Digital Commons Network^™

Preparing And Executing An Effective Sales Call, Mackenzie Wright

Honors Theses

This thesis is written in a business document format. It will have four main sections: Introduction, Preparation, Execution, and Conclusion. Each section will include subsections. I will be discussing my involvement in the International Collegiate Sales Competition (ICSC), which was my thesis project. I will be comparing my participation in the ICSC to the knowledge I gained during my tenure as a Sales and Business Marketing student in the Haworth College of Business.

Any data or information was taken from WMU’s website, the ICSC website, and my knowledge from WMU sales classes.

Fan Perceptions Of Selling Alcoholic Beverages At A College Football Stadium, Danielle E. Hennessy

Honors Theses

Consuming alcohol while watching a sporting event has become a tradition within the sport commnnity. Almost one in ten sports fans leave major league stadiums with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit, with 40% of spectators consuming alcohol during the game (Lopatto, 2011). Due to this tradition, many colleges and universities have struggled to answer the question, should alcohol be sold at our athletic events? To answer this question research has been done on many factors including binge drinking, violence and safety, alcohol control policies, tailgating and attendance.

The Phenomenon Of Homegrown Radicalization In The United States, Austin W. Mceldred

Honors Theses

The phenomenon of homegrown radicalization in the United States has become a disturbing trend for many Americans in the past decade. Many of these radicalized individuals raised in the United States come from affluent families and have had many of the opportunities that any other Americans are granted. In this thesis content analysis and case study examinations are used to explore the question of what is leading to individuals becoming radicalized in the United States. This study examines five cases of homegrown radicalization to determine the role that traumatic events, alienation, poverty, internet usage, a perceived divide between the West …

Finding Optimal Brain Mappings Using Integer Linear Programming Solvers And Other Methods, Heriberto Flores

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Collective Prey Capture By Juvenile Venus Flytraps (Dionaea Muscipula), Steven Rosen

Honors Theses

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), first described by Charles Darwin, is a unique carnivorous plant which acquires prey using leaf blades modified into snap-traps. A recent study showed that prey capture by flytraps was not selective. With this study we examined prey capture rates further by analyzing D. muscipula traps less than 1 em in length to determine if juvenile flytraps differ from adults. Similar to the earlier findings, trap size appeared to play no role in prey capture success. This was likely due to the fact that 88% of all prey items recovered were smaller than the smallest collected …

Shatranj, Anushka J. Mehrotra

Honors Theses

Shatranj contains the prologue and first five chapters of an in-progress novel completed as an Honors Thesis in Creative Writing. The story is set in Mumbai, India and tells the story of a fictional assassin company called the Fireflies. The story is told through the perspectives of multiple characters; Ishan, the protagonist, a new recruit to the group; Rhea a former Firefly who left the group and joined a group of other Firefly deserters; Tahiliani, one of the heads of the group; and Akash, a senior member of the Fireflies who desperately wants to prove himself and replace Tahiliani as …

Explorations Of Dystopia: Challenging Expectations Through Composition, Bryan Pfiester

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Student Nurse Behaviors And Barriers To Successful Completion Of The Traditonal Bachelor's In Science Of Nursing (Bsn) Program., Carri Shaw

Honors Theses

Change is often said to be the only constant in life. This holds true to the rapidly growing field of nursing. In order to meet the demands of new challenges that emerge in nursing, the way future nurses are educated also has changed. Not all nursing students find that the profession is for them. Therefore, some attrition from school is expected. This descriptive study will explore factors that the literature suggests are related to attrition at a mid-sized public university in the Midwest. A survey given to two different level nursing cohorts will give insight to pre-licensure nursing students’ experiences …

