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A Few Good Women: Break Through Roles In Three War Plays, Bobby Ellis Pelts

Honors Theses

A Few Good Women: Break Through Roles in Three War Plays (Under the direction of Colby Kullman)

This thesis explores the roles played by women in three war plays: Lysistrata by Aristophanes, Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, and A Piece ofMy Heart by Shirley Lauro. The thesis describes the ways in which the characters of each of these plays defy traditional social expectations of women in wartime. These characters challenge the ideals of femininity and "proper" behavior while defying the typical roles of wife, mother, and nurse in war. The thesis argues that the context of war …

Antibiotics, Herbs, And Magic: Health Practices In Contemporary St. Petersburg, Christine Shu

Honors Theses

In St. Petersburg, Russia, two seemingly conflicting health doctrines, western medicine and alternative medicine, play significant roles in residents' health culture. I define alternative medicine as all health practices that use such natural products as herbs, natural honey, water, seeds, berries, and even animal products, and as such unobtrusive body therapies as acupuncture, massage, yoga, or animal therapies. I define western medicine as all treatments that involve the manipulation of ingredients in a chemistry laboratory (such as antibiotics, antiviral drugs, antihistamines. or pain killers) and all body therapies intrusive to the body (such as operations). Through interviews with St. Petersburg …

Creation Of A Topoisomerase I-Efgp Cell Line Using Recent Knock-In Technology, James Wayne Delancey

Honors Theses

Topoisomerase I (TOPI) is a nuclear enzyme that relieves torsional strain in DNA during transcription or replication. Furthermore, TOPl is the target enzyme for camptothecin antitumor drugs. Traditional immunohistochemical methods of studying TOPl expression require cell fixation, which arrests cellular metabolism at an instance in time. In efforts where TOPl studies rely on a function of time, cell fixation must occur at many finite intervals so that researchers may take many data points to simulate a real time assessment. To study TOPl activity continuously in cells, we are implementing recent gene targeting/knock-in technology to create a natively expressed TOP 1-EGFP …

Assessment Of Eating Disorder Knowledge Among College Students & The Effectiveness Of A Primary Prevention Program, Patricia Eileen Edwards

Honors Theses

Objective: To assess the current knowledge of eating disorders among college students and to determine the effectiveness of a prevention program in increasing eating disorder knowledge. Participants: College students enrolled in the University of Mississippi and in a Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) 311 Nutrition course. Methods: Participants in attendance of an FCS 311 Nutrition course were administered a 21 question survey to assess a baseline knowledge level of eating disorders. Participants were later educated on eating disorders through a primary prevention program “Eating Disorders 101”. The previous survey was administered again to assess the knowledge gained and the effectiveness …

A Cross-Cultural Content Analysis Of The 2008 American Presidential Election, Willow Beverly Nero

Honors Theses

Agenda-setting theory, based on the idea that journalism has a strong correlation to audience opinion and evaluation of issue salience, shows the unportance of how the media present the news. Naturally, media values vary across cultures, wherein some news outlets serve only to inform and others approach news through partisan positions or evaluative tactics. Especially during a time of media upset in the United States, it is important to examine U.S. media values and those of other cultures. This thesis looks at some of the dominant and documented differences in newspaper reporting in France and the United States, using Patterson’s …

Capturing The Banner Of Batlissmo: The Frente Amplio And The End Of Uruguay's Two-Party System, Kelly Ann Usher

Honors Theses

This paper looks at the 2004 presidential victory of the Frente Amplio in Uruguay, as well as the party’s development since 1971 to explain how it became victorious. The paper will also investigate what changes the two traditionally dominant political parties have undergone in response to the Frente Amplio’s rise. Uruguayan political science magazines and documents from the political parties themselves form the foundation of this work, supplemented by research from books and academic writings. Research showed that although the Frente Amplio started out as a radical leftist group, it was able to become moderate and use political means of …

Turkey And The European Union: Why Europe Doesn't Want A Taste Of Turkey, Ann Kirkpatrick Jacobs

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the debate surrounding Turkey’s accession into the European Union, namely the allegation by some scholars that there has been a shift in the type of opposition against Turkey during recent years. Its goal is to examine tlie reasons why this shift occurred and it focuses on France as a specific country in which a shift in opposition has occurred. In the first chapter, it analyzes editorials published in the two most important French newspapers, Le Monde and Le Figaro, alongside the context of the simultaneously occurring external and political events, in order to prove that the shift …

