Digital Commons Network^™

Democracy, Texas Education, And The Myth Of Local Control, Sarah Hays

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Beethoven's Opus 96: The Sonata For Piano And Violin Perfected, Paul S. Roberts

Honors Theses

This thesis attempts to shed light on Beethoven's final sonata for Piano and Violin, the Sonata for Piano and Violin op. 96 in G major. Presented first is a survey of music for violin and piano throughout previous centuries (in itself a valuable resource for those who want to approach this ambiguous and disorganized subject) followed by a discussion of Beethoven's sonatas leading up to the composition of Opus 96. Then follows a more detailed discussion of the piece itself as seen through the eyes (more accurately, heard through the ears) of one who has prepared a performance of it …

Geothermal Energy Potential In Oktibbeha County: Is Mississippi Really Hot?, Cary Ruth Lindsey

Honors Theses

Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable, base load (always available) energy source. Advances in geothermal technology are making it possible to produce electricity at temperatures heretofore thought impossible. The last geothermal assessment of Mississippi was in 1976 and focused on extreme southern areas of the state. The conclusion of this assessment was positive, yet no further studies have been completed. Recent geothermal resource maps of Mississippi show the potential for thousands of megawatts of this unlimited energy source. This assessment focuses on Oktibbeha County in North Central Mississippi, an area of active fossil fuel production. Well logs were reviewed to …

Just Good Advice: The American Advisors In The Vietnam War, Anna Rikki Nelson

Honors Theses

This thesis uses government documents and post-combat interviews to explore the effectiveness of the American Advisory effort during the Vietnam War. This study focuses on the war in 1963 and 1964 before American ground forces entered the war and the advisory effort changed to include supporting American forces. By analyzing the reasons given by each advisor for his successes and failures, the American military could learn why the initial advisory effort failed, and why some American advisors could not work well with their counterparts in the Vietnamese leadership.

Chapter One examines the advisory effort as a whole before and during …

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 …

Preparation And Performance Of A Twentieth Century Operatic Monologue, Danielle L. Adams

Honors Theses

Celebrated as having written “songs for the ages”, twentieth century American composer Lee Hoiby is known for having composed tonal, lyrical music in a time when his peers were exploring serialism and atonality. Now regarded as a monumental contributor to American music, he composed songs, operas, and choral works as well as instrumental and chamber music. Hoiby’s compositions are especially revered by singers, many of whom state that Hoiby was gifted at writing highly crafted songs because he “knew the voice”. Although his works did not achieve as much fame in his lifetime as the atonal works of his contemporaries, …

Barriers To Group Fitness Participation For Students, Faculty, And Staff At A Rural University, Tyler Harwell

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Smart Meter Technology And The Effects On Grocery Retailers, Cara Cremeans

Honors Theses

This study investigates the relationship grocery retailers have with their utility company and the smart meter technologies that will be implemented in their grocery stores in the near future. I engaged in background research and conducted qualitative interviews of several Chief Executive Officers and owners of local grocery supermarkets, as well as a contract Chief Financial Officer who works closely with small grocery retail stores. For each interview, the men were asked a series of questions relating to sustainability, smart meters, and store operations.

Saving money at grocery retail stores does not notably come in the form of energy consumption, …

Behavioral Training Relations: Transferring Behavioral Contingencies From Shelter To Home Settings Through Online Enrichment., Alaina Birchmeier

Honors Theses

Behavioral analysis can be used in our everyday lives to better our environment. Unfortunately, most do not know the behavioral principles, and therefore cannot apply it effectively. Just one area in which behavioral analysis can better our lives is in training our pets. These training techniques are not only useful, they are often sought after. The Kalamazoo area has a few resources which can help train dogs, however all are associated with fees and are still not very informative. In order to fill this void, I have made a website for the general public use, along with psychology students. The …

Impact Of Adoption Of Ifrs 8 On Quality Of Financial Reporting Of Foreign Companies Listed On U.S. Securities Exchanges, Qiqi Li

Honors Theses

In this study, the results on the difference between reporting under IFRS 8 “Operating Segments” and under IAS 14 “Segment Reporting” are reported for a sample of foreign publicly traded companies listed on the U.S. stock exchanges for the periods of pre- and post-adoption of IFRS 8. Seven aspects related to the comparison are examined: definition of segments, number of segments disclosed, line items reported for each segment, number of items and words reported for segments, number of geographic areas disclosed, definition of geographic segments, and items reported in geographic disclosure. Upon adopting IFRS 8, the …

