Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Attitudes Toward Lesbians And Transgender Women In Relationships On A College Campus, Alishia Anne Wrubleski

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the attitudes which perpetuate intolerance toward LGBT individuals, and to recognize, in particular, the unique attitudes transpeople face as a minority in the nation and even in the LGBT community. This research contributes to the bodies of research concerning the interrelatedness of intrinsic religiosity, political conservatism, sexism, the rape myth, lack of effective legal protection, and the intolerance of gender non-conformists. I have identified distinctions between attitudes on the part of both women and men, as well as toward different gender non-conformists. I have also taken research as …

Freedom's Disciple : The Life, Music, And Impact Of Hazel Dickens, Kelly Landers

Honors Theses

The work of Appalachian musician Hazel Dickens sheds light on many of the musical and cultural changes in our country. Dickens used her music as a voice for the disadvantaged, advocating for improvements in the lives of miners, working-class people, and women, and pushing for all to be treated equally. A wonderful songwriter, performer, and overall musician, Dickens saw her career, music, and beliefs as inextricably linked, and so this thesis will explore her leadership by analyzing her songs and her history.

Persuasion And Rhetoric In Cable News Commentary: A Philosophical, Zachary Mark Cruthirds

Honors Theses

There is currently a growing cynicism about objectivity in cable news reporting and commentary, and there have been many allegations of pandering and bias on the part of and concerning commentators on 24-hour news outlets. There have been changing trends in how many American citizens acquire information and analysis from these mediums—leading to what has been coined the '‘infotainment*' of certain comedians, extremists, and any network, corporation, or commentator who would give consideration to giving a target audience what they desire or expect. In the following thesis, we will offer definitions for rhetoric and persuasion founded in a type of …

Replacement Of The Cro Repressor In A Negative Feedback Circuit With A Slow Dimerizing Variant, Lauren Michelle Rowe

Honors Theses

The Cro protein is a transcriptional regulator that plays an active role in the switch between the lysogenic and lytic viral cycles of bacteriophage lambda. Functional Cro proteins exist as dimers composed of two identical Cro subunits. It is suspected that the dimerization rate and the affinity of Cro’s subunits play a part in determining the activity of the protein in living cells. Synthetic genetic circuits have been constructed in order to determine the repression dynamics of Cro in vivo. These circuits are used to observe the ability of wild-type Cro and a pre-dimerized variant named scCro to modulate the …

Investigating The Stability Of Energy Metabolism In Cultured Neurons: Do Cerebellar Granuleneurons Maintain A Metabolic Steady State In The Early Stages Of Apoptosis?, Adrienne Lorraine Webb

Honors Theses

Apoptosis is a process that occurs naturally during development of an organism and is a specific type of programmed cell death that characterized by its distinct morphological features. However, inappropriate inhibition or activation can result in various pathological conditions. For example, studies have shown links between inactivation of some pro-apoptotic proteins and certain cancers. Also, overstimulation of apoptosis has been linked to many neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, a clearer understanding of the process of apoptosis could provide new avenues for the treatment of these diseases that have been linked to it. The signaling involved in triggering apoptosis involves many proteins that …

Creation And Application Of Mississippi Tort Reform Law, Lauren Elizabeth Delap

Honors Theses

This study is an investigation of the power of the tort reform issue to drive the Mississippi legislature to create new tort reform statutes and drive the court to determine their proper application. It explores the issue’s influence through the channels of interest groups and the media prior to the passage of tort reform legislation. The study also looks at how the issue continues to drive debate through the state judiciary. In the study of interest groups, this investigation analyzes campaign contributions through PACs and by the individual and national organizations, as well as examining non-flnancial tactics used by these …

Reality's Unrealities: The Magical Real In Selected Plays Of Tennessee Williams, Elena Lee Mcpherson

