in literature. This research paper transformed throughout the actual research as it went from a study on cozy fantasy emergence and its effects to strong female characters and how to write them well, to its current iteration along similar lines of writing strong female characters. Qualitative and quantitative data was gathered through the use of a survey that I wrote and put to the field, research done primarily through JSTOR, and interviews conducted with experts in …

Uni Jazz Combos Fall Concert, September 19, 2023 [Program], University Of Northern Iowa. School Of Music.

Music Recital Programs

Program of a music recital given by faculty, students, or guest artists from the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa.

Religious Discrimination Against Minorities: Theories And Findings, Yasemin Akbaba

Political Science Faculty Publications

One of the established trends in religion and international relations (IR) scholarship is the awareness of a rising level of religious discrimination against minorities. Although there is variation in rates, religious restrictions are widely observed across the globe, including in Western democracies. Scholarship on the restrictions on religious practices has advanced through seeking answers to the following questions: Who discriminates? Who is discriminated against more? What are the causes of restrictions on religious freedom? What are the forms of discrimination? The purpose of this article is to connect the theories and findings of two religious discrimination studies of IR via …

Japanese-English Translation: Miki Kiyoshi —Thinking With Master Nishida (First Published In Fujin Kōron, August 1941) Complete Draft; Translated, Edited, And Revised By Christopher Southward, October 2022-September 2023 「西田先生のことども」、三木清著（初発 婦人公論、昭和十六年八月）, Christopher Southward

Comparative Literature Faculty and Student Scholarship

Japanese-English Translation: Miki Kiyoshi —Thinking with Master Nishida (First Published in Fujin Kōron, August 1941) Complete Draft; Translated, Edited, and Revised by Christopher Southward, October 2022-September 2023「西田先生のことども」、三木清著（初発 婦人公論、昭和十六年八月）

Source text transcribed and published by Aozora Bunko–a compendium of public-domain Japanese literature, philosophy, and criticism

General website: https://www.aozora.gr.jp

Current text: https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000218/files/50538_37481.html

Being Present Without Being Present: An Internet-Based Approach To Providing Pastoral Counseling To An Always Online Generation, Stephen Lyon Woolverton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The increasing reliance that Millennials and Gen-Z Christians have on the internet for almost every question that comes up in their lives should be viewed by pastoral counselors as a cultural context that need to be understood as part of the counseling process and not an obstacle to the counseling process. The emergence of the internet, and the part that it has played in the culture of American Christians who have grown up with constant access to this avenue of communication, has only recently begun to be seen and utilized by pastoral counselors. This research uses the perspective of a …

Authorial Intent Of Typological Writing In Judges, Amber D. Haugen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Judges is often deemed one of the darkest and most disordered eras in Israelite history. Despite the diverse and disturbing narratives, this book captures the covenantal patterns of God through the typological patterns intentionally recorded by the author. This dissertation asserts that the final form of Judges demonstrates literary connections through the land covenants, chiastic structuring, textual seams, and the microlevel narratives which underscore a typological intention by the author. Examining the book of Judges through a typological perspective allows the character of God to be understood through the seemingly incongruent narratives.

Jackson State University The Sonic Boom Of The South: Strategies For Recruitment And Retention Through Marching Band Enrollment, Ramon Latrell Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Athletic sports and the university marching band play a central role in the success of tertiary institutions as they are the most effective recruitment tools for colleges and universities. They project an institution's vision, values, and identity, which are critical aspects appealing to potential learners. There is a concern about low recruitment and retention rates in institutions of higher learning. To address the low enrollment issues, historically black colleges and universities are reinvesting and funding marching bands since they are central to their ability to attract potential students. In addition, the marching band's effect on an institution influences its ability …

“Go, Then, To The Front As Temperate Men:” The U.S. Army, Temperance Advocacy, And Lessons Learned To 1873, Megan M.S. Nishikawa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the long history of attempted liquor controls applied within the American army, from pre-revolution to the Civil War, culminating with a close look at the Union’s Army of the Potomac. This work details how the Union’s battle to control the effects of intoxicating liquors and sober up drunk troops from the commencement of hostilities in 1861 to 1865 reflected the historic efforts of the antebellum temperance movement, and describes how the experience of war prepared the next generation of temperance crusaders to rebuild a more profoundly religious, effective, and female driven temperance movement in the post-war decade.

“Always Said To Be Of Indian Extraction”: Native/African American Freedom Suits In Virginia 1773-1853, Cress Ann Posten

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Freedom suits of enslaved people in Virginia who claimed liberty based upon matrilineal descent from a Native American woman provide a multi-dimensional lens into social, cultural, and legal aspects of colonial and antebellum considerations of race, kinship, and self-determination. Within records of depositions are detailed transcriptions of questions posed to neighbors, family members, acquaintances of enslavers, and slaveowners themselves. Answers reveal a nuanced and complicated set of opinions concerning who had a right to freedom. Local memory banks overflowed with detailed descriptions of the plaintiff and his or her native ancestress, including skin color, hair texture, and manners. Within isolated …

Elementary Music Teacher Preparation Gaps In Cultural Diversity: Exceptional Populations, Joshua Learn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the extensive coursework and training in teacher preparation programs focusing on diverse populations, many teachers feel underprepared to meet the needs of emerging subcultures in the elementary music classroom. Over the years, the term diversity has grown beyond ethnicity and requires continued study and attention. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of elementary music educators about diverse populations of exceptional students with Other Health Impairments (OHI), defined as asthma, ADD, ADHD, diabetes, epilepsy, heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome, in their classrooms. The results of this study identify the existing …

