Library at Night

Recent Capstone Thesis/Projects

Fall 04


Michael Ahern--"Essence of Humanity"--a refutation of Jean-Paul Satre's existentialist philosophy, based primarily on the writing of Victor Frankel's Man's search for Meaning.

Cecilia Marquez --"Education and Diversity: Focusing on the Hispanic Minority"--a sociological study of Cuban and Puerto Rican students at East High School to determine what factor(s) contribute to academic success.

Todd Lilly-- "Destiny"--a new musical based on the novel Les Jeux Sont Faits by Jean-Paul Satre—Music and Lyrics by James L. Thomas; Book by Todd Lilly —to be performed at West Irondequoit H.S on August 12, 2005.

Lucia Kiley  Moya-- "Bridges: A Parenting Guide"-- a curriculum guide for Bantu refugees parents on how to care for their children as they adjust to life in the US. (Nutrition, Health Care, Safety, Development)

Spring 05


Eric Amorese--"It's More than Just a Game"--a defense of the complementarity between athletics and academic success.

Rebecca Avery-- "Motherhood: Questions, Answers & Inspiration"--a compendium of information and encouragement for young mothers.

Jack Crozier--"Forgiveness"--a comprehensive view of the effect of forgiveness on personal health, as well as a workshop developed to assist adults toward forgiveness of hurts to others and to one's self.

Julie Bazan D'Angelo--"Pearls of Wisdom"--a book of profiles of elderly wisdom figures, based on interviews and original photography.

Shannon Harder--"Glacier Project: A Guide to Mendon Ponds Park"--a teacher's handbook and student materials for grade 4 teachers (including a powerpoint virtual tour of the park) outlining the history, geographical features, ecological importance of Mendon Ponds Park

Renee D. Long--"Mind-Body-Spirit"--a comprehensive after-school program for girls, grades 5-12, to encourage development of their potential

Nicole Moracco--"Character Education"--a study of the importance of character education in public school—its history, variations, etc.

Karl Nielsen--"A.I.D: Assisting International Diversity"--a website overview of the 5 major religions, their primary tenets and taboos, as well as an evaluation of known charitable organizations, to guide individuals who want to respond to natural disasters by giving to charities.

David E. Rohr--"In the Garden of the Red and the Blue: The Birth of America's Dominant Political Parties 1829-1860"-- an historical and interpretive study of our two-party political system

Casey Schmidt--"Memoir: A Father and Daughter"--an autobiographical memoir of Casey's father who died seven years ago of Lou Gehrig's disease.

 

Fall 05

Nicole Burke—"Animal Cruelty and Domestic Violence: Overview and Resources for the Social Professional"—an explanation of how domestic violence, cruelty to animals and child maltreatment are linked as well as extensive state and national resources for help and further information.

Mary C. Weeks—"Female Genital Mutilation: The Power of Cultural Tradition"—a physiological, cultural, ritual and historical overview of female circumcision, its medical problems and current ritual status in African and Middle Eastern countries.

 

Spring 06

Andrea Juan Allen—"'Othering': Working Toward a Definition"—an exploration of historical and contemporary constraints that foster "othering" and a challenge to readers to discover new ways to validate our humanity.  

Cynthia Andresen—"Red Velvet: a Journey to the Fiber of My Being"—in addition to a one-act play (now on film), an autobiographical timeline of memories leading up to a family rape/murder, and the subsequent healing

Tamara Bugliosi—"The Benefits of Second Language Instruction / Which Language Should I Study?"—a gathering of current research on the value of foreign language study and a guide book for middle school students to help them select a second language.

Joseph M. Chipre—"Human Evolution: The Migration of a Species"—a compilation of the latest anthropological and genetic research in blood DNA that confirms all of us are descended from one family tribe in Africa

Amanda Eichas—"Leaving a Legacy: Things I Want My Son to Know"—a family album of pictures, stories, as well as contemporary cultural and social information on community, country, and our future created as a gift for her about-to-be-born son, Nicholas.

Theresa Jo Grzybek—"Journey to Healing: One Suicide Survivor's Story"—a personal encounter with her brother's suicide, the steps to healing, and an annotated bibliography of resources; accompanied by a children's story/workbook to assist young children in understanding and coping with a family suicide.

Patricia A. Johns—"My Boat Runs For Passengers"—a compilation of facts, stories, data about the underground railroad in Wayne Country, with special emphasis on Pultneyville.

Audrey J. Korokeyi—"A Look at the Violence Prevention Programs at Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School: Are They Working?"—an historical overview of various programs in use at the high school as well as statistics evaluating their impact, plus a booklet for students identifying characteristics of bullying and sexual harassment.