Honors Theses

After a semester of studying more than ten of Tennessee Williams plays, 1 decided to explore a selection of his plays in the context of magical realism. Initially, the connection between a playwright from the Southern United States and the literary tradition of Latin America seemed distant Upon further research and closer readings, however, I found that Tennessee Williams's plays The Glass Menagerie, Orpheus Descending, and Camino Real all exemplify various characteristics of the magical real within new contexts. In keeping with the tradition of magical realism. each of the plays uniquely exhibits the fantastic to speak to larger truths …

Find Yourself, Forget Yourself, Catherine Carter Servati

Honors Theses

This thesis is written in the form of a selfreflective, memoir-esque essay evaluating the journey of my undergraduate academic career. Everyone tells a story with his or her life. Often, distracted by the demands of everyday living, we stop paying attention to that story. In an intentional effort to better understand where I have been, where it is that I am going, and what exactly I am saying with my life, I have written this personal narrative. Although insecurity and vulnerability are a byproduct of this type of self-exposure, little is gained without ever taking a risk. The time, effort, …

Harold Burson: A Legend In Public Relations In The 20th Century, Megan Heather Smith

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Profitable Post Admission Attractions For The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter: Turning Magic Into Money, Amber Lynn Strange

Honors Theses

This thesis will explain the ways in which Universal Studios can maximize post admission profits for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, to be located inside Islands of Adventures. When looking at the background information for Harry Potter, I studied the history, the reasons it became so successful, the marketing strategies used by the company to ensure that success, the decision to create the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the competitive environment that this park will be entering, and additional post admission attractions that could increase revenue. To create post admission attraction ideas that visitors would like to see added …

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Of Elementary Students In Serve Only Service And Offer Versus Serve Service, Margaret Louise Harbison

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in fiiiit and vegetable consumption among fourth and fifth grade elementary students who participate in the NSLP Serve Only service compared to the Offer Versus Serve (OVS) service. Methods Weighed and visual plate waste data were collected for five consecutive days at two elementary schools. School A used Serve Only service (students are served all five food components of the lunch meal) and school B used OVS service (students may select as few as three of the five food components of the lunch meal). Costs disposed …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Policing Methods With Regard To Chinese Crime Groups In The United States, Jessica P. Moeller

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The University Of Mississippi: Marketing And Managing For Improvement During A Recession, Christine Marie Sims

Honors Theses

The objective of this thesis is to provide gthe University of Mississippi during a recession erms recession and social marketing. Then, a statement on the university s position and a SWOT Analysis; an analysis of an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; are provided for the University of Mississippi- Following the background SWOT Analysis, ten problematic areas and ten associated benchmarks are presented. both of which were developed from a personal audit of the university s management. Finally, ten goals are proposed with the intent of guiding the university to success highly marketable university over the next fifty years. Each …

The Mobilization Of China’S Legal System And Religious Bureaucracy As A Means Of Combating The Threat Of The Falun Gong, Cooper Reves

Honors Theses

In 1992, Li Hongzhi, an obscure man from the northern Chinese province of Jilin, introduced to the world a set of five Qigong exercises which would form the basis of the Falun Gong movement. In the years that followed, the Falun Gong quickly grew to an estimated 100 million practitioners worldwide that expeditiously spread from China to the rest of the world. Though the group was pacifistic in its ideology, the Chinese government was never quite comfortable with the Falun Gong's presence, and in 1999, the government began a widespread effort to discredit the Falun Gong, culminating in the arrest …

A Hidden Wwii History: How New Media Reporting By Cnn.Com Changed A Legacy, Elizabeth Claire Vowell

Honors Theses

This project retells the hidden history of 350 American POWs who were forced to serve as slave laborers in Germany during WWII, and how these men received recognition in 2009 through the online reporting and reader audience participation of CNN.com. Though traditional platforms produced information on the subject, it took an age of instant communication to fully break the story to the American public. This project looks at why and how online and participatory journalism created an impact that changed a legacy. Information on the history of the soldiers was gathered using books and a documentary published on the subject …

