Digital Commons Network^™

Sluc Foundation 2003 Endowment Study, Jean Sebastian Leite

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Blueprint For Environmental Sustainability Along The James River, Trevor S. Macdougall

Honors Theses

The paper is the result of a research project conducted through the University of Richmond, the desired end of which is to produce a Blueprint for Environmental Sustainability Along the James River, a document that provides guidelines for managing the urban riverfront in a sustainable fashion.

The first chapter is designed to outline the layout of this report. The subsequent literature review is divided into four chapters: The Ecological Model, An Overview of Sustainability, Sustainable Practices in Other Cities, and Richmond Development: Past and Present. The first pair of these chapters provide a general assessment of two important environmental paradigms, …

Cultural Imposition Or Cross-Cultural Communication: An Auto-Ethnographic Exploration Of Christian Missionary Rhetorics, Marian Draffin

Honors Theses

This project is a tropological and visual exploration of the rhetorics of Christian missionary culture written in an auto-ethnographic mode. The texts explored include a sample of recruitment brochures produced by mission's organizations, recorded accounts of those who were affected by missions, either as a missionary or as a member of the respondent culture, and journals and photographic images from my own short term missionary work. This exploration is driven by my curiosity about the power dynamics of Christian missionary work: Is the work of a Christian missionary culture a type of cultural imposition and domination? Can Christian missionary work …

Fecal Coliforms And Antibiotic Resistance Of Tuckahoe Creek, Catherine C. Parker

Honors Theses

The Tuckahoe Creek has been classified impaired by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) indicating that one of the following parameters exceed the accepted limits: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), phosphates, nitrates, and concentration of fecal coliforms. Throughout the course of this study, two selected sites have been monitored monthly in order to measure these parameters. Route 288 is located near a construction site, and Route 621 is near Sycamore Creek Golf Course in a more rural area. The results from this study have shown that the fecal coliforms have been uniformly within the set legal limit of 1,000 …

Trusting Organizations : Organizational Structure, Trust, And The Implications For Leaders, Jeremiah Robert Winters

Honors Theses

The religious context blurs vision and judgment when looking at issues related to matters that can be construed as theological matters. Religious issues are anchored deep inside individuals and the slightest challenge or questioning of an individuals beliefs brings about defensiveness. Long standing traditions are extremely difficult to change much less do way with. The structure of the two organizations clearly has an impact on the type and style of leadership practiced.

The Presbyterian Church structure, the denominational structure that places the power in the hands of the people was a direct response to the abuses found in the Catholic …

Leading A 'Torn Country' : Turkey's Ideological And Civilized Divide, Joshua Walker

Honors Theses

Turkey, since 1923, has proven to be a valuable case study in ideological and religious tensions and national identity crisis; however, with a newly elected government, Turkey appears ready to write a new chapter in its history. The complexity of the issues that exist within a modern state along with the diversity of traditional cultures and rich history of Turkey do not allow for a singular civilizational inclusion as Huntington advocates, nor a single ideological path to follow. The Kemalist heritage of this young country has presupposed the necessity for adopting modernity as defined by the West. but the tension …

The Evolution Of Interpretive Standards For The Establishment Clause, Jacob A. Dickerson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

On The Origin Of Ethics, John Ashley Kimble

Honors Theses

This essay will be an exploration of Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the implications that the theory holds for the field of ethics. It will investigate the intellectual climate of Darwin’s day and discuss how his theory was received both by his fellow scientists and by the general public. It will provide a brief background of Darwin’s life leading up to his famous voyage aboard the H.M.S. Beagle, as well as relevant biographical details from his later life. It will provide a brief history of the gene and the science of genetics and how this science has changed Darwin’s …

Doing All You Can, Brother?': Visual Themes Of World War Ii American Propaganda Posters, Justin Rives Nicholas

Honors Theses

This thesis is a result of an in-depth analysis of the three thousand plus propaganda posters used in the United States during World War II. The bulk of these posters are housed at National Archives II in College Park, Maryland. The analysis was conducted within the context of several questions. What were the goals of the propagandists? How were those goals visually represented in the posters? What were the visual themes? Why were these goals and themes deemed necessary? How do the goals and themes fit into the overall context of a total war? The concept of being in a …

