Honors Theses
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/239506
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Item Open Access Language accessible school songs: impacts on student sense of belonging and community on a college campus(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Skiles, Sarah M., author; Seitz, Deanne, advisor; Taylor, Jayme, advisorThese videos act as the final product of a community service project showing the power and impact a sense of community on their college campus has on student success. After being a member of the CSU Athletic Bands for five years and completing a minor in American Sign Language, this student project combined two seemingly opposed areas of interest to interpret three school songs with lyrics, the Fight Song, the Alma Mater, and Aggie Boom, into American Sign Language so that the school songs when played at pep-rallies and sporting events are accessible to those who communicate using American Sign Language. This project has three parts, the first is the official interpretation videos of the school song. The second is a video interview of students who participated in the CSU Athletic Bands and students who completed a minor in American Sign Language discussing the impact their involvement in those groups had on their time at CSU. Finally, a video of the Fight Song being interpreted with a live band, performed by the brothers of the Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity to show campus-wide communities and the real life application of the American Sign Language interpretation of the school songs. These videos act as an example of language-inclusive communities by merging two areas previously thought to have no overlap, the CSU Athletic Bands music and American Sign Language.Item Open Access Heavy metal and its direct, necessary ties to traditional and evolving masculinity(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025-05-07) Jackson, Gedaliah L., author; Amberg, Marti, advisor; Sink, Elizabeth, advisorHeavy metal is a polarizing genre of music that began in the 1970's and has continued evolving with each passing decade. As heavy metal has evolved, so has the concept of masculinity. From the sexual objectification of women, to dominance and anger, to combating the stigma surrounding men and mental health, heavy metal has served as both a creative and interpretive outlet for men to express their emotions towards the world they are living in. Different techniques utilized by heavy metal artists, such as power chords, palm muting, distortion, screaming, and tremolo/sweep picking directly coincide with traditional masculine traits, like the suppression of "weak" emotions, anger, and violence. This paper allows for an interpretation of how the genre of heavy metal grew and evolved to fit men's emotional and psychological needs.Item Open Access Mental health misconceptions and stigma(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Paruszkiewicz-Philson, Kathryn, author; Garvey, Sara, advisor; Amberg, Marti, advisorMental health advice is everywhere, from social media influencers promoting their latest health brands to mainstream media highlighting new research findings. While the internet is full of tips on maintaining well-being, far less attention is given to the lived realities of individuals struggling with mental disorders. Despite increasing awareness, pervasive myths and misconceptions continue to circulate. The media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions, sometimes helping to spread awareness, but often perpetuating misinformation that reinforces harmful stigmas and stereotypes. These misunderstandings contribute to discrimination and systemic barriers that limit individuals' quality of life and negatively impact society. To challenge these narratives, my project aims to dispel common myths and increase awareness through a podcast series focused on three groups of mental disorders. Normalizing conversations and integrating mental health education into schools, communities, and professional settings can promote greater understanding, reduce stigma, and enhance access to support for those affected.Item Open Access The Barbie movie and the psychological experience of gender inequality(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024-10-24) Nolan, Eden, E., authorAs societies reach toward gender equality, it is often assumed that issues of gender inequality and discrimination are rare. However, instances of gender discrimination and inequality have become more subtle than overt, and still cause harm across individuals. The transition of gender discrimination from overt instances to subtle instances has caused society to be dismissive of statements that claim gender inequality is still a significant issue today. In this work, the 2023 Barbie movie is evaluated as a statement of gender inequality in the United States. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how subtle gender inequality manifests itself, and to explain this manifestation through the psychological explanations of gender inequality. The thesis addresses questions such as, "How is gender discrimination seen today?", "How does gender discrimination impact people?", and "Why does gender discrimination still exist today?" through the analysis of the Barbie movie. The purpose of the thesis is to highlight examples of gender discrimination, and thoroughly analyze a piece of media that acknowledges gender inequality, and address that gender inequality is a problem that is continuously experienced across cultures. The movie is separated by scenes, where each scene is explained and evaluated through psychological studies that explain the specific experience of the related scene. The investigation of gender inequalities represented in the Barbie movie culminates in an artistic reflection that elaborates on the author’s experience with gender.