Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Legitimacy Of International Law: A Kantian-Rawlsian Account, Taeyang Lee

Philosophy

This paper aims to answer the question of whether international law has legitimacy and value despite the absence of global centralized coercive enforcement and whether the concept of legitimacy developed in domestic law theory can be applied to international law. By avoiding the two extremes that claim that international law is nothing more than a non-binding agreement, or that it requires the centralized enforcement of a world government, I will defend a middle position that explains the moral binding force of international law when it satisfies conditions of legitimacy. Drawing on Kant's Universal Principle of Right and Ripstein's three defects …

A Room Of One’S Own: Understanding Feminism In A Dance Theatre Context, Eden A. Wilson

Theatre Undergraduate Honors Theses

This creative thesis project examines how the elements of dance theatre can be applied to existing literature. Through process-based research, I explore how movement can physicalize the feminist concepts of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own surrounding the financial and creative constraints of female expression. This project aims to prove the effectiveness of the body as a source of feminist exploration through creating a new lens of interpretation of Woolf’s literature.

The Family Torn Apart - Honors Thesis Fall 2025, Hannah M. Zink

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

On July 21^st, 2015, a blast rang out from the RCE research center in St. Alban on Kennedy Island. Radiation infected the citizens in the surrounding neighborhood. For some, it gave them enhanced abilities; for others, it drained their life force. For the Elder family, it did both. After the loss of his sister, Olivia, Blaine Elder struggles with a double life. To most of St. Alban, he is known as Nightfire, the hero accountable for protecting their city. To a select few, he is Officer Elder of the 1^st precinct, a man responsible for raising his …

Preserving The Past: Exploring The Last Frontier's Ecosystem Shifts And Biodiversity Of The Tallgrass Prairies, Gisell Maldonado, Amelia Villaseñor

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

In North America, grasslands are a cornerstone of the environment. Historically, the tallgrass prairie was expansive and reached from Manitoba in Canada to Texas. Today this unique ecosystem is highly fragmented and reduced, but it remains an important ecosystem for biodiversity and cattle management. While there are many complex ecological interactions in the prairie, recent research shows that large herbivores are vital in maintaining grasslands through grazing and other behaviors that reduce woody encroachment and support nutrient cycling. Here, we examine cow and bison dietary behaviors and connect these to the ecosystem services provided by these large herbivores. In the …

From Local Conflict To Transpacific Remittance Routes: Qiaopi, Household Need, And Overseas Chinese Migration From South China, Enci Zheng

History Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Collaboration And Betrayal: Pius Xi And A Changing World, Nathan B. Higgins

Honors Scholar Theses

From the negotiations over the 1929 Lateran Accords to the start of World War II in 1939, the Holy See delicately navigated a turbulent diplomatic period. In the preceding century, the Catholic Church saw much of its temporal power decline as European states became more secular, and the pope lost the Papal States during the Risorgimento. Amid the decline in station, the rise of atheistic communism in Russia, Mexico, and Spain posed an existential to the Church, which Pope Pius XI would challenge during his pontificate. To confront this threat, he would work alongside Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany …

Cultivating Connection: A Culturally Responsive Mental Wellbeing Curriculum For Latine Youth In Santa Cruz County, Suzzy Landeros

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Latine adolescents experience high rates of stress, depression, and stigma surrounding mental health, in part due to limited access to culturally responsive support and safe spaces for connection. The purpose of this internship project was to develop and implement a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, mental wellbeing curriculum to address barriers related to stigma, limited culturally responsive support, and disconnection, while supporting emotional awareness, connection, and use of grounding strategies among youth. The project was implemented through United Way Santa Cruz County in partnership with Watsonville High School and Soquel High School and served high school-aged youth. Development of the curriculum included …

Compositional Techniques For Horror Film Soundtracks, Malia L. Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

With this paper, I aim to explore the history of horror film soundtracks and discover the various compositional techniques that are used to trigger physical responses from a viewer. I also intend to describe how horror scores have adapted and changed over time as our social and political climate continues to evolve by examining several different kinds of sources including academic studies, articles, and film reviews. While every viewer is different, a film scorer can properly build suspense by using specific compositional methodologies to briefly alter responses of the human mind and body.  This type of research would provide useful …

Intimate Partner Violence In The Queer Community, Kathleen A. Oslé

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Queer college students face unique barriers to receiving intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention services, of note the instability of emerging adult life. At question is whether or not targeted intervention services appropriately serve the queer community in this regard. A new digital media landscape for the romantic world creates potentially harmful life goals by glorifying unhealthy behaviors and ostracizing survivors, all for the sake of money. Previous research shows that early intervention and education provides a preventative factor in IPV. Data from an in-person intervention workshop is used to determine the feasibility of targeted intervention services, and provides means-tested results. …

The History And Legacy Of The Monterey Jazz Festival, Ana Mendez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Monterey Jazz Festival holds a strong legacy in the world of jazz. Nestled in the Monterey Bay area, the festival's musical lineups entertain locals and travelers from around the world each year. Topics that are discussed within this paper are the inception of the festival, Monterey before the festival, Monterey Jazz Festival co-founders, Jimmy Lyons and Ralph Gleason, major works of art debuts at the festival including The Real Ambassadors, the international influence at the festival, the educational endeavors of the Monterey Jazz Education Team, and the 2025 rebranding of "Monterey Jazz".

