Digital Commons Network^™

Detecting Improvised Explosive Devices Via Forward Looking Ground Penetrating Radar, Will Woods

Honors Theses

Forward-looking ground penetrating radar shows promise for detection of improvised explosive devices in active war zones. Because of certain insurmountable physical limitations, post-processing algorithm development is the most popular research topic in this field. One such investigative avenue explores the worthiness of frequency analysis during data post-processing. Using the finite difference time domain numerical method, simulations are run to test both mine and clutter frequency response. Mines are found to respond strongest at low frequencies and cause periodic changes in ground penetrating radar frequency results. These results are called into question, however, when clutter, a phenomenon generally known to be …

Rosie The Riveter Vs. Helen The Homemaker : Advertising And The Role Of Women In America After World War Ii, Christina Pfaff

Honors Theses

At the outbreak of World War II millions of servicemen left the United States to fight overseas, creating a great demand for workers in the production industries. Although the government identified women as the ideal source to fill the labor gap, a harsh stigma against the female worker existed from the Depression era. The United States government launched a recruitment campaign in collaboration with major advertising agencies and well-known artists in an effort to overcome this stigma and persuade women to join the industrial workforce. This recruitment campaign centered on the image of "Rosie the Riveter." This paper discusses the …

Presidential Leadership In Health Care Reform, Ashley G. Miles

Honors Theses

Through conducting this research, I observed that while many leadership scholars cite persuasion, imaginary communities, follower engagement, serving as a symbol, and responding to the public's distrust of authority as effective means to meet the end of effective leadership, all of these tools were methods of influencing public opinion toward a specific end, rather than educating the public about all sides of an issue. Americans' anxieties regarding security, liberty, and choice, while complex, have roots in the public lacking a clear understanding about what impacts public policy will have on their private lives. Looking back on Clinton's and Obama's reform …

Sorority Women, Presidential Men, And The Enneagram : An Analysis Of Personality And Leadership, Carly Cameron

Honors Theses

The following thesis includes an extensive literature review of the literature on personality and the Enneagram as well a review of the literature regarding presidential effectiveness, presidential personality, and leadership. Study 1 explored sorority leadership and the Enneagram and Study 2 examined presidential leadership in light of the Enneagram Model of Personality.

An Exploration Of Process Observation And Practical Application In Devised Theatre, Anna Elizabeth Donnell

Honors Theses

In my research, I encountered a particular methodology of creating plays known as devised or collaborative theatre. In this form, the ensemble collaboratively contributes to all aspects of the production, including the processes of writing. production, direction and performance. Therefore, working with such a method would provide the most desirable test culture for me to examine the development of a play from initial inspiration to eventual materialization. In this way, I theorized that I would gain a better understanding of the creative roots of theatrical expression as well as of the mechanisms of devised theatre as a means to that …

Die(A-Lect) Another Day: The Role Of Luxembourgish As It Compares To French And German In Luxembourg Today, Devon Leigh Emig

Honors Theses

This paper examines the use of Luxembourgish in both oral and witten communication. It explores the use or Luxembourgish in newspaper announcements,and the ways in which individuals use language to communicate with others. Data was collected over a period of time from a Luxembourgish newspaper that accepts announcements in all three of the nation's official languages. Language choice in television programming and book publications were then considered in examination of language choice and audience. Book publication lists were obtained from the National Library of Luxembourg catalogue, and were sorted by city of publication and by year. Television programming was available …

Crank Dat Soulja Boy: Understanding Black Male Hip Hop Aspiration In Rural Mississippi, Bruce O'Brian Foster

Honors Theses

Aspirations and attainment are affected by a number of factors, including socioeconomic status, neighborhood setting, family influence, and peer socialization. While previous scholarship has focused on these factors, separately and collectively, this research will examine an understudied but prevalent dynamic; Hip-Hop aspirations. Specifically, this research focuses on the relationship between aspirations to r^ and the space/place dynamics of the rural South. Drawing on qualitative data collected in rural. Southern communities through ethnographic research methods, this research explores how Black male aspirations may manifest themselves in ways that have come to be perceived as alternative and oppositional.

