Geology and its tangential studies, collectively known and referred to in this thesis as geosciences, have been paramount to the transformation and advancement of society, fundamentally changing the way we view, interact and live with the surrounding natural and built environment. It is important to recognize the value and importance of this interdisciplinary scientific field while reconciling its ties to imperial and colonizing extractive systems which have led to harmful and invasive endeavors. This intersection among geosciences, (environmental) justice studies, and decolonization is intended to promote inclusive pedagogical models through just and equitable methodologies and frameworks as to prevent further injustices and promote recognition and healing of old wounds. By utilizing decolonial frameworks and highlighting the voices of peoples from colonized and exploited landscapes, this annotated syllabus tackles the issues previously described while proposing solutions involving place-based education and the recentering of land within geoscience pedagogical models. (abstract)

It is the marvel of a sunset on the most ordinary day that can change life forever. In this Honors Project, I attempt to explore my innate fascination with beauty and the results of this relationship. This creative project aims to explore the five pillars that are responsible for the book of poems, Why Do We See Beauty?: The Human Event, the Tao Te Ching, Philosophy, Buddhism, and my relationship with God. These pillars have intertwined consistently throughout the past few years and the entire book of poems is a product of my engagement, integration, and synthesis with these components of my life. The creative project, Why Do We See Beauty?, consists of fifty-one poems that center around spirituality, truth, and the mystery of God; whether implicitly or explicitly stated, the poetry serves as a medium to wrestle with the truth in my life. Through a breakdown of these five pillars of my poetry and then the communication of key themes, texts, and ideas that are grounded in it, I hope to share my art from the past few years. What started in The Human Event during my first year at Barrett has evolved into an undergraduate creative project that shows how The Human Event became personal.

Many recent hot topic news headlines claim that attacks are being made on the separation of Church and state in the United States. These articles specifically list the Catholic Church as a chief culprit due to the religious beliefs of the governmental officials in question. An in-depth understanding of each institution's position on the doctrine of separation of Church and state is developed along with the foundational motivations of each position to better understand the general subject matter, where afterwards the validity of the claims can be determined. The historical American perspective on Church-state separation is developed from the combined thought of James Madison, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson, where their thoughts are shown to have originated from John Locke. Next, the viewpoint of the Catholic Church is developed from a brief summary of historical Church-state relations and topical Papal encyclicals. Finally, each institutions’ position is motivated by their respective underlying foundations in the nature of man.

Beautiful and rich in history, the Arabic language is spoken by over 422 million people. The language has significant social and political importance, and it is increasingly taught in universities around the United States. When languages are taught their aim should be not only to teach learners to communicate effectively, but also to gain a deep understanding and respect of culture, people, and history. The Al-Kitaab textbook series by Georgetown University Press is utilized as the main learning material in most universities in the United States to teach Arabic language. The highly political and negative nature of the series limits students’ comprehension to a political perspective influenced by the conflicts in the Middle East and has a severe impact on not only students’ learning ability but also their perception of the Arabic language and culture. While the series sufficiently provides the political vocabulary necessary for roles in government, it overlooks the importance of a full understanding of the cultural richness and nuances of the Arabic language necessary for an appreciation of history, arts, and literature of the region. The overarching objective of this project is to analyze the Georgetown University Press Al-Kitaab textbook series for Arabic language instruction and compare it to the Vista Higher Learning Sentieri textbook for Italian language instruction to plan a new Arabic curriculum to increase student enrollment. This comparison will explore recurring themes present in each textbook series and display the detrimental and outdated depictions of Arab culture presented throughout the Al-Kitaab series. Different aspects of the textbooks will be discussed including vocabulary and vocabulary progression, biographies of important figures, in-text activities, reading passages, and recurrent themes. Through revamping the learning materials used to teach Arabic, Arizona State University (ASU) and the School of International Letters and Cultures (SILC) can become innovative leaders in the instruction of university-level Arabic language.