The Confessional Model And Sectarian Politics: Lessons From Lebanon And The Future Of Iraq, Scott Preston

Honors Theses

This paper uses education policy as a case study in order to examine the issues affiliated with the Confessional model of government and compares Lebanon’s education sector with Iraq to inspect the universality of those issues. There are many features that make the country of Lebanon unique, but perhaps none more characterizing than its one-of-a-kind Confessional government. According to the tenants of Confessionalism specific government offices are to be reserved for specific ethnic groups. The system was an innovative experiment imposed by the French as a means to guarantee various communal groups representation within the government in an effort to …

Investigating The Attitudes Of Pre-Service Early Childhood Educators Concerning Their Attitudes Toward Physical Activity In The Early Years, Rebecca Forbus

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

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 …

The Investigation Of Risk Factors For Upper Respiratory Infections Among College Students, Romie Barnes

Honors Theses

Upper respiratory tract infections and cold-like illnesses are common sources of morbidity among college students. The emphasis of hand-washing and reducing the dispersal of aerosol droplets by covering coughs and sneezes reduces the spread of the common cold. However, less emphasis is placed on other risk factors for reducing cold-like illness such as: stress level and physical activity (Doyle and Cohens 2009). An increase in stress and a decrease in physical activity are common among college students (Nichol et al 2005). For this reason, the present study analyzed the effects of stress and physical activity on the incidence of upper …

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 …

Understanding The Motivational Factors For College Students To Remain Non-Smokers, Chanler Hilley

Honors Theses

Cigarette smoking has long been recognized as a negative health behavior. Numerous studies have linked cigarette smoking to cancer, heart and circulatory problems, lung disease, and an array of other health issues, leading to lower quality of life and premature death. There is a wealth of knowledge relating to the negative outcomes of smoking behavior (USDHHS, 2010) and the factors leading to smoking behavior among adolescents (USDHHS, 2012). However, researchers have studied factors leading to nonsmoking behavior much less. The present study uses the Theory of Planned Behavior to understand the motivational factors that lead to a student's nonsmoking behavior, …

Founding Clown Town: Applying Classical Methods To Devise New Works, Leslie Miller

Honors Theses

As a senior in high school, I only had one thing I knew I wanted to do with my life. Theatre was my passion and had been for many years. I had elected to attend art-focused schools since middle school and truly felt at home in artistic communities. At the time, I just needed an in-state school; I assumed that I would have to go to graduate school to really pursue my specific passion of physical theatre. Yet I am now in Tuscany, Italy, experiencing the epitome of my scholastic career by creating a piece of physical theatre for myself …

A Case Study Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Rebecca Lynch

Honors Theses

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a physiological disorder that causes many negative effects involving a variety of systems in the body, such as the endocrine, metabolic, psychological, and reproductive systems. This paper will explore the complex mechanisms behind the manifestation of PCOS and how these, and other factors, may make diagnosis difficult. In order to thoroughly understand these aspects of PCOS, the causes, symptoms, and treatments were explored. The diversity of causes and symptoms of the disease add to the difficulty in diagnosis and treatment of PCOS. The best treatment option varies among individuals, and the effectiveness of each treatment …

Phylogeography Of Sepioteuthis Lessoniana (The Bigfin Reef Squid) And Uroteuthis Duvauceli (The Indian Squid)., Alexis M. Bergman

Honors Theses

Sepioteuthis lessoniana (the bigfin reef squid) and Uroteuthis duvauceli (the Indian squid) are two squid species found in largely overlapping regions in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. While both squids are important to fisheries throughout their ranges, very little taxonomic work has been done on either of them. Previous studies have led scientists to believe that S. lessoniana is actually a species complex (for example, there appear to be three species of “S. cf. lessoniana” in Japanese waters alone). The similarly broad geographic range of U. duvauceli suggests that this species could also harbor substantial …

Women And The Epistemologies Of Pleasure: An Analysis Of Female Sexual Appetites And Practices At Bucknell University, Heather Wakeman