The Uk And The Emu: An Economic Examination Of The United Kingdom As A Relevant Factor Of Success For Europe To Achieve Economic And Monetary Union, John Gabriel Roberts

Honors Theses

Currently the United Kingdom is not participating in the European Monetary Union. In 1992, it decided to “opt-out” of the first of three stages set out in the Maatricht Treaty that some European countries began implementing in an attempt to move the continent closer to monetary union. The people of the United Kingdom will have the chance, in 2003, to decide the United Kingdom’s role in the EMU eleven years after it first deferred its membership. If this upcoming decision were to be made on an economic basis, the degree of integration between the United Kingdom’s economy with the EMU …

Capital Punishment And Martial Law In Ireland, 1916-1923, Thomas Michael Taff

Honors Theses

My thesis, “Capital Punishment and Martial Law in Ireland 1916-1923”, deals with the early years of the Irish Dominion. After the ratification of a peace treaty in December of 1921 between Great Britain and Ireland, the lower twenty-six counties of Ireland became a Dominion of the British Empire. The following summer a civil war occurred between the armed forces in Ireland who supported and rejected the treaty. During the Irish civil war, which lasted from June 1922 until April 1923, nearly eighty IRA men were executed by the Pro-Treaty government in Dublin. My thesis looks into the legal and political …

Implementation Of Sap's Campus Management At The University Of Mississippi, Kimberly Nicole Weston

Honors Theses

The objective of this project was to analyze the undergraduate admissions process at the University of Mississippi before and after the implementation of SAP’s student information system known as Campus Management. Areas of focus include the following: l Whether any improvements were achieved in terms of efficiency such as time to process a typical admissions application l Whether any improvements were achieved in terms of customer service l The usability of the web application l Impact on related processes such as account generation l Positive and negative impact to university offices l Potential areas for future work These areas and …

Defining Microcredit Success In Bolivia, Kelly Miller

Honors Theses

The structure of this study is as follows: The first chapter describes the origin of microcredit and the three major lending models. This chapter also includes a description of the motivation of the study as well as the methodology used. The second chapter illustrates the changes of development strategies in Bolivia and identifies the motivation behind and significance of each development method. The third chapter discusses the informal sector, which is the targeted population of microcredit. This chapter presents several theories about the development of the informal sector and illustrates how politics shape the informal sector in Bolivia. The fourth …

Candy Apples And Other Tales Of Entropy, Brent Hayes Bonds

Honors Theses

The following is a creative thesis. Comprised of six short stories, the work is bound by the aim of each story to convey that awareness is hardly ever a moment of triumph, but the acknowledgment and acceptance of all the imperfections and the unknowns that exist in our world. Chief among the themes of these stories is the idea of entropy, that is, the natural tendency of all things to progress from a state of order to one of disorder. While the majority of these stories embrace these ideals through the use of the same characters, though, at various points …

Romantic Characters In Modern Fiction, Kate Chadwell Galbreath

Honors Theses

This thesis will deal with the breakdown of Romanticism as it occurred through certain characters within Modem Fiction. The selected texts for this study include Tess of the D 'Urhervilles by Thomas Hardy, Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, and Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Each text is a novel of the Modem period whose title character possesses the qualities typical of the Romantic Movement in literature. The texts span a time period of thirty-five years; their publication dates extend from 1890 to 1925 in the order listed above. …

The Influence Of Japanese Figure Conventions On French Art Of The Late Nineteenth Century, Lana Carol Zepponi

Honors Theses

Japanese ukiyo-e prints influenced the treatment of figures in French art during the second half of the nineteenth century. While this topic has been addressed by scholars of japonisme, I did not find a work in English focused solely on it. Herein, I analyze the transfer of Japanese figure conventions to French art by compiling Gabriel Weisberg, Colta Feller Ives, and Jay Martin observations, and comparing French and Japanese art to information from scholars such Kloner, presenting my support my argument. Works by major artists Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, and Mary as own Cassatt are discussed. I chose these artists …

