The recognition of Oikos : a historically-based rhetorical-poetic reading of the Anagnôrismoi in Homer’s "Odyssey."

This thesis, presents a historically-based rhetorical-poetic reading of the anagnôrismoi (recognition scenes) in the second half of Homer’s Odyssey. Ultimately, I propose that, through these scenes, Homer is showing his audience what is essential for a complete homecoming (nostos) and a complete household (oikos). This type of reading is done through an analysis of rhetorical layers. One layer focuses on the persuasive purposes of the characters inside the narrative. A second layer of consideration is that of the author, where the question arises regarding what is being revealed to the audience through this persuasive activity. Using this type of reading, I analyze three of the anagnôrismoi–those of Telemachus, Eurycleia, and Penelope–in order to show three characteristics that Homer is showing about the nature of a good oikos: namely, that it is led by Divine Wisdom, composed of faithful and knowing servants, and finds its highest good in marriage of a specific character. The epic implies that only in the context of such a household is the homecoming complete

Evaluating and refining music recommendation systems : a combined study of algorithmic techniques and user feedback.

This two-sided study explores improving music recommendations through both computational modeling and user interaction. In the first phase, the TF-IDF (Term Frequency–Inverse Document Frequency) algorithm is applied to song lyrics, generating recommendations based on thematic word patterns. ChatGPT is used to evaluate these recommendations, revealing strengths in identifying lyrical themes but also limitations in emotional and contextual understanding. To address these gaps, the second phase introduces an interactive survey where users engage with ChatGPT over ten rounds, providing binary feedback (like/dislike) to refine recommendations. Results show growing user satisfaction, though participants noted issues like repetitive suggestions and limited genre diversity. While most found ChatGPT’s final summaries accurate, they also expressed a need for richer feedback and better emotional context

Parent-teacher trust in Central Texas public high schools : an exploration using reflective structured dialogue.

With the steady decline of social trust in recent years, relationships between parents and educators have become increasingly strained. In order to identify and address the causes of distrust among parents and teachers, this case study examines the responses and experiences of parents and teachers affiliated with Central Texas Public High Schools. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design was employed to collect feedback from a small group of two parents and five teachers, most of whom were parents as well. Participants engaged in reflective structured dialogue on the topic of parent-teacher trust, completing surveys on the perceived trustworthiness of their counterparts before and after the discussion. Select participants were then invited to expand upon their responses in qualitative interviews. While perceptions of trustworthiness in parents and teachers varied among participants, feedback revealed a general increase in trust as a product of the facilitated dialogue event. This finding coincides with repeated calls by participants for improved quality and frequency of communication among parents and teachers. Therefore, this paper optimistically recommends further research on the potential of reflective structured dialogue to improve trust among parents and teachers affiliated with public schools generally

Lasting notes : why Louis Armstrong endured and Harry James faded.

This thesis explores the divergent legacies of two trumpet titans of the 20th century: Louis Armstrong and Harry James. Both emerged during the swing era as technical virtuosos and cultural icons, yet Armstrong remains a household name while James has faded from mainstream recognition. Through detailed biographical and historical analysis, this study argues that Armstrong’s enduring legacy stems not only from his musical innovation but also from his remarkable adaptability across changing media, audience tastes, and cultural moments. By contrast, James maintained a more rigid artistic identity, achieving enormous success during his peak but failing to evolve with post-war musical trends. The thesis situates both artists within the broader shifts of American music, media, and race relations, demonstrating how cultural longevity is shaped not just by talent but by strategic reinvention and cultural relevance. In doing so, it offers insight into how memory, identity, and entertainment intersect in American musical history

Baylor University student and professor uses of artificial intelligence.

In society, artificial intelligence is growing in recognition. Artificial intelligence (AI) models, particularly large language models such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, are being incorporated regularly into software applications and internet browsers. Across the world, educators are considering the increasing role of artificial intelligence. I explore the uses of AI in higher education at Baylor University. I specifically consider guidelines for university usage, professor developed policies, professor uses of AI, and student uses of AI. Student and professor surveys are used to learn professor and student uses of AI. The student survey consists of questions including major, use of AI for courses in the major, use of AI for university required courses, allowance of AI usage, usage of AI outside of class related activities, and usage of AI for personal reasons. The professor survey includes course policy related questions, usage of AI in class or for class preparation, and usage of AI for personal reasons. Approximately 50% of surveyed Baylor University students used AI for courses in their major as of the time of this study, and approximately 50% of surveyed professors described encouraging AI use for at least one assignment. I describe background AI usage in higher education, survey methodology, survey conduction, survey results, and applications and analysis of the results of student and professor uses of AI at Baylor University

Joan of Corona.

