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.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 21
Description
Zoraida Ladrón de Guevarra was born in 1936 in Coyula, Mexico, a small village in the state of Oaxaca. Her father’s passing required Zoraida to find a job at age fourteen to support her family. Her story, a 200-page memoir entitled “After Papa Died,” follows Zoraida’s time as a servant and eventual nanny in Veracruz. Flashing back to memories of her hometown and the people living in it, the story ends before she enters America first as a visitor in 1954, and later on a working Visa in 1957—the first woman in her village to leave to the United States. Hers is a story relevant today, evident with the paradoxes explored between poverty and riches, patriarchy and matriarchy, freedom and captivity. Assimilation impacts the reading of this memoir, as Zoraida began writing the memoir in her 80s (around fifty years after gaining American citizenship). This detailed family history is about the nature of memory, community, and in particular, the experience of being an immigrant. This thesis project centers on this text and includes three components: an edited memoir, informational interviews, and an introduction. Beginning as a diary steeped in the tradition of oral history, the memoir required a “translation” into a written form; chapters and chronological continuity helped with organization. Topics of interest from the story, such as identity, domestic violence, and religion, are further explored in a series of interviews with Zoraida. The inclusion of an introduction to the text contextualizes the stories documented in the memoir with supplemental information. The contents of the project are housed on a website: alongwaybabyproject.net.
ContributorsVan Slyke, Shea Elizabeth (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / O'Flaherty, Katherine (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The truth about animal husbandry is not being explained properly to those who visit zoos, or, more importantly, to those who vehemently oppose zoos and animal captivity. Currently, the quality of modern zoos is communicated from within the zoo, where most animal rights activists would never step foot. I have researched the current influence of animal welfare on the practice of behavioral husbandry in modern institutions. In order to bring benefits of behavioral research to the debate on animal welfare, I have also observed two tigers at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, Arizona. The reality is that modern zoos are dedicated to improving the quality of life in captivity for rescued animals and to providing education and genetic diversity for their species. Accreditation standards are constantly evolving with discovery and criticism from professionals in the field of animal husbandry and behavior. Even tigers at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park display minimal stereotypic behaviors compared to other studies of captive tigers, and both of these cats also participate in healthy play and environmental enrichment use. Current advancements in animal welfare, enrichment, and animal husbandry project an excellent outlook for the zoological facilities of the future.
ContributorsSamuelson, Maisy Louise (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Caron, Martha (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
Illness is one of the most unfortunate experiences that can occur during one's life. It often emerges without warning and when it is least expected. Illness is not only detrimental to the physical and emotional health of the person who is directly diagnosed, however. When one person is diagnosed with any kind of illness, many people are affected. Literature and art have always been used as vehicles to express their creators' thoughts and feelings. Those affected by illness sometimes adopt this method, using the art of storytelling to cope with and express their many emotions. Because there are so many affected people when even only one person is diagnosed, there are several different perspectives that are expressed and must be analyzed. This anthology, titled "Creativity, Medicine, and the Arts: An Anthology Edited and Annotated by Gabrielle Georgini," illustrates the correlation between various kinds of illnessesand literature. According to Merriam-Webster, illness is defined as "obsolete, an unhealthy condition of body or mind" (371). To make a patient healthy again, he must receive some kind oftreatment. Unfortunately, in some cases, a patient may not become healthy again even if they do receive treatment. Literature is an art, and art is a form of therapy. Therefore, patients can use literature and art as forms of treatment. Art and literature provide therapies for the mind. They can allow patients to relax and can work as a distraction from their illnesses. Art and literature can also be a form of expression. Those who are affected by illness can describe or depict their thoughts on paper, enabling them to clear their head or inform others about how they are feeling.
ContributorsGeorgini, Gabrielle Marie (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Vega, Sylvia (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
In 2016, Azerbaijan arrested one of its esteemed writers, Akram Aylisli, for writing a fictional story depicting Armenian trauma, existence, and peaceful coexistence with Azeris. This paper analyzes how Akram Aylisli's work, "Stone Dreams: A Novel-Requiem,' has reevaluated national identity and has disrupted the official memory created by Azerbaijan, where certain historical events are contested and even suppressed.