Daniel R. Lloyd—"Choices: The Knowledge to Vote"—an interactive web site for students detailing the history of voting and the development of political parties from George Washington to the present—with suggested lesson plans based on NYS Standards.

Pamela Lowe—"Multiple Intelligences and Mathematics Instruction"—discussion of Gardner's multiple intelligences, their impact on student learning, and a geometry unit employing strategies to appeal to various learning styles.

Aria McKusick-Yetter—"Writing Workshop: The Birth of a Writer's Identity"—a personal narrative of the author's writing habits, combined with and a scholarly overview of current best practices that can be incorporated into a classroom.

Antonia Messineo—"Professional Internship Program Infrastructure Redesign and Implementation"—analysis and suggested redesign of the Nazareth College internship program, including electronic Student Guidelines and 27 documents that provide coherence and professionalism to the program.

Mamie Savage—"Roots of Albanian Culture"—a narrated film and a commemorative book detailing Mamie's research trip to Albania, its sacred texts, its art, and its culture. 

Diane Shirley—"Stars to Freedom: An American Feminist Quilt"—an original quilt celebrating twelve women who contributed to our freedom, as well as a scholarly history of quilting, including its use in the underground railroad, and brief interpretive biographies of each of the twelve women.

Keith Van Ornum—"Genocide in Bosnia: A Historical View of the Attempted Extermination of the Bosnian Muslim Population"—an interactive web site for students detailing the history of Bosnia, as well as a detailed history for teachers of the country, its people, and its problems.

 

Fall 06

Dorothy Parker—"Lives, Imagined"—a series of creative non-fiction essays bring to life the ancestors from the Azores and their work in the New Bedford whaling industry.

Laura E. Thompson—"Minority Student Disengagement from School: Using Systems Theory to Create Contexts for Reengagement"—an overview of the difficulties faced by minority students and an explanation of how family systems theory can help motivate students to learn.

Christina E. Uticone—"Joy is in My Heart" Death, Grief and Ritual Through Faith"—a personal memoir of cousin Joleene interspersed with research on the rituals of death in the major religious traditions.

Gregory Wilcox—"Brom Bucs"—a novella of one musician's search for "unstuck mystic music" and Eastern throat singing.

Jennifer Wixom—"The 'No Child Left Behind Act' of 2001: or How to Kill Public Education As We Know It"—a history of the passage of the NCLB Act and a critique of its hidden political agenda, as well as some of its unfortunate outcomes.

 

Spring 07

Pamela Adams—

Stacey Ayers—"Finding Hope Through Imagination: Discovering New Models of God, Mary of Nazareth, and Woman Through the Process of Re-visionary Thinking"—an investigation into women's feeling of ambivalence toward the Catholic Church because of its patriarchal stance and avenues of hope for discovering new religious symbols.

Mary T. Buffardi—"The Mendon Ponds Gang"—an original movie by and about the clients of Heritage Christian Services Day Habilitation Program, showing their art, their disabilities, and their persistent spirit.

James T. Duffy—"Inclusion of Contemporary Literature in the 9th Grade Classroom"—an analysis of current "anglo" literature and recommendations for creating a diverse literature curriculum

Daniel Folts—"A Great Mortality of Birds"—an original book-length poem in Anglo-Saxon metre, blending ancient and contemporary issues.

Jamie Gundy—"The Four Cornerstones of Sports"—an elective course for 11th and 12th graders with four units: Sports History, Sports Spectating, Sports Nutrition, and Exercise Science.

Elizabeth Saunders--

Mary VanKeuren—"From Camp to Community: Creating a Transitional Society from a Refugee Population"—an overview of current refugee camps and a proposal for a new model that incorporates governance, geographic site, food, housing, and self-sustaining industry.

Amerique J. Wilson—"An Overview of Assessment: What Are Standardized Testing and Authentic Assessment?" –a brief history of standardized testing, its pros and cons, as well as a discussion of authentic assessment and the value of rubrics

 

Fall 07

Zachary Cain—"My Grandfather's War" and "The Hidden Cost of the Second World War: A Companion to the Documentary on Jack Kopshina"—a movie profile of Zach's grandfather and a research paper on problems of soldiers in WWII, the struggles of readjustment, and the personal cost to one family.

Yvonne Peluso—"Mindfulness and its Contribution to the Quality of Life"—an exploration of the concept and practice of mindfulness, as well as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and its contribution to knowledge, ethics, and good health.

Diane Sturmer—"Heart of Dance"—a video of a full-length dance performance by adults of differing abilities, choreographer's notes, and a photo journal of two years of rehearsals. 

Janis Thompson--