The inspiration for this work of fictional creative writing comes from the story of Saint Joan of Arc and her strength and persistence against rising conflict and the restraints on her gender and identity. The draft syncretizes various elements of modern young adult literature to create a new and original work of fantasy that tells a story of a young woman bringing justice to her city and its people. Other figures that are inspired by this work include Hua Mulan and Katniss Everdeen. The method of creating the work includes several drafts and revisions by faculty to produce the final literary product. The aim of this work is to bring the young adult literary audience a novel that tackles themes such as identity conflict and loyalty to one’s peers. The work also studies ways of experimenting with the plot and structure of a story as the characters develop and change over time

Environmental rhetoric : how climate communication can be tailored to change the world’s mind.

This thesis examines the limitations of traditional climate communication strategies and explores how tailored, value-based messaging can improve public engagement with climate change. By analyzing the intersection of ideological worldviews, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic factors, the research reveals that purely scientific messaging often fails to resonate with skeptical or marginalized audiences. Using a comparative framework of climate rhetoric and survey data, this study evaluates the effectiveness of alternative framing methods across diverse populations. Special emphasis is placed on faith-based environmental messaging, political identity, and foundation-centered appeals as tools to increase climate action support. The findings suggest that strategic reframing, aligned with cultural, spiritual, and political values, can transform climate change from a polarizing issue into a shared moral responsibility. Ultimately, the study provides a foundation for future communication strategies that aim to unify public understanding and support of climate policy by integrating emotional, moral, and social dimensions into climate discourse

Methodological variations in measuring sex-based associations between childhood trauma and illicit substance use : a systematic review.

Childhood trauma and illicit substance use have a demonstrated association, theorized to occur due to stress vulnerability or self-medication. Multiple factors may impact this relationship, including sex, population, and culture. Such theoretical frameworks as the diathesis-stress model and the self-medication hypothesis provide evidence for an expected difference in the relationship between childhood trauma and illicit substance use between the sexes. A systematic review methodology was employed to assess these relationships in sex-specific articles that used either the Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire or the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Results demonstrate heterogeneity of the literature as well as evidence for stronger associations for female populations than for male populations. Childhood trauma-, illicit substance-, and population-specific associations are discussed. Caution should be taken in making blanket statements about the association between childhood trauma and illicit substance use. Implications regarding treatment, prevention, and screening are discussed

The effect of education and party membership on individual free market beliefs.

Regarding the effect of education on political attitudes, some studies in Sociology find that higher levels of education are associated with an increase in liberal attitudes. Other studies in Political Science give reason to believe that party membership modifies the relationship between education and political attitudes. Both theories, however, focus on the development of cultural attitudes, and pay less attention to the development of economic attitudes (both of which are termed “political attitudes”). In other words, the effect of education and party membership on economic attitudes receives less attention and we seek to fill this gap. Using the World Values Survey, we show that at higher levels of education, Republicans and Democrats are further apart in their economic attitudes compared to Republicans and Democrats at lower levels of education. We conclude with a discussion of these findings in relation to the competing theories introduced above

Aquinas on punishment : its nature, its purpose, and its role in the atonement.

Punishment is an important and widespread topic in Aquinas’s thought, yet it is also one for which Aquinas offers little systematic exposition and one to which modern interpreters of Aquinas have given relatively little attention. This dissertation thus seeks to explore Aquinas’s understanding of punishment, identifying his answers to three basic questions: What is punishment? What is punishment’s purpose—i.e., for what end does God punish, and for what end ought the state to punish? And what role, if any, does Aquinas assign to punishment in his account of the atonement? In answering these questions, I show that while Aquinas thinks that punishment of wrongdoing is just in itself, he does not think that the justice of punishment engenders an obligation to punish. Rather, the normativity of punishment derives from the way that punishment contributes to goods beyond justice. This structured account of the normativity of punishment gives punitive agents strong reason to punish but also latitude to forgo punishment for goods higher than justice. This understanding of punishment consistently informs Aquinas’s accounts of God’s work of punishment, the state’s work of punishment, and of how Christ’s death has salvific efficacy