Digital Commons Network^™

Constructing Muammar Al-Gaddafi, Kristin Kushlan

Honors Theses

Rhetoricians such as Robert Ivie and George Lakoffhave examined the use of language of opposition to create and control various enemies during the War on Terror, but they have also ignored or overlooked numerous cases. This paper will examine one such case, that of Muammar al-Gaddafi, whose reciprocal violence eventually succumbed to the oppressor's global economic power. This case study will explore how the U.S. government rhetorically constructed Gaddafi in order to control both his identity within American society (as either an enemy or an ally), as well as the counter-violence that Gaddafi supposedly enacted against Western systems of power. …

The Stones And The Bones: Contemporary Issues In Cultural Property, Christopher Michael Blocker

Honors Theses

Cultural property has recently become an important issue in the international community. Major museums across the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum, have been involved in litigation or settled out of court with foreign governments who claim objects in their museums' collections were looted or stolen from native soil. The topic of repatriation occupies one aspect of the thesis. Another section is concern with the philosophical framework within which people may think about cultural property and its implications, as well as about vital issues in ownership. The major part of the thesis …

A Study On Bruce, Mississippi, Susan Nicola Penman

Honors Theses

This is a paper about the people who live, or have lived, in Bruce, Mississippi. Between September 2004 and March 2007 I made photographs in the town; between September 2005 and December 2006 I conducted 19 interviews with 19 different town residents. Each interview was slightly different; the questions I asked varied according to such factors as the occupation and age of the interviewee, the position the interviewee had in the town society, and the particular issues I was interested in exploring at the time. My questions changed and developed as I learned more about the town. As a result, …

Blood Assays In The Freshwater Turtle, Trachemys Scripta, With Emphasis On Methemoglobin Levels, Erin Melissa Floyd

Honors Theses

Confined Animal Feeding Operations pollute water supplies with excess animal wastes containing different sources of nitrogen. How can we measure the damage being done? Methemoglobin percentages give the degree of toxicity of nitrates and nitrites in the environment. Methemoglobin is a variant of hemoglobin in which the ferrous ion has been oxidized to the ferric state. In this state, oxygen can no longer be transported by hemoglobin which is detrimental to the organism affected. Blood assays were conducted on the freshwater turtle, Trachemys scripta. In addition to methemoglobin analysis other assays including oxyhemoglobin saturation, red and white blood cell counts, …

Growth And Immunocomptence In Parasitized Domestic Turkeys( Meleagris Gallapavo): Is There A Trade-Off?, Virginia Austin Harrison

Honors Theses

Parasitic infection can prove to be detrimental to the condition, reproductive fitness, and survival of the host organism. During infection, an organism experiences trade-offs between functions such as growth, reproduction, and immunological activity as a result of limited resources. When challenged by infection, wild turkeys, adapted for survival, should fight the infection rather than invest in growth. Because domestic turkeys have been artificially selected to grow rapidly, I hypothesized that they would invest in growth rather than immunocompetence. To test this hypothesis, I infected domestic turkeys with coccidia and measured components of growth and immunocompetence. Turkeys were infected with the …

Across The Racial Divide: Women Writing Women In Select Post-Civil Rights Fiction, Marty Marie Hitt

Honors Theses

In this paper we present the mathematical methods necessary to utilize the Rivest. Shamir, and Adleman (RSA) cryptosystem. Beginning witn the Divi sion Theorem and an introduction to modular arithmetic we then delve brieflv into group theory, leading up to our presentation of LaGrange’s Theorem. Next we prove Fermat’s Little Theorem, Wilson's Theorem, and Euler's Theorem. arriving at a definition and explanation of the RSA method. We conclude this paper with a short discussion of prime generating techniques, focusing our attention on Pocklington’s prime determination method.

