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Friedlander Quarterback Rating (FQBR) : a new method to evaluate quarterbacks.
No full textThere is no position in football more important to the outcome of the game than the quarterback. As a result, coaches and analysts have spent decades attempting to evaluate quarterbacks and project their performances at all levels of football. Before analytics, most of the quarterback evaluations were conducted by scouts, who looked at physical traits such as height, weight, and arm strength. Analytics introduced the ability to measure quarterbacks by performance-based statistics. Metrics such as Passer Rating and Total QBR (ESPN’s Quarterback Rating) measure quarterback performance using in-game stats such as passing touchdowns, passing yards, interceptions, and completion percentage, among others. Yet metrics such as Passer Rating fail to account for the importance of each towards the outcome of the game. Total QBR, on the other hand, considers play importance in its evaluation of quarterbacks. In this paper, I will discuss both Passer Rating and Total QBR. I will then evaluate and discuss my quarterback rating metric, Friedlander Quarterback Rating (FQBR), and compare it with other quarterback rating metrics
An examination of the Kress collection's "Madonna and child with Saint John the Baptist and three angels."
No full textThis paper explores the unattributed painting The Madonna and Child between Saint John the Baptist and Three Angels (fig.1) in the Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The painting was studied through close looking and substantial research in order to suggest an attribution for the work. The painting was discovered to be one of twenty-four to twenty-eight copies of Andrea del Sarto’s (1486-1530) lost c. 1513 composition, the Corsini Madonna. It is a very strong copy with the artist adhering strictly to the style of Andrea del Sarto and not adding any of their own stylistic elements. Andrea del Sarto is also the most copied Florentine artist, and both of these factors create elements of difficulty when providing an attribution. In the research process, I was able to disprove a currently suggested attribution and turn my focus towards post-Tridentine copyists of Andrea del Sarto. Jacopo da Empoli (1551-1640) is one of the most renowned of these copyists and I believe it is probable he may have completed the painting in the Armstrong Browning Library
Balancing the pressure : barriers and motivators for physical activity among pre-medical students.
No full textThose pursuing a career in medicine face elevated levels of stress and a heightened risk of burnout. Although physical activity is a well-established method for supporting resiliency and stress management, many pre-medical students struggle to maintain consistent exercise routines due to academic and personal demands. This study examines the intentional engagement in moderate-to-high intensity physical activity among Baylor University pre-medical students, focusing on the barriers and motivators that influence their activity levels. A cross-sectional survey revealed that students who did not meet the World Health Organization’s recommended guidelines were more likely to report barriers such as financial limitations and lack of knowledge about how to exercise. In contrast, students who met the guidelines frequently cited intrinsic motivators such as enjoyment and stress relief. These findings offer insight into the exercise behaviors of pre-medical students and can inform targeted interventions to support physical activity and long-term wellness in future healthcare professionals
Hand geometrics : left-hand shifting exercises for upper string players as a capstone of my undergraduate viola study.
No full textThroughout my lifelong study of viola, I have utilized numerous etude and exercise books by renowned pedagogues such as Rodolphe Kreutzer, J. F. Mazas, Lillian Fuchs, and many others to aid in my technical study of the instrument. However, by the time I reached the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, I had spent so much time practicing technique apart from the music I tried to apply it to that I was uncertain how to continue making progress and efficiently practicing. To focus specifically on my applied repertoire, my professor, Dr. Kathryn Steely, suggested I create an exercise using the exact passage from the movement I was learning. This led me to create a pattern-based exercise I initially titled “Finger Geometrics.” My thesis details step-by-step how a musician can use the same formula I used to create their own exercise based on the repertoire they are learning and offers suggestions on how to bridge the gap between the exercise and its context in a piece of repertoire
A critique of critical pedagogy.
No full textThis thesis provides an in-depth analysis of Paulo Freire's Critical Pedagogy, a philosophy of education grounded in Marxist theory, designed to empower students through conscientização or "critical consciousness," teaching them that they are being oppressed by the world around them. Two key concerns emerge in the analysis: First, Freire's approach can inadvertently foster antagonism toward tradition by framing it as an oppressive force. Second, its singular emphasis on political activism tends to overlook broader dimensions of humanization and liberation that were central to earlier educational philosophies. The work delves into Freire's ideas and the intellectual influences that shaped his pedagogy, while also critically engaging with contemporary applications of Critical Pedagogy through the lens of two of its foremost advocates. Finally, this exploration contrasts Freire’s vision with more classical models of educational liberation, particularly those rooted in the liberal arts, which seek to foster inner freedom and a holistic sense of human flourishing that transcends the limits of political ideology
The challenges of fostering-to-adopt : a foster parent perspective.
Get PDFThere is currently little to no research on the experiences of the foster parents in the child welfare system, specifically regarding those who foster-to-adopt. This thesis aims to illustrate how complicated and challenging the experience is for foster parents by explaining the adoption and foster systems and how fostering-to-adopting works overall. Three families of foster parents who have fostered-to-adopt were interviewed about their experiences, and there was some overlap on certain parts of their experiences. The foster parents expressed challenges working with CPS, challenges working with biological parents of their foster children, social stigmas, uncertainty and emotional whiplash, and having a lack of voice. These results are important because they reveal where the CPS system and U.S. culture ought to improve in regards to the treatment of foster parents in order to promote fostering-to-adopt through the foster system, which would benefit society as a whole
Exploring the role of inflammatory markers in nicotine and oxycodone use.
