Digital Commons Network^™

Cyber-Bullying Portrayals In The News Media, Mary L. Alexander

Theses & Honors Papers

Cyber-bullying is a phenomenon that is widely studied. Researches have examined the characteristics of perpetrators and victims, impacts of cyber-bullying on both the victims and offenders, the development and application of law and the development of programs to stem cyber-bullying. Despite a great amount of research dedicated to these aforementioned areas, studies examining the portrayal of cyber-bullying by news media outlets are rare. An understanding of this portrayal is important as the news media is a significant source of public opinions about a vast array of topics in society. As such, the goal of the present research is to provide …

A Textbook Case: The Connection Between Textbooks, Standardized Testing, And Student Achievement, Megan P. Miller

Theses & Honors Papers

The textbooks physical presence, though, is marginal compared to their theoretical presence, as textbooks can drive almost every decision a teacher makes when preparing for a day, a week, a month, the year. For example, in my 11^th-grade English classes at Grafton High School in York County, Virginia, there are two levels of understanding. One is that I am teaching American literature, its development, importance, people, and purpose; the other is that everything I teach will, in some way, better prepare my students for their SOL test at the end of the year. The textbook has been laid …

Perfecting Pamela: Samuel Richardson's Final Revisions To His Earliest Novel, Jennifer S. Elliott

Theses & Honors Papers

This author details Richardson’s revision process as he edits his first novel Pamela as the last thing he does before dying. There are three chapters detailing Richardson’s motives behind revising his first novel and his actual revision process, which included three main techniques—substitution, addition, and deletion. Motives considered and argued were: moral purpose and criticism received from others—especially analyzing Shamela, a satire of Pamela—which undermines the morality that Richardson had hoped Pamela accomplished. At the end of the essay, there is an extensive chart complied by the author, spanning a total of 55 pages, of all of Richardson’s …

Scarred: A Collection Of Creative Nonfiction Essays, Jason A. Ruiz

Theses & Honors Papers

This collection of essays seeks to explore the need for redemption as a necessary element of the Human Condition, by exploring my experiences as a child, adolescent, teen, and adult. Throughout the collection of essays, I, as the central character of the work, am conditioned by my physical deformity (a massive scar on my stomach) to question my life, values, and relationships. I establish for myself a destructive pattern that nearly ends my marriage. These destructive patterns eventually become touchstones through which I finally come to terms with who I am, what I am, and the truth that my existence …

Government Shutdown: A Test Of Market Effeciency, Jessica H. Woodard

Theses & Honors Papers

How does the market react to a government shutdown? Can investors earn above normal returns by acting on this type of information? How efficient is the market in reacting to the announcement of this type of event? This event study tests market efficiency theory by analyzing the impact of two recent US Government shutdowns on the risk adjusted stock price returns of a sample of 50 firms. This study used the standard risk adjusted event study methodology found in the finance literature. Evidence confirms the significant and consistent negative reaction of the risk adjusted returns for the two 50 firm …

Food As Symbol: Steps Toward A New Taiwanese-To-English Translation Of Nursery Rhymes, Jason Tsai

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study is to translate a cluster of three related nursery rhymes from the Taiwanese oral tradition for the immigrant community and a greater Western audience. The study will incorporate tools in American English poetics as well as anthropology to interpret the symbols that would make this genre accessible and meaningful .

This thesis will begin with a concise overview of Taiwanese as a language variant of Southern Min Chinese insofar as how these linguistic traits affect a credible translation .This report will outline relevant aspects of the language's oral tradition as well as the written systems …

Through An Officers' Eyes: An Exploratory Study Of Felonious Vs. Accidental Law Enforcement Line Of Duty Deaths, Sarah Coen

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this mixed methods study is to understand when, how often, and why felonious and accidental law enforcement deaths occur in the line of duty. Every day officers put their lives in danger to protect and serve the public. While it is irrational to expect officer line of duty deaths to be zero, these deaths can be reduced research that can be done to aid in this reduction is critical. Although studies have looked at the circumstances surrounding the incidents in which officers are killed, they have yet to explore the impact of time and season that this …

The Nerd Hour Is At Hand: Portrayals Of Geeks And Nerds In Young Adult Literature Ad Popular Media, Jessica M. Stanley

Theses & Honors Papers

Turn on the television, open a book, or even walk down the street and you will no doubt notice at least one geek or nerd. Most Americans today have heard these terms, and each individual probably has his own working definition of what they mean. Unpacking those definitions, however, is tricky. What is a nerd? What is a geek? How does one identify a person as belonging to these groups? To analyze how modern culture understands geeks and nerds, one must first understand the history behind these terms. While most Americans today recognize and use the words "geek" and "nerd," …

Mind The Gap: A Case Study In Instructor Intention And Feedback, Meredith R. Grady

Theses & Honors Papers

While effective instructor written feedback is critical, the process is often the least understood and is a detriment to student success when improperly applied. This case study identifies strategies that characterize successful instructor written feedback for students' written assignments in an introductory college composition course. My research examines instructor feedback within the diverse environment of the community college thus highlighting the importance of instructor knowledge of composition pedagogy and feedback methods and approaches. A review of literature on instructor feedback identifies instructor and student collaboration as a key component for success together with understanding of historical trends in the field …

The Evaluation Of Isatin 3-Hydrazone Derivatives Toward Biofilm Regulation, Sarah E. Nuckolls, Andrew A. Yeagley

Theses & Honors Papers

In the current methodology of fighting infections, antibiotics are used to eliminate the invading bacteria. A result of this process is constantly evolving antibiotic-resistant bacteria. If we hope to be more effective at preventing disease, we must shift the way we view microbial treatment. One novel method of preventing bacterial proliferation is the modulation of biofilm. Many bacteria can produce a biofilm; an extracellular substance that provides protection and antibiotic resistance to the bacteria. Attacking this biofilm and allowing the body’s natural defenses to clear out the bacteria is one promising way to treat bacterial infections while avoiding adaptive bacterial …

Alternative Extraction Method Of Guanidine Metabolites From Marine Sponge, Ptilocaulis Spiculifer, Savannah Barnett, Andrew A. Yeagley, Amorette Barber

Theses & Honors Papers

Marine sponges are known for their use of biologically active allelopathic compounds. With almost every species of sponge having been shown to produce some chemical with medicinal properties, their survival is becoming increasingly important. Current extraction methods used by research teams require a large sample relative to the size of the sponge, which threatens the survival of the organism. 1 Ptilocaulis sp., or the orange tree sponge, is known to produce guanidine metabolites. This derivative has demonstrated biological activity against cell lines of leukemia, uterine, and cervical cancer.2 3 In this study we have developed a method for the chemical …

The Gravely House: A Case Study In Twentieth Century Archaeology And Material Culture, Jessica L. Clark

Theses & Honors Papers

Material culture is the domain of the archaeologist. Like any science, the methods used and the answers sought in archaeology have changed, and continue to change, constantly adapting to the world in which they operate. Every century has its own legacy to be uncovered. The twentieth and twenty-first centuries are no exception to this, but their archaeological resources are only just beginning to be investigated. Through this research I sought to examine and represent the home of the Gravely family as a case study in archaeology of the early twentieth century. I first studied the historical record of the family …