Barrett

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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Zen and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance: An Examination of Bicycle Touring

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…

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
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What Lies Behind: The Worldbuilding and Placemaking of Tloren - A Comprehensive Catalogue of Inspiration

Description

The world of Tloren stands not alone. Tales from history and the lore of fictional settings alike have shaped a fantasy world as immersive as it is fantastical. This thesis catalogues the totality of inspirations behind seven of the major locations depicted in Tloren, the setting of the author’s own…

The world of Tloren stands not alone. Tales from history and the lore of fictional settings alike have shaped a fantasy world as immersive as it is fantastical. This thesis catalogues the totality of inspirations behind seven of the major locations depicted in Tloren, the setting of the author’s own fantasy novel. Itself inspired by sensationalist archeological accounts from before the twentieth century, the following is a dissection of each place in exacting detail, weaving together narrative and academic discussion. Ultimately, the totality of inspirations behind Tloren will never be fully explored, yet it is the hope of the author that this thesis both stands alone as an account and guide for other aspiring worldbuilders as well as an appendix within the novel to further contextualize the locations therein.
ContributorsMeadows, Dalton (Author) / Jakubczak, Laura (Thesis director) / Niebuhr, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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Writing Within Writing: Developing a Fictional Universe Through Letters and Other Written Works Exchanged in Canon

Description
This thesis outlines the four novels of my fantasy series in-progress, entitled Pemoki and Kenacia (named for two nations engaged in a twenty-year conflict). It details the complex workings of the universe in which the series takes place, and seeks to capture the essence of the characters’ journeys through a…

This thesis outlines the four novels of my fantasy series in-progress, entitled Pemoki and Kenacia (named for two nations engaged in a twenty-year conflict). It details the complex workings of the universe in which the series takes place, and seeks to capture the essence of the characters’ journeys through a number of fictional texts exchanged within the universe, which I refer to as “writing within writing”. It includes a guide containing notes on the international and domestic politics, religions, technologies, magic system, and invented languages of the P&K universe; four extensive plot summaries complete with dialogue; eight instances of writing within writing, including four collections of letters, a coronation speech, two articles in conversation with one another on the subject of magic science, and a series of journal entries documenting an investigation of a suspected foreign spy; and finally, an appendix listing the names and magical abilities of the cast, as well as the fictional locations they inhabit. “Writing Within Writing” lays the groundwork for a tetralogy that, in its final published form, will explore themes of corruption, redemption, free will, death, grief, endurance, love and betrayal, among others.
ContributorsHickey, Amel (Author) / Mox, Kyle (Thesis director) / Jakubczak, Laura (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2024-05