Honors Theses

Using an epistemological and feminist lens, this thesis analyzes the political and social forces that actively construct both knowledge and ignorance around female sexual pleasure. It draws from interviews and a focus group, all conducted at Bucknell Unviersity to explore the journeys that women take to gain knowledge about sexual pleasure, and how the sources and cultural mores that women in the twenty-first century rely on or go up against in order to gain such knowledge are often limited, unauthorized or phallocentric. This aids in the construction and perpetuation of ignorance. This thesis looks at how women feel shame or …

Visualization Techniques For The Analysis Of Network Simulation Results, Chris Main

Honors Theses

The Simulation Automation Framework for Experiments (SAFE) streamlines the de- sign and execution of experiments with the ns-3 network simulator. SAFE ensures that best practices are followed throughout the workflow a network simulation study, guaranteeing that results are both credible and reproducible by third parties. Data analysis is a crucial part of this workflow, where mistakes are often made. Even when appearing in highly regarded venues, scientific graphics in numerous network simulation publications fail to include graphic titles, units, legends, and confidence intervals. After studying the literature in network simulation methodology and in- formation graphics visualization, I developed a visualization …

Chinese Whiteness: The Discourse Of Race In Modern And Contemporary Chinese Culture, Kirstin Clouser

Honors Theses

This thesis chronicles the development of western forms of race and racism in China. It then studies contemporary China using theories derived from whiteness studies in order to explain the unique position that whites (Caucasians) have in China today. In Chapter I, I break down the definition of race and introduce a foundation for a whiteness studies approach to research. In Chapter II, I analyze how Chinese classified themselves and other humans prior to the western system of race. In Chapter III, I chronicle the introduction of western forms of race and racism to China, and the appropriation of these …

Investigation Of Leucine And Glutamic Acid Properties From The Nanoscale To The Macroscale, Thuong Ngoc Phan

Honors Theses

Aerosols are known to have important effects on climate, the atmosphere, and human health. The extent of those effects is unknown and largely depend on the interaction of aerosols with water in the atmosphere. Ambient aerosols are complex mixtures of both inorganic and organic compounds. The cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activities, hygroscopic behavior and particle morphology of a monocarboxylic amino acid (leucine) and a dicarboxylic amino acid (glutamic acid) were investigated. Activation diameters at various supersaturation conditions were experimentally determined and compared with Köhler theoretical values. The theory accounts for both surface tension and the limited solubility of organic compounds. …

Dads, Daughters, And Disney: The Historical Trajectory Of Fairy Tale Fathers And Daughters, Katie Mancino

Honors Theses

In my thesis I use a historical approach to close readings of fairy tale texts and movies to study the evolution of fathers, daughters, and marriage within three landmark tales: ¿Cinderella,¿ ¿Sleeping Beauty,¿ and ¿Snow White.¿ Using the works of Giambattista Basile, Charles Perrault, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, and Walt Disney and his cohort of animators, I trace the historical trajectory of these three elements, analyzing both the ways they change and develop as history progresses as well as the ways they remain consistent. Through close and comparative readings of primary sources and films, I demonstrate the power structures and …

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 …

Plato's Doctrine Of Forms: Modern Misunderstandings, Chris Renaud

Honors Theses

Among the philosophical ideas of Plato, perhaps the most famous is his doctrine of forms. This doctrine has faced harsh criticism due, in large part, to the interpretations of this position by modern philosophers such as René Descartes, John Locke, and Immanuel Kant. For example, Plato has been interpreted as presenting a ¿two-worlds¿ approach to form and thing and as advancing a rationalist approach to epistemology. His forms have often been interpreted as ideas and as perfect copies of the things of the visible world. In this thesis, I argue that these, along with other interpretations of Plato presented by …

Where Is "Home"? Value Conflicts, Identity Crises And The Formation Of Cosmopolitan Identity In Myanmar Students Studying In The United States, Hein Tun

Honors Theses

Fully engaging in a new culture means translating oneself into a different set of cultural values, and many of the values can be foreign to the individual. The individual may face conflicting tensions between the psychological need to be a part of the new society and feelings of guilt or betrayal towards the former society, culture or self. Many international students from Myanmar, most of whom have little international experience, undergo this value and cultural translation during their time in American colleges. It is commonly assumed that something will be lost in the process of translation and that the students …

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 …