Genetic Variation And Immune Response In The Wolf Spider: Rabidosa Rabida, Patrice Louise Jones

Honors Theses

Genetic variation has been shown to positively correlate with the strength of the immune response, especially in vertebrates. Smaller populations have less genetic diversity than larger populations as a result of random genetic drift. We estimated heterozygosity levels for six populations, which were known to vary significantly in size^ using 15 microsatellite loci. We wished to see if generalized loss of genetic variation, as measured by a random sample of neutral loci, would correlate with levels of immune response to a physical challenge (needle prick). Experiments were performed using the wolf spider species Rabidosa rabida. Immune response was measured as …

Elusive Peace: A Comparative Analysis Of Civil Wars And Conflict Resolution In El Salvador And Colombia, Jessica Bryant

Honors Theses

This study compares the historical contexts of the rise of civil wars and their modem trajectories in Colombia and El Salvador. Through an analysis of the successful negotiation of peace in the Salvadoran case via a United Nations peacekeeping mission, it makes conclusions about the relevancy of such an operation for obtaining peace in Colombia. After a brief discussion of the United Nations evolving peacekeeping mandate and recent literature about this type of peace negotiation, this thesis examines each country’s history and its war’s termination (in the case of El Salvador) and transformation (in the case of Colombia). Recent literature …

The Bonds They Form: An Analysis Of Women's Relationships In Margaret Atwood's Lady Oracle, Cat's Eye, And The Robber Bride, Kimberly Elizabeth Debrock

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

An Initial Evaluation Of Select Social Welfare Programs Instated By Hugo Chavez, Maria Catarina Gutierrez

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Caesar The Leader, William Johnston Oppenheimer

Honors Theses

Throughout the course of this work I discuss Caesar as a leader, examining the strategies that allowed him to be continually successful throughout his career. I begin with a description of leadership theory, explaining the characteristics and skill necessary for effective leadership. I then proceed with an outline of his life and political career, from his exile during Sulla’s dictatorship to his ultimate demise. I include an explanation of the historical political situation facing Rome as Caesar entered politics as well. I then describe his early political career and his tenure in Gaul, using specific instances illustrating his effective leadership …

Rage, Remembrance, Redemption: The Poetic Response To Aids, Samuel Douglas Ray

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the works of three poets whose works offer a response to the AIDS epidemic: Thom Gunn, Paul Monette, and Mark Doty. With chapters dedicated to each poefs work individually, the thesis examines the works in terms of thematic content, formal characteristics, and sociopolitical relevance. The three central chapters are framed by personal essays that also explore general characteristics of AIDS poetry In the great tradition of the elegy and the lyric. While all three poets offer narratives alternative to the political discourse surrounding the disease, each poet's response is unique - just as each poet's relationship to …

Environment, Behavior, And Internal Consciousness: A Study Of Space And Time In Dostoevsky, Laura Claire Bagwell

Honors Theses

Individual and public space creates the reality of daily existence for a human being. The ideological perspectives a person maintains are direct products of individual space experience because the larger societal context of a region constructs the norms for behavior and belief Dostoevsky writes concentration narratives that focus on the urban and rural space surrounding a protagonist, and contrasts between these two settings to illustrate the impact of environment on the human psyche. This study examines the use of external conditions to describe literary characters and the ideologies and behaviors they maintain. In researching space and time in the literature …

Pov-It: The Pov-Ray Interactive Tutorial, Eleanor O'Rourke

Honors Theses

The Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer, commonly known as POV-Ray, is a computer graphics package that can be used to produce highly sophisticated and photorealistic images and animations. POV-Ray is widely used in the computer graphics community for a diverse variety of applications, including teaching college courses, creating visual music animations, and generating computer art. Although the popularity of POV-Ray is apparent, the teaching materials available for the package are confusing, disorganized, and inaccessible. In this project, I have designed an online system that provides a series of interactive tutorials that teach users how to create images using the POV-Ray …

Gardening Programs In Schools: A Proposed Solution To Reverse The Consequences Of The Current American Food Culture, Charlotte Grace Blessey

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the problems with current food consumption and production practices, and proposes the implementation of school gardening programs as a possible remedy to these problems. Methods and procedures consisted of research on current publications, periodicals, internet sources and scholarly articles concerning these topics. It was found that current diet is a significant factor in widespread health problems facing populations today. This diet is intertwined with an environmentally destructive and vulnerable system of intensive industrial agriculture based on centralization, mass distribution, and standardization. School garden programs target children beginning at a young age and help to counter the culture …

Dynamics Of Transcriptional Repression By Λ Cro Repressor In Vivo, Dustin Land Markle

Honors Theses

Cro is a regulatory protein that participates in the life cycle switch of bacteriophage lambda (X). While wild-type Cro is produced as a single domain polypeptide monomer, two monomers must assemble to form a dimer before Cro can act as a functional transcriptional repressor. We suspect that dimerization of Cro monomers determines, in part, the dynamics of the activity of the protein in vivo. Rate and equilibrium constants for dimerization of several Cro variants have already been determined in vitro,, and dimerization of Cro monomers is slow relative to other similar proteins. This study is concerned with exploring the in …

