Digital Commons Network^™

Playing The Game Our Own Way: A Social Perspective On Jazz And Blues In Southern Literature, Landon Christian Pollard

Honors Theses

This project is an attempt to examine the social realm of jazz and blues music within Southern literature. Specifically, this thesis analyzes works of fiction, combined with knowledge of scholarly articles and essays, to draw conclusions and parallels between jazz and blues music and the selected works within Southern literature. The first chapter focuses primarily on the social role of the jazz and blues musicians, defining and exploring the way in which these musicians move within social space. The second chapter focuses on Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, using the aspiring jazz musician as a model for the novel and journey …

Media & Literature: American Cinema And C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, Laura B. Rigby

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the characters and Christian spiritual themes in C. S. Lewis’s work The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and examines the disparity between Lewis’s original work and the 2005 Walt Disney Productions film adaptation of the text. Through the examination of the differences between the two works, this study assesses the degree of theme shift and provides possible explanations for the changes.

Etruscan Fiesole, Kathryn Virginia Cannada

Honors Theses

This paper is an examination of the Etruscan people and their inhabitation of the of Fiesole, outside of Florence, Italy. After living in Florence, Italy during 2004 and 2005,1 became interested in the beginnings of the area. Learning that Fiesole was conversations town populated earlier than Florence, I began researching about Fiesole. From with local archaeologists and from examining the visible, ancient remnants of Fiesole in the Archaeology Museum of Fiesole and in the town itself, my interest and knowledge about this interesting area grew. When 1 began to read about Fiesole, 1 discovered that little material has been written …

Fragmentation Within The Modern Basque Nationalist Movement And Its Implications For Basque Cultural Identity, Kathryn Zoe Merrell

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the Basque Nationalist Movement from its inception to modem times. Through the exploration of empirical data, this thesis will show how the processes of industrialization, urbanization, immigration, globalization, and the dissemination of information through the mass media affect the Nationalist ideology in the Basque region. In the conclusion, it becomes apparent that the Nationalist ideology becomes increasingly water downed as Nationalist leaders attempt to make their brand of Nationalism more appealing to the Spanish government and the European Union. By doing this, the Basque Nationalist Movement reflects the changing cultural identity of the Basque region and shows …

What's Behind Genocide?: The Social Construction Of Ethnicity And Mass Killing, Brianna Marie Phillips

Honors Theses

This thesis offers insight into the causes of genocide through a comparative analysis of four incidents, two that are seen as ideologically-based and two that are seen as the result of ethnic conflict: the mass killing that occurred during Joseph Stalin’s reign in the Soviet Union, specifically the period from the early 1930s to the late 1940s, the genocide that occurred in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, that which took place against Bosnian Muslims from 1992 to 1995, and the Rwandan genocide of 1994. To determine the of each of the respective genocides, constructivist theories of the factors behind ethnic …

Myths, Stereotypes And Truths: A Critical Look At The Relationship Between Africans And African-Americans., Jennifer Olufemi Salu

Honors Theses

This study focuses on the relationship between Africans and African-Americans and examines the w ay many members of each group perceive the other. In examining the relationship between each group, the study focuses on looking at some of the myths and stereotypes many Africans, especially African students and immigrants in the United States, have of African-Americans and vice-versa and the impact these myths and stereotypes have on the way members of both groups view each other. This study also focuses on understanding and some of the unique challenges members of each group face in trying to correct mistaken assumptions about …

Beyond The Binary: Rorty Rushdie, Zachary Mori Bonner

Honors Theses

Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children is a two-pronged postcolonial critique. Saleem Sinai's metanarrative of emancipation that also overhauls the postcolonial episteme.^ While Rushdie's confrontation of native subjectivity and the epistemic structures that inhibit the native's agency are plainly rooted in the postcolonial conversation, the major theorists in the field do not offer models of opposition that properly house his intervention. The work of Edward Said, Homi K. Bhabha, and Gayatri Spivak is representative of the trajectory of the strategies of discursive opposition to the employed by postcolonial theory. None of these theorists' metaphors for opposition create sufficient distance from the knowledge …

