Digital Commons Network^™

Relationships Between Elements Of Leslie Matrices And Future Growth Of The Population, Lorisha Lynn Riley

Honors Program Projects

Leslie matrices have been used for years to model and predict the growth of animal populations. Recently, general rules have been applied that can relatively easily determine whether an animal population will grow or decline. My mentor, Dr. Justin Brown and I examine, more specifically, whether there are relationships between certain elements of a population and the dominant eigenvalue, which determines growth. Not only do we consider the general 3x3 Leslie matrix, but also we looked into modified versions for incomplete data and migration models of Leslie matrices. We successfully found several connections within these cases; however, there is much …

Direct Human Service Experience And Its Effect On Volunteers' Self-Perceived Generosity And Meeting Volunteer Expectations, Emily M. Borger

Honors Program Projects

A study using participants (n=61) from a small liberal arts college was conducted to analyze the effect of direct human service on volunteers’ self‐perceived generosity, expected versus actual appreciation, expected versus actual satisfaction in work, and expected versus actual value of work. An experimental group (n=31) was given pre‐ and post‐surveys evaluating these dependent variables using a Likert scale. Between the surveys the experimental group received treatment of direct human service at a free community lunch program. The control group (n=30) was given the same pre‐ and postsurveys without treatment.

It was hypothesized that …

Library Selection: The Role Of Newbery Winning Titles In Today's Libraries, Erin J. Kennell

Honors Program Projects

The goal of this research project was to determine if the role of Newbery winning titles in today’s libraries is changing, or if those titles are still held above other titles because they won the prestigious Newbery Award. To answer this question, preliminary research was compiled and a survey was sent to librarians in the state of Illinois. The finding of the research showed that, while many librarians still considered Newbery award winning titles to be a worthwhile contribution to their libraries, there were some who were beginning to question the award and the titles that were chosen. One of …

Teaching The Northern Ireland Troubles Through History And Literature, Sarah Anne Jensen

Honors Program Projects

History and literature complement each other. The study of history can be beneficial to understanding literature, as literature can be beneficial to understanding history. Seamus Heaney’s poetry concerning the Troubles can be better understood with a background in the history of the conflict as well as some knowledge about Heaney’s own views. Through examining Heaney’s poetry with history and biography in mind, a greater understanding of the poetry can be achieved. Through the reading of Heaney’s poetry, a better insight into the personal side of the conflict can help the reader understand the conflict as well. The same applies to …

Marriage And Religion: The Effect Of Religious Study Materials On Marital Happiness, Rose E M Zell

Honors Program Projects

The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of marital enrichment materials on marital happiness. In addition, the study attempted to determine if gender or number of years married made a difference in regard to the impact on marital happiness. The participants consisted of 56 New Life Christian Church members (28 male and 28 female) who comprised 28 married couples. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control or the experimental group. Every participant took a pre-test survey designed to assess marital happiness across ten different variables. Then the experimental group completed the Love Talk study by Les …

Familia E Inmigración: Discovering Biblican Immigration Narratives That Speak To Today's Latin American Immigrant Families In Chicago, Mckenzie Fritch

Honors Program Projects

This qualitative study sought to gain insight into the motivations, challenges, and behavior patterns of Latin American immigrant families in the Chicago, Illinois area, and can be divided into two parts: research and application. Research was collected by conducting focus group interviews with immigrant parents and children at three Nazarene Hispanic churches in and around Chicago. Questions were asked about the families’ reasons for immigrating and their stories of entry and arrival, but the interviews maintained a particular focus on the changes each family experienced while living in the United States. This study was especially interested to learn about communication …

Meeting The Predeparture And Reentry Needs Of Onu Spanish Study Abroad Students, Rachel M. Groters

Honors Program Projects

The purpose of the Predeparture and Reentry Needs project was to examine the reentry adjustment of Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) Spanish students who had already returned home from required study abroad experiences in order to craft predeparture and reentry programs based on findings. In Phase 1, the researcher recorded qualitative interviews in March and April of 2012 with 22 ONU undergraduate students who studied abroad in Spanish-speaking countries before the spring 2012 semester. Then the researcher listened to each interview again, taking notes on each and transcribing quotes. The researcher found that all students experienced some level and kind of …

