Digital Commons Network^™

Connection And Isolation, Lynda Lee

Honors Theses

As one of the most recurrent subjects of visual art, the human form as been an important means of communicating human experiences and expressing the philosophical and scientific thoughts of a society. During the early 20th century, artists in Europe began distorting and abstracting the human figure in ways that were unprecedented and often times visually unsettling to emphasize its withdrawn and isolated condition while also suggesting a sense of fragility and vulnerability. Although there are various forms of isolation that can result from a number of different causes, my project explores the concept of social isolation brought about by …

Teaching Strategies: How To Explain The History And Themes Of Abstract Expressionism To High School Students Using The Integrative Model, Kirk Maynard

Honors Theses

The purpose of my thesis is to create a guideline for teachers to explain art history to students in an efficient way without many blueprints and precedence to guide them. I have to focus my topic on Abstract Expressionism and the model that I will be using to present the concept of Abstract Expressionism will be the integrated model instructional strategy. The integrated model will serve as the guilde to creating well crafted art history lessons in the classroom. This integrated model will also be laid out and summarized in a lesson plan designed to give the teacher direction in …

Alzheimer's Disease And Circadian Rhythms In A Drosophila Model, Lauren Alejo

Honors Theses

Sleep disorders are commonly reported in Alzheimer's disease, a debilitating, age-related neurodegenerative disorder that affects neurons in the brain. Recently, several studies have suggested a role for sleep abnormalities and the internal "body clock" known as the circadian system, in the disease onset and progression. Since most of the data has been collected from mammals with complex neural circuitry, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that integrate the two neural networks are still limited. This study examined the relationship between circadian rhythmicity and Alzheimer's Disease presentation using a Drosophila model. Flies were crossed using the GAL4-UAS system to display Alzheimer's disease …

Mitochondrial Dysfunction And Reactive Oxygen Species In Neurodegeneration, Leah Farina

Honors Theses

Neurodegeneration leads to the loss of normal anatomy and physiology of the neuronal system in a human body. The hallmark of most neurodegenerative diseases is abnormal folding and accumulation of proteins within neuronal cell bodies that is not present in healthy people. These changes in normal protein metabolism often lead to neuronal cell death and failure of the affected regions of the central nervous system. Abnormal protein accumulation may be attributed to dysfunctional mitochondria and damage by reactive oxygen species. In addition to causing altered protein accumulation, dysfunctional mitochondria and an excess of reactive oxygen species also lead to errors …

Entertainment News Production: A Case Study, Ashley Derthick

Honors Theses

This study reviews literature on the construction of celebrities and the production of entertainment news, including how celebrities and coverage is deemed appropriate and relevant to cover. First, a brief overview of the entertainment news industry and the early stages of “celebrities” as historically referenced will be discussed along with the current significance of entertainment news. The phenomenon of stardom and the ways and procedures to which a celebrity becomes relevant will be detailed using mainly the work of Richard Dyer and the processes and theories he has outlined. The social impact of stardom including why the public is fascinated …

Biracial Identity In Texts Read By Secondary Education Students, Jared Madden

Honors Theses

This thesis sought to examine how biracial identity is portrayed in the literature read by students in secondary education. Unfortunately, the findings indicated that biracialism is not being adequately portrayed in this literature. Students rarely encounter biracial characters, when they do these characters are usually peripheral, and sometimes the biracialism of these characters is presented as an obstacle to be overcome. Furthermore, teachers (at least in this researcher’s local area) seem to be extremely apathetic towards even discussing this issue. The impact which all of this can have on secondary students with a biracial background is discussed. However, there are …

Cattle Smuggling From India To Bangladesh, Elyse Malnekoff

Honors Theses

This essay examines the current trend of rustling and transporting cattle from throughout India for trade at the cattle corridors that lie along the border between India’s West Bengal and Bangladesh. An analysis of historical and cultural factors seeks to explain how this trade possibly began and increased. These motivators include the effects of the Mad Cow disease outbreak in the 1980s on international beef trade and the many economic uses for bovines and their by-products in Bangladesh. This research also looks at cattle-specific legislation in India that prohibits many of the practices employed by smugglers and details some possible …