Family Centered Care In Icu Settings, Victoria Kingsinger

Honors Theses

More than 5 million patients are admitted each year to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in the US, and approximately 55,000 critically ill patients are cared for each day. ICU patients are a diverse population that has a need for an increased level of care. These patients often require ventilatory or cardiovascular support, invasive monitoring, and intense nursing and physician observation (Society of Critical Care Medicine, 2015). There are five primary admitting diagnoses for adults, which include respiratory failure, postoperative management, ischemic heart disorders, and sepsis. The mean age of patients is rising, particularly due to the baby boom generation, and …

Does Social Media Help Create Brand Loyalty?, Ali Russo

Honors Theses

Throughout my time at Haworth College of Business, Social Media has been a big topic of discussion. The issue has not been if companies should use it as a tool to reach consumers but how do companies effectively utilize Social Media sites. Companies have two important ways to utilize these sites: the first is to collect data from users, and the second is to create a platform where they can interact and influence purchasing decisions. I wanted to create a thesis that focused on the interaction side of Social Media. Initially, I wanted to see if Social Media would create …

Competing In The International Collegiate Sales Competition, Christina Cook

Honors Theses

The following report aims to analyze the process that is involved in competing in the International Collegiate Sales Competition. There will be an overview of the selection process and the competition itself and an analysis of the overall performance at the competition. In addition, there will also be an overview of lessons learned by competing along with general suggestions to future competitors and competition coordinators.

Before examining the details of the competition, this thesis will address the Sales and Business Marketing program at Western Michigan University. In addition, there will be models referenced within Western Michigan University’s sales program that …

Is The Zebrafish Zombie Mutant Caused By A Mutation In Cdc20?, Peyton Johnston

Honors Theses

The zombie mutant was identified as an early arrest mutant, stopping in development around the 10-somite stage (14 hours of development). Further inspection revealed that this mutant was a cell cycle mutant and cells in the mutant arrest during metaphase as early as the 5-somite stage (11.6 hours of development). A similar phenotype is seen in the Drosophila melanogaster cell cycle gene fizzy, known to be to be a homolog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene, cell division cycle 20 (cdc20). CDC20 is an activator protein of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), an ubiquitin E3 ligase that is …

Recommendations For The Development Of New Hospital Guidelines Due To The Effects Of Antibiotics On Clostridium Difficile Colitis, Megan Kohsel

Honors Theses

Clostridium difficile colitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the colon and diarrhea. This can even lead to death in some cases. The incidence of this infection and its overall effects have been on the rise throughout the last twenty years as antibiotics have been prescribed more frequently. Therefore, it is necessary that the rate of C. difficile infection is lowered by improved guidelines for hospitals, so that fewer people are infected and also that fewer antibiotics are prescribed to avoid the infection with C. difficle.

Experiential Avoidance Post-Trauma: Investigating Predictors Of Traumatic Stress And Problematic Behavior., Elise Trim

Honors Theses

Experiential avoidance (EA) is the unwillingness to remain in contact with distressing thoughts, feelings, memories, and other private experiences (Hayes et al., 2004; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). Although the use of EA may lead to immediate reductions in distress, prolonged use can result in problem behaviors such as substance misuse (Hayes, Wilson, Gifford, Follette, & Strosahl, 1996). Although a strong temporal relationship has yet to be established, findings suggest a possibility that EA could be a mechanism by which posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are developed and maintained (Krause, Mendelson, & Lynch, 2003; Rosenthal, Polusny, & Follette, 2006; Dvorak, …

Parentification, Alicia Wayne

Honors Theses

The phenomena of Parentification. Parentification is best outlined by Boszormenyi-Nagy & Spark (1973), as a family process in which children or adolescents assume adult responsibilities and/or parental roles that may be developmentally inappropriate. There has been much research done on the topic of Parentification and the effects of the psychopathology on the individual. (e.g. substance abuse, depression, self-esteem, recidivism, anxiety, etc.) Although some research has been done on birth order and/or family structure and how it correlates to parentification, no published research was found on parentification and its repercussions or ramifications for the youngest sibling(s) (i.e. those adolescent’s that were …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study Of Mikey, Gabrielle Lober

Honors Theses

This paper describes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including diagnostic criteria, suspected causes, prevalence, comorbidities, and influences on client factors. A hypothetical case study is presented to give readers an illustration of what someone with ASD might look like. Possible treatment based on evidence and selected frame of references will be given for the hypothetical client. This paper is not all inclusive of the role of occupational therapy in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, but gives an illustrative example.