No full textThis study utilized sixteen female Wistar rats, ten-eleven weeks old upon arrival. These rats were split into four groups nicotine, oxycodone, saline, and nicotine and oxycodone. The female rats received injections twice daily for seven days with a six-hour gap in between each injection session. Nicotine was administered (3mg/kg i.p), and oxycodone was administered (2 mg/kg s.c). On the first and last days, tail withdrawal and core body temperature testing occurred. Following the last day of injections and behavior, animals were perfused twenty-four hours after the study ended. Immunohistochemistry was performed with free-floating sections to stain the orbitofrontal cortex with IBA-1. Behavioral data shows that the combination group shows significant results in higher latency in tail withdrawal. There were significant differences in latency following nicotine-only and oxycodone-only however, the combination of the drugs shows the highest. Although there were significant differences in core body temperature for nicotine and oxycodone separately, there wasn’t for the combination. This study also looks at the role of astrocytes in fourteen male Wistar adolescent rats using immunohistochemistry to better understand its role in nicotine vapor inhalation and “dry hit” conditions. Molecular data shows that there was no significance between groups for astrocytes but there was significance for ventral orbitofrontal cortex and not for lateral orbitofrontal cortex in microglia
Evangelizing nominal Roman Catholics : training former Roman Catholics at Saint Stephen’s Chapel to share Jesus with nominal Catholics disengaged from the Roman Catholic Church.
No full textThis project examines the challenge of using former Roman Catholics who are members or associates of Saint Stephen’s Chapel to evangelize nominal Catholics who have disengaged from the Roman Catholic Church. A five-lesson seminar was designed to equip seventeen participants to share Jesus faithfully and effectively with doctrinal clarity, practical training, and cultural sensitivity. A mixed-methods design was employed: quantitative pre- and post-seminar surveys measured changes in knowledge, confidence, and preparedness, while qualitative data from open-ended responses, interviews, and observations provided explanatory depth. Results showed growth in participants’ theological understanding and confidence in presenting the gospel, with themes emphasizing relational evangelism marked by humility and love, recognizing conversion as the work of the Holy Spirit. Participants also noted that evangelical witness can be perceived as a threat to family cohesion, underscoring the need for cultural awareness. This project demonstrates the opportunities and challenges of equipping believers to share Christ with nominal Catholics and recommends longitudinal follow-up to strengthen future training
IVF and abortion : an ethical, legal, political, and social analysis.
No full textThis thesis investigates the ethical, political, and sociological dimensions of reproductive technologies by drawing a critical parallel between in vitro fertilization (IVF) and abortion. Chapter One argues that embryos possess intrinsic moral value and should be regarded as human beings, challenging dominant assumptions in contemporary reproductive ethics. Chapter Two engages with Rawlsian political liberalism, critiquing it as an incomplete expression of liberal principles that inadequately addresses moral truth claims concerning human life. Chapter Three examines how reproductive liberty for women and couples should be weighed against the moral status of embryos within both IVF and abortion contexts. Chapter Four analyzes the sociological and economic structures shaping the U.S. reproductive healthcare industry, emphasizing how inequities and market forces affect access, ethical oversight, and the framing of reproductive choice. Chapter Five surveys the fragmented legal and policy landscape governing IVF and abortion in the United States, identifying the absence of a comprehensive framework that balances competing moral and practical considerations. The thesis concludes by proposing a policy model that seeks to reduce embryonic loss in IVF and restrict abortion to cases of rape and incest, aiming to incorporate respect for human dignity—including that of the embryo—into reproductive healthcare regulation while preserving the core liberal commitment to justice and individual freedom in a pluralistic society
Black preaching after the pandemic : how the trauma of COVID-19 reprioritized the hermeneutics of African American pastors.
No full textThe impact of the COVID-19 quarantine overwhelmed much of the world, and it was especially devastating to many African American communities. Churches within those communities have long served as their congregants’ spiritual hospitals, and those bodies of faith with limited ability or familiarity with online communication strategies to maintain their spiritual presence began to hemorrhage members and resources uncontrollably. Sadly, this unabated hemorrhaging caused the deaths of many family members and, in some extreme cases, whole communities, resulting in many African Americans experiencing spiritual death. While some communities experienced little to no impact, some African American communities viewed themselves as prime targets for the virus and as candidates for complications from COVID-related illnesses or death. This fear caused many African Americans to isolate themselves from family, community, work, and church.
The political divide and racial tensions in the years 2016 through 2020, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, created an open display of social injustice towards African Americans and other minorities. Multiple murders of African American people by White police officers, along with the increasing number of COVID-related deaths in the African American community, created a greater divide in the United States of America. The underprivileged were forced to continue going into public spaces to earn some form of living, while others, whose jobs allowed them to work from home and who had amassed some level of resources, experienced far less exposure to the virus or other threats to their wellbeing.
For many African Americans, the combined impact of isolation of the pandemic, lack of resources, sickness, family members’ deaths, and unemployment proved to be life-changing in ways that have lasted well beyond the pandemic, leaving some communities utterly devastated