The Heart Of The Lower Story: Thesis Exhibition, Cassandra Stagner

Honors Theses

The Heart of the Lower Story: Thesis Exhibition is established around a study-internship in Scotland. The works consist of landscape and architecture photography, as well as hand drawn portraits and charcoal pieces. The style of the work and exhibition is comprised of simple elements such as barn wood framing and work created on OSB board to involve experimentation. “The Heart of the Lower Story” has been exhibited at the Lee Honors College with an opening reception for supporters and friends to attend that also introduced a video compilation of interviews taken while in Scotland. The questions being addressed were: What …

Obm Thesis Project: Composing An Undergraduate Thesis Manual, William Strong

Honors Theses

The Behavioral Research Supervisory System (BRSS) is a class designed to assist undergraduate and master students in completing a thesis project in a timely manner. Prior to beginning this project, undergraduate students were not utilizing the thesis manual for the class effectively and master students did not have an effective tool to grade the quality of their undergraduate thesis students’ work. Therefore, the ultimate goal of this thesis project is to create a better manual for undergraduate students to reference while working on their thesis projects and to provide a systematic grading system for their graduate student supervisors. A pre-manual …

Vive Le Proletariat: The 1968 Revolt Of French Workers And Students, John Duhan

Honors Theses

1968 was a watershed year in terms of social change across the world. While countries behind the iron curtain like Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary were fighting for more reasonable government, western countries such as Germany, Italy, the United States, and France all dealt with uprisings from communist student groups. The unique aspect of the French Revolt of 1968, versus similar revolts in places such as The United States, or Germany, was the relationship between college students and members of the French working class.

For this essay I split the French working class into two separate groups: the immigrant workers, and …

Transgender Representation In The Media, Jessica N. Jobe

Honors Theses

The media is pervasive in American society – more people have television sets than college degrees. For this reason, media is crucial in the spread of information. The way groups of people are represented in the media can be both reflective of and influential on society's (possibly stereotypical) perceptions of these groups. The transgender community often gets misrepresented in the media. As a whole, the transgender community faces a lot of prejudice in American society, and current transgender representation in the media has the power to reinforce negative stereotypes. Twelve examples of news, television, and movies from as early as …

Secondary Analysis Of Adolescent And Young Adult Sexual Health In Kalamazoo And Jackson Counties, Kayla Bolter

Honors Theses

Based off of the Healthy People 2020 goals regarding sexual health behaviors and reduction in the proportion of gonorrhea infections among males and females ages 15-44, the purpose of this thesis to provide the necessary evidence that a sexual health education intervention needs to be implemented into the campus of Western Michigan University in order to reduce the rates of gonorrhea among college students aged 20-24 in Kalamazoo County. This is a secondary analysis that compared the reported gonorrhea rates in Kalamazoo County, Michigan to the reported rates of gonorrhea in Jackson County, Michigan. Several components were compared within each …

Secondary Analysis Of Adolescent And Young Adult Sexual Health In Kalamazoo And Jackson Counties, Jenna Moreau

Honors Theses

This secondary analysis is a comparison of two Counties, Kalamazoo and Jackson, to see if the presence of a university has impact on reported Chlamydia cases. Nationally, 20-24 year olds account for the highest number of reported Chlamydia infections. This age group also accounts for the large majority of college students that attend Western Michigan University found in Kalamazoo County. It is believed that by collecting this data, there will be an obvious need for implementation of an education intervention for students at Western Michigan University regarding sexual health.

It was proposed that there would be a higher prevalence of …

The Role Of El Cid In Medieval Spanish Culture And Epic Literature, Emily Chaney

Honors Theses

This research looks at the medieval Spanish epic poem, the Poema de Mio Cid, and how it reflects the world of Spanish culture and literature, its place in the landscape of epic poetry on the European continent, and the noble virtues of the hero, el Cid. The Poema is an anonymous cantar de gesta, or "song of heroic deeds," likely composed around the early thirteenth century by a person (or persons) very familiar with Castilian noble society and law in effect during the late twelfth and early thirteenth century, as well as the area of northern Spain around …

Racial Differences In Self-Efficacy Expectations For Exercise, Selena P. Smith

Honors Theses

This project examined the link between race and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy pertains to an individual’s confidence in ability to complete or engage in a particular task or activity (Bandura, 1986). Prior research shows that self-efficacy has a great influence on exercise initiation and adherence (Bandura, 1986; Dishman, 1982; Rodgers and Sullivan, 2001). Research also supports that Caucasians are more likely to participate in exercise than African Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000).