Assimilation Versus Autonomy: Indigenous Education In Mexico, Gordon Lee Gent

Honors Theses

Indigenous education became prevalent in the ideology of the Mexican government after the Revolution on 1911. The leading school of thought about how to integrate Mexico’s indigenous population was led by anthropologists. Through indigenismo, the government adopted policies that would explore indigenous communities and promote them into the national identity. Bilingual education became one of the most important instruments of the movement under the direction of the Instituto Nacional Indigenista. I collected my data from a wealth of resources. One source of information the historical texts written on Mexican history. Anthropological texts also aided in the discussion of indigenous people …

The Effects Of Autologous Platelet Gel On The Tensile Strength Of Incisional Wounds, Thomas Matthew Jones

Honors Theses

Autologous platelet gel (APG) is already being used in clinical cases, as are other blood products such as fibrin glue and platelet lysate. Fibrin sealants have been show to stop capillary seepage and so reduce occurrences of hemotoma and edema, while platelets have been shown to contain a host of growth factors that promote healing including TGF-p, PDGF, lGF-1, TNF, and FGF. Platelet gel combines the hemostatic properties of fibrin glues with the growth factors contained in platelets. By harvesting the platelet-rich plasma from autologous blood, the risks of viral transmission and tissue incompatibility that are often associated with blood …

Strong Black Woman: An Examination Of Cultural Images Of Black Women, Tamika Renee Montgomery

Honors Theses

Through literary works and life experiences and in an effort to dispel negative images, an unrealistic image of a strong black woman has been presented to society. As a black woman surrounded by black women who have attempted to personify this superwoman image, and more importantly as a black woman who has been encouraged to adopt this image, I have done research to discover if this woman truly exists. I have read a number of literary works that span over the entire twentieth century, examined cultural and psychological studies relevant to the black woman. I also did research on the …

Transitions: Decentralization And Senegalese Political Parties, Megan Earline Norris

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to examine the role that decentralization and political parties have played in Senegalese democratization from colonial time to present. By examining five influential time periods in modem Senegalese history, this thesis investigates the evolving nature of the Senegalese political system in relation to its current democracy. The first chapter discusses Senegal’s colonial background and the legacy of centralization left by the French. Chapter two explores the decolonization process in Fiench West Africa and its specific impact on Senegal. The remainder of the thesis studies the terms of the three presidents that have led Senegal since its independence …

A Comparison Of Peaceful And Violent Separatist Movements, William Dorsey Pieschel

Honors Theses

The following work is an attempt to understand why separatist movements become violent. In any given region of the world under any given state, there will always be a group of people who are not content with the present order of government. If this group is large enough, it will most likely try to alter the structure of the government, which often takes the form of separatism. I want to understand the methods of these separatist movements and specifically, why some resort to violence and others do not. The first part of my thesis analyzes different separatist movements. I chose …

How The Song Goes: Southern Society Singing The Dual Lives Of Women, Amy R. Roebuck

Honors Theses

This work explores the lives of black and white Southern women, focusing on their role in Southern society as mothers. It covers a variety of Southern literature from var>'ing time periods concerning women of different races and social classes. In each of the works, I have found that maternal characteristics bring women together with an opportunity to bridge gaps between the races, thus allowing motherhood the pov/er to blend cultures. This work is divided into three sections. The first section is an introduction into the lives of women as mothers. It explores the joys and pains of motherhood, and …

The Saint And Judith Female Conventions In Ouida's Held In Bondage, Strathmore, Friendship, And Moths, Hannah Lacey Bryant

Honors Theses

The following work analyzes the usage Victorian conventions of the saint and Judith figures in Ouida’s female characters in her novels Held in Bondage, Strathmore, Friendship, and Moths. These eight characters are closely related to the stereot3(^ical representations of women in society during the time Ouida wrote; however, as Ouida became more experienced and acquainted with society, her usage of the conventions altered toward realistic rather than representative women. Of the saint figures, only one female, Vere of Moths, escapes from all stereotypes. The remaining three Alma of Held in Bondage, Lucille of Strathmore, and Etoile of Friendship definitive models …

Poisonous Plants Of Tennessee, Erica Fritz

Honors Theses

Many poisonous plants occur within Tennessee. These plants may have an evolutionary advantage over competing plants because of the presence of toxic secondary compounds. Consequently, plant species containing poisons may occur more frequently in advanced families than in primitive families. A list was compiled of those plants that occur in Tennessee that are known to be poisonous and these numbers were compared with the total number of species within both advanced and primitive families. Tennessee poisonous plants occur in higher percentages in those families that are primitive and moderately advanced than in those that are advanced.