Cost Benefit Analysis: A Policy Tool Of Anthropocentric Utilitarianism, Nora Anne Watson

Honors Theses

For the last three decades, there has been a lively debate over the best way for a govemapproach decisions of environmental policy. Adherents to anthropocentric utilitari anism - those who believe that actions are right as they tend to promote utility for humans - favor the use of cost-benefit analysis - a tool that is used to come up with recommendations the basis of their probable costs and ment to for or against particular environmental policies benefits. Although making decisions this way may seem like a straightforward approach that should be acceptable to everyone, many challenge the latent assumptions of …

The Evolution Of Campaign Finance And Its Reform: An Expoloration And Economic Analysis, Meghan Milloy

Honors Theses

From the blunders of Theodore Roosevelt that initiated much of the debate on campaign finance reform to Bill Bradley's ideas on voting reform as a means to reform campaign finance, this is a topic that has inspired much debate and controversy. My hope is that throughout the following pages, through the history, opinions, and empirical evidence, the reader may formulate his or her own opinions on the good, evil, and necessity — or lack thereof — of reforming the system. History teaches where we have gone wrong. Econometric evidence tells us where we should go next. And opinions for future …

The Subprime Mortgage Crisis: Effects On Women And Minorities, Shakitha Paquita Harden

Honors Theses

This paper briefly describes how the subprime mortgage crisis emerged. General observations are made concerning the effect of the crisis on the economy as a whole, but the focal point explains how women and minorities have been affected. To illustrate this point, areas of investigation include predatory and discriminatory lending. Furthermore, this document provides data illustrating the financial impact the subprime mortgage crisis has had on different minority groups compared to non-minority groups. The data that has been gathered for this paper comes from examining previous academic journals and results, researching various internet sources, and attending panel discussions held on …

The Influences And Effects Of Political Communication On Young Voters In The Digital Age, Kristen Michelle Robinson

Honors Theses

(The effects of political communication has been a topic in which many political communication researchers have devoted attention. In this digital age, the role of the Internet has a great effect on the political process that people may experience during campaign times. To understand how various forms of political communication affect the political process, one must understand what political communication is and how political communication has evolved into the digital age. Furthermore, to understand these effects, specific target segments should be analyzed separately. This study explores the evolution of political communication from the election of 1952 to the present, specifically …

Barcelona: An Economic Exception For Mega-Event Host-Cities., John Cantalin Wahl

Honors Theses

This thesis assesses the economic impact of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games by comparing its benefits and costs with those experienced by other cities chosen as Olympic venues or as hosts of similar "mega-events”. While it is true that the economic impacts of most such events have been found to be modest, Barcelona seems to be an exception.

Seasonal Changes In Bacterial Communities In Magnolia (Magnolia Grandiflora) Leaf Phyllosphere, William Craig Denney

Honors Theses

What is currently known about bacterial diversity of the phyllosphere has largely come from studies of plants involved in commercial agriculture. With very few studies dedicated to examining phyllosphere bacterial communities of natural forests, the issue of seasonal changes in bacterial communities in Magnolia gvandifloi'a leaf phyllosphere was investigated. In order to examine the issue, 16S rRNA sequencing techniques were used to identify and compare bacterial communities between leaf samples collected in February, May, August and December of 2008. When M. grandiflora DNA samples were examined with denaturing gel electrophoresis (DGGE), similarities between the bacterial communities of each leaf could …

Influence Of Particle Size On Mixed Culture Bacterial Biofilms, Kaleb James Page

Honors Theses

Little research has investigated particle size as a structuring factor of microbial communities in aquatic environments. One study focused on the influence of particle size on microbial community structure as observed in nature, and the study described here tested those findings in vivo. Stream water was collected and used to inoculate samples containing glass beads of various sizes, fine (106 pm), medium (500 pm), and (1000 pm), and a mixture of all particle sizes; each sample had the same total surface area. Half of the samples were left standing, and half were rotated to simulate the movement of a stream …

China's Role In The Darfur Crisis: An Inquiry Into Global Ethics, Katie Malone Swain

Honors Theses

As the rise of globalization allows for greater trade, communication, and information sharing than ever before, the way states interact with one another and the world as a whole is being redefined. The rapid economic development that has occurred globally in the last century has not necessarily been accompanied with improvements in human rights worldwide. Now more than ever, there is a need to consider a global code of ethics. Though the role of states in advancing and policing human rights has been explored in innumerable treaties, conventions and other documents, there is currently no clearly defined standard of conduct …

