Digital Commons Network^™

Hastening The Wheels Of Change: International Cold War Pressure And Civil Rights Reform During The Truman Presidency, Caley A. Robertson

Honors Theses

In the early Cold War arena, international pressure on the United States to live according to its ideological rhetoric enabled the Truman Administration to set a precedent for federal engagement in domestic civil rights reform. As the United States led the march to institutionalise human rights as the standard of moral legitimacy in the global arena, the country’s grisly record of racial oppression and violence invited foreign and domestic criticism alike. This paper intends to prove five discrete points. First: Cold War tensions brought questions of moral legitimacy to the forefront of the U.S. national agenda. Second: during the Truman …

Buffernomics: Assessing Willingness To Pay For Lake Conservation On North Pond And East Pond, Sophie D. Sarkar

Honors Theses

Hedonic property valuations in Maine have estimated that a one-meter decrease in water clarity can reduce shoreline property values by 4 to 16%. To avoid a loss on their lakefront investment, shoreline property owners have a particularly large incentive to conserve lake water quality. Nevertheless, while some shoreline residents voluntarily install vegetated buffers and actively participate in lake stewardship, others continue to ignore shoreline zoning laws at the expense of lake health. In this thesis, I examine the dichotomy of active and indifferent shoreline residents by analyzing the motivations that distinguish residents who are willing to pay (WTP) for and …

Biomass Energy At Colby College, Rachel E. Baron

Honors Theses

In light of growing concern regarding the effects of global climate change, Colby College signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2008. Through this pledge, Colby has committed to reducing carbon emissions in its Climate Action Plan (IPCC 2007; CCAP 2010). The College seeks to be carbon neutral by 2015 (CCAP 2010). This will be accomplished through a variety of mechanisms, one of which includes the construction of a biomass facility to replace most of the oil currently used for heating (CCAP 2010).

Anthropogenic global climate change has been documented by many scientists, but was widely …

Computer Mediated Discourse: Applying Defamation Laws Of Slander And Libel In The 21st Century, Derreck Langwith

Honors Theses

With the integration of technology into society computer mediated discourse (CMD) has become a standard form of communication. E-mail, chat rooms, and social networking websites are used daily to discuss a variety of informal and formal topics. The ability to communicate with millions of people across the world instantaneously has not come without legal repercussions and court cases involving online defamation have started to appear. Traditional law separates defamation into two categories: slander encompassing oral defamation and requiring greater proof of injury, and libel including written texts without need of definitive proof to collect compensation. Current lawsuits involving online defamation …

A Vegetation Reconstruction Of Union County, Pennsylvania During The Early Historical Period (1755-1855), Nick Gonsalves

Honors Theses

This thesis assesses relationships between vegetation and topography and the impact of human tree-cutting on the vegetation of Union County during the early historical era (1755-1855). I use early warrant maps and forestry maps from the Pennsylvania historical archives and a warrantee map from the Union County courthouse depicting the distribution of witness trees and non-tree surveyed markers (posts and stones) in early European settlement land surveys to reconstruct the vegetation and compare vegetation by broad scale (mountains and valleys) and local scale (topographic classes with mountains and valleys) topography. I calculated marker density based on 2 km x 2 …

Identifying The Negative Stigma Associated With Having A Learning Disability, Kelsey Lisle

Honors Theses

Those with learning disabilities (LDs) can be characterized as a minority group, and like most groups of minorities they face a distinct stigma by the larger population. While there iscurrently a lack of research in understanding LD stigma, it has become increasingly important given the push for inclusive classrooms settings. In this study it was hypothesized that regardlessof a participants’ gender, when participants were given a hypothetical description of a person that included information indicating that the individual has a LD, the participants would rate that individual less favorably. Results were consistent with the hypothesis. Participants perceived the hypothetical LD …

An Ethical History Of Photography In Combat And Of Combat Photography In The United States During World War Ii, Molly Shoener