ContributorsMacias, Riley (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Palandjian, Garine (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
This memoir documents the author's dynamic relationships with the Catholic faith and being a lesbian.
ContributorsAsh, Emily (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Barca, Lisa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Race-based trauma is classified as the cumulative traumatizing impact of racism on a racialized individual. These include individual acts of racial discrimination combined with systematic race systems including historical, cultural, and community trauma. This trauma mostly affects individuals of color and has been known to affect physical and mental health and over time lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. Racial trauma can be a result of many different experiences throughout life including hate crimes; environments with discriminatory practices, and smaller incidents of everyday discrimination, which are known as microaggressions.
Race-based trauma falls into four main categories: Structural, intergenerational, historical and cultural, and intersectionality. Structural racism affects multiple systems such as policy procedures and laws that sustain racial discrimination and reinforce racial biases in housing, education, employment, earnings, benefits, credit, media, health care, and criminal justice. These systems reinforce discriminatory beliefs, values, and distribution of resources. Intergenerational trauma affects the descendants of a person who has experienced distressing events. These descendants exhibit adverse behavioral, psychological, and emotional reactions to events that resemble the circumstances that originally traumatized their older family members. Slavery, the Holocaust, and other genocidal events have resulted in intergenerational trauma, for example. Historical trauma includes the distress of the descendants of a particular community that has experienced major oppression. Examples include Holocaust survivors and African Americans, who were victims of the Tuskegee experiments. Cultural trauma occurs when a horrendous event imprint’s itself on a particular ethnic group’s consciousness and changes their future identity in fundamental and irrevocable ways. Cultural trauma stems from micro-aggressions, stereotypes, hurtful comments, or structural barriers to advancement. Lastly, intersectional trauma, is a unique experience of marginalization that affects African American women who face gender and racial discrimination. Sadly, these experiences are greater than the sum of racism and sexism. Analysis of this trauma is considered to sufficient to address the manner in how African American women are subordinated.
ContributorsPless, Candace (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Barca, Lisa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2022-12
Description
According to the Center for Disease Control, the first case of COVID-19 in the United States was confirmed on January 21st, 2020. The patient was a resident of Washington state who had returned from the city of Wuhan during the previous week. The virus quickly spread across the country, and our lives have yet to return to normal in the nineteen months since. Between the initial wave that began in early 2020, and the current wave from the Delta variant that is now ravaging the country once again, this virus has claimed the lives of over six hundred thousand people in the United states alone. The majority of news coverage has focused on the pandemic from a national or global perspective. And since major metropolitan areas are often hotspots for the spread of infectious diseases (with the spread of COVID-19 being no exception), smaller towns and cities have experienced incredible desolation of their own. While the global scale and impact of this tragedy is paramount, it is also important to consider the devastation that has been torn apart smaller - often rural - communities, and to remember people whose lives have been forever changed. When I moved back from Phoenix, Arizona to my hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky in June I had the opportunity to do just that: to see this pandemic through the lens of a tight-knit community, where there exists a feeling that everybody knows each other. I wondered whether or not Owensboro had experienced the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and June 2021 in the same way that was being portrayed by national news broadcasts. How did one city combat a nationwide pandemic?
ContributorsPowell, Madison (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Topal, Emel (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
The purpose of The Cabin is twofold. My first goal is to introduce the West to Hindu myths from the Mahabharata and Ramayana while also sharing the Hindu values of toleration and empathy. At the same time, the stories will show Hindu Americans the philosophy inherent within their myths and legends. It will also attempt to remind Hindus that to achieve enlightenment and to break the cycle of life and death; race, caste, gender, and sexuality must all be forgotten. These identities are all lies, told by a fearful ego, hoping to survive. We must destroy our egos and realize that our only real identity is God.