Algebraic Poetry, Julian Deville

Honors Theses

Although content has evolved in poetry at a steady pace throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the form in which this content is presented has seen little change. In response to this apparent stagnation of form in poetry, this presentation aims to combat the enforced linearity of writing, embracing Cubist ideals, to make way for a new form of poetry- algebraic poetry. This new form may then provide new inspiration within the literary community, and a new form with which writers may move forward, as opposed to adhering to the same form for centuries. This project then uses modern algebra …

Exploration Of The Range Overlap Between Cynomys Leucurus And Cynomys Ludovicianus, Kenneth D. Choi

Honors Theses

The ranges of two species of prairie dogs, Cynomys leucurus and Cynomys ludovicianus, overlap in a narrow area in the western Great Plains in Wyoming. We used GIS software to map their distributions and infer land cover preferences within and on either side of the zone of overlap. In general, both species used habitats in proportion to their availability and did not display strong selection of their expected vegetation types (based on the literature). However, both species of prairie dogs were overrepresented in areas of human settlements and crops, which may indicate that these species prefer human-modified habitats, or perhaps …

L3 Auditory Interneuron Responses To Dual-Frequency Calling Songs In Female Crickets (Acheta Domesticus), Jeong Bin Lee

Honors Theses

Female crickets exhibit positive phonotaxis in response to calling songs with specific carrier frequencies (4-5 kHz), syllable periods (SP; 50-70ms), and other parameters. Among a number of ascending prothoracic auditory neurons identified, only L3 has been proposed to be involved in SP selective phonotaxis. L3 responds with selective decrement to 5 kHz stimulus with attractive SPs. Furthermore, L3 is highly tuned to 16 kHz auditory stimulus, which has been correlated with aversive phonotactic behaviors. L3’s cellular responses to simultaneous 16 kHz and 5 kHz stimuli were examined through extracellular recording, thereby further establishing the connection between L3’s selective decrement and …

John Jasper: The Creation Of A Character, Blake Price

Honors Theses

On November 13th, 2015, I will be participating in my last mainstage performance at Western Michigan University. To say I’m excited to be finishing my college career as John Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, would be an absolute understatement. Over the course of the past three and a half years, I have had the rare privilege to split my time evenly between performing plays and musicals, which does not always happen for Music Theatre Performance majors. The ability to work with new directors on a variety of different styles of plays and musicals has given me the opportunity …

Potential Cellular Mechanisms Of Estrogen's Effects On Maintaining Sperm Production In Aging Rats, Matthew Pate

Honors Theses

Testosterone production by Leydig cells declines during aging in both men and rodent models. Previous results from our lab demonstrated that daily sperm production also declines in aging rats and alterations in the estrogen environment of the testis contribute to this decline. Importantly, estrogen treatment during aging was able to attenuate the age-associated decline in sperm production. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which estrogen maintains sperm production remain unclear. These experiments were designed to further investigate the effects of estrogen on sperm production in an attempt to further define the cellular mechanisms regulated by estrogen within the testis. …

Comparison Of Shareholder Value Between Full-Service Airlines (Fsas) And Low-Cost Carriers (Lccs)., William Kee

Honors Theses

Shareholders in the airline industry invest in a service industry that is met with high fixed costs, capital, and external factors such as customer satisfaction and fluctuations in crude oil prices. On one end of the airline spectrum in the United States lie the full-service airlines, such as Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, or United Airlines adopting a product differentiation approach to capture a competitive advantage by providing greater benefits, comfort, and experience to the customer. This approach attracts customers that value the experience more so than simply the price of the fare, but is often met with high operating …

