Three main affiliations fall under the umbrella of American Jewry: Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative. Each differs in practice, but remains connected by the basis of their beliefs, ארון הספרים (Ah-rohn ha-sefarim). It is important to note that the term ‘Orthodox’ encompasses a vast and diverse group of Jews that vary in practice. Here, I will discuss two Orthodox subgroups, Hareidi Jews and Modern Orthodox Jews. In this essay, I discuss and explore the topic of Israeli and American conversion to Judaism, the relationship between conversion and Israeli politics, and its effect on Jews around the world. I utilize an array of sources, including political and religious texts, modern interpretation, and my own experience. I begin by briefly describing Jewish roots in the United States and Israel. Next, I rigorously outline American and Israeli Jewish affiliations, followed by a generous explanation of Jewish identity and conversion practices in the United States and in Israel. I end by sharing the effects of conversion practices on the global Jewish community and potential solutions to the problems that arise.

Due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, communities were forced to isolate themselves in their homes and take many safety precautions. Through this isolation, people experienced a lack of social interactions on a daily basis and increased boredom. Due to the new feelings of the pandemic experience, many found themselves to be engaging significantly more with technology and social media. Doing so helped many to interact with others or spend their extra time. Since people were engaging so much more with technology, there were distinct positive and negative outcomes. Some social media use helped cope with experiencing feelings of isolation by the COVID-19 pandemic, while it may have caused feelings of anxiety for others. Engaging with others helped humanize the experience of relying on social media as a replacement for receiving human interaction on a daily basis (Zhen, 2021). College students were specifically impacted by isolation in a social manner, but were also affected in other areas such as in their academic life. Social media became a critical tool for college students in coping with the challenges of the pandemic (Zhao, 2020). This paper will explore some of the ways in which social media has helped college students cope during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it may have had more negative effects on others. This will be explored through reviewing current literature and research. Research findings will be compared to interviews conducted for the purpose of this project. Three different college students were interviewed and asked a series of questions regarding their personal experience with COVID-19, mental health, and social media. The interview responses will be reviewed according to current research to spot any similarities in findings.

In this project, I explored the need for increased efforts towards intersectional dialogue and collaborative relationship building between student groups on college campuses and at Arizona State University specifically. We tend to stay within our "racially homogeneous subcultures" in college. There should be more efforts toward engaging across all segments of campus, regardless of background, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, etc., cultivating an environment with increased support and allyship. We should embrace the opportunity and rich diversity at Arizona State University.

Through research into Generation Z (Gen Z) as a consumer group, influencer marketing tactics and current usage, and the alcohol industry as a whole, I have worked to identify how alcohol brands can use influencer marketing to capitalize on Gen Z profits as Gen Z increasingly ages over 21 years old. Gen Z is a very connected generation of digital natives that value deals, honesty, sustainability, and activism from brands. Influencer marketing is a form of digital word of mouth marketing in which brands partner with or hire established influencers and work with them to expose their brand name and products to the influencer’s audience directly in hopes to reach the brand’s target audience. Influencer marketing is effective for Gen Z consumers because advertisements are easily scrolled past on most social networking sites, and influencer marketing is viewed as more honest and less intrusive to consumers. The alcohol industry should take advantage of the benefits of using influencer marketing to appeal to Gen Z consumers now and in the future as an increasing percentage of this generation is of legal drinking age. There are many rules and regulations set out by government organizations, other voluntary organizations and nonprofits, and social media websites that limit advertising of alcoholic products. Alcohol advertising is also regulated by individual social media policies as well. Brands should remain cognizant of these limitations, but work with influencers to build a Gen Z consumer base now as Gen Z members are growing up. Based on Gen Z values, there are a few recommendations to consider. Alcohol brands should stay away from unnecessary additives and colorings, be respectful of the cultural roots of the type(s) of alcohol they sell, use affiliate marketing programs and promotional codes with influencers, interact with other beverage brands on social media, and send product to influencers for honest reviews to appeal to Gen Z consumers.

The recent popularity of ChatGPT has brought into question the future of many lines of work, among them, psychotherapy. This thesis aims to determine whether or not AI chatbots should be used by undergraduates with depression as a form of mental healthcare. Because of barriers to care such as understaffed campus counseling centers, stigma, and issues of accessibility, AI chatbots could perhaps bridge the gap between this demographic and receiving help. This research includes findings from studies, meta-analyses, reports, and Reddit posts from threads documenting people’s experiences using ChatGPT as a therapist. Based on these findings, only mental health AI chatbots specifically can be considered appropriate for psychotherapeutic purposes. Certain chatbots that are designed purposefully to discuss mental health with users can provide support to undergraduates with mild to moderate symptoms of depression. AI chatbots that promise companionship should never be used as a form of mental healthcare. ChatGPT should generally be avoided as a form of mental healthcare, except to perhaps ask for referrals to resources. Non mental health-focused chatbots should be trained to respond with referrals to mental health resources and emergency services when they detect inputs related to mental health, and suicidality especially. In the future, AI chatbots could be used to notify mental health professionals of reported symptom changes in their patients, as well as pattern detectors to help individuals with depression understand fluctuations in their symptoms. AI more broadly could also be used to enhance therapist training.

The paper analyzes migrant education in Arizona. For the purposes of this paper, migrant students are children of farm workers. The paper analyzes the challenges this student demographic faces in obtaining an education. Included is also a bill proposal for the Arizona State Legislature to enact. The bill proposes that there be a migrant scholarship program for students attending a university in the Arizona Board of Regents.