But Is It Art?: The Significance Of Graphic Design In The Modern Era, Johnny Franklin Miles Iii

Honors Theses

The subject of this thesis is graphic design: specifically, the history of graphic design from the Victorian Period in the late nineteenth century until the end of the Modernist Era around the mid-twentieth century. This time period encompasses perhaps the most important developments in the brief history of graphic design, therefore it is a good place to start when considering the central question this thesis process of whether graphic design is art. The terminology used to disucss the hsitory of graphic design in this thesis--the Romantic Era, the Modernist Era, the Postmoderinist Era--is the same terminology used to describe the …

And Justice For All: Non-Native English Speakers In The American Legal System, Leah Michelle Nodar

Honors Theses

One of the most important rights enshrined in the American Constitution is the right to due process of law. However, the execution of this right has been sporadic, and some groups have been consistently disadvantaged. Speakers of English as a second language make up one such group, especially limited English proficiency (LEP) speakers. LEP speakers' access to due process took a step forward with the 1978 Court Interpreters Act, which guaranteed interpreters for anyone who ‘‘speaks only or primarily a language other than the English language." However, decisions as to who speaks “primarily” a foreign language and who speaks English …

Art & Ideologies: A Comparative Analysis Of The Relationships Between Augustus And Livy And Napoleon And David, Hannah Leigh Penley

Honors Theses

This thesis is an exploration of the relationships between the emperors Augustus and Napoleon and the artists Livy and David, with the specific focus on the influences the two artists had on the core ideologies of the rulers.

Confucianism And The Modern East Asian, Paul Jennings Treutel

Honors Theses

This thesis sought to measure “Confucianism” in China, Japan, and South Korea. To this end, a thorough investigation of possible methods to measure Confucianism and exactly what “Confucianism” means was conducted. AsiaBarometer’s 2006 survey data was chosen as the basis of the quantitative portion of this study. Survey questions deemed good measures of Confucian values were compiled into four indexes. These indexes were used as dependent variables in four separate regressions, controlling for such demographic variables as age, sex, geographic location, income, etc. The regression results and their interpretation showed a picture of Confucianism considerably different than that discussed by …

An Analysis Of Culturable Bacteria Otained From Store Bought Leaf Vegetables, Kevin Christian Randolph

Honors Theses

Samples of five different varieties of leaf vegetables obtained from a local supermarket were analyzed for the presence of bacteria on both the outside (epiphytic) and inside of the plant (endophytic). For each variety, both conventionally and organically cultivated samples were analyzed. Each sample was analyzed following a typical consumer wash (so detecting both epiphytic and endophytic bacteria), and also after being surface sterilized with 1:5 bleach solution (endophytic bacteria only). Viable counts on R2A and TSA agar suggested that the majority of the bacteria of leaf vegetables were epiphytic, and total numbers range from 10 To 10 CFU/g leaf …

Ecophilosophies And Environmental Perspectives In The Amazon Rainforest: Conservation Through Sustainable Use Projects, Scarlett Ashlen Andrews

Honors Theses

Non-governmental organizations are on the forefront of conservation strategies throughout the world, and the Amazon Rainforest is one of the most crucial regions in the world for these efforts. Though many conservation strategies in the past focused on the establishment of protected areas, there has been a recent increase in projects aimed at sustainable use of land with the goal of conserving natural resources and ecosystem processes. This thesis is an exploration of sustainable use projects in the Andes-Amazon border region, specifically those projects which focus on agriculture and forestry. By comparing historical and theoretical ecophilosophies and analyzing survey responses …

Have You Put On Weight? A Study On The Effects Of Certain Factors On The Increased Presence Of Eating Disorders In Modern Chinese Women, Kelli Michele Beard

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Vehicles Of Tibetan Buddhism: Sound Energy As A Sacred Force, Thomas Earl Chandler Jr

Honors Theses

This paper focuses on a discussion of sound energy in Tibetan Buddhism emd how practitioners have transformed sound into a sacred part of their religious tradition. Two specific areas have been investigated: chordal chanting practices of certain Tibetan Buddhist lamas and death rituals and how the Tibetan Book of the Dead is used to influence a consciousness. For the section dealing with chordal chanting, most information was gained from studying secondary sources as a result of there being very little primary source material available. For the section dealing with the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the text itself was investigated …

The Second Front: The Internal Struggle For Post-Colonial Power In French Indochina And Algeria, Alexander Ludlow Cochran