Don't Worry... It [Corn] Won't Kill You: The Starlink Crisis, Kelly J. Price

Honors Theses

What would you do ... if someone told you that the food you just ate was not safe for human consumption? In 1999, consumers across the nation were faced with this fear and began to second-guess the food they had been accustomed to eating for years. After Kraft Foods' Taco Bell taco shells were recalled in September for containing traces of StarLink corn, a genetically modified corn hybrid not approved for human consumption, consumer confidence in U.S. corn by-products decreased and manufacturer credibility dwindled (Aventis stops, 2000). People wanted to know who to blame for the apparent food contamination problem. …

The Effects Of De-Tracking On Students And Teachers, Jacob M. Bultema, Kristen M. Scranton

Honors Theses

School districts use an array of methods to group students for their academic needs. In years past, many schools have tracked their students. This practice involves placing students in different classes according to their ability levels and past academic record. However, in recent years, some schools have decided to do away with this homogenous grouping and instead "detrack" their schools, grouping students heterogeneously. Proponents of tracking argue that homogenous grouping is advantageous to higher-ability learners. Teachers sometimes find it difficult to teach students with the broad range or achievement levels typically found in a heterogeneous environment. It is also argued …

Role Of Venture Capital Financing In Inflating The Technology Stock Market Bubble, Jessica Rosenbloom

Honors Theses

Comprising nearly one-third of the nation's gross domestic product from 1995 to 1999, the growth of the Information Technology industry took a backseat to dot.com mania. Its companies, however, were just as influential in creating the stock market bubble. Characterized by high technology, high research and development, high profits, and high risk, the Information Technology industry had always been attractive to venture capital investors. This study will find that a Telecommunications Deregulation Act passed in 1996, in conjunction with an eight percent capital gains tax cut in 1997, flooded venture capitalists with business plans pertaining to the Information Technology industry. …

Ecuador's Indigenous University Movement, Uinpi: Reconstructing Identity In The Search For Equality, Joshua Gerber

Honors Theses

The following chapters address Ecuadorian history, identity politics. and the education system to analyze UINPI's role in the reformation of indigenous identity. To provide a backdrop for UINPI's identity project, chapter one establishes a historical framework of the development of racialized constructions of indigenous identity in Ecuador. It utilizes Plumwood's hierarchical dualism to address the ways in which identity ideology justified and motivated the often-brutal socio-political domination of euro-mestizo peoples in Ecuador. Chapter two addresses the role of identity at UlNPI, arguing that the university's identity project is oriented towards the reformation of indigenous identity, rather than the representation of …

Asymmetric Wealth Effect : American Consumption And The Stock Market, Jonathan Greene

Honors Theses

Conventional estimates of the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) out of changes in net worth average about 4 cents on the dollar. If this is true, the $14 trillion rise in household net worth between 1995 and 2000 created an additional $567 billion in household consumption. This increase in net worth was driven almost entirely by the rising values of security prices in the contemporary bull market. This study presents evidence that this "wealth effect" is in fact asymmetrical and that this asymmetry reversed some time during the 1970's or 1980's. Prior to this reversal point positive changes in slock …

Communicator-In-Chief: Presidential Use Of Television Past, Present, And Future, Jenna Wasson

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to determine how television has changed as a communication medium for presidents over the past half century. An evaluation of the evolving ways presidents use television to communicate with and to build support from the American people has been conducted. Presidential communication strategies have been identified by drawing primarily from primary sources written by presidents and White House staff. Television technology and the television audience have changed over the years. Presidents have taken a more pro-active, aggressive role in their efforts to harness television for their own purposes. Why have these changes occurred? What impact have these …