Assia Djebar And The Algerian Woman: From Silence To Song, Mary Maher

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the work of Assia Djebar in terms of its context, content, and objectives. Djebar's writing is lyrical and captivating, yet its grounding in experience gives her words a quality of truth and wisdom. To fully understand the function of her work and the significance of its content, the context in which Djebar writes is momentous. Outlining a brief history of the Algerian woman's experience gives a practical understanding of the individual and collective struggles of Algerian women. The violent and unique participation of women in the Algerian War of Independence and their subsequent insignificance under the patriarchal …

Magdalene: A New Magazine For Young Christian Women, Katie Nicole Eubanks

Honors Theses

This thesis, a launch plan and prototype issue for a new print magazine, is the product of two semesters of research and design. Research included: finding U.S. Census Bureau demographics for the potential audience of the magazine; searching newsstands. web sites and published lists of magazines for potential competition; analyzing the competition via their web sites and printed publications; reading Dr. Husni's books Selling Content and Magazine Publishing in the Century; traveling to Birmingham, Alabama, to meet with industry insiders at Southern Living and Hoffman Media; presenting the magazine concept to Spin founder Bob Guccione Jr. and other magazine experts …

Newspaper Coverage And Its Effect On Public Opinion: An Analysis Of Media Coverage: Sonia Sotomayor's Nomination And Confirmation To The United States Supreme Court, Courtney Ann Jackson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

An Epidemiologic Study Comparing The Health Environment Of Honduras And The United States., Martha Magee Mangum

Honors Theses

The content of this project investigates the deficit that exists within the area of healthcare in the Central American country of Honduras. It is a descriptive epidemiologic study, describing and comparing the demographics, health statistics, and healthcare system infrastructure of Honduras and the United States in hopes of bridging the gap between the statistics found through research and a firsthand experience in the country of Honduras.

The Polarizing Effects Of Inflammatory Language In Political Blogs, Holly Sarah Hosford

Honors Theses

The Internet, as an unregulated and anonymous outlet, sometimes fosters uncivil political interaction, in which political debates escalate to hate speech or attacks on a social group. There is much debate on whether the political blogosphere will foster a purer democracy or create a more politically polarized society. In order to make conclusions about the societal effects of uncivil political dialogue, I examined the effects of Inflammatory political language on readers of weblogs and other online posts. I created and distributed five versions of an online survey, with each survey containing a different version of mock political blog comments. Each …

Attitudes Toward Gay Marriage: A Comparison Of Competing Explanatory Models, Khyshboo Bharat Patel

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I conducted a study to investigate the nature of attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Throughout this work, I will cover the relevant information on the past and present of same-sex marriage, as well as a review of research done in the area of polling about it. The main focus of my research was to find out the underlying factors of opinions on homosexual marriage. Using polling data fi’om the 2009 General Social Survey, I was able to put together a series of regression analyses that tested the dependent variable, opinions about allowing same-sex marriage, with various independent variable, …

The Importance Of The United States Role In Cold War Latin American Military Coups: Brazil, Chile, And Argentina, Thomas Allan Weldy

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Mood On Short Term Memory, Amy Vitell

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT AMY VITELL: The Effect of Mood on Short Term Memory

Eighty-four undergraduate students (13 males and 71 females) from the University of Mississippi were tested on the effect of mood on short term memory. The participants, with a mean age of 19, were made up of 61 Caucasians, 21 African American, and 2 Asians. The participants took part in a free recall task involving 25 neutral words. Next, a film clip was shown to induce a particular mood (either positive or negative, depending on assigned condition). Following the mood manipulation the participants took part in a second recall task …

The Relationship Between Young Women's Self-Perceived Body-Esteems And Calculated Body Compositions, Alyssa Kay Ashmore

Honors Theses

Beginning at an early age, girls realize self-conscious feelings after being confronted with the issue of accepting their changing bodies (Halpem, Udry, Campbell & Suchindran, 1999). In the university setting, young women’s self-perceptions of body- esteem are sensitive to outside influences and peers (Heinberg & Thompson, 1992; Giles, Helme & Krcmar, 2007, Shomaker & Furman, 2007). This study observes the relationship between calculated body compositions and self-perceived body-esteems among female students at the University of Mississippi. Eighty-five female students between the ages of 18 and 23 volunteered to participate in the study. A questionnaire assessed body-esteem levels of the participants …

