Digital Commons Network^™

A Winding Rhode: An Event Planning Manual For Every Rhody Ram, Jennifer Nussinow

Senior Honors Projects

The University of Rhode Island has given me four outstanding years of an undergraduate experience. Throughout this time I have taken many classes, joined sports teams and clubs, and had jobs. In each of these opportunities I have had the pleasure of putting together numerous events as well as being a participant. As I began my journey of planning different functions, I ran into many problems, but more importantly found numerous solutions. However, the process was inefficient and required much time and effort. The system presently in place to help plan affairs was ineffective and rarely used. I found that …

Diagnosing David Foster Wallace, Amanda Redinger

Senior Honors Projects

David Foster Wallace’s novel Infinite Jest is usually touted by its fans as being a postpostmodern opus of unparalleled genius; this reaction is inconvenient for me insomuch as I don’t actually agree. More specifically, I have difficulty with the way Infinite Jest’s thematic content is framed by the techniques used to express it, despite the fact that Wallace’s verbal acrobatics are the stuff of legend. This paper argues that the style in which Infinite Jest is written consistently undermines the thematic considerations being simultaneously addressed, creating a dissonance that interferes with the reader’s ability to engage the novel on the …

A Foray Into Food Writing: A Philosophical Approach To Contemporary Food Movements, Rebecca Long

Senior Honors Projects

For my Honors Project I chose to explore one of my passions, food writing. To accomplish this I did extensive research into several food movements with which I was previously unfamiliar. On the basis of this research I generated short papers that became appendices to my final product. The research grounded subsequent journalistic pieces, which explore intriguing aspects of these food movements but in a prose style and at a scale more appropriate to a general readership.

Lowering Cholesterol: Through The Use Of Plant Sterols And Stanols, Nicole St. Jean

Senior Honors Projects

Heart disease has been the number one killer of American men and women over the past hundred years, with high blood cholesterol as a major risk factor of this disease. High Cholesterol can be a result of a number of different lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise. However, genetics and family history also play a role in the levels of cholesterol in the human body. Those who have high blood cholesterol levels are usually advised by their health professionals to consume a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol, high in fiber and to exercise frequently. However, sometimes these …

A New Voice For Chariho, Christopher Barrett

Senior Honors Projects

When the Founding Fathers drafted the U.S. Constitution, they recognized the importance of a free press by protecting it from government interference. Newspapers can wield incredible power in making positive change and building a better community. They also provide fantastic opportunities for journalists to learn about the world around them and become an expert in many fields. Journalists, however, are not limited to professionals in the newsrooms of the nation’s largest daily papers. Reporters of every age have made an impact on their communities. For my Honors Project I sought to bring this ability to high school students by designing …

Evaluating Long Term Political Consequences Of Economic Restructuring Programs, James Mcgee

Senior Honors Projects

Development assistance loans provided by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are accompanied by structural adjustment programs that must be implemented as a condition of receiving the loan. These economic reforms often include currency devaluation, inflation control, increased taxation, market liberalization, decreased expenditure, and a decrease in the size of government. Populations within countries are drastically effected by these structural economic reforms as social welfare programs are often cut, government workers laid off, and the domestic economy struggles to compete in the global marketplace. The implementation of restructuring programs also constrains the policy options that are available to the …

Rendre Compte De L’Inconscient : Une Exploration Surréaliste D’Expression Créatrice, Emily Macaux

Senior Honors Projects

The realm of Surrealist creation is essentially that of the interior human experience, a space of diverse layers and textures, of contrasting, often confounding dimensions. Indeed, in works of evocative emotional power and visceral intensity, Surrealist artists have evinced an ideal of expressive freedom that, conceptually bold, offers a singular means of accessing and knowing life’s eternal ambiguities. Thus, as I have long been irresistibly drawn to the Surrealist notion of such an unconditional, unfiltered creative freedom, I was eager, through my own research and writing, to explore the possibilities of such a non-rational approach to creative expression. I initiated …

Uri Student Bridge, Nicole Aragi

Senior Honors Projects

The project that came to be known as URI Student Bridge began with my amazing college experience and my desire to share that experience with others who were making the decision of whether to begin a college experience of their own. I have been very fortunate to have the funding and motivation to attend college, and have had many opportunities that I know others may not ever have. There are many options and opportunities that are available for graduating high school students. Many choose to begin a career with a high school education and never even consider the idea of …

Midnight Dawning: A Reconciliation, Astrid Drew

Senior Honors Projects

Within the past several years, best-seller lists have witnessed a growth in popularity of memoirs or creative non-fiction writing. Being an avid bookstore wanderer, I noticed this influx and wondered about the reasons behind it. What is so appealing about this genre to readers, and why do people write these kinds of books? What sort of mental processes within the author’s mind are expressed on the page, and how do those processes reflect or interact with the reader? Is it all merely cathartic writing/reading? Or is it a mode of solidifying one’s identity and place in the world, both for …