Spiritual Formation: A Church-Based Solution To The Problem Of Disconnected African American Men In The Community, Pamela M. Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African American men are among the most disconnected people groups in this country due to the many disparities that have served to marginalize them out of some aspects of society. Specifically, the disparity of fatherlessness has played a major role in the disconnect of African men from the church and the community. Through this project a curriculum on the Fatherhood of God will be offered through the Christian Education department at Word of Truth International Life Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Spiritual formation for African American men reconnects them to God and opens the door for reconnections to families, churches, …

Motivation Within The Inclusive Art Classroom: A Phenomenology On Engaging Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Christina Marie Cox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of K-12 art teachers motivating students with emotional and behavioral disorders within the Central and Eastern Regions of the United States. The theory guiding this study is Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory which guides the understanding that students with emotional and behavioral disorders whose psychological well-being is supported by their art educators may develop higher motivation and reach their full creative potential. As this study was designed to describe the lived experiences of K-12 art educators who have enhanced motivation in students with emotional and behavioral disorders, the …

The Online Member’S Experience Of Pastoral Care Through Worship, Ryan Michael Loche

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Online church services are normative for many churches. Given the relentless nature of creating a service every Sunday, church and worship leaders often do not consider how the online participant experiences the service they are viewing. Virtual reality church services are not yet as ubiquitous as online services but also warrant study. Careful attention must be given to how and why a church provides online and virtual services for its members. To not do so is a disservice to congregants and potentially a waste of time and resources for a church. This phenomenological qualitative study through the lens of a …

Echoes Of Creation And Salvation By The Triune God In John 9, Jungeun Lee

Masters Theses

This thesis aims to solve the enigmatic narrative of Jesus’ healing of a man blind from birth at Siloam in the Gospel of John 9, with a particular focus on verses 6–7. Within the context of intertextual connections, this story resonates with numerous narrative patterns and echoes found throughout the Bible. These intertextual connections provide important keys for interpreting this passage. By discerning the intertextual connections between this narrative and other parts of the Bible, readers will gain insight into the broader themes of Creation, Salvation, and the Trinity that are interwoven into this story. It means that this passage …

Creating Talent: The Effect Of Environment On The Development Of Musical Skill, Nathan Jeffrey Herfindahl

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite literature investigating the effects of ecology on student development, very little research has been conducted concerning the influence of the adolescent living environment on the development of musical skills related to music performance. Gaining a clear understanding of adolescent environmental factors' influence on musical skill development will afford more students the opportunity to participate in music education and performance. Through a qualitative research approach, this study aims to investigate the effect of adolescent living environment on musical skill development by interviewing eight professional opera singers. In exploring the findings from this research, similarities in adolescent living environment have been …

The Zone Of Proximal Development And Content Area Instruction For Middle School English Language Learner Students: A Phenomenological Study, Amy Lundgren

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of middle school content area instructors (CAIs) who teach English language learners (ELLs) in public schools in ELL-heavy districts. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), as research studies indicate the ability of ELLs to access content area instruction when teachers effectively scaffold them in their ZPD to use discipline specific literacy strategies. Data were collected using one-on-one interviews with 10 content area teachers in six ELL-heavy public-school districts to participate in the study. Further data collection was completed using …

The Impact Of The Fall On Behavior, Intellect, And Emotion, Robert Monte Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research is to explore theological doctrines surrounding the Fall and to examine the impact of the Fall on human behavior, intellect, and emotion. This research maintains that the Fall of Adam led to the corruption of the volition, intellect, and emotions of Adam and Eve, who were created in the image of a perfect and holy God, without sin, and argues that humanity’s fallen condition impacts human emotions; however, they are distinct from divine emotions and are not an aspect of the imago Dei. Therefore, this dissertation will explore the meaning of the imago Dei, the …

Coping With Adversity And Trauma In War: The Perseverance Of Alabamian Confederate Soldiers In The American Civil War, Charles Henry Lahmon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

“Coping with Adversity and Trauma in War: The Perseverance of Alabamian Confederate Soldiers in the American Civil War” examines how Alabamians fighting for the South persevered from 1861 to 1865 as they faced wartime conditions. Confederates from Alabama—like other Confederate and Union soldiers—suffered much during the American Civil War: long marches, inclement weather, sleep deprivation, lack of clothing and food, harsh living conditions, sickness, separation from family and friends, unpredictable conditions, and most of all, traumatic experiences. As early as 1861, Alabamian soldiers fighting for the South experienced extraordinary hardship. In the face of such adversity, Alabamians persevered and did …

Exploring The Foundations Of Music Education Learning Communities In Rural Texas School Districts, Carnell De'leon Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This explanatory sequential mixed method study identified the challenges of creating, implementing, evaluating, and revising a Music Education Learning Community (MELC) model in developing/metro-commuting rural school districts outside the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex of Texas. Influences such as Professional Learning Communities (PLC), the Community Learning Exchange (CLE), and educational partnerships have accelerated the need for applied collaborations to improve music programs. This study showed increased support through a Music Education Learning Community (MELC). MELCs enhanced the skills and knowledge of music educators, families, and community organizations through collaborative analysis, an exchange of expertise, and frequent dialogue. The focus of this study …

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Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

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