Participants included 51 females, 31 Caucasians and 20 African Americans, between the ages of 18 and 50 years old. The women were recruited from local fitness gyms, …

Damage Control: How Scrutinized Professional Athletes Use Twitter To Combat Negative Press, Jeffrey K. Haeger

Honors Theses

In recent years many elite professional athletes have been criticized in the media for questionable on and off the field behavior. How these athletes use social media to reframe or repair their public images was the focus of this research. Research on social media has grown in recent years, but still remains relatively shallow, making the strong correlation between social media and sport the ideal breeding ground for this exploratory research. This study confined social media use to the way in which two purposefully selected professional athletes - Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong - use Twitter to self-present and directly …

Many Roads To Social Satisfaction? Social Anxiety, Social Interaction Format, And Social Belonging, Mohamed Mi Ismail

Honors Theses

This study explored how different social interaction formats (face-to-face versus virtual) influence individuals’ belongingness need satisfaction and interaction enjoyment. Furthermore, it also explored how personality variables related to social anxiety (i.e., Interaction Anxiousness, Fear of Negative Evaluation) interact with social interaction format to influence belongingness needs satisfaction and enjoyment. Participants engaged in a conventional face-to-face interaction or a virtual interaction (via Instant Messenger) with a same-sex confederate on a between-subjects basis. Participants then indicated the extent to which the interaction satisfied fundamental social needs (e.g., self-esteem, belonging), their positive and negative mood, as well as how much they enjoyed the …

Technology Expectations Of Cpa Firms: Hiring And The Accounting Curriculum, Kristy N. Wilson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the technology expectations of Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firms and to evaluate whether or not accounting curriculums adequately prepare students to meet the firms’ hiring expectations. A total of 28 participants - 19 sole practitioners and 9 CPA firms - completed an online survey designed to determine the technological skills CPA firms require of new hires, the extent to which recent new hires have met the firms’ expectations, and the accounting software and programs that firms typically use. The researcher also analyzed the accounting curriculums of 22 four-year public universities to gather …

After The Split: An Analysis Of Sino-Soviet Military Poster Propaganda, Hannah C. Berman

Honors Theses

My research argues that commonalities in Soviet and Chinese military posters show that these communist superpowers shared deeply embedded cultural connections that persisted even after the Sino-Soviet Split, an acrimonious diplomatic breakdown between these states that occurred during the 1960s and 1970s. I argue against other historians' interpretations of the Sino-Soviet Split period by comparing Soviet and Chinese Communist military poster propaganda within a historical context that explains their complicated and unexpected political and cultural interrelationship. I argue that the Soviet Union and Communist China, on a cultural level, continued their close interaction under the divisive rhetorical surface of the …

Effects Of A Professional Sports Lockout On A Regional Economy, Brandyn Hinnrichs

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Developmental Expression Profile Of Bric Á Brac 2, Midline And H15 In The Developing Eye And Central Nervous System Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Petra Visic

Honors Theses

Aberrant activity of a single gene can lead towards development of cancerous cells. Drosophila melanogaster is a useful model system to study cancer because there is high degree of evolutionary conservation in signaling pathways between humans and flies that play major roles in regulating cell proliferation and growth (Miles et al., 2011). At The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), Dr. Leal’s lab has gathered evidence suggesting that bab1 and bab2 interact with the T-box gene midline (mid) and its paralog H15, while the early developmental function of bab1 and bab2 remains unknown. That is why elucidating the early …

Ni Putes Ni Soumises: Unveiling Women’S Voices Through Feminism And Social Media In The 21st Century, Lilianna K. Deveneau

Honors Theses

Ni Putes Ni Soumises (NPNS; English translation: “Neither Whores Nor Submissives”) is a French, largely Muslim, feminist political organization that aims to promote laicité (secularization), mixité (the ability for women to fraternize with men), and gender equality. I have conducted an organizational case study including the triangulation of data comprised of critical analyses of the NPNS website, Facebook group, and other documentation and publications, to identify whether and how this organization has been successful in igniting social change. Findings indicate NPNS has grown its movement from one location (Paris) to forty-eight chapters throughout France, seven international headquarters, and has obtained …

Integrating Science & Policy, Abigail A. Carson

Honors Theses

Millions already owe their lives to scientists for their research and implementation of early warning devices such as a tornado warning. These warning systems are the beginning for what is to come if science continues to receive backing. Think of what could be accomplished in the next century if science and policy were to unite in the interest of protecting humans and the environment. It is imperative that environmental policies be based on sound science; to achieve this, political and scientific sectors must be integrated to produce effective and practical policies.