The Eden Project: A City Wide Youth Conference And Fashion Show To Increase Body Image And Self-Esteem In Adolescent Girls, Nicole R. Parsons

Honors Program Projects

This paper focuses on the development of body image and self-esteem in adolescent girls and discusses the impact both positive and negative factors can have during this developmental stage of life. It argues the idea that a girl’s positive feelings regarding her external appearance can drastically influence her self-esteem, which in turn affects how she treats herself, as well how she allows others to treat her. This paper also follows the history of fashion shows, discussing their influence in media outlets that adolescent girls often turn to when searching for an identity in this culture. Pulling from a Christian perspective, …

Teaching Social Justice To Middle School Aged Children, Stacey J. Gerstung

Honors Program Projects

Early adolescents find themselves in a very unique juncture of life. Even though these students in the middle grades are often troublesome to adults, they have the ability to perceive deep truths and are making decisions that will affect the way they live the rest of their lives. This transitional time between childhood and adulthood is the prime time to introduce students to important concepts, such as the need to seek social justice. For this project, lessons regarding various aspects of social justice were taught to the Middle School/Jr. High Youth Group at College Church of the Nazarene in Bourbonnais, …

The Relationship Between Tax Structure And The Lives Of Individuals: Who Wins And Who Loses, David Werner Parker

Honors Program Projects

This study takes a look at various forms of taxation, as well as how the various options impact households. The current system is examined, and it is compared to two alternatives, which are the flat tax and the consumption tax. The positives and negatives of each option are evaluated. Each option is also applied to a family on the poverty line, a family that makes the average household income, and a wealthy family; calculations are done to determine how much income tax they would have to pay under each of them. The second part of the paper takes a look …

Relationship Between Traditional And Contemporary Dating Styles And Male Commitment Level, Francis B. Gantner

Honors Program Projects

This research aimed at discovering a relationship between dating style and male commitment. I hypothesized that traditional dating, where the male plays the initial active role and couples reserve sexual activity for marriage, would better predict male commitment due to effort justification theory and gain-loss theory. However I also acknowledged a counter hypothesis predicting a correlation between contemporary dating, with blurred gender roles and sexual boundaries, and male commitment due to behaviorist theory. Fifty-seven males took a survey assessing dating style and commitment level to find if either of these relationships existed. After data analysis, I found that female initial …

Deviance In The Sport Of Soccer: The Relationship Between Wearing Brightly Colored Cleats And Aggression, Katherine G. Kulchar

Honors Program Projects

Two studies examined the effects of deviance in the sport of soccer, specifically how players who wear brightly colored cleats are perceived by others, whether or not they act more aggressively, and whether or not other players act more aggressively toward them. In the first study, research was conducted using collegiate soccer players recruited from the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The participants filled out an online survey asking a wide range of questions about aggression and sports. Analysis of the data suggests that a relationship exists between players who wear brightly colored cleats and aggression levels. Not only do a …

An Investigation Of Two Contemporary Influences On Ecuadorian Native Culture And Environment, Laura A. Kirst

Honors Program Projects

The condition of native culture and the natural environment in Ecuador
today were investigated through library research, firsthand observation, and
in-country interviews conducted in the context of a study abroad experience.
Twenty individuals including native Ecuadorians, missionaries working with
indigenous tribes, field station representatives, and an oil company employee
were interviewed and their responses recorded. It was found that the
presence of foreign and national oil companies and Christian missionaries in
Ecuador had a noticeable impact on both the native culture and natural
environment of Ecuador. The native culture of Ecuador is in a state of
transition between traditional and …

Justice For All: Improving Enforcement And Relief Efforts Of Human Trafficking Laws In Relation To Immigration Reform And Border Control, Katelyn J. Flynn

Honors Program Projects

This paper is based on the experience of living in Washington D.C., interning in the Senate, and participating in the American Studies Program for a semester in order to comprehensively research immigration reform with a focus on human trafficking laws and border security. Human trafficking violates human rights by forcing or coercing men, women, and children for sexual or labor exploitation. Globally, 600,000 to 800,000 victims are trafficked and 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year. This paper exposes the issue of human trafficking, reports research, and answers questions about how human trafficking affects its …