The Interplay Between History And Religious Ambivalence In John Updike's Rabbit Tetralogy, Kathryn Sewell Gillen

Honors Theses

The protagonist of John Updike’s Rabbit Tetralogy, Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, is examined and explained in terms of his ambivalence and spiritual concerns. Rabbit is commonly accepted as a socio-historical symbol - an “American Everyman” - but this explanation alone fails to account for his inclination towards the unknown. Combining Rabbit the symbol with Rabbit the individual allows for a more complete understanding of Updike’s intent to make a statement that is both political and theological. Rabbit’s continual movement between extremes (his ambivalence) is considered foremost. Rabbit’s indecision is a constant throughout the four novels, his most defining characteristic. Once this …

Life On Utila, Blake Savier Mogabgab

Honors Theses

Sentence fragment. As an English major and an amateur writer. I am told never to use one ot these, that I have not earned the right to use them yet. I don't know when ril earn that right, but I suppose it is too late now'. I hope this tells you a little about me. about w'hat I am doing. I would have never tried a stunt like that before, but things are different now. Last summer, the last one before graduating college, I set out to find a story: instead, the story found me. like God found Noah. It …

Out Of The Agrarian Closet: Rereading The Velvet Horn By Its Queer Currents, Jacob W. Brasher

Honors Theses

Jacob W. Brasher: Out of the Agrarian Closet: Rereading The Velvet Horn by its Queer Currents This thesis begins with an analysis of Agrarianism and its effects upon the popularity of a Southern writer, Andrew Nelson Lytle, and his crowning work. The Velvet Horn. Agrarianism was introduced to society in 1930 through the volume. I'll Take Mv Stand, to which Lytle contributed an essay, “The Hind Tit,” and was immediately and summarily rejected as a viable economical philosophy for the South. The thesis concludes that Agrarianism's unpopularity combined with Lytle's devotion to it throughout his life ultimately damaged his popularity …

Huka Entertainment: Creating A Full-Service Concert Event Company Focusing On Concert Promotion, Talent Buying, And Ticketing, Bennett Alexander Drago

Honors Theses

For my thesis I took an in-depth look at HUKA Entertainment, which is the company I co-founded in January 2006. The paper is divided into two major sections. The first section of the paper covers our largest event to date: The 92 ZEW Late Night Concert Series. This section of the paper also covers the many business opportunities in the music industry, the history of HUKA Entertainment, and all the elements it takes to produce a live event. The second section of the paper covers a detailed marketing plan for HUKA’s current status and its future plans. After HUKA Entertainment …

Gifts And Curses: Prometheus' Theft Of Fire In The Works Of Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley, And Lord Byron, Natalie Nicole Hopper

Honors Theses

The myth of Prometheus and his theft of fire is a popular theme in Romantic literature; however, each Romantic author has a different story to tell about the ancient Titan. This thesis examines three Romantic authors and their distinct approaches to the Promethean myth. Percy Shelley portrays Prometheus as a hero worthy of adoration, Mary Shelley depicts him as inconsiderate and power hungry, and Lord Byron paints the picture of a noble—yet troubled—figure. The diverse ideologies and personal experiences of these three writers cause them to view the motives and consequences of Prometheus in drastically different lights.

Stability Studies Of Domain 2 Of Neural Cadherin, John Kyle Mccool

Honors Theses

Neural cadherin is a member of a family of calcium binding cell adhesion molecules. These cell surface proteins mediate intercellular adhesion through association of protomers on the same cell surface to form lateral interactions, and juxtaposed cells then undergo adhesive interaction. This action occurs by ordered calcium dependent associations mediated through the five extracellular N-terminus β-barrel domains. While the critical function and structure of classic cadherin is well established, the energetic mechanism of adhesion is still unclear. This study includes experiments into the purification and stability of Domain 2 in neural cadherin with the motivation that Domain 2 is a …

Cruciform Extrusion In Methylation-State Variants Of Pbr322 Plasmid, Lucas Morgan Mcelwain