Sustainability In Practice: A Study Of The Sustainable Behaviors Of Students At The Univeristy Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, Audrey Glor

Honors Theses

Sustainable behaviors, such as recycling, are increasingly important as the world's population continues to rise. While many attempts have been made at various institutions, recycling on a grand scale has yet to become a social reality. This study was designed to look at the three broad factors influencing an individual's recycling behavior: social pressure, knowledge base, and convenience. It was hypothesized that social pressure would have the greatest influence on an individual's recycling behavior, while not overlooking the importance of the other two factors. A questionnaire was employed to collect data from a sample population at the University of Tennessee …

Identification Of Potentially Pathogenic Yeast Species In Seagull Guano By Molecular Techniques, Tobias L. Banks

Honors Theses

Although studies have been performed identifying bacteria present in seagull guano, limited studies have been done with fungi, leaving a significant gap in our knowledge of a potentially significant reservoir of human disease. If pathogenic fungi are being deposited by seagulls in their feces then it is possible that the Department of Health might elect to monitor sand, as well as water, for a broad spectrum of disease-causing microbes. Currently only water is tested for the presence of coliform bacteria. It is hypothesized that there are pathogenic yeast-like fungi present in the guano of seagulls, that these fungi are deposited …

Communicative Violence In Romantic Relationships, Christina L. Moore

Honors Theses

Verbal abuse occurs in college relationships, but this form of abuse lacks a clear definition and definitive characteristics. I studied the dialogue that surrounds verbal abuse. I was interested in how verbal abuse was discussed instead of the specific details of the experiences. Verbal abuse was purposely studied separately from physical abuse. Prior research and legal statutes were reviewed before conducting this study. Through the use of focus groups, one-on-one interviews and key informant interviews a broader perspective of verbal abuse was gained. The six salient themes to emerge were (1) how to protect one’s identity, (2) characteristics of the …

Lines Of Nation, Lines Of Flight : Retroping Immigration Policy, Jessica Thaller

Honors Theses

This thesis studies the rhetoric of U.S. immigration policy, specifically as related to Mexican immigration to the United States. Using Kent Ono and John Sloop’s theory of discourse, it examines the rhetoric employed in the Secure Fence Act (SFA) of 2006 and its turns towards wartime rhetoric, immigrant dehumanization, and immigrant deviance. It then contradicts these turns to those seen in the rhetoric of Hometown Associations (HTAs), “outlaw” discourses that operate by systems of logic different from the dominant logic of the SFA. HTAs emphasize family/cultural connections, unique financial considerations, and the liminal existence of the immigrant. More importantly, they …

Get On The Solar Track To Accelerate Your Wmu Experience, Amanda Jandahl, Andrea Sell

Honors Theses

The Western Michigan University Sunseeker solar car team is faced with the challenge to raise awareness and educate the WMU community about the excellent opportunities that the team provides to WMU students. The team, as a whole, seeks to increase public education about renewable energy, especially solar energy, through the races in which the solar car competes. In order to recruit new participants, raise funds for construction and competition, and keep the solar car as a point of pride at Western Michigan University, the team needs to increase promotional activity. The promotional campaign titled Get on the Solar Track to …

The Effect Of Early Cochlear Implantation On Oral Language: A Review Of The Literature, Nicole Supplee

Honors Theses

Current research suggests that implantation of cochlear implants before 2 years of age significantly impacts oral language development, specifically in increased rate of oral language development. In addition, children who have been implanted early (between 12 months and two years) have been shown to obtain age-appropriate language skills, whereas children who have been implanted later (after 2 years of age), or not implanted at all, do not. Because of the documented benefits of early implantation, researchers have recently pushed to lower the current minimum age of implantation to below 12 months of age. Although research suggests improvements in language development …