The Effects Of A Pre-Operative Education Program On Anxiety And Cortisol Levels Prior To And Following Surgery, Lou Ann Balducci

Honors Theses

Evidence suggests that lower levels of stress may negatively impact the healing process and tissue repair after surgery. The purpose of the investigation was to assess the effectiveness of a pre-operative educational program on reducing pre-operative and post¬ operative anxiety levels for patients having orthopedic surgery. Three subjects volunteered to participate in this study. The State Anxiety Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale questionnaires all showed that Subject 1 (treatment subject) did not have the highest anxiety or stress levels. In addition. cortisol levels were lower in Subject 1. Furthermore, Subject 1 was the most confident …

Environmental Awareness Of Waterville Junior High School Students, Jenna Morrison

Honors Theses

An environmental awareness survey was designed to assess the influences of gender and grade level on the relationships among outdoor experience, environmental knowledge, and environmental behavior at Waterville Junior High School, Waterville, ME. Environmental awareness indicates a fundamental understanding of the natural world, which is essential for developing future sustainable development. The foundation and acquisition of environmental knowledge of Waterville Junior High School students was determined using the multiple-choice survey. A total of 125 sixth graders and 136 eighth graders were surveyed. 61% of sixth graders and 73% of eighth graders indicated that their most common source of environmental information …

The 'Parisian Prowler': The Effects Of Modernity On Flanerie And Poetry Of Charles Baudelaire, Caroline Turner Dye

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the physical changes wrought in nineteenth century Paris that ushered the city into modernity, and led to the creation of a new figure, the flaneur. Through the eyes of one Parisian author specifically, Charles Baudelaire, I will the character of the flaneur in his historical context. examine Research was performed both in Paris during the summer of 2005, with walking tours of the city and reading original texts, and throughout the fall semester of 2005. Primary sources, maps, lithographs, photographs, and interviews were consulted as I uncovered the architectural modifications that occurred during the Second Empire under …

A Risk Analysis Of Ambrosia Furniture Company, Jared Foster Martin

Honors Theses

The following analysis was created upon request from Ambrosia Furniture Company in an attempt to fully identify, analyze, and address exposure to risk. In order to evaluate and identify specific areas of risk, the report takes into consideration financial records, history of losses, and reviews company policies. These areas of risk were then further examined and analyzed to determine what actions and managerial techniques would best minimize their costs and effects. With these principles in mind, this report has further delineated these exposures into five primary groups. These groups were then correlated so as to allow for a more efficient …

The Truth Shall Set You Free: Journalists' Addiction To Truth In The Face Of Danger, Margaret O'Brien Middleton

Honors Theses

As maligned as they may be at times, journalists are constantly relied upon for information. Everyday, people watch television, read newspapers, and browse articles on the internet about dangerous events happening throughout the world. It is journalists’ responsibility to bring this news to their readers. However, many stories come with a very high price. In order to report on the things that are most important to society - things that are also usually the most dangerous -journalists are forced to put themselves in the line of fire to deliver the story. The question that this thesis strives to answer is …

Flannery O'Connor's Depiction Of Baptism, The Eucharist, And Marriage: The Convergence Of The Orthodox With The Unorthodox, Karen Elizabeth Brickey

Honors Theses

For my thesis 1 researched the Southern Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor by reading almost all of her fiction - all ten short stories in her collection, A Good Man is Hard to Find; all nine short stories in her later collection. Everything That Rises Must Converge; her short story, “The Partridge Festival;” and her two novels, Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away - eight non-fiction prose pieces, a collection of about two hundred of her letters, and eleven criticism books. I came to see that O’Connor’s strong Christian faith and her loyalty to the Catholic Church defined her …

Fraud As An Incentive For Change In Corporate America., Sharon Abimbola Salu

Honors Theses

In this work, 1 explore the relationship between fraud and related changes in Corporate America with the express intention of showing that in spite of the negativity associated with fraud, it can still act as a mechanism that sets the wheels of change in motion in Corporate America. Of all the different kinds of fraud, this research focused on fraudulent financial reporting in corporations. In order to accomplish this goal, several research questions were examined which were aimed at examining the methods by which fraud is perpetrated, the relationship between fraud and business ethics and the effects fraud has had …