Honors Theses

With the United States‘ entry into the Second World War, the word ?censorship? was seen largely as antithetical to, rather than a necessary counterpart to, victory among Americans. People did not want to be censored in their writing, photographs or speech,but it proved to be necessary even before the war began, in order to protect government secrets and the people on the home-front from scenes that were too disturbing. Even before the war had officially begun, there were problems with censorship among journalists and newspapers. The initial response of outrage in reference to censorship in the United States was common …

What Lies Beneath, Mary Hood

Honors Theses

With “What Lies Beneath,” I attempt to illustrate, through a series of poems, an exploration of the subjects, images, and emotions that have colored my experience both at Bucknell and my home in North Carolina for the past four years. A large portion of the collection, however, does not address the more tangible elements of my life but rather the corners of my imagination, my dreamscape, and the absences that influence them.

Lexical Development In Adult Beginning Second Language Learners, Angela Chouinard

Honors Theses

This research tests the hypothesis that knowledge of derivational morphology facilitates vocabulary acquisition in beginning adult second language learners. Participants were mono-lingual English-speaking college students aged 18 years and older enrolled inintroductory Spanish courses. Knowledge of Spanish derivational morphology was tested through the use of a forced-choice translation task. Spanish lexical knowledge was measured by a translation task using direct translation (English word) primes and conceptual (picture) primes. A 2x2x2 mixed factor ANOVA examined the relationships between morphological knowledge (strong, moderate), error type (form-based, conceptual), and prime type (direct translation, picture). The results are consistent with the existence of a …

Stratified Boston: The Brahmins, The Irish And The Boston Police Strike Of 1919, Sarah Block

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the Boston Police Strike of 1919 through the lens of class struggle and ethnic tension. Through an examination of the development of Boston’s class structure, particularly focused on the upper class Brahmins and the Irish working class, it concludes that the Brahmins’ success in suppressing the police strikeallowed for their maintenance of socioeconomic power within the city despite their relatively small population. Based on their extreme class cohesion resulting from the growing prominence of Harvard University as well as the Brahmins’ unabashed discrimination against their ethnic neighbors in almost every sphere of society, theBrahmins were able to …

The Body Of Margaret Atwood: Sex Work And Prostitution Within Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx And Crake, And The Year Of The Flood, Tyler Dinucci

Honors Theses

In this paper, I will argue that Canadian author Margaret Atwood uses fiscal and socially conservative dystopias to show how sex work and prostitution are choices that women would never have to make in a world with true gender equality. In these radically different worlds, women have no agency beyond their sexuality and no ability to express themselves as equals within either society. And while the structures of both societies, the society of The Handmaid’s Tale and that of both Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, are inherently different, they both stem from modern conservative philosophies: for …

Self-Perceived Attractiveness And Its Influence On The Halo Effect And The Similar-To Me Effect, Lauren Cotter

Honors Theses

The present research examined the influences of the halo effect and the similar-tome effect on physical and sexual attractiveness for hiring decisions. It was hypothesized that the halo effect would cause applicants rated highly in physical and sexual attractiveness to receive higher ratings of hireability than unattractive applicants.However, if the similar-to-me effect is influential for levels of attractiveness in hiring situations, participants who rated themselves as less attractive should favor unattractive applicants. The results did not show an interaction between participant self-ratings and ratings of hireability, indicating the similar-to-me effect does not apply to physical or sexual attractiveness. There was …

Microbial Community Analysis Of Lake Chillisquaque, A Small Water System In Central Pennsylvania, Allison Mayhew

Honors Theses

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that require the absorption of light for the completion of photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria can use a variety of wavelengths of light within thevisible light spectrum in order to harvest energy for this process. Many species of cyanobacteria have light-harvesting proteins that specialize in the absorption of a small range of wavelengths oflight along the visual light spectrum; others can undergo complementary chromatic adaptation and alter these light-harvesting proteins in order to absorb the wavelengths of light that are mostavailable in a given environment. This variation in light-harvesting phenotype across cyanobacteria leads to the utilization of environmental niches …

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 …

New Catalysts For The Photocatalytic Reduction Of Carbon Dioxide To C1 Organic Compounds, Anna Hailey