Abuse Of Spice, Bath Salts, And Steroids, Rebecca Coburn

Honors Theses

The abuse of three different drugs and whether or not they should continue to be banned in the United States is looked at. These three drugs are spice, bath salts, and steroids. In conclusion, spice and bath salts should continue to be banned in the United States due to the little knowledge known on the drugs and how they affect the body. Steroids on the other hand should only be banned in the use of sports, due to the unfair advantage that it gives users. For individuals not in sports, steroids should be legal since it is their choice to …

Sexual Assault And Sane (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners) In Our Community, Emily Barrow

Honors Theses

Sexual assault and sexual violence is a problem in our society, with one in four college women report surviving rape (15 percent) or attempted rape (12 percent) since their fourteenth birthday, and about 42% of survivors did not tell anyone about their rape. Research on the subject is being done and information in a special report, Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Rape Victimization: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS), conducted by American Prosecutors Research Institute and Boston College Connell School of Nursing, exposes some alarming statistics. The study reveals that over half of female victims and nearly …

Rates Of Obesity And Incidence Of Diabetes In Hispanics In The United States: An Examination Of The Epidemiological Paradox, Lucy Dean

Honors Theses

Using pooled data from the 2008-2011 National Health Interview Survey and employing multinomial and binomial logistic regression methods, this research examines disparities in rates of obesity and incidence of diabetes between individual Hispanic subgroups in comparison to non-Hispanic whites and blacks. Immigration status(including nativity, duration in the United States, and citizenship status) is hypothesized to play a central role in rates and obesity and incidence of diabetes. Unlike Cuban-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and other Hispanics were more likely to be overweight as well as obese when compared to non-Hispanic whites. Mexican-Americans had the only significance in prevalence of type 2 …

An Analysis Of U.S.- Economic Policy Toward Chile During The Cold War, Frasier Esty

Honors Theses

This examination of U.S. economic policy directed toward Chile centered on the political and economic changes that occurred within Chile between 1960 and 1988. During this time, U.S. economic policy directed toward Chile was crafted by members of the American government uneasy with Cold War concerns with the most important of which being the spread of Communism throughout the globe. By viewing U.S. policy toward Chile through this Cold War lens, this thesis explores the different ways in which economic policy was used to advance the political and economic goals within not only Chile, but also Latin America as a …

Self-Immolation In Tibet: Beyond The Lens Of The Western Media, Meredith Kaufman

Honors Theses

This thesis provides a critique of Western media articles concerning self-immolation in Tibet. I begin by illustrating how the Western media provides reductionist accounts of Tibetan self-immolation by depicting the act solely as a form of political protest in response to Chinese occupation. I argue that these limited portrayals of self-immolation can be attributed to the Shangri-La imagery that characterizes much of the Western conceptions of Tibet. Through Shangri-La imagery, both Tibetans and their Buddhist religion are portrayed as utopic, peaceful, and able to provide the antidote to solving Western problems relating to modernization and consumerism. After illustrating the ways …

Non-State United States Support For The Contras During The Reagan Era, Gillian Sheffy

Honors Theses

Under President Ronald Reagan, the White House pursued a complex foreign policy towards the Contras, rebels in trying to overthrow the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua, in Nicaragua. In 1979, the leftist Sandinista government seized power in Nicaragua. The loss of the previous pro-United States Somoza military dictatorship deeply troubled the conservatives, for whom eradication of communism internationally was a top foreign policy goal. Consequently, the Reagan Administration sought to redress the policy of his predecessor, Jimmy Carter, and assume a hard line stance against leftist regimes in Central America. Reagan and the conservatives within his administration, therefore, supported the Contra …

Effects Of Perceived Financial Accessibility Of Colleges And Universities On Studentsâ¿ Assesment Of Institutional Desirability, Tyler Mcclenithan

Honors Theses

This study focused on the effects of socioeconomic exclusivity indicators on college students¿ attitudes toward a hypothetical private liberal arts university. Students enrolled in two undergraduate courses in Education at an elite private liberal arts university in the northeast were randomly presented with one of three versions of an admissions brochure describing a fictitious university. The three versions of the brochure varied in their portrayals of the institution¿s financial exclusivity, ranging from high exclusivity to low exclusivity. Each student was asked to review the brochure and respond to a questionnaire, containing items pertaining to the overall desirability of the institution, …