Designing Voice Tracks As Pedagogy: Recording Technology, Musicianship, And Rehearsal Practice In Choral Education, Brandon J. Damiani

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This study examines the pedagogical role of part-dominant Voice Tracks in choral education, with particular attention to how recording design influences rehearsal efficiency, musicianship development, and student independence. As recording technology becomes increasingly integrated into classroom and ensemble practice, Voice Tracks are often used to support learning outside of rehearsal. While these tools can improve preparedness and reduce time spent on note acquisition, questions remain regarding their impact on foundational skills such as audiation, sight-reading, and ensemble awareness.

Drawing on existing scholarship in music education and a practitioner-led case study, this project documents the creation of Voice Tracks for Look …

Understanding Challenges Faced By Refugee Women And Women With Experiences Of Forced Migration In Entrepreneurship In The Midwest Region Of The United States, Ritu Jadwani

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The labor market participation of refugee women was only 6%. The United States had the maximum employment rate for the refugee women population, which was 40%, as compared to 6% in Germany, Lebanon, and Jordan (Kabir & Klugman, 2019). Refugee women faced many challenges in labor force participation and especially in entrepreneurship. As demonstrated by Desai, Naude, and Stel (2020), refugees faced challenges like cultural integration, language barriers, level of education, and acceptance of education merits. This eventually led to disparities in income generation. Thus, many either remained in low-paying jobs or started their own business (Desai et al., 2020). …

A Modern Cabinet Of Curiosities: Patronage, Narrative, And The Foundations Of American Art At Crystal Bridges Museum Of American Art, Amelia Quinlen

School of Art Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the 2025 reinstallation of the “Foundations of American Art” galleries at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas as a case study through which to analyze how museum narratives are constructed, negotiated, and presented in the twenty-first century. Drawing on the historiography of museum display, from early modern cabinets of curiosity to nineteenth-century salon-style exhibitions, it argues that galleries function not as neutral containers for objects, but as interpretive frameworks shaped by curatorial decisions, spatial organization, and institutional context. While the reinstallation positions itself as a reconsideration of the “foundations” of American art through thematic …

The Queer South, Brylan Cole

School of Art Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer people in the Southern United States are systematically and culturally made invisible, both in historical and contemporary contexts. I founded The Queer South magazine alongside Reid Pinckard, organized the exhibition Prioritizing Pleasure in the Queer South, and created a body of work to amplify LGBTQ+ Southern voices. Through community organizing, writing, and the making of objects, my practice provides representation to an underserved and overlooked community in the region I call home.

Just Roll With It: Literacy And Community Building In Hobby Board Gaming, Mackenzie C. Allen

English Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the rise in popularity of hobby board gaming in the last 25 years, their usefulness to studying adult engagement in literacy has emerged as a new avenue of exploration. Although there has been a large amount of research into how board games can be designed and played with learning in mind, the study of recreational board games in the context of literacy and community is lacking. This thesis explored the means through which board games played in recreational settings act as tools of literacy. Through direct gameplay of 36 games across 6 months, qualitative data was gathered in pursuit …

Survey Of Medieval Literature On Maternal Mortality, Postpartum Care, And Birth Trauma In Relation To The Crisis In Arkansas, Paige Q. Thompson

English Undergraduate Honors Theses

When the general public thinks of childbirth in the Middle Ages, they think of death and danger. However, Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the entire United States, and many of those deaths are preventable. There have been previous analyses on different medieval texts as well as research into modern Arkansas, but none have made a direct connection between the two subjects. By analyzing medieval literature to understand cultural norms surrounding childbirth and postpartum care, patterns can be traced to modern Arkansas, where needless deaths are still prevalent. Ultimately, medieval texts demonstrate cultural attitudes surrounding blame toward women …

La Lengua No Miente, Pero Guarda Secretos: Rigoberta Menchú Y Lecciones De La Memoria Colectiva Desde La Perspectiva Del Feminismo Transnacional, Mildred Ciprian

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Este ensayo explora las lecciones del poder de la memoria colectiva, el poder del testimonio, y el poder de la lengua y los secretos en el testimonio de Rigoberta Menchú, Me llamó Rigoberta Menchú, y así me nació la conciencia (1992). Menchú es una mujer indígena maya que vivió en Guatemala durante el genocidio contra la población indígena. Al estudiar Menchú, uno llega a cuestionar cómo se producen el conocimiento y la verdad, especialmente en el occidente frente al resto del mundo. Las experiencias que cuenta Menchú vienen de memorias colectivas que comparte y cría su comunidad. Este concepto de …

When An Untraditional Linguist Speaks - A Cultural Self-Analysis Of Untraditional Language, Justin Lambert

