Digital Commons Network^™

Go And See The Band: Rock N' Roll As Art And How We Deal With It, Sebastian Blanco

Honors Theses

This is my ode to the curse of loving rock 'n' roll. The curse of always having to defend my love of power chords and high-energy bass lines. The curse of trying to describe to people the distinction my mind makes between Pearl Jam and Aerosmith, Ani DiFranco and Jewel. The curse of looking at someone as I explain how important rock 'n' roll is to me, and seeing they don't understand a word. I have devoted the last six years of my life to listening, understanding, learning about rock music, and I do not consider that time wasted. I …

Sorting Out The American Dream - The Short Stories Of Raymond Carver, Matt Williams

Honors Theses

As Robert Stone says of his friend and his friend's work, "People will always want to read him to get an insight into the life and art of the late-twentieth century America ... he will stand high" (Halpert 131), Carver's life and work started out in the "rag and bone shop of the heart" (Nesset 103). He started out telling us about the hardships and misfortunes that go along with being not only an American, but human. Carver showed us the darker side of the American experience, but with it, showed us that with time, hope can triumph. "Reaching deep, …

Shaping Realities: A Study Of The Connection Between White Hegemony In Popular Culture And The Deprecatory Self-Image Of African Americans, Rebecca Thornton

Honors Theses

The following paper will examine how the breakdown of politically motivated racism easily translated into popular culture. Defining African Americans only as stereotypes allowed for the hegemony that had kept African Americans inferior, to endure into a new era, one dominated almost wholly by popular culture. Divided into three chapters, this paper will systematically demonstrate how historically, politically, socially, and ideologically the African American race has been castigated and prostrated by those in power.

Leadership At 20 : Integrating New Materials Into The Current Foundations Of Leadership Course, Matt Constanzo, Kerry Mcgonigle

Honors Theses

Our project sought to integrate the Leadership at 20 text with current material in the Foundations of Leadership Studies course. In doing so we enhanced the students' perspective and understanding of leadership studies. To foster a smooth transition we have developed a teacher's manual that provide3s activities, which parallel the readings to ensure that these materials are used in an effective and efficient manner.

Establishing A Link Between Mapk Pathways And Hormones Signal Transduction In Plants, Marc Meulener

Honors Theses

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways are ubiquitous among eukaryotes, and are involved in the transduction of various extracellular signals. In mammals, three MAPK pathways have been identified, two of these respond to stress, and one can stimulate growth and differentiation. MAPKs have also been found in plants, and it has been suggested that a MAPK pathway may be involved in the signal transduction of auxin and cytokinin, two plant hormones that stimulate growth and differentiation. However, at this time, there is no conclusive evidence supporting this hypothesis. By studying the effect ofMAPKK's of both plant and animal origin in …

The Changing Landscape Of America's Societal Sector, Denise Harb

Honors Theses

This paper will outline the changes in the nonprofit sector since 1945 and will attempt to show that these changes are the result of various shifts in the contextual environment in which the sector has developed. This review of the history of the nonprofit sector will trace the influence of such factors as World War two and the controversy which surrounded foundations mainly until the 1960s. Other contextual factors include more academic transformations such as the influence of Keynesian economic theory and the 1960's research on the roles of mediating structures in American democracy.

Promises Of The Patiarchy : A Study Of Leadership Within The Promise Keepers Movement, Daniel W. Beeman

Honors Theses

By looking at the roles that gender and faith play in an organization and their leadership, this paper will make a significant advance in leadership studies that is not overwhelmingly present. The field of leadership studies will be able to use this as a way to understand those two contexts in addition to being able to see one more way to look at the leadership of an entire movement.

A Comparative Case Study On Why Women Run For Public Office : Hillary Rodham Clinton & Elizabeth Hanford Dole, Ashley Elizabeth Lorenz

Honors Theses

As our political history evolves, slowly but surely more and more women are running for public office. What are the things that propel women to run for local, state, or federal leadership positions? Are there certain factors that are contingent upon their embarkment into the political arena? The answers to these questions all contribute to the "creation," if you will, of a political woman. In order to better understand these factors and their effects, I will examine case studies of two women, Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Dole, through the lenses of four such factors including the timing as it relates …

Public Education In Richmond : A Look At Current And Historical Data With Student Perspectives, Ben Wallerstein

Honors Theses

The objective of this project is therefore three-fold, (1) to analyze the current as well as historical patterns of racial distribution and educational outcomes in the Richmond metropolitan area, (2) to provide current students with this data,and (3) to create an opportunity for dialogue on the data across school, racial and economic boundaries. This project takes an important first step in developing the type of interaction and leadership that will be essential for the success of future regional cooperation in Richmond. At the very least, this report should serve as a base-point to inform future discussions on issues of race, …

Characterization Of Metal-Regulated Genes In Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Melanie Pearson