"The Sad (Or Angry) Lament:" An Exposition Of African American Struggles With Issues Of Gender In Relationships Depicted Through Works Of Literature., Bethany Joy Conner

Honors Theses

African-American gender roles have traditionally been problematic in regards to studying the effects of traditional western nonns upon the black community. The purpose of this work is to elaborate on the particular difficulties that African-American women face when confronted with rigid social constraints in relationships (platonic, romantic, and familial). African- American fictitious literature is adept at depicting the many and varied subtleties and complexities of African-American female experiences in relationships and presents an intriguing slant to this topic. Thus, this work is mostly based upon fiction by African-American female writers who deal directly with the effects of African-American gender roles. …

Country Is…The Portrayal Of Southern Culture In Country Music, Allison Ann Worley

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the Image of the South and Its culture that Is presented to the public through country music, primarily contemporary, popular country music. The lyrics of several songs were analyzed to determine how they represent the South and its people. Songs were chosen based on their message, with a great deal of consideration being given to the popularity of each song. The thesis argues that country music presents a more positive South than most other media interpretations of the culture. That portrayal is quite complex, with often contradictory Ideas being contained within the various songs. As a whole, …

Winston Churchill And Social Reform, Patrick Winston Kelso

Honors Theses

The purpose of this Senior Honors Thesis is to examine the role of Winston Churchill in regards to social reform in Twentieth Century Britain. Although many books have been written on Churchill’s life, few specifically speak to his role in domestic politics. Often times Churchill’s role as Prime Minister during World War II overshadows his lengthy parliamentary career. This study will attempt to explain the role Winston Churchill played i__ domestic politics in respect to social reform and the rise of the British welfare state. Biographies, academic journal articles, books, memoirs, speeches, archival material, as well as books by the …

Ecocritism And The Renaissance: A Study In Shakespeare And More, Melissa Levert Smith

Honors Theses

This study draws on ideas from the emerging field of literary criticism known as ecocriticism and extends its basic assumptions back to the Renaissance works of Thomas More and William Shakespeare. The research therefore includes primary Renaissance texts, current ecocritical works, and selections from the twentieth-century criticism from which ecocriticism developed. I investigate in detail More’s Utopia and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and King Lear. The study takes into account the disparity between Renaissance attitudes towards the environment and current concerns about pollution and scarcity of resources, but I suggest that the questions asked by ecocritical scholars today, when …

Cotton And Compromise: Charles Pinckney And The Political Unification Of South Carolina 1788-1808, Hunter Glenn Upchurch

Honors Theses

This project surveys the life and times of South Carolinian Charles Pinckney after he participated in the Constitutional Convention of 1787. My objective was to discern how Pinckney’s political career both mirrored and contributed to South Carolina’s gradual shift away from Federalism towards Jeffersonian-Republicanism, as the western “Up-Country” region slowly took power from the more traditional, coastal “Low- Country.” To achieve this goal, I examined hundreds of pages of primary sources, including Pinckney’s extant speeches, his published articles or pamphlets, and many of his personal letters. To augment my factual and historiographical knowledge of the early national period of United …

The Treatment Of Medicine In Literature, Nicholas Shawn Whipple

Honors Theses

In my thesis I explore the treatment of medicine in literature. I have analyzed six works of literature and drawn from others to create this piece of scholarship. Over the past year and a half, I have read thousands of pages from classic literature, modem mystery, and personal accounts. They have all broadened my view of the medical field and the doctor-patient relationship. I am better prepared to begin my medical training and career for having taken part in this venture.