RhetTech

This essay presents a cultural and linguistic self-analysis that challenges dominant ideologies surrounding “proper” English in academic spaces. Through a blend of personal narrative and scholarly engagement, the author examines the legitimacy and rhetorical power of Black Language as a dynamic, historically rooted, and intellectually rigorous mode of communication. Drawing on the work of Geneva Smitherman, April Baker-Bell, and Vershawn Ashanti Young, the essay situates Black Language within traditions of contrastive rhetoric while actively applying code-meshing as both method and practice. Tracing the author’s linguistic development across familial, cultural, and academic contexts, the piece reveals how code switching and linguistic …

The Body As Architecture: Reframing Spacesuit Mobility Through Mechanical Counterpressure And Human-Centered Design, Kenza Iddir

RhetTech

For more than 60 years, the spacesuit has served as the single most critical, yet structurally constrained, element of human spaceflight. Its dual identity as both a protective exoskeleton and a life-sustaining pressure shell has shaped the design and performance of every extravehicular activity (EVA) system ever flown. As exploration shifts toward long-duration lunar and Martian missions, the limitations of these traditional “mobile pressure chambers” have become increasingly apparent, particularly in relation to mobility, metabolic cost, and environmental durability. This paper presents the historical evolution of gas-pressurized suits and the constraining biomechanical and material factors since the earliest EVA missions. …

A Curriculum To Empower And Equip Women For Leadership In The Monash City Church Of Christ In Melbourne, Australia, Devni Yasindra Attygalle

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses women in Christian leadership in the Monash City Church of Christ Melbourne, Australia. The problem identified within this ministry context was a lack of appropriate theological teaching around women in leadership, especially in the areas of preaching, teaching, and leading, which has led to misconceptions and prejudices in the minds of church members, negatively impacting the congregation’s mission. The purpose of the project was to develop a curriculum specific to MCCOC that provides a theological foundation for advocating for future senior leadership roles for women. The curriculum provides biblical teaching on women in leadership that will equip …

Digital Orientalism: Examining Eastern Practices In The Wellness Industry, Celia Golden

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

As popularity rises for global and domestic wellness retreats as tourist destinations, their predominantly Western audience invites an American offshoot of Orientalism that commodifies Asian names and practices into “mindfulness.” This paper examines the guest guide of the Miraval Berkshires wellness facility and its treatment of Eastern practices. Findings revealed 55.6% of the specialists at the Miraval Berkshires employ Eastern techniques, and 74.14% of those offerings are restricted to paid and private sessions to create exclusivity. The word “ancient” is disproportionately leveled against Eastern practices in the guest guide to further cement them as relics of the past. Alongside minimalist …

The World Of Counterfeits: How Fake Sneakers And Clothing Affect The Fashion Industry, Jake R. Watkins

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Counterfeit sneakers and clothing continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, creating a global market valued between $400 and $800 billion and posing significant challenges for both consumers and fashion brands (Cardona, 2024). This study investigates the motivations behind counterfeit purchases, the economic and social factors that sustain counterfeit culture, and the effectiveness of current authentication resources. Using qualitative content analysis of discussions across 4 selected Reddit communities, the research identifies five dominant themes influencing counterfeit consumption: financial constraints, social display, authenticity and identity, ethical rationalization, and functional use. Findings reveal that consumers frequently turn to counterfeit goods due to …

Exploring The Significance Of Hyper-Feminine Fashion Within Gen Z, Riley D. Frymark

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines the rise of hyper-feminine fashion within Gen Z and the role that social media plays in shaping trends. Through a social media content analysis, this study explores how hyper-feminine fashion and aesthetics gained popularity and how it is perceived by Gen Z women. The findings suggest that Gen Z associates hyper-feminine fashion with empowerment, agency, and a sense of nostalgia redefining and challenging traditional expectations of femininity. These findings informed a fashion design developed to reflect key themes and design elements identified in the content analysis such as a pink color palette, lace, bows, and ruffles. Overall, …

Reporting The Unverifiable: Ethical Journalism And Disinformation About North Korea, Alexandra M. Pasto

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Journalists face significant challenges reporting on North Korean information due to restricted access, state-controlled media, and pervasive amounts of disinformation. This study includes a qualitative content analysis of journalistic practices and existing academic frameworks related to verification and reporting in highly restricted information ecosystems. The findings suggest and recommend that competitive media pressures often encourage the circulation of sensational or unverified claims, particularly in coverage of highly controlled media states like North Korea. In response, this argues that journalists must adopt a verification-centered approach to reporting that prioritizes accuracy, minimizes sensationalism, and clearly communicates uncertainty. This research highlights the growing …

Reflections On Design Research As A Discipline, Davide Fassi

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.

Partner Societies Committee: Mapping The Past And Present To Design The Future: A Proposal For Analysis As Input For The Expansion Of The Drs, Paulina Contreras Correa

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.

The Conceptual Practitioner, Tincuta Heinzel

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.

Design In Government: A Personal Perspective And Outlook, Sabine Junginger

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.

Systemic Through Design: Advocating For Just, Restorative, And Plural Worlds, Cecilia Landa-Avila

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.

Design Research Is Not Design, Peter Lloyd

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.