Gender Minority Elder Care, Yisrael Malotte-Berger

Senior Honors Projects

The challenges facing older adults are great, including the challenges involved in finding quality healthcare and, potentially, assisted living or nursing residences. The challenges for older transsexual, transgender, and intersex (TGI) adults are compounded due to lack of sensitivity and confidentiality with regard to TGI patients or residents that is prevalent amongst especially lower level healthcare professionals. Part of the project was to develop an evaluation tool for changes in attitude and practical knowledge, to be administered as pre- and post-tests at employee trainings at elder care facilities. It was the goal of this project to evaluate the training programme …

Records Of Natural Fires And The Sorption Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) By Black Carbon And Carbon Chars In Sediments From Oriole Lake (Sequoia National Park), Kevyn Bollinger

Senior Honors Projects

This project investigates the interaction between Black Carbon and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in lake sediments from Oriole Lake in Sequoia National Park California. The interaction between Black Carbon and PAHs is of interest because little is known with respect to the availability and the time scale within which black carbon adsorbs PAHs in a natural system. Black Carbon and PAHs both will eventually be degraded in the environment but the relevant timescales of sorption and degradation are unknown. Field work for this project was conducted July 16-21, 2007 at Oriole Lake in Sequoia National Park California. Sequoia National Park …

World Voice: Invisible Lines & Mindfulness And Peaceful Living, Joseph A. Santiago

Senior Honors Projects

All my life I have always wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. As I come to the last stretch of my bachelor’s degree I can look back on all the moments in school and in the workplace where my path was elusive and I longed for expression. In creating these two books I have shaped a platform where people across the globe can come together and share their voice. There are times when we all feel that no one is listening to us, and no one understands us. Over the last few months I have talked with people …

Traditional Natural Resource Use And Development In Northeast Thailand, Christie Moulton

Senior Honors Projects

This paper explores the effects of development projects on traditional natural resource use in three communities in Northeast Thailand, a region known as Isan. I interviewed villagers in each community and asked them to describe their environmental perceptions, management practices and livelihood strategies. Participants described several subsistence livelihoods that have traditionally been present in Isan. These include rice farming, fishing, community forestry, and wetland use. Residents from the three communities all described various cultural activities, knowledge systems, and religious ceremonies that are closely tied to their local resources. Raising silk worms, making clay pots, and performing rituals for a spirit …

Cowboys And Shoguns: The American Western, Japanese Jidaigeki, And Cross-Cultural Exchange, Kyle Keough

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Students' Misconceptions Of Research Methods In Relations To Thinking Style, Tonya Tavares

Senior Honors Projects

This study explores college students’ misconceptions about scientific research methods and their predisposition for rational-analytic thinking or experiential-intuitive thinking. The measures used in assessing misconceptions and thinking style were a seven-item version of Students’ Conceptions of Research Methods Inventory (SCoRI), specifically the misconceptions of research methods subscale (Meyer et al.(2005), and Epstein’s Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI) Scale (1996), respectively. The REI Scale consists of two subscales adapted from the Need for Cognition scale (NFC, J. T. Cacioppo & R. E. Petty, 1982) and Epstein’s Faith in Intuition (FI) scale, each with five questions; REI-NFC measures rational-analytic thinking, while the REI-FI measures …

Novice Coach’S Guide To Coaching Novice, Catherine Pruszynski

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of The Interaction Between The Fanconi Anemia (Fa) D2 Protein And Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (Pcna), Carolyn Schmiedel

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Modern Leonidas: Spartan Military Culture In A Modern American Context, Samantha Henneberry

Senior Honors Projects

His tomb is pointed to with pride, and so are his children, and his children’s children, and afterward all the race that is his. His shining glory is never forgotten, his name is remembered, and he becomes an immortal, though he lies under the ground... (excerpt from Tyrtaeus 12) The Spartan national war-poet Tyrtaeus wrote the above hymn in the seventh century BC as a dedication to the brave hoplites who gave their lives for Sparta. Its words are startlingly relevant to a modern American society currently at war; a society full of families who take great pride in their …

“Do You Not Know What Happens To Mothers In America?”, Angela Santopietro

Senior Honors Projects

Joan Kofodimos, author of, Balancing Act: How Managers Can Integrate Successful Careers and Fulfilling Personal Lives (1993), defines work-family integration as, “Having a satisfying, healthy, and productive life that includes work, play, and love; that integrates a range of life activities with attention to self and to personal and spiritual development; and that expresses a person’s unique wishes, interests, and values.” It is particularly important to help working mothers gain work-family integration, also known as work-family balance, because of the effects on family, work, and society. The burden of work and family often falls disproportionately on the shoulders of working …

Healthy Habits: An Exploration Of Family Eating Choices And Practices, Stephanie Bramley

Senior Honors Projects

Before declaring myself a Human Development and Family Studies major at the end of my sophomore year, I searched for universities based upon my interest in nutrition. Since high school, I have become more health conscious and with my recent studies in human development and families, I became interested in family food choices and behaviors. Obesity is a rising epidemic in the United States and many habits, healthy or unhealthy, start with the family during childhood. I began working with Professors McCurdy and Gorman in the fall of 2007 on their Food Behavior Study, interviewing mothers with young children at …

Therapeutic Children’S Mural, Natalie Brooks

Senior Honors Projects

Painting on small canvases has been a hobby of mine since I was a child. My personal passion for tactile art has always made art therapy an aspect of psychology that has piqued my interest. However, I have left it unexplored during my undergraduate college career as a psychology major.

