Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- All Subjects: creative writing
- Creators: Bui, Richard
Description
A bicycle tour is an unusual thing, one that often defies the expectations of the first-time touring cyclist. In this report, the experience of touring cycling is examined in two parts: a narrative documenting the author's tour down the Pacific Coast, and a reflective work that examines the journey and the major themes which persist throughout. In examining the trip, two major dichotomies arose as themes. The first major dichotomy is found in the expectation of a solitary experience for one who is touring solo. In reality, tours are often built on the goodwill of others in the cycling community. On this particular tour, a website called Warmshowers was central to this point. By offering lodging to tired touring cyclists who would otherwise camp alone, this website serves to bring the cycling community together, and allows for connections that would otherwise never exist to be formed. However, it is true that much of a solo tour is, in fact, spent in solitude. This allows a cyclist long periods for self-reflection and meditation, an opportunity to strengthen one's connection with oneself and the natural world around them. The second is a contrast between the planning that goes into embarking on a long trip and the entropy and randomness that inevitably causes the experience to wildly differ from said plan. When the unexpected occurs, there are two options: to reject the unknown and cling to the framework one sets out for themselves, or to embrace the unexpected and see where it takes you. Often, diverting from the plan can allow for new and exciting experiences. However, there is also value to the framework and stability afforded by adhering to a plan. Through these experiences and more, a bicycle tour changes the way one looks at the world.
ContributorsReid, Evan Calderwood (Author) / Fette, Donald (Thesis director) / Loebenberg, Abby (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
When considering the differing worlds of moral ambiguity and the dismantling of moral absolutism, it’s clear that the two concepts work hand-in-hand. With the former expanding the grey area between good and bad while the latter questions whether or not the extremities of good and bad exist in the first place, it becomes transparent (while examining the world through this viewpoint) that there are trade-offs in actions. This creative literature, Boy Mimics Man, explores this very concept of moral ambiguity. Can the past be enough to justify present or future actions?
Second, is/can religion be used as a lens to justify objectively oppressive things. With the novel set in 2027, this novel assumes complicity played out leading to a dystopian future where being gay and queer is illegal. Religion is the justifying indicator to push for advocacies that do more harm than good. But the objectively bad act is justifiable through the good lens of religious pursuit. With that said, is moral ambiguity used in a way to mask atrocities or justify them?
This creative writing piece is the set-up to moral ambiguity and the twists and turns that the protagonist will eventually take. To survive and thrive in this culture, what do we have to do to hide? When it comes to the exploration of religion, what components of religion justify treating people like second-class citizens? Or, what components of religion do we use unfairly to push an ideology that holistically acts against the best interest of the people?
Second, is/can religion be used as a lens to justify objectively oppressive things. With the novel set in 2027, this novel assumes complicity played out leading to a dystopian future where being gay and queer is illegal. Religion is the justifying indicator to push for advocacies that do more harm than good. But the objectively bad act is justifiable through the good lens of religious pursuit. With that said, is moral ambiguity used in a way to mask atrocities or justify them?
This creative writing piece is the set-up to moral ambiguity and the twists and turns that the protagonist will eventually take. To survive and thrive in this culture, what do we have to do to hide? When it comes to the exploration of religion, what components of religion justify treating people like second-class citizens? Or, what components of religion do we use unfairly to push an ideology that holistically acts against the best interest of the people?
ContributorsBui, Richard (Author) / Lowry, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Rigoni, Adam (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05