My intent is not to just rewrite Hindu stories. I am striving to make these stories as accessible as possible to Hindus and non-Hindus alike. If a person who has never heard of Krishna is able to read and understand the stories, I will have accomplished my goal. I am also trying to emphasize and draw out the philosophy inherent to each of these myths. To achieve this, I have made a number of creative changes to the original myths so that the philosophical lessons each character teaches us are prioritized.
For example, the main creative change I make to the story of Yudhisthira is the order of tests that the Lord of Righteousness faces. In the original tale, Yudhisthira first refuses to abandon the dog, and then refuses to leave his family behind. I change the order of tests to family, then people of other faiths, and then the dog, to better show Yudhisthira’s commitment to leaving no one behind. In addition, Yudhisthira’s attempt to save people of different religions from hell was imagined by me. I felt Yudhisthira’s discussion with Indhra is particularly relevant for the modern age. It also helps capture how Hinduism views other religions and faiths. Furthermore, in the original myth, Yudhisthira is liberated from the cycle of birth and death after exhausting the karma of his good deeds in heaven. In my story, Yudhisthira is reborn on Earth to demonstrate the effect of attachments and to reveal that heaven and hell, if they exist, are not the end goal in Hinduism.
The story of Rama is mostly faithful to the original legend. The key difference is the private conversation that occurs between Rama and Dasharatha. Rama’s entire life exemplified the path of action, but I felt that by having him explicitly teach Dasharatha to renunciate the fruits of action, the philosophy would become much clearer to the reader.
In contrast, I make several changes to the story of Karna. As my story encompasses Karna’s entire life, many of his legends are either abridged or omitted in order to maintain narrative flow and focus. The casteism that Karna experiences early in his life are inspired by the stories I have heard of how untouchables were abused in India. To eliminate casteism, we must acknowledge its rotten, immoral, and embarrassing existence. Additionally, in the original tale, Karna disguises himself as a Brahmin so that Parashurama will teach him. In my version, Karna presents himself as a Sudra in order to portray how he is constantly rejected based on caste until he finally achieves liberation. In the original myth, when Karna surrenders his armor and earrings to Indhra, the King of the Gods gives him the Brahmastra, a weapon with incredible power. Instead, I have Indhra promise Karna enlightenment, which helps focus on the philosophical lesson of the tale: liberation. Finally, the Brahmin’s second test to Karna, where he pretends to be repulsed by Karna’s caste, is imagined by me. This final test proves to Krishna that Karna sees the God in everyone, and that he is worthy of liberation.
My depiction of the Vishwaroopa, or Krishna’s true form, must also be explained. Karna and Raj’s visions of God differ based on their understanding of the world. They only see what they can comprehend. Because of this, Karna’s vision is similar to traditional descriptions of the Vishwaroopa in the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures. In contrast, Raj’s vision reflects his understanding of modern science and the creation of the universe, as well as his awareness of religions like Christianity and Islam. I add these references to other religions to show the inclusive, all encompassing worldview of Hinduism
Finally, I would like to briefly discuss the scope of this project. Hinduism is incomprehensibly vast. It is the oldest living religion, and has more Gods than Peru has people. Hindus can be polytheist, monotheist, monist, atheist, and anything in between. Hindus understand that there is no single path for everyone. We all have different minds and internal biases and imagine God through these differing lenses. The stories told in The Cabin encapsulate the essence of Advaitha philosophy, the school of non-dualism. Advaitha Hindus believe there is no reality but God. There is no difference between us and God. In order to be liberated from the cycle of eternal life and death, the soul must realize this truth and return to God.
For three millenia, Hindus used storytelling to immortalize their values and pass their ideas on to the next generation. I am proud to be able to continue this sacred tradition.