I did research on art therapy and discovered that one of the major ideas in the area was that the use of creative activities can promote the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being. I also discovered that art can be seen as a self-esteem builder; the children will always …

Assessment Of Whole Grain Intake In A Population Of College Students, Sarah Flinn

Senior Honors Projects

Increasing the consumption of whole grain foods is an immediate public health priority. Whole grains are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Americans of all ages do not eat enough of these foods to benefit from their potential to reduce the risk of certain cancers, diabetes and obesity. The aim of this project is to profile the whole grain intake and document related knowledge and attitudes of a convenience sample of college students at the University of Rhode Island, a group that is at high risk for a low whole grain intake. Using the introductory nutrition (NFS …

Corporate Ethics And Ceo Compensation, Martin Mack

Senior Honors Projects

Corporate ethics and chief executive officer (CEO) compensation will be forever linked together. The dramatic increase in recent corporate scandals has driven increased scrutiny of the enormous executive salaries that CEOs collect each year. The connection between these two topics led me to explore how executive compensation plans are designed and how ethics affect executives’ decision making. In this paper I try to determine which financial factors are the best indicators of a CEO’s compensation. I also examine how profitable a company is with an ethical CEO compared to a company with an unethical CEO. The companies I use are …

A Hike Through The Forest: The Knapsack Problem In Graph Theory, Bridget K. Druken

Senior Honors Projects

Graph theory is a branch of mathematics which studies graphs a collection of a set of edges and vertices used to sometimes model structures. My interest in graph theory began last semester in a math/computer science course entitled “Discrete Structures." One aspect which makes graph theory an appealing area to research is the amount of understanding that comes from a relatively short amount of time spent learning the subject material. The visual appeal of being able to draw a graph along practical applications that surface daily make graph theory a prime candidate for further research. Through research of the history …

Building A Non-Profit Organization: Project Venue, Alanna K. Green

Senior Honors Projects

When I talk with people about myself and what I study here at The University of Rhode Island, most people look at me with a confused yet intrigued face. For many people my study of both Marketing and Philosophy is a strange dichotomy, for me; however, it is the perfect combination. When I infuse these fields of study with my passion for the arts, it was easy to see the path for my Senior Honors project. In doing this project I am combining my practical business skills, my need to make a difference and my interest in the arts to …

Greenpeace, Earth First! And The Earth Liberation Front: The Progression Of The Radical Environmental Movement In America, Christopher J. Covill

Senior Honors Projects

Causes of worldwide environmental destruction created a form of activism, Ecotage with an incredible success rate. Ecotage uses direct action, or monkey wrenching, to prevent environmental destruction. Mainstream conservation efforts were viewed by many environmentalists as having failed from compromise inspiring the birth of radicalized groups. This eventually transformed conservationists into radicalists. Green Peace inspired radical environmentalism by civil disobedience, media campaigns and direct action tactics, but remained mainstream. Earth First’s! philosophy is based on a no compromise approach. They took direct action tactics further than Green Peace was willing too. Earth First’s! direct action campaigns epitomize modern environmental radicalism. …

Sparkle: What Every Teenage Girl Should Know, Alexandria D’Angelo

Senior Honors Projects

As a journalism major with an interest in women’s studies, I took time to educate myself about the tactics that the magazine media use to sell themselves. I focused on magazines, because I am a print-oriented journalism student with the goal of working for a newspaper or a magazine after graduation. During my research, I found that there are few publications in this country offering sound advice to problems that teenage girls face on a daily basis. Most magazines for teenage girls focus on celebrity style, gossip and make-up tips. There is nothing wrong with this form of entertainment, especially …

La Théorie De Weber Et La Mentalité Du Travail En France Et Aux États-Unis, Kristina Suorsa

Senior Honors Projects

Il y a beaucoup de différences entre les cultures française et américaine. Un grand désaccord est entre la mentalité au sujet de la notion de travail dans chaque pays. Une théorie sur cette divergence est proposée par le sociologue Max Weber dans son ouvrage The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Dans ce livre, Weber explore l’idée que la religion Protestante est la cause de la différence dans la mentalité de travail. En France il n’y avait pas de tolérance pour le Protestantisme. Les Protestants ont été poursuivis en France et finalement le roi Louis XIV leur a …

Hip Hop Is Dead: The Rhetoric Of Hip Hop, Kalyana Champlain

Senior Honors Projects

There is no doubt that Hip Hop has become a most influential international force. This animal has had many faces: two of these faces have been as a political tool as displayed by Public Enemy, and as a therapeutic release-- as I discovered while in AmeriCorps interning at AS220 for a program called Hip Hop 220, in which we took underprivileged youth and helped them to channel their energy through this art form. However, there is a dark side to this culture that includes extreme misogyny, self- sabotage, hatred, and an unhealthy obsession with status. As I reflected on these …

The Katrina Project, Alison Traver

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.