Honors Theses

This thesis details events that occurred prior to, and during the French-Indochina War of 1946-1952 and the French-Algerian War of 1954-1962. In order to provide greater historical context to my area of study, I extensively researched the history of each nation in the 20*'^ Century. I utilized a variety of sources, including primary sources and secondary sources. My method of research involved the taking of copious notes, and synthesizing the information into a coherent argument and thesis. In the case studies of both Indochina and Algeria, I will provide pertinent background information about events leading up to the colonial war, …

Papy Boom And Public Pensions: Achieving Fiscal Sustainability And Intergenerational Solidarity Within The French Public Pension System, Emilie Anne Dayan

Honors Theses

Public pension programs around the world face an uncertain future. Many countries of the post-industrial world are witnessing a significant demographic shift: the aging of their respective populations. France has not escaped this demographic dilemma and the concomitant strain on its public pension system. Despite the popularity of the French welfare state, the aging of the baby boom generation, dubbed the “papy boom” in France, is shaking the foundations on which the system was established. This thesis argues that a balanced pension system is a more equitable system. This thesis presents an economic model that measures the impact of variables …

Shakespeare's Soundscape: Vocal Song In The Plays Of William Shakespeare And In Early Modern Culture., Julie Marcia Dhossche

Honors Theses

In evaluating song in early modem times we see the traveling of music through the culture, an omnipresent current that flow's through social strata and situations and can be interpreted to connect all. However, while music was pervasive in early modem society and the dominant theory of music w'as a totalizing one outlining a harmony inherent of and inspired by music, music in fact had a variety of uses among interests groups and could be a main indicator of social division. In this thesis I analyze song in Shakespeare within the frame of this seemingly paradoxical phenomenon of music as …

The Recent Trend Of Mass Killing: What Causes Civil Wars To Escalate To Using Genocide, Brenna Danielle Depies

Honors Theses

In the last century the international community has become more concerned about the damage that civil wars can cause. Over the years, more cases of civil war are reported to lead into genocide, and this thesis looks to figure out why this is. There are many scholarly theories about the origins of genocide, but I aim to focus strictly on those genocides that occur in reaction to a civil conflict. When looking at the root causes of conflict, I claim that civil wars are more likely to lead to the use of genocide if the origins of the conflict are …

De Mal En Peor: The Framing Of Felipe Calderón’S “War On Drugs” In The United States And Mexican Print Media, Peyton Britt Smith

Honors Theses

This work was written to explore the print media’s portrayal of the Mexican war on drugs started by Felipe Calderon in 2006. In order to do this, I looked at both Mexican and U.S. print media sources to compare coverage and to ascertain the frames that the media employs when covering the drug war. I analyzed national newspapers in both countries and also analyzed coverage of specific events in pairs of U.S. and Mexican city, namely Tijuana and San Diego, and Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. In my analysis frames of “war” were used repeatedly and national biases were seen …

Fundamental Humanitarian Principles In Aid Organizations: Impartiality And Neutrality In The Great Lakes Refugee Crisis, Maggie Elizabeth Savely

Honors Theses

Since the origin of formal humanitarianism with the Geneva Conventions of 1864, aid organizations have become a major player on the global stage. Humanitarian aid has gone through significant changes over the years, being influenced by international events and the evolution of international relations. As with other international actors, aid organizations encounter a number of dilemmas, and this thesis aims to address one of the more recent struggles of aid agencies. The fundamental principles of impartiality and neutrality have become controversial, especially in complex humanitarian situations such as the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. This catastrophe is known as the …

The Effects Of Economic Integration On Poverty Reduction: The Case Of Mercosur, Sarah Emily Shaw

Honors Theses

The thesis presents information on poverty reduction in the MERCOSUR full member countries: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. These countries signed the Treaty of Asuncién in 1991 and began the process of integration. Included in the original objectives of the treaty were to work for economic development to further social justice. Using data on the national economies and poverty, it was shown that poverty reduction has occurred recently in the countries. However, the reasons for this poverty reduction did not relate directly back to MERCOSUR. The international constraints on the countries were not strong enough to force the leaders to …

Branding A University's Mascot, Stanley Ryan Viner

Honors Theses

The objective of this paper is to investigate the dilemma many collegiate institutions have with the appropriateness of their symbols, particularly the mascot, and how these symbols can affect the overall brand equity of a university. Plausible connections between the mascot, symbols, and brands will be formulated validating the claim that a mascot is a brand, which will pcmiit the direct application of marketing and branding theories to the mascot situation at The University of Mississippi. The importance of the mascot and the human response to collegiate symbols will be explored by the utilization of two psychological theories - Social …

Viridis: Green Living In The South”, Mary Elizabeth White

Honors Theses

Viridis magazine is a Southern cooking and lifestyle magazine centered around food, products, and places that are good for the body, good for the Earth, and good for personal wellness. Each issue, Viridis highlights interesting people, places, recipes, and consumer products all over the Southern United States that reflect a green, eco-conscious lifestyle of eating and living. It aims at Southerners who are proud of their region of the country and love being southern, but still care about what they eat and how they live.

