This thesis research aims to define, identify, and promote community theatre as a “third space” for disadvantaged youth. A third space is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “...the in-between, or hybrid, spaces, where the first and second spaces work together to generate a new third space. First and second spaces are two different, and possibly conflicting, spatial groupings where people interact physically and socially: such as home (everyday knowledge) and school (academic knowledge)” (Oxford Dictionary, 2021). For disadvantaged youth, the creation of a third space in the theatre can give them a safe environment away from issues they may have at home or at school, it can further their learning about themselves and others, and it can also help those youth feel a sense of belonging to a community larger than themselves. Because of these benefits, it is clear that performing arts programs can offer a great impact on disadvantaged youth; however, many theatre companies struggle to market their programming to said communities. This may be in part, due to low marketing budgets, no specificity in labor resources dedicated to youth programming, or ineffective marketing strategies and tactics. This research aims to provide tangible recommendations for youth programmers to better involve their target audience.

Socioeconomic differences have driven society and laid the foundation for the types of opportunities and resources one is eligible to receive. Higher socioeconomic status provides individuals the chance of obtaining an overall better education, occupation, and income. We see this with particular clarity when we examine healthcare. The World Health Organization has regarded healthcare as a fundamental human right, except socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals not only do not have equal access to healthcare, but they also often receive a lower quality of care. These socioeconomic differences are often paired with racial differences, resulting in one group, or set of groups, having social advantage over the others. Although this problem has been discussed throughout the past century, it has not been properly addressed materially and practically. Unequal access to quality healthcare is especially highlighted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, where there has been evidence that minorities, in particular Black communities, have received inadequate care. Quality healthcare has become unaffordable and a luxury that only certain groups get the privilege of receiving. Not only that, but the ongoing inequalities in the healthcare system have gone so far that they have instilled hostility and mistrust towards the healthcare system.

Blockchain technology has taken the world by storm, and is now establishing itself the the real estate industry. Through new inventions such as smart contracts and crypto mortgages, the real estate industry is at the precipice of a major technological shift. After careful analysis of the current technologies and interviews with industry experts, this thesis will conclude with the possible implications that will arise from the wide spread use of Blockchain technology in real estate.

In the current age of global climate crisis, corporations must confront the rising pressure to mitigate their environmental impacts. The goal of this research paper is to provide corporations with a resource to manage waste through the implementation of a circular economy and by increasing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Navigating this large and complex system required the use of various methodologies including: the investigation of the relationships between waste management systems and sustainable development across major companies; literature reviews of scholarly articles about CSR, circular economies, recycling, and releases of company reports on sustainable development and financials. Lastly, interviews and a survey were conducted to gain deeper insight into the problems that make circular economies so difficult to achieve at scale.

The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 exposed issues in the supply chain for N95 face masks. The demand for protective face masks spiked globally and domestically due to the unexpected outbreak of the pandemic. An important issue was the dependency on N95 mask production in countries abroad. The focus on face masks in this thesis accounts for all models of the N95 mask.<br/>This thesis will focus on onshore and offshore production of N95 face masks before and during the pandemic. Specifically, we will focus on (1) the production of masks in 2019; (2) 3M, Honeywell, and Prestige Ameritech’s production changes; (3) the observations made by All The Things LLC, a broker for face masks; (4) the rise of counterfeit masks and actions taken to stop counterfeit production; (4) actions taken by the federal government to aid in production and distribution; and (5) future research opportunities on this topic. This research project into the production of N95 face masks ceased in February of 2021. <br/>This thesis defends the critical need for more domestically produced N95 masks. The U.S. needs to increase the number of N95 masks produced domestically, manage the Strategic National Stockpile to eliminate masks past their shelf life, and create a plan to replenish the stockpile to reduce the possibility of a shortage when the next public health emergency takes place.

In 2020, the world was swept by a global pandemic. It disrupted the lives of millions; many lost their jobs, students were forced to leave schools, and children were left with little to do while quarantined at their houses. Although the media outlets covered very little of how children were being affected by COVID-19, it was obvious that their group was not immune to the issues the world was facing. Being stuck at home with little to do took a mental and physical toll on many kids. That is when EVOLVE Academy became an idea; our team wanted to create a fully online platform for children to help them practice and evolve their athletics skills, or simply spend part of their day performing a physical and health activity. Our team designed a solution that would benefit children, as well as parents that were struggling to find engaging activities for their kids while out of school. We quickly encountered issues that made it difficult for us to reach our target audience and make them believe and trust our platform. However, we persisted and tried to solve and answer the questions and problems that came along the way. Sadly, the same pandemic that opened the widow for EVOLVE Academy to exist, is now the reason people are walking away from it. Children want real interaction. They want to connect with other kids through more than just a screen. Although the priority of parents remains the safety and security of their kids, parents are also searching and opting for more “human” interactions, leaving EVOLVE Academy with little room to grow and succeed.