How Should Physicians Be Motivated To Fulfill Social Obligations?, Jackie Knupp

Honors Theses

Health is instrumental to the ability of individuals to fulfill their potential. The societal systems designed to nurture health are thereby particularly important both for the flourishing of the individual and that of society, for a society flourishes to the extent that each of its individual members flourishes. The medical professionals who strive to preserve good health in their communities through these systems are integral to the maintenance of a thriving society. They are the individuals most directly responsible for the quality of health care available to community members. It is their medical prowess and critical thinking skills that determine …

Courting Disaster : Women, Romance, And Novels In Eighteenth And Nineteenth Century Britain, Beth J. Massie

Honors Theses

Society always fears that something is corrupting its youth and therefore dooming the future. In the late eighteenth century, British High Society believed that the sentimental and overly dramatic courtship novel was adversely affecting the actions of marriageable young women. In response to these fears, women writers of the early nineteenth century produced literature designed to guide young women safely and happily through the steps of courtship and marriage. The impact of British society's changing views on courtship and marriage combined with the fears raised by the courtship novel in the minds of older society transformed the courtship novel of …

Change Bell Ringing And Mathematics: A High School Student Excursion Into Graph Theory And Group Theory, Kristi Carlson

Honors Theses

This unit was created as a way to introduce higher level mathematics concepts to advanced high school students. All five of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Process Standards are found in this unit. For most of the unit, students work within small groups

Emptiness And Eight Fold Path, Jennifer Verne

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Something's Missing: Justice Restored, Lisa Ramsey

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Inertial Navigation System, Michael Calabrese Jr., David Engblom, Aaron Fleckenstein

Honors Theses

Accelerometer-based inertial navigation systems present an inexpensive alternative to gyroscope and global positioning navigation systems. An array of accelerometers comprises the basic design of the inertial navigation system. The position of the device can be continuously updated based on the previous device location and measurements of the device acceleration. There are fewer moving parts in an accelerometer-based system than in a gyroscopic device, and it is free of the earth bound constraints of a global positioning system. The prototype wirelessly interfaces with a data-collection system, which processes the data and provides a graphical display of the trajectory traveled.

Two accelerometer …

Measuring The Expression Of Hypovirulence In A Segregating Population Of Bc2f2 Castanea Dentata Hybrids, Lisa Michelle Worthen

Honors Theses

The American chestnut tree (Castanea dentata) was reduced from an important canopy hardwood to an understory shrub by the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica). Hypovirulence, a phenomenon whereby Cryphonectria parasitica is weakened in its ability to incite chestnut blight, is caused by doublestranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules of viral origin in the cytoplasm of the fungus.Hypovirulence serves as a biological control of C. parasitica in Europe and small, isolated areas in North America, but has not been an effective, widespread biological control in North America. It has been hypothesized that the moderately higher levels of host resistance of the European chestnut …

An Interview With Wendell Berry, Birkin Gilmore

Honors Theses

In choosing which questions to ask of Mr. Berry, I was interested in the environment, physical and spiritual, that gives rise to the poems. The Sabbath poems, for instance, come from the author's meditations as he passes through places and spaces of time where, as Mr. Berry has written, "the heart and mind are open and aware." As Mr. Berry is intimately concerned with cultivating land, so these are moments to be cultivated whose fruits are poems. I am interested in how the place in which the poems are written participates in their creation. If we are to keep alive …

Teaching Pronunciation In High School Spanish Classes: A Focus On Vowels, Ellen Waisanen

Honors Theses

With the growing use of Spanish in the United States, it is increasingly valuable to have a knowledge of the language. Accurate pronunciation is an integral component of effectively speaking Spanish and attaining native-like mastery of the language, yet it is neglected by many high school teachers. For this reason, I chose to use my honors thesis project to emphasize accurate pronunciation and create a resource for teaching it more thoroughly. With this collection of notes and exercises, I hope to provide a foundation for high school Spanish teachers to highlight pronunciation in their classes. More specifically, I have focused …

Developmental Systems Theory: A Search For Human Nature, Erin Kenzie

Honors Theses

When trying to identify the driving forces behind the development of traits, 'nature' and 'nurture' are presented as the sole answers to a seemingly inevitable philosophical question. There must be reasons behind why an individual has a certain trait, so the rhetoric goes, and the line of reasoning has to go in one of two directions. Either factors in the individual's environment - such as parental care or life experience - are responsible, or the trait is an immutable characteristic of the individual's biological makeup. Although this dichotomy has permeated the public consciousness, it is dismissed by those who study …