This thesis examines the differences in how professional male and female athletes and teams are portrayed in the media. Specifically, I analyze the ways female professional athletes and teams are typically not marketed as elite and are usually portrayed as lesser than their male colleagues. Given the scholarly literature on the disparity between how male and female athletes are portrayed in sports media,, we might expect that news sources will diminish the accomplishments of female athletes through less coverage. Similarly, we might also expect that the themes covered in articles about female athletes and teams differ greatly from the themes that are covered with male athletes and teams. Through a quantitative analysis of media exposure and a qualitative analysis of radio articles from Arizona Sports 98.7FM from September of 2014, 2018, and 2020, we see that, while most news sources do write about female athletes and teams on a semi-regular basis, the themes explored do not always focus on the athletes but ten to emphasize their lives outside of the game. We are left with an understanding that female athletes and women’s professional sports teams are portrayed in a different light than male athletes and men’s professional sports teams. While female athletes are increasingly recognized in the media, men are still thought of as premier athletes while women are simply good among other women

Through this creative project, I analyzed how COVID-19 has affected the theatre industry. I created a mini-documentary following ASU’s production of Runaways, which was performed without an audience. The final product was a combination of pre-filmed and self-taped scenes. I documented how students were still able to learn and cultivate their skills during a time where most things are virtual. In addition, I analyzed how the shift to filmed theatre has changed the definition of live theatre, including increased accessibility. I also explored the importance of theatre through analyzing the themes of musical theatre performances such as Rent and Runaways. During a time where people cannot gather, artists are still finding a way to create and tell stories.

The nonprofit sector exists as one of three working groups which contribute to the flow of the economy and society. Unlike the government and for-profit sectors, the nonprofit world has faced a growing responsibility alongside a lack of emphasis on the sector’s importance. Nonprofits have often faced a lack of resources needed to combat these gaps. However, since Covid-19, resources have been diminishing even further. These resources can be identified as a variety of elements, from volunteers and paid staff to funds and access to overseas goods and services. A case study of the world-renowned Make-A-Wish Foundation and its Arizona Chapter perfectly illustrates the journey back to full mission-accomplishment in present times through their actions taken to combat common sector struggles. This case study proves importance of the nonprofit sector, accompanied by a call for education and re-emphasis of the nonprofit sector.

The FIFA Men’s World Cup is returning to the United States for the first time since 1994 and will be the very first edition to host 48 teams, 80 total games, and have three host countries. The bid process for this edition of the World Cup is extremely complicated, and the final host cities for the United States are not yet known. What follows is a recommendation to FIFA on who the ten host cities from the United States should be in 2026. Based on the FIFA Bid Book that the bid from the United States, Canada, and Mexico sent to FIFA, along with additional research and surveys sent to fans, the final ten host cities from the United States should be Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, New York/New Jersey, Miami, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, and Baltimore/Washington DC. Further, it is shocking that the City of Phoenix did not submit a bid to host games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Following the recommendation of the final ten host cities, a potential bid for Phoenix to host the games is created that likely would have won the city the rights to host matches because of Phoenix’s high potential revenue, new stadium, and city location. Ultimately, if Phoenix would have sent this bid to FIFA, they would have an extremely strong case for hosting games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.