Transboundary Animal Diseases And Their Likelihood To Be Used In An Agroterrorist Attack On The United States, James Willard Allen

Honors Theses

All data and information contained in this investigation are open source and publically available. The assessment uses six different transboundary animal diseases which are not currently routine occurrences in the United States and through analytic methods, assesses the likelihood that each might be used in an agroterrorist attack on the United States' animal production sector. The assessment examines each disease using key details that would directly affect the likelihood of its use in an attack, focusing on potential economic damage. The three main animal populations considered are bovine, swine, and poultry due to their large size and value in domestic …

Swing Into Action: The Political And Aesthetic Role Of Jazz In Nazi Germany And Occupied France, Marie Elizabeth Wicks

Honors Theses

MARIE ELIZABETH WICKS: Swing Into Action: The Political and Aesthetic Role of Jazz in Nazi Germany and Occupied France (Under the direction of Dr. Kees Gispen)

The role of jazz in the culture of Nazi Germany and occupied France will be examined from a political and an aesthetic viewpoint in this thesis. Due to its American origins and close associations with freedom and independence, jazz was often championed as a statement against totalitarianism. Jazz was just as frequently listened to for its entertainment value and exhibited little, if any, political ramifications. This thesis will analyze jazz within the borders of …

Conflict Or Compromise: China’S Perceptions And Intentions Regarding Us Defense Policy Towards Taiwan, Gabriel Amadeus Weiss

Honors Theses

Gabriel Weiss: Conflict or Compromise: China’s Perceptions and Intentions Regarding US Defense Policy Towards Taiwan (Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Howard)

China’s perception ofTaiwan as a “renegade” province continues to be a source of contention in Sino-US relations. Domestic pressures have reinforced Beijing’s commitment to enforcing the One-China policy and regaining Taiwan. In recent years, the US has failed to reduce weapons sales to Taiwan. Additionally, America has displayed a willingness to employ military force in defense of its global interests. These factors have led China to perceive the US as a potential foe—particularly in regards to the Taiwan …

Covering The Social Scene: Two Publications And The Use Of Social Networking Sites Within The Magazine Industry, Macey Simmons Baird

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between two specific social networking sites and two city-wide magazine publications. In examining the idea of social networking sites and its current connection to the media, this study will compare and contrast the two magazines use of their respective Facebook and Twitter accounts. It studied the publications’ effective and ineffective practices in an array of spectrums, from the issue of manpower and the content published within its' social networking sites. Secondary research comprised of an extensive literature review of text. newspaper articles, online journals and websites. The primary research was …

Consumer Behavior In Social Mediums: A Study Of The Impact Of Social Networking Sites And Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games On College Students' Academic And Social Lives, Laura Johnston

Honors Theses

Consumer Behavior is an interdisciplinary field that marketers use to understand the wants and behavior of consumers. It focuses on how people decide to spend their available resources, such as time or money, on a product or service and examines issues such as why, how often, and the impact of making such a decision. This study will incorporate the Social Cognitive Theory's assessment of expected outcomes based on consumers' own direct experiences that incite continued participation with the Use and Gratification Theory's idea of social need that may result in need gratification, leading to unintended results. Users of SNSs and …

A Comparison And Cooperative Utilization Of Møller–Plesset Perturbation Theory And B3lyp Density Functional Theory On Weakly Bound Structures, Joshua Ryan Smith

Honors Theses

Harold Burson is the founder of Burson-Marsteller, a New York-based public relations firm, and has been recognized by PRWeek as "the century's most influential PR figure." He has received numerous awards from different organizations, run one of the largest public relations firm in the world, helped the field of public relations become a prominent profession and was one of the first individuals to push for international firms among other things. This thesis tries to reveal why so many see Harold Burson as a leader who has revolutionized the field. This is accomplished through interviewing friends, colleagues and family of Harold …