Digital Commons Network^™

No-Knock Warrants: Unlawfully Legitimate, Isabel Pergande

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was fatally shot when officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) executed a search warrant at her apartment. Breonna Taylor’s case brought national attention to no-knock warrants (NKWs), which allow police to enter private residences unannounced. It is estimated that 20,000-80,000 NKWs are executed by American police each year. This thesis explores the development of NKWs as a common, yet controversial, police tactic. The increase in NKWs is largely attributed to the federal government’s War on Drugs, beginning with Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign. However, the Supreme Court laid the foundation for NKWs …

Understanding Public Support For Foreign Aid: A Cross-National Analysis, Erika Manning

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis examines how public support for bilateral foreign aid in democratic donor countries, namely the United States and South Korea, is influenced by various methods of policy framing. Despite the benefits of bilateral aid to both donor and recipient countries, public support for distributing it has been on the decline due to fears that aid is ineffective. However, this trend may also be the product of the publics’ perceptions of where aid is going and for what purpose. To determine the effects of type of aid and perceptions of recipient countries on support for foreign aid, I conducted a …

Democratic Disenfranchisement: Analyzing The Factors That Contribute To Or Hinder The Ability Of Marginalized Groups To Run For Public Office In Kentucky, Isaac Keller

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Much has been written about barriers that lead to unequal representation, focusing largely on situational characteristics of the individual voter (socioeconomic status, efficacy, socialization, etc.) and on structural (institutional) obstacles to voter turnout and participation. However, political participation is inclusive of more than just voting. This research seeks to identify and analyze the factors that contribute to or hinder the ability of marginalized candidates to run for public office. To explore whether or not marginalized candidates face unique obstacles when running for public office, a qualitative approach with one-on-one interviews between a convenience sampling in Kentucky of ten political candidates …

Let My People Stay: A Nonprofit's Role In Immigrant Lives, Karla Villa

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This project draws on research that I conducted May to August 2019 with a nonprofit organization, La Casita Center, that provides services to the Hispanic immigrant community in Louisville KY. Despite what appears to be a bleak time in our country for immigrants and immigration reform, there is hope found in the organizations that are working to support and fill the gap that the national government has left. I draw on interviews and participant observation research conducted with staff at La Casita Center to

1. Analyze how La Casita staff decide which resources and projects to implement.

2. Consider how the current …

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Cases Of The Mammoth Cave Bug: The Fascination Of Exploration At Mammoth Cave, Dakota Pope

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Mammoth Cave captures the attention of people from around the world. Its vast passages and amount of darkness entices the creativity of those who visit. For many, it is like a giant puzzle and they are just trying to put all of the pieces together in their exploration and want to see how it all comes out in the end. Through a series of personal interviews and readings I created a video series and webpage. I seek to find out why people were so enamored with the cave, to show their fascination with the cave, and to honor their contributions …

Invisible Children: The Effectiveness Of Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos) In Primary Education In Central America, Megan Skaggs

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

what extent are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) an effective tool in primary educational development in Central America? To address this concern, this project addressed the results of several months of research in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and at the U.S. NGO headquarters, where interviews with educators, NGO workers, and citizens were conducted regarding the role of NGOs in addressing educational concerns effectively. Interviewees included: Pueblo a Pueblo, Serving Orphans Worldwide, U.S. Agency for International Development, Let Girl’s Learn Program, and varied individuals connected with education or non-profit work in that region. My research analyzed the historical and social structures of Nicaragua and Guatemala, …

Student Perceptions Of Services For Veterans And Military Personnel, Philip Parsons

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Many Veterans are returning from the War on Terror and making their way to universities. Due to the many aspects of war and military life many maybe, or are experiencing some level of mental health issue/s. As more Veterans make this transition, resources may not be available for them to be successful in the classroom (Whitley, Tschudi, & Gieber, 2013). After reviewing the literature, a suitable instrument to measure these variables was not available. The researcher developed a survey and sampled students of one Midwestern public university. The variables included basic demographic questions and perceptions of Veterans and the services …