The process of producing enormous amounts of ephemeral clothing at accelerated rates, known as fast fashion, creates significant environmental and societal issues. The phenomenon of fast fashion rose due to globalization, economic factors, lack of legislation, and the advancement of technology. Governments, companies, and consumers must work together to create more sustainable retail supply chains. I have gathered information from interviews with individuals in the sustainable fashion industry, books, case studies, online reports, and newspaper articles. Based on my research, I recommend that companies should target wealthier consumers, develop a common language concerning sustainability, invest in sustainable fibers, and listen to factory employees for solutions to improve their working conditions. I also advise that the U.S governments should revise fashion copyright laws and international governments should emphasize regulations concerning the fashion industry. Lastly, consumers should adopt a price-per-wear mindset and utilize resale options. Overall, while perfect sustainability is improbable, consumers, governments, and companies should not use this as an excuse to avoid responsibility.

Evidence of a widening political divide between the Democrat and Republican parties creates concern over the possible ramifications of this phenomenon. One method of assessing dissonance between political parties is through a medium that is shaped by personal beliefs: online dating. Previous research finds that political choice homophily, or a preference for those who are politically similar, is relevant in online dating settings. Researchers find that individuals are significantly more likely to be attracted to or pursue others who have similar political views to themselves. There is, however, a gap in knowledge regarding online dating that occurs separately from conventional online dating sites. Mobile dating apps, applications that are highly popular amongst young adults, have not been thoroughly explored with political choice homophily in mind. The current study aims to test the correlation between dating preference and political beliefs, using the mobile dating app Bumble as a template for a mock (fake) dating app scenario. In the dating app survey that was distributed to 132 ASU students, participants completed a simulated “matching” section where they matched with a list of 15 fabricated Bumble profiles. The fake Bumble profiles randomly contained politically charged or politically neutral statements in the basic info section. Political affiliation of the participant was measured using a sliding scale that quantifies the unidimensional conservative-liberal spectrum on a 0-100 numerical scale. Findings of the survey show that there was no significant difference between participant preference towards politically charged vs. politically neutral mock profiles.

Especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic and age of social unrest in the United States, there has been an increasing need for comfort, yet the idea of comfort is quite vague and rarely elaborated upon. To simplify the idea of comfort and communicate the ideas around it effectively, I am defining comfort as a subset of escapism in which a person escapes to reduce or alleviate feelings of grief or distress. As companies rush to comfort their customers in this current state of uncertainty, marketers are pressed to identify people’s insecurities and comfort them without coming off as insensitive or trite. Current comfort marketing focuses on inspiring nostalgia in its customers, having them recall previous positive experiences or feelings to comfort them. Nostalgic marketing techniques may ease mild grief in some cases, but using them to alleviate severe distress probably will not be as effective, and has contributed to several seemingly out-of-touch “COVID-19 era” commercials.<br/>When addressing comfort, marketers should understand the type and hierarchy of comfort that they are catering to. Not all comforts are equal, in that some comforts make us feel better than others and some do not comfort us at all. A better understanding of how and why comforts change among different individuals, and possibly being able to predict the comfort preference based on a product or service, will help marketers market their goods and services more effectively. By diversifying and specializing comfort marketing using this hierarchical method, marketers will be able to more significantly reach their customers during “uncertain times.”

I will be arguing that, although Kierkegaard is masterful when it comes incorporating rhetorical strategies and poetic elements in his works in an attempt to grasp the reader’s attention, his reliance upon a theistic system contradicts what I believe to be the message of subjectivity. This is why he does not affect me in a way that Nietzsche does and I will be objectively showing why I have been influenced more by Nietzsche through the use of their texts. His ideas on the overman, the will to power, and masks and appearances are liberating for the subjective thinker and invoke a sense of nobility in human existence that is not matched by Kierkegaard’s ideas. Perhaps my reader will disagree with my opinion but I hope this provides a dialogue or “loving fight” between these two thinkers for my reader to come to his/her own conclusion about the nature of subjectivity and its role in human existence.