Sincerely Yours: An Analysis Of The Nature And Strengths Of Epistolary Fiction, Elizabeth Anne Taylor

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the accomplishments of epistolary fiction and what it offers writers. The thesis begins with a study of the history and evolution of the form to develop a base for ideas presented in the following sections. It addresses the challenges posed by the epistolary foi*m as well as the form’s possibilities. The thesis investigates specific possibilities writing techniques used in epistolary form and their effects on both the characters and readers. The concentration is on six different epistolary novels written between the mid 1600’s and today. The central argument of this thesis offers an assessment of the …

The Inextinguishable Longing For Elsewhere: Escapism In Recent Pulitzer Prize Winning Novels, Charles Barton Wynn

Honors Theses

In reading a selection of Pulitzer Prize winning literature since 1980,1 found that many of the novels included characters who, either literally or metaphorically, longed to escape from the reality of their lives. Four novels in particular embodied this theme: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, Martin Dressier: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy. All four books treated escape and escapism ambiguously-sometimes escape is a flaw; sometimes escape is a virtue. Upon closer readings of the four …

The Cost Of Myth-Making: Racial Tension And School Desegregation In Memphis, Amy J. Barger

Honors Theses

In Memphis, the desire of white parents to keep their children out of integrated schools stemmed partially from their fear of contact with blacks. This push factor may seem obvious; surely misconceptions about race contributed to nearly every instance of white flight in the South. I argue that in Memphis, however, racial tensions caused many whites to harbor an especially acute fear of contact with blacks. By the time of the debates over busing, two traumatic events had lodged themselves in the recent memories of white Memphians: the sanitation strike of 1968 and the Black Monday school boycotts of 1969. …

The New Meaning Of Marketing: How Branding Changed The Fashion Industry, Leah Shesky

Honors Theses

PowerPoint presentation discussing the changes to the fashion industry and the move towards branding and marketing.

Foundations And Interpretations Of Quantum Mechanics, Cory Johnson

Honors Theses

The first famous thought experiment of Einstein gives rise to his theories of relativity, the bedrock of modern astrophysics and cosmology. His second famous thought experiment begins the investigation into the foundations of quantum mechanics. It leads to a paradox, inspiring various 'no-go' theorems proven by Bell, Kochen, and Specker. Physicists and philosophers worldwide become increasingly dissatisfied with the probabilistic complementarity interpretation (Born-Bohr) and eventually offer their own accounts of the theory. By the end of the 20th century two alternative approaches stand out as the best candidates: Both the hidden variables interpretation (de Broglie-Bohm) and the many worlds interpretation …

Coalitions For Victory: The Necessity Of Alliance Creation For Progressive Ballot Initiative Campaigns, Julie Bero

Honors Theses

My paper consists of three sections. In the first, I explain the function of ballot measures and discuss why Americans have supported or opposed the use of direct democracy. I will also offer the history of direct democracy. In the second section, I will discuss the current national state of affairs in direct democracy, specifically analyzing recent ballot measures. I will analyze three cases, focusing on information gathered from the news media and personal interviews with campaign organizers. Finally, I will draw conclusions about these three measures and assert implications for the future of direct democracy.

Deporting "Red Emma" : The Political And Legal Battles For Citizenship, 1917-1921, Kara D. Schultz

Honors Theses

As Americans worked to construct a national creed in the early nineteenth century, xenophobia and cultural exceptionalism were in constant tension with conceptions of free speech and personal liberty. The emergence of deportation as the solution to America's "radical problem" was built upon representations of the political subversive that had little grounding in reality. The differing ideologies and organizations of the anarchist and communist movements in America were constantly being reshaped, yet ... the press and political rhetoric blurred distinctions between parties, assuming that both philosophies were elements of the same menace that sought violent overthrow of the government. Reducing …

Competing Visions: The Cia, The Congress For Cultural Freedom And The Non-Communist European Left, 1950-1967, Scott Kamen

Honors Theses

The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that by utilizing cultural influence and adopting Silone's vision, the CCF was able to pursue the support of left-leaning European intellectuals, writers and artists who were often alienated by the policies of both the US and the USSR. The ability of the CCF to reach out to these individuals made it an extremely valuable asset to the CIA and contributed to the CIA's emerging strategy of promoting the NCL as a reliable anti-communist force that would come to be the theoretical foundation of the CIA's political operations against communism over the next …