Organizational Justice And Social Media In The Employee Selection Process, Hayden Hickey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This study combines aspects of social media’s role in employee selection and how it relates to potential employee attitudes toward a company. By measuring participants’ attitudes when told that their Facebook profiles would be taken into consideration in determining their job ability, applicant feelings of procedural justice (i.e., fairness of a process; PJ) were assessed and compared to a control group. To measure interactional justice (i.e., fairness regarding interpersonal treatment; IJ), participants were divided into two conditions: participants in the high justice condition were given an explanation of the rationale behind using social media as an evaluation tool and shown …

A Critical Analysis Of Volunteer Tourism And The Implications For Developing Communities, Haley A. Garrison

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The practice of volunteer tourism has recently experienced a rise in both popularity and participation, along with research into the effectiveness of the approaches to service taken in foreign countries. This type of tourism is commonly described as an eco-friendly and economically sustainable alternative to traditional methods of international travel. Participants typically express altruistic motivations behind their desire to travel, as conventional touristic activities are paired with various forms of volunteer work. Though this paper describes significant benefits associated with this growing industry, many critiques have also explored the limitations of a voluntourism approach to community development. In contrast to …

Gendered Legislation: Effects Of Percentages Of Females In Legislatures On Policy, Elizabeth Gribbins

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Does the amount of women in the legislature have an effect on the type of legislation passed? Wide variation exists in gender parity across countries; however, whether or not the amount of women in legislatures has an effect on the type of policy that is proposed and/or passed by the government is largely overlooked. In this analysis, I analyze the percentage of women in the legislature and six measures of women’s rights in 139 countries. I have found that there exists a small positive statistical relationship between the percentage of women in the lower legislature and the more legislation passed …

Incorporating Democratic Pedagogy Into A Traditional Classroom And The University Experience: Benefitting The Community And Country, Phillip Pearson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This paper focuses on the importance of civic engagement in higher education and democratic pedagogy, in order to help students become active citizens, who know their rights as well as responsibilities, which ultimately benefits both the community and this nation. In addition, it also looks at a set of skills, called 21^st century skills, which are necessary for students to excel in the modern professional world, and which coincide with being an active citizen. This paper first looks into leading scholars’ views on the civic engagement in higher education, the current situation, and what the future holds. This paper …

Public Relations Campaign Guide: The Importance Of Affordable Housing, James Blake Soper

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As a way to encourage participation in a movement against a long-held issue with broad impact yet little reform, this compilation describes the processes of research, planning, organizing, implementing, and evaluating an effective public relations campaign on homelessness and/or homeownership by breaking down each step in detail. These details include: my experience as a public relations professional for Home Matters doing a similar campaign, professional advice from individuals considered to be experts in their various careers, and applicable samples of work. This compilation’s purpose is to provide individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills to conduct an effective campaign …

Building A Better Office Of Sustainability: Promoting Sustainable Change And Educational Outreach At Wku, Andrew Salman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This research documented the transformation of the house at 503 Regents Ave. in Bowling Green KY into a model home of sustainability by the WKU Office of Sustainability as a case study. Using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Core Concepts, the benefits of weatherization (window upgrades, insulation, sealants) to the building, the addition of a solar energy array and utility grid intertie, and the transformation of the back yard into an edible landscape and community garden to mitigate stormwater flooding issues were assessed. Collaboration between the Office of Sustainability, students, university entities, and community members were encouraged …

Changing The World From Classrooms To Communities: Designing And Disseminating A Service-Learning Curriculum For Teaching In A Formal Education Setting, Amanda English

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

To change the world is a growing desire among many of today’s student populations, portrayed increasingly across the spectrum of media, social trends and career pursuits. While the demand grows among students for community-oriented and socially-responsible opportunities, the offerings in educational institutions must respond to these emerging requests with new and innovative academic programs. This text emphasizes the role of the developing discipline of service-learning in channeling these energies and providing students with deep and meaningful academic experiences. Its content seeks to combat misconceptions of service-learning as simply an extra-curricular activity and provide tangible methods for incorporating its concepts into …