My intent is not to just rewrite Hindu stories. I am striving to make these stories as accessible as possible to Hindus and non-Hindus alike. If a person who has never heard of Krishna is able to read and understand the stories, I will have accomplished my goal. I am also trying to emphasize and draw out the philosophy inherent to each of these myths. To achieve this, I have made a number of creative changes to the original myths so that the philosophical lessons each character teaches us are prioritized.
For example, the main creative change I make to the story of Yudhisthira is the order of tests that the Lord of Righteousness faces. In the original tale, Yudhisthira first refuses to abandon the dog, and then refuses to leave his family behind. I change the order of tests to family, then people of other faiths, and then the dog, to better show Yudhisthira’s commitment to leaving no one behind. In addition, Yudhisthira’s attempt to save people of different religions from hell was imagined by me. I felt Yudhisthira’s discussion with Indhra is particularly relevant for the modern age. It also helps capture how Hinduism views other religions and faiths. Furthermore, in the original myth, Yudhisthira is liberated from the cycle of birth and death after exhausting the karma of his good deeds in heaven. In my story, Yudhisthira is reborn on Earth to demonstrate the effect of attachments and to reveal that heaven and hell, if they exist, are not the end goal in Hinduism.
The story of Rama is mostly faithful to the original legend. The key difference is the private conversation that occurs between Rama and Dasharatha. Rama’s entire life exemplified the path of action, but I felt that by having him explicitly teach Dasharatha to renunciate the fruits of action, the philosophy would become much clearer to the reader.
In contrast, I make several changes to the story of Karna. As my story encompasses Karna’s entire life, many of his legends are either abridged or omitted in order to maintain narrative flow and focus. The casteism that Karna experiences early in his life are inspired by the stories I have heard of how untouchables were abused in India. To eliminate casteism, we must acknowledge its rotten, immoral, and embarrassing existence. Additionally, in the original tale, Karna disguises himself as a Brahmin so that Parashurama will teach him. In my version, Karna presents himself as a Sudra in order to portray how he is constantly rejected based on caste until he finally achieves liberation. In the original myth, when Karna surrenders his armor and earrings to Indhra, the King of the Gods gives him the Brahmastra, a weapon with incredible power. Instead, I have Indhra promise Karna enlightenment, which helps focus on the philosophical lesson of the tale: liberation. Finally, the Brahmin’s second test to Karna, where he pretends to be repulsed by Karna’s caste, is imagined by me. This final test proves to Krishna that Karna sees the God in everyone, and that he is worthy of liberation.
My depiction of the Vishwaroopa, or Krishna’s true form, must also be explained. Karna and Raj’s visions of God differ based on their understanding of the world. They only see what they can comprehend. Because of this, Karna’s vision is similar to traditional descriptions of the Vishwaroopa in the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures. In contrast, Raj’s vision reflects his understanding of modern science and the creation of the universe, as well as his awareness of religions like Christianity and Islam. I add these references to other religions to show the inclusive, all encompassing worldview of Hinduism
Finally, I would like to briefly discuss the scope of this project. Hinduism is incomprehensibly vast. It is the oldest living religion, and has more Gods than Peru has people. Hindus can be polytheist, monotheist, monist, atheist, and anything in between. Hindus understand that there is no single path for everyone. We all have different minds and internal biases and imagine God through these differing lenses. The stories told in The Cabin encapsulate the essence of Advaitha philosophy, the school of non-dualism. Advaitha Hindus believe there is no reality but God. There is no difference between us and God. In order to be liberated from the cycle of eternal life and death, the soul must realize this truth and return to God.
For three millenia, Hindus used storytelling to immortalize their values and pass their ideas on to the next generation. I am proud to be able to continue this sacred tradition.
ContributorsKoka, Anirudh (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Reed, Steven (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Research indicates that social changes have resulted in children exercising much less than in the past. This is problematic since physical activity throughout the elementary school day is imperative, because exercise improves academic focus, boosts mood, and leads to a healthier lifestyle. Exercising is pivotal for all students but even more so for students in the Special Education classroom who may rely on physical activity as a way of regulating their emotions. Depending on the school, students may only exercise at recess and during their Physical Education electives. Lack of physical activity can be detrimental to the academic and physical success of a student.