Food Marketing Association: Fund Raising Task Force, Miranda K. Owen

Honors Theses

The objective of this project was to develop a sustainable fundraising program for the Food Marketing Association, a Western Michigan University student organization, which would not only provide income to the organization but provide an educational experience for the students. The concept was to contact a food manufacturer or marketing group and offer the resources of the student organization to introduce and test one of their new products on WMU's campus in exchange for a donation to the organization. The following report summarizes and outlines the process followed in order to obtain this position.

Market Efficiency : Testing Price Discovery In The Bond And Credit Derivative Markets, Justin M. Polselli

Honors Theses

Recent developments in credit markets over the past few months have seen credit spreads widen dramatically for a range of debt products. Almost overnight, credit spreads for both investment grade and high yield bonds jumped as news continued to worsen about credit quality. The speed with which credit spreads increased this past summer led many investors to ask if markets were efficient in conveying material information, and to see if there were any indications prior to the credit crunch that the market for credit was going to tighten. New products such as credit derivatives have increased the number of indicators …

Imagining Anti-Semitism : Artistic Representations Of The Dreyfus Affair, Alexa Stemmler

Honors Theses

The industrialization and large-scale urbanization of France in the nineteenth century drove many working-class people to Paris. With new disposable income and leisure time, they flocked to the boulevards, department stores and cafes of the capital to amuse themselves or simply to wander around the city. Though 1848 was to be France's last real political revolution, Paris remained the scene of cultural and social innovations due largely to this street culture; the mob was as powerful at the tum of the century as it had been in 1789. Vanessa Schwartz writes, "The crowd and the experience of belonging to an …

Exploring The Role Of Iscsua And Suf Operon In Shigella Flexneri Invasion And Resistance To Oxidative Stress, Benjamin R. Lloyd

Honors Theses

Shigella flexneri is a facultative intracellular pathogen capable of causing dysentery, a condition that afflicts many around the world, especially in developing countries. There are several aspects of Shigella pathogenesis that are not well understood, including a number of genetic and cellular changes that allow Shigella to adapt to stresses encountered while invading and replicating within the eukaryotic cytosol. It was the goal of this research to examine the roles of iscSUA and suf, gene systems predicted to encode for iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis proteins, in Shigella surviving exposure to oxidative stress agents and during Shigella invasion and plaque formation …

Easy: An Integrated Marketing Communications Program For The City Of New Orleans, Brett Rogers

Honors Theses

The following is an integrated marketing communications program for the city of New Orleans entitled "Easy." The paper outlines the history of the marketing of New Orleans, as well as the city's current goals. A detailed summary of the current market is provided with detailed demographics and beliefs held, as well as the segmentation variables that will be used within the "Easy" campaign to define the targeted audiences. The PRIZM NE segmentation system is used to better define the target markets of the campaign. Broadly defined, the two targeted segments of the campaign are: 1. younger families with children who …

Forest Fires In Southern Europe : An Econometric Investigation Of The Existence Of Economic Incentives For Fire Arson, Radoslava Dogandjieva

Honors Theses

Devastating forest fires during the summer of 2007 resulted in an unprecedented level of destruction in the Mediterranean forests, prompting widespread speculation about profit-motivated arson as one of the principal causes of the fires. Forest protection laws essentially create a scarcity of land, making arson potentially profitable in several ways: the clearing of land for development and construction, expansion of farm size, and salvage logging (Economist 2007). This study seeks to evaluate the validity of these accusations by examining the relationship between land, wheat, and timber prices and incidence of forest fires in four countries: Spain, Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria. …

Nuclear Vs. Coal In Bulgaria, Peter B. Manchev

Honors Theses

In early 2005 the government of Bulgaria commissioned the construction of a new nuclear power plant (NPP) near the town of Belene on the Danube border with Romania. The € 4 billion project will be executed by a consortium appointed in October 2006 by the National Electric Company led by the Russian Atomstroyexport. The work will be overseen by the architect-engineer of the plant, the American company WorleyParsons. The endeavor received a “green light” in December 2006 when the Nuclear Regulatory Agency of Bulgaria approved the Belene site for the construction of a new nuclear power plant.

The need for …