“Make Your Move, Choose Your Food”: A Healthy Lifestyles Empowerment Campaign, Michelle Child

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis documents the campaign “Make Your Move. Choose Your Food.” This healthy lifestyles empowerment campaign was one of six conducted in Bowling Green, Kentucky during February 2012 for the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) 2011-2012 Bateman Case Study Competition through the public relations capstone courses Journalism 454 and 456. The objective of this campaign was to encourage children, teenagers, parents, educators and community organizations to improve their individual health and the health of the community. My team, consisting of four public relations seniors and myself, created three overall objectives grounded in research, planned strategies specific to our …

Hispanic Outreach In Bowling Green, Ky: Defining The Needs Of The Hispanic Community, Caitlin Reyes

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

It is certain that Hispanics in Bowling Green confront numerous obstacles, such as a language barrier and a lack of knowledge of available community services that prohibits them from fully integrating into our community. The goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of these obstacles, to determine the perceptions of the city’s Latino population, and to ascertain what businesses, services, and community organizations can do in order to better accommodate Hispanics in Bowling Green. This research analyzes the results of a needs assessment survey administered to 80 self-identified Hispanic members of local churches. The survey responses indicated …

Helping Those Who Are Dedicated To Helping Others: A Campaign For The Irhdr, Tracy Leigh Scherzer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As part of my senior capstone course, Journalism 456, the class was divided into two groups of six people that were given different organizations to choose from to create a public relations campaign for during the Spring 2011 semester. My group and I devised and carried out a public relations campaign for the Institute for Rural Health Development and Research (IRHDR), a non-profit organization located in the Academic Complex on Western Kentucky University’s campus. The goal for this campaign was to increase the Institute’s opportunity to compete for grant opportunities as well as expand its research components by implementing a …

Why Has The United States Never Ratified The Un Convention On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women?, Hannah Elizabeth Kington

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted by the United Nations in 1979, has now been ratified by 185 countries, consisting of more than ninety percent of all UN members. The United States, however, has never ratified the Convention. The history of the Convention provides evidence of global support for women’s rights. While there are complex reasons behind the United States’ failure to ratify CEDAW, the United States’ commitment to unilateralism, an attitude of “American exceptionalism” and the long-term inequality and discrimination against women in the U.S. all contribute to the stifling of …

Intercountry Adoption In Guatemala: Implications Of The Hague Convention, Kathleen Smallwood

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The recent growing popularity of intercountry adoptions between the United States and Guatemala has increased opportunities for corruption. As a result, policies have been created in order to decrease instances of corruption. The current policy recently ratified by the United States is the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, which makes strides toward improving the situation, but at a cost. The anticipated ratification of the Hague in 2008 has led to a reduction in the number of adoptions between the United States and Guatemala and all adoptions ceased once the U.S. implemented the convention. This study analyzes current opinions concerning the …

Thugs And Drugs: The Terrorists And Drug Networks Of The Islamic Movement Of Uzbekistan, Ian Nash

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Recent analyses of terrorist groups reveal their dependency on complex logistical, financial, and operational relationships with other groups. Advantaged by the technological advancements of the last two decades, many terrorist and criminal organizations are now linked through complicated networks. Therefore, experts dedicated to uncovering and unraveling terrorist strategy, can easily get lost in the scattered patterns of today’s terrorism. A web-like structure allows for flexible, though well-connected leadership, and widespread recruitment opportunity. One recent terrorist group that has benefited from network organization is the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The IMU was a formidable group because of its experienced and …

An American In Paris: Defining American Interests In Post Cold War Europe, Kelly Parker

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

For the last fifty years or so, the members of the field of political science have studied the phenomenon known as the Cold War. It has fascinated many scholars and almost demands attention. The reason is this: the Cold War, even though some would argue that it was a governmental affair, affected so much more than military policy. Economies were built around it. Loyalties were built around it. The world divided around it. Most people could not have imagined the end of the Cold War ten years ago. Even now it is difficult to truly grasp the reality of the …