Honors Theses

The presence of DNA secondary structures in genomic DNA has been observed in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Specifically, sections of ssDNA may melt out and form cruciform/hairpin structures within palindromic sequences or areas of high purine content. Negative supercoiling of the DNA is necessary for energetic favorability of such an event. These noncanonical structures may serve as molecular switches, providing additional regulation of DNA transactions such as transcription and perhaps replication and recombination. Secondary structures associated with regulatory regions are of particular interest as potential sites for the binding of small molecules, which could alter the expression of genes. The …

Mexico's Cult Of Death: An Analysis Of The Days Of The Dead And Its Literary And Artistic Counterparts, Samantha Kay Pettit

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the Mexican celebration known as Days of the Dead and some of the literary and artistic efforts based on it. Research was conducted during a four-month study abroad program in Queretaro, Mexico, during the fall of 2006 and during the spring semester of 2007 through the completion of an independent research course under the direction of Dr. Melvin Arrington. An investigation of Aztec and pre- Hispanic ideologies was conducted, and an analysis of the celebration’s transformation since the Spanish Conquest through modem times was undertaken, including a consideration of the resultant syncretism between pre-Hispanic religion and Catholicism. …

Bipartisan Efforts To Deter Human Rights Violations On The U.S.-Mexico Border, James Scott Jimenez

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I wanted to look at the movement of human rights of legal and illegal immigrants across the U.S.- Mexico border. I researched the theory of human rights in general, the history of the U.S.- Mexico border and how it became violent and dangerous for potential immigrants, the previous efforts of both the United States and Mexico to improve the situation along the border as well as future plans of both countries’ administrations to solve the problem. I found that both countries have put forth efforts in regards to binational coordination along the border in order to deter …

Bowen Family Systems Theory In The Life And Works Of Ernest Hemingway, Allison Brooke Morgan

Honors Theses

For my thesis I researched Bowen Family Systems Theory, a psychological theory that concentrates, not on the individual, but rather on the system within which an individual is involved as a means of explaining behavior. After further explaining this theory in terms of its eight concepts, I looked at the life of Ernest Hemingway, his relationships, his writing style and central theme, his success, and his hardships. For his works, I concentrated on Hemingway’s collection of orgamc short stories entitled In Our Time for the application of Bowen Theory. My research has led me to conclude that Hemingway managed anxiety …

Motivating Genocide: Indirect Colonial Rule As A Motivator Of Genocidal Ideology And Policy, Trevor Bruce Rockstad

Honors Theses

In this study I have explored indirect colonial rule as a motivation of genocide. I use case studies of the 1994 Rwandan and 1975 Cambodian genocides to illustrate the way that indirect colonially rule divided societies, creating colonially relegated and colonially elevated sections of society. Genocide becomes a more likely possibility if the colonially relegated group gains power after decolonization. If this group does gain power, it will pursue a policy of retribution for oppression suffered during the colonially period, repression of the colonially elevated group, and minimization of the return to the colonially order in which they were the …

The Art Of War : Deconstructing The Monolith Of The World War Ii Poster, Sean Williams

Honors Theses

For most Americans, the introduction to World War II posters, or even the entire field of posters during wartime in general, comes in the form of an elderly, yet bold looking man wearing red, white and blue. He wears a striped hat, and stands with his finger pointed outwards. The message he gives is clear --"I want YOU!" This image has been faithfully reproduced in social studies and history textbooks for years. (Indeed, both generations of my family saw such an image in their school books).

Uncle Sam, though, dapper as he may be, is merely one example of hundreds …

Refiguring History : The Works Of Faith Ringgold And Kara Walker, Amy Bradshaw

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I seek to investigate various elements that the works of Faith

Ringgo ld (b 1930) and Kara Walker (b 1969) have in common as well as explore the

differences. My method is to begin with an examination of the work of Ringgold on its

own and follow with an analy sis of the work of Walker. While dealing with Walker, I

continue an examination of Ringgold so that the work of both artist s and the connections

and differences between the two become clearer.

The War On Inequality : Subtleties In The Perceptions Of Women Leaders, Adrienne Supino

Honors Theses

We studied whether the incongruity between the female gender role and stereotypically masculine leadership roles can lead people, particularly men and sex-typed individuals, to negatively perceive women in this type of leadership role. A study was designed to investigate whether the gender of a potential appointee to the historically masculine leadership role of Secretary of Defense, in either a time of peace or terror, affected people's perceptions of this person. Fifty-three participants read one of four articles containing biographical information about either a male or female candidate for the post, in either a peace context or a terror context. We …