The Impact Of Globalization On Access For Individuals With Disabilities, Katherine Williamson

Honors Theses

This comparative ethnomethodology study is focused on the global context elements that help explain public policies and its consequences on types of access available to individuals with disabilities in the United States Midwest and West Africa. The goal of this study is to identify the role of individuals with disabilities in a global society by answering two research questions. First, what are the public policies in place for physical, social, and educational access in the United States Midwest and West Africa? Second, how is physical, social, and educational access being provided in the United States Midwest and West Africa? The …

Site Development At The Corner Of Drake And Stadium, Ahmad Sear Rahimi

Honors Theses

This report presents the site layout alternatives for the development located at the corner of Drake and Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In the report four different layouts are suggested and followed by best management practices for grading and earthwork plans, porous asphalt pavement design, storm water retention design for the proposed site, and storm sewer pipe design. The redesign of the Costco Development Site aims to maximize efficiency of the development area through the warehouse and gas station location, parking lot layout, and trucking routes. Grading design is developed based on the existing site conditions before construction took place. The …

For The Fund$ Of It: Product Development, Josie Marshall

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Gastrointestinal Bacterial Population Between Indoor Cats And Outdoor Cats, Farhana Binti Ikmal Hisham

Honors Theses

This study used fecal samples from four indoor cats and four indoor-outdoor cats in order to identify the microbial communities in the gut of cats. This information was then used to compare the microbial phyla between both groups for any differences. Total microbial DNA was isolated from each fecal sample, and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq high throughput method. The sequences were identified using the bioinformatics program mothur. The results show that indoor cats had a more diverse microbial community as compared to outdoor cats. Indoor cat samples had 26% more microbial species, and eight more …

Design Of A Tandem Rotor Hovering Vehicle, Brent Kostich

Honors Theses

An investigation of thrust vectoring and an examination of existing tandem rotor dynamics were used to develop a structural body for a tandem rotor vehicle, derive the equations of motion of the system, and simulate a dynamic model of the vehicle. A vehicle prototype was constructed while further application of remote control capabilities, flight testing, and control development were researched. The dynamic simulation was based on a linear model of the system so as to open the possibility of implementing a control system. The simulation results show that thrust synchronization yields a predictable motion response. The prototype constructed did not …

Gigapan Education, Marissa Morgan

Honors Theses

Secondary-school students and teachers need a safe, secure website where they can experience the life of their peers around the world through GigaPan panoramic images. Using a simple point and shoot camera, students can create deep-zoomable panoramas called GigaPans. A Ruby on Rails website was created to provide a location and interface for sharing and discussing these GigaPan panoramas between students and teachers across the globe. By sharing experiences and culture through this technology, the website aims to create a community of technologically and culturally aware young people.

Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Jacob Dean, James Mixter, Jordan Barr

Honors Theses

An open-source Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of performing at the same capacity as many top commercially available multi-rotor vehicles is developed. The system allows users unfamiliar with multi-rotor vehicles to achieve flight and land safely, while also serving as a flexible foundation for other UAV projects and opening the door to features that are not currently available. Applications of drone technology are explored.

The Development Of An Autonomous Proximity Operations Demonstration System, Spencer Watza

Honors Theses

An Autonomous Proximity Operations Demonstration System is being developed to evaluate low cost hardware for aerial robotics and proximity operations in a GPS denied environment. This report highlights the design work and initial prototypes that have been finished along the project goals. The preliminary and detailed design of the vehicle has been completed and initial prototypes constructed. The demonstration system is a multirotor flight vehicle using a hex configuration (6 rotors). The vehicle carries onboard sensing and computational equipment to perform the mission weighing in at 28 pounds. The primary sensor chosen is the Microsoft Kinect™ to perform visual sensing …