This thesis explores the impact of physical activity--what I have chosen to call “moments of movement” -- inside the classroom throughout the elementary school day. Journal-based observations were made by a student teacher placed in a special education 4th-6th grade writing and reading resource classroom from August-December of 2018 and a fourth grade general education classroom from January-May of 2019. All observations were made at Adams Elementary School, a Title 1 school, in the Mesa, Arizona school district. At this K-6 grade school, many students live with the challenges of poverty, neglect, unstable family dynamics, and trauma. Because the teachers work tirelessly to cultivate a sense of home for the students, there is a strong emphasis on non-traditional teaching methods, including the AVID program and the Kagan, and Tribes strategies.
Ms. Norris (the special education teacher) and Ms. Foss (the fourth grade teacher) both have strong backgrounds in fitness and naturally incorporate physical activity in their classrooms, which is not something typically found at elementary schools. In this paper, physical activity strategies in classrooms of Ms. Norris and Ms. Foss are analyzed, as well as the benefits of implementing these strategies. The impact of these “moments of movement” on the whole class and individual students is discussed, and suggestions are made to help educators incorporate “moments of movement” into their own classrooms. Educators can use the strategies present at Adams Elementary School as a model for incorporating exercise in their own classrooms.
This thesis explores the impact of physical activity--what I have chosen to call “moments of movement” -- inside the classroom throughout the elementary school day. Journal-based observations were made by a student teacher placed in a special education 4th-6th grade writing and reading resource classroom from August-December of 2018 and a fourth grade general education classroom from January-May of 2019. All observations were made at Adams Elementary School, a Title 1 school, in the Mesa, Arizona school district. At this K-6 grade school, many students live with the challenges of poverty, neglect, unstable family dynamics, and trauma. Because the teachers work tirelessly to cultivate a sense of home for the students, there is a strong emphasis on non-traditional teaching methods, including the AVID program and the Kagan, and Tribes strategies.
Ms. Norris (the special education teacher) and Ms. Foss (the fourth grade teacher) both have strong backgrounds in fitness and naturally incorporate physical activity in their classrooms, which is not something typically found at elementary schools. In this paper, physical activity strategies in classrooms of Ms. Norris and Ms. Foss are analyzed, as well as the benefits of implementing these strategies. The impact of these “moments of movement” on the whole class and individual students is discussed, and suggestions are made to help educators incorporate “moments of movement” into their own classrooms. Educators can use the strategies present at Adams Elementary School as a model for incorporating exercise in their own classrooms.
ContributorsRudolph, Natalie S (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Norris, Angela (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Diana Holladay was a mother, sister, daughter, wife, grandmother, friend, and artist. She played many roles and impacted many lives. She sought out beauty and brought it into the world through her art. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease her family watched her fade away. The Diana they knew and loved was no longer there. They could not mourn the loss of her being. This creative project served the purpose of exploring Diana’s past and art in order to help her family mourn and celebrate the woman she once was. The goal was to create a final art show and living memorial for Diana. The final art show would foster a sense of family, appreciation, and love. She had hundreds, if not thousands of sketches and pictures. She had a huge collection of painting left behind. During this project they were collected and organized for the show. Diana died exactly one month before the show. Her death brought her family together and helped them mourn. The art show was held in the Sedona Art Center where Diana once held art classes and her husband, Jim, layed the sandstone on the outside of the building. After her death, the attendance of her show nearly tripled. Hundreds of Diana’s family and friends celebrated this amazing woman. This creative project helped honor an incredible woman who truly changed lives and lead her life with love. This thesis helped us remember the woman and artist Diana Holladay was before her diagnosis and death. The final creation of this project was a website dedicated to Diana and her art and an essay describing the journey of this thesis.
www.dianaholladay.com
www.dianaholladay.com
ContributorsTiedeman, Talon Xalee (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Epperson, Tasili (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05