Honors Theses

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) has recently been identified as one of the five notable research areas in catalysis because it simultaneously reduces carbon emissions while storing clean, green solar energy in organic compounds. The development of efficient photocatalysts that take advantage of solar radiation is therefore an important area of research. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a commonly-used photocatalyst for this reaction, but it requires ultraviolet (UV) radiation to excite its electrons. Carbon-doping (C-doping) has been shown to reduce the intensity of energy required, thus allowing the photocatalyst to take advantage of the visible light spectrum. Copper (Cu), added …

Hydrogeologic Analyses For An Earthen Dam Proposal At The University Field Station, Maria Theresa Brown

Honors Theses

In response to a request for a new dam at the University of Mississippi Field Station (UMFS), BTJM Engineering prepared an initial feasibility assessment and continued investigations until a full construction plan was completed. This report details the hydrogeologic analyses involed in this process. Initial site investigations included mapping surficial geology, creating a generalized stratigraphic column, mapping the potentiometric surface, and developing a conceptual and quantitative understanding of the local hydrolgic budget. This data informed decisions regarding the location of a new dam, which was finally designed with full considerations of the local hydrogeology. After the dam was designed, analysis …

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 …

Disputed Sovereignty In The South Atlantic: A History Of The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) And The Evolution Of The Argentine And British Claims, Austin Bruce Alexander

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

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 …

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.

The Role Of The Cerebellum In The Zebra Finch Song Circuit, Matthew Gian Digiusto

Honors Theses

The cerebellum was originally thought to be a brain area used just for motor coordination, but it is now known to play a role in complex cognition. Some of these complex roles include aspects of human speech such as rhyming, silent rehearsal, and timing of speech. There are many similarities between human speech and songbird song including a babbling stage, the necessity of a tutor to copy, and specialized neural structures for learning and production; however, it is not clear whether the cerebellum plays a similar role in the songbird song circuit. In this experiment I examined the role of …

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 …

Determining The Outcome Of Legal Grievances: An Application Of Game Theory To Tort Negotiations, Tyler Bodi

Honors Theses

I will begin my work with a description of the legal negotiation process in tort law. Next, I will explain the key facets and usefulness of game theory. Third, I will suggest how game theory might be applied to the legal negotiation of torts and solved in any particular tort case. Finally I will confirm that the elements of my model are, first, the definitive parts in the legal negotiation process, and second, part of a cohesive and complete game.

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Imino Stilbenes, Shieun Jang

Honors Theses

We are in the process of developing a two-step synthesis of imino stilbenes as potential molecular switches, which are important in biology, electronics and other applications especially at nanoscopic scale. While both imines and stilbenes are well known, we have not uncovered any prior research and documentation on our proposed imino stilbenes in the scientific literature. In pursuit of our goal we have developed a new procedure for synthesis of t-butyl imines derived from aromatic aldehydes and ketones. We are also currently evaluating four different stilbene synthesis methods. Future work will systematically investigate the effect of electron withdrawing and donating …

The Crow's Nest A Family Memoir, Virginia Neal Drago

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I have created a family memoir about my family’s summers spent on Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama. Through interviews with family members, research of photographs, and delving into my own memories and experiences during my childhood, I have resurrected this past existence we had on the Bay and brought it to life once more through my thesis. The memoir is meant to be a journey through death that culminates in an unexpected discovery of life. By reexamining this past part of my life that I thought was dead, as well as the literal deaths of my grandmother, …

Chinese Popular Opinion Towards The One Child Policy, Alyssa W. Yuen

Honors Theses

Alyssa W. Yuen: Chinese's Popular Opinion Towards the One Child Policy (Under the direction ofDr. Gang Guo)

The One Child Policy has been implemented since 1980, and is the world’s longest implemented population control policy. Popular opinion towards the policy is inevitable. This thesis attempts to explain the rationale behind the One Child Policy, the impacts the policy has had on China socially, economically, and environmentally, and the effects the policy has had on the Chinese population. The research question for this thesis is, "What affects Chinese popular opinion about the One Child Policy?”

The first section ofthis thesis illustrates …