Honors Theses

One side effect of today's industrialized world is increased levels of heavy metals in the environment. Many of these metals are necessary for biological function as trace elements, but at higher concentrations are toxic. Other metals, such as cadmium, are not beneficial at any level, and have only deleterious effects on living organisms. Cadmium is primarily thought to interfere with normal biological function of proteins. Human exposure to cadmium appears to primarily damage the kidneys, but may also affect the liver, lungs, immune system, and central nervous system. Bacteria, however, have developed several methods for handling toxic heavy metals: cation …

Continue With The Old Or Start Anew? An Examination Of Congressional Election Theories In The Context Of The 1946, 1948, 1994 And 1996 Elections, Elizabeth Ivry

Honors Theses

The differences in these election results raise several questions about the role and purpose of congressional elections in our democratic society. What factors could explain why two such similar elections, those of 1946 and 1994, were followed by two such different elections, those of 1948 and 1996? Has the relationship between congressional elections and congressional behaviors changed in the past 50 years? Are congressional elections still a referendum of the previous Congress and the incumbent presidency, or are other factors influencing the electorate's voting patterns? Were the midterm elections of 1946 and 1994 just extreme examples of what political scientists …

Nafta And Agriculture: A Study Of The Results Of The North American Free Trade Agreement On Agriculture With A Focus On The U.S. And Mexican Beef Cattle Industries, Heather L. Nickel

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Social Construction Of Gender In The Military And Resistance To The Integration Of Women, Hilary Kathryn Aydt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Search For Sustainable Development: Reshaping The Market Economy, Business, And Cities In The United States, Shauna M. Benshoff

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Integrating Technology And Foreign Language Learning, Margaret Bullard

Honors Theses

We are currently experiencing what some refer to as an "information revolution." This began with the appearance of writing systems, the invention of the printing press, the telephone, the mass production of audio and video tape recorders, the photocopy machine, the microcomputer, and now the Internet and Worldwide Web (WWW). The growth rate of the WWW has been incredible since the first version was made available in 1993. Aside from the large number of web sites that have been created, the U.S. Department of Education claims that 20,000 educational software titles have been developed and more than one million students …

The Effects Of Rose Bengal Application On The Production Of Salicylic Acid In Nahg Tobacco Plants, Nicole Christine Ott

Honors Theses

Plants have the ability to develop resistance to a wide range of pathogens following exposure to a single bacterium, fungus, or virus. This resistance occurs in all tissues, not only those that were previously infected. This mechanisms is termed systemic acquired resistance (SAR). The phenolic compound salicylic acid (SA) has been linked to SAR in tobacco, arabidopsis, and cucumber plants. Oxidative stress also causes SA production, which leads to SAR. An engineered tobacco plant (nahG) that does not have the ability to accumulate SA has been used as a research tool in investigations concerning SA activity. Rose Bengal …

Effects Of Zinc On Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase In Buffalo Rat Liver Cells, Bryan G. Sauer

Honors Theses

In recent years, interest has surfaced in the use of insulin-mimicking agents for diabetic therapies. Zinc has been shown to have insulin-like effects in vivo and in vitro but has never been studied for its ability to mimic insulin in the regulation of carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism. Therefore, the author studied the effects of zinc on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), an enzyme stimulated by insulin that is imperative in both carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism. Because G6PDH is highly regulated in liver cells, a stable rat liver cell line, Buffalo Rat Liver (BRL), was used. Endogenous G6PDH activity and G6PDH …

Registration Laws And Their Impact On Voter Retention, Tom Lenard

Honors Theses

The literature on voting participation suggests a number of factors that should affect voter turnout differences including the legal incentives or hindrances acting directly on individual citizens. In this study I examine registration laws and how they may play a role in the stability over voter turnout between presidential and midterm elections. Specifically, this research concentrates on classifying each individual state into groups with easier and those with more strict registration requirements. With this done, I compared the voter turnout for the 1990-1996 elections between the two groups. Also, I looked at the drop-off rates in percentage of turnout for …

The Art Of The Novel: How Kundera Helps Us Read The Unbearable Lightness Of Being, Matt Plavnick

Honors Theses

In all of Kundera's writing there is the search, the yearning, to understand more of the world around us~specifically around Kundera. His fiction deals both with the lives of people caught up in this world, some happily, some miserably, each undeniably held by human constraints, and also with how these people are affected by their natural constraints. His critical writing offers further examination and theory about these constraints: what they are, specifically, how they work, and how they affect people. With this comes a detailed assessment of our epoch, which he calls "The Modern Era," and the phenomena that characterize …

Reducing Machine Downtime Through Improved Material Flow, Robyn Hoenle, Walter Teamer, Steve Toner

Honors Theses

The goal of a local manufacturer of garment and craft patterns is to maximize its profits. To achieve this goal, several processes within the plant must work efficiently independently and in conjunction with each other. In doing so, some of the issues that must be addressed include maximizing efficiency, reducing downtime, simplifying process layouts, and combining processes to ultimately provide a quality product to the customer. The manufacturer is presently experiencing excessive downtime in the packaging area because of excessive material handling. The task of the project team was to work in conjunction with the manufacturer to analyze and evaluate …

The Power Of The Press: A Content Analysis Of Congressional Press Coverage In National, Regional, And Local Newspapers., Kendra Page Ammann

Honors Theses

I continue to believe that the press are very powerful in the shaping of public opinion about the Congress, since they serve as one of the only sources of information about the Congress. I conclude that Congress, as an institution, must find ways, other than through the mass media, to inform the American public of its activities. Since I have identified a clear connection between the negative press coverage of Congress as an institution and negative public opinion of Congress as an institution, I believe that an increase in the dissemination of positive information about the institution of Congress may …

Contributions Of Private Investment In Post-Conflict Guatemala: Evidence From Socially Responsible Maquiladoras, Jeana L. Flahive

Honors Theses

Is it possible that the new corporate attitude of responsibility and pressure from Codes of Conduct could create a situation where the benefits of the maquiladora industry can be maximized while the costs are minimized? Results from four best practice, responsible maquilas in Guatemala will be considered in this thesis. The maquilas used as case examples, Intraexa, Esdisa, Korarnsa, and Cardiz, all share similar standards of operation. They are all in compliance with Guatemalan labor law; some even go beyond what the law requires. Each of the factories is certified as complying with all of the principles in AGEXPRONT's Code …

Astride The Black Horse : The Politicization Of Famine Relief Operations In The Third World, Jon Bolton

Honors Theses

The twentieth century is likely to hold the dubious distinction of being the century in which more people will die of famine than any other. While the growth of technology and prosperity that characterized this century has been unprecedented in the history of humankind, this growth has not been distributed equally throughout the world, producing regions, even entire continents, characterized by abject poverty. Added to this, the purposeful exploitation of many of these underdeveloped regions by Northern colonizers and slavers in the last century has created chronically unstable and underdeveloped countries in which famine is a constant threat. Thus, disasters …

Authoritative Leadership In Economic Development : A Malaysian Case Study, John Carleton

Honors Theses

The count of Malaysia has its share of resources with which it has developed into a world trading power. Alongside the other Newly Industrialized Economies (NIEs), it has profited from a hard-working citizenry, natural wealth in geography or resources, and a stable government. However; this country has been able to lift itself above its peers and other countries in the world beyond the limits prescribed by these benefits alone. The reason behind this success may be found by looking at the country's historical and recent leadership trends. Since the country's inception, the public leaders of Malaysia have imposed upon its …

The Re-Election Of Incumbent Presidents : Wars, War Heroes, Patriots, And Prosperity, Brian Kelly

Honors Theses

In 1789 the fledgling nation of the United States of America unanimously elected its first president, a war hero named George Washington. In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, Washington served a four-year term, at the completion of which he ran again for president. He won, and after four more years, was succeeded by his vice-president, John Adams, who defeated Thomas Jefferson to become the second president of the United States of America. Four years later Jefferson would turn the tables on his victor and defeat Adams to become the nation's third president.

An investigation of the seventeen successful …

A Look At Collaborative Leadership In The Inner City Business Growth Of Two American Cities, Christian J. Dawson

Honors Theses

The ultimate goal of the following research project is to explore how public / private partnerships can be most effective in revitalizing and sustaining inner city economic growth. It presents two academic models which have been synthesized in an attempt to explain how vici collaborative leadership is best utilized as a tool by communities who are eager to effectively formulate, manipulate and sustain a downtown revitalization project.

Preserving The Arts For Future Generations, Adrienne Capps

Honors Theses

The majority of arts supporters and enthusiasts these days are older persons. The large amount of leisure time these people have is one reason why they support the arts, but the biggest reason is because they were taught to value the arts when they were young. In today's society where children and young adults are faced with difficult issues that even their parents did not have to confront. such as drugs, sexual orientation, violence, suicide, guns, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, rape, murder, and many others, the arts take a place in the far back seat. Often due to these …

The Power Of Prime-Time Television, Chris Boyd

Honors Theses

I intend to illustrate the possibilities of prime-time television's impact on creating positive social change. For this to occur, television would be acting as a leader to the audiences at home. Through the images shown on screen, lessons would be learned and attitudes would be changes. This change can happen through various avenues, but they all lead to the same goal, an improved society.

For Black Leaders : A Study Of West African And African-American Leadership, Markita M. Boney

Honors Theses

Ninety-two years ago WEB DuBois wrote, "The Problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the Color Line." This line is not just one experiences by blacks or merely a problem for the United States, but, rather, a problem the entire world faces. Many events in this century have supported his statement. However, I feel that the problem for Black America is the lack of intellectual and spiritual leadership within our community.

Campaign Managers: Strategic Leaders Or Organizational Administrators, Chris Smith

Honors Theses

Through this paper I will address not only the subject of campaign managers, but the relationship between managers and candidates, the relationship between managers and the rest of the campaign organization, and the role of campaign managers as leaders. Though many trade journals and news magazines, such as Time and Newsweek have reported what are essentially case studies of campaign managers in national presidential elections, there has been very little synthesis and generalization of this information to other national campaign organizations, or to campaign organizations at the state and local levels. Even scholarly studies that do minimally focus upon the …