Digital Commons Network^™

Farmers Markets And Food Security: A Critical Evaluation Of The Sociodemographic Factors Influencing Market Patronage In The Mississippi Delta, Mary Margaret Saulters

Honors Theses

Characterized by extreme poverty, limited access to fresh foods, and a high prevalence of nutrition-related disease, the rural Mississippi Delta represents an understudied and highly at-risk population in terms of food security. This paper explores the role of alternative foodways in the Delta, specifically examining the potential for farmers markets to improve community food security in rural, low- income areas. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to measure farmers market patronage among different racial and socioeconomic groups in the Mississippi Delta. The findings of this study indicate that while sociodemographic factors, such as race, income, and education are associated with …

The Effects Of Social Media On Fashion Consumption, Sydney Mccarthy

Honors Theses

The fashion industry, like most business in general, has been heavily impacted in recent years by the introduction of online social media. Social media has changed the way in which people not only communicate, but also how firms advertise and reach their consumer. The purpose of this research was to explore the ways social media impacts fashion consumption, specifically among the female, college-age demographic. Secondary research was used in the initial stages of the process to gather information prior to conducting primary research. Both qualitative and quantitative research was then conducted. The primary method for collecting qualitative data was personal …

A Raman Spectroscopic Study Of The Effects Of Hydrogen Bonding On 1,2,3-Triazole, Anna Craig

Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to analyze the effects of hydrogen bonding on liquid 1H- 1,2,3-triazole. Spectra of neat 1H-1,2,3-triazole are compared to simulated spectra and are found to differ greatly. The experimental spectrum, however, matches the simulated spectra of 1H-1,2,3-triazole dimers very well. This suggests that dimers play a large role in the liquid structure of 1H-1,2,3-triazole. Though tautomerism is thought to play a large role in the vibrational behavior of 1,2,3- triazole, the Raman spectra obtained here suggest that molecular dimers dominate the liquid state much more so than tautomerism. Even in aqueous solution, the simulated spectra …

Attending Law School: Lucrative Or Lunatic?, Anna Lennep

Honors Theses

The total number of law school graduates for the class of 2011 was 43,979 and of the 42,411 graduates whose employment status was known by March 15, 2012, less than 55% of graduates had found long-term, full-time jobs in a field that required bar passage. Less than 63% of graduates had found any job in a field that required bar passage. With so many graduates and so few jobs, prospective law students must consider the risk that at- tending law school has become for many of its graduates. This thesis uses recent graduate data to analyze the current woes of …

Spectroscopic Study Of Charge Transfer Induced Blue Shifting Of Pyrimidine/Water Mixtures On Silver Substrate, Annie Katherine Mcclellan

Honors Theses

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a chemical method gaining much popularity in recent years. With the use of a roughened metal surface or metal nanoparticles, surface plasmon resonances enhance the electromagnetic field allowing for increased Raman signal. Pyrimidine, having two lone pairs of electrons, is capable of charge transfer interactions contributing to a SERS chemical enhancement factor as well. It has recently been reported that hydrogen bonding with water results in the blue-shifting of certain normal modes of pyrimidine. By comparing experimental polarized Raman spectra with the results of electronic structure calculations, the origin of this blue-shifting was found …

Where Two Or Three Gather In My Name: A History Of The Burns-Belfry Restoration And Racial Reconciliation Between Churches In Oxford, Mississippi, Bracey Harris

Honors Theses

This paper is an exploration of the intersection of race and religion in Oxford, Mississippi. In particular, it gives a history of the restoration of the Burns-Belfry Church in Oxford, Mississippi. The project was a cross-cultural effort to save the town's first church built by freedmen in 1868. Many individuals worked together to save the town's historic landmark. In addition, the work also examines attempts by churches in Oxford to improve race relations in the community. The work looks at how events held between these churches may be the key to forgiveness and racial harmony. The title is taken from …

France's Soul-Searching: Finding National Identity In Political Metaphors During The 2012 Presidential Election, Cody Leblanc

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the ways in which French national identity was constructed metaphorically during the 2012 presidential election. Due to the increased controversy surrounding the overt utilization of the term national identity following the 2007-2012 Sarkozy administration, candidates in the 2012 presidential election used metaphor as a means by which to define their own competing conceptions of French national identity. The goal of this study is to examine the phenomenon of national identity creation by addressing the following question: How does each principal candidate (François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy) in the French presidential election of 2012 use metaphor in order to …

Enlightenment Science And Nano-Science: Creating Order Out Of Magic, Elizabeth Ramsey Frey

Honors Theses

People today live in a world dominated by technology. All of the conveniences and technologies people enjoy and utilize today, however, would not exist without the foundation of empirical science laid during the Enlightenment. This thesis looks at the Enlightenment both as a philosophical movement and as the setting of the Scientific Revolution. The leaders of the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution began the tradition of utilizing reason in research, founded empirical science, and developed the scientific method. This thesis traces the development of science during the Enlightenment and seeks to prove that Enlightenment science set the stage for the science …

Shame On You: How Media Affects The Formation Of Negative Body Image In Adolescent Women, Brittany Lee Cosenza

Honors Theses

The culturally accepted body ideal is grov^dng increasingly thinner. Youns women seem to be particularly susceptible to an internalization of this ideal throuah media exposure. This susceptibility led me to explore the relationship between media exposure and negative body image. After examining a plethora of literature on the subject, I discovered that body dissatisfaction seems to have become the societal norm for adolescent girls. Images of women in the media have become a source of comparison that often results in a discrepancy betv^^een actual physical body t>T?e and the idealized body type. Objectification theory^ explains how media may lead …

An Exploratory Study Of Automated Tools To Support Scrum-Based Project Management In Agile Software Development Teams, Nirmal Dharmaratne

Honors Theses

The growing use of Agile Methodologies for project management has led many organizations to utilize agile-based project management tools. This thesis explores areas for improvement in project management tools for software development teams using the Scrum methodology. A qualitative research method was used to gain insight on the users' satisfaction and possible new utilities to create that would complement the OnTime Scrum project management tool. This paper further describes the methods and experiences encountered in the designing and implementation of a Work Breakdown Structure website tool that was selected as a utility to support project management.

Parallels In Plight: Finding Commonalities In African American And Latino Experiences In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Caroline Elliott Gillespie

Honors Theses

Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast region on August 29, 2005 and caused extensive damage throughout the affected areas. In New Orleans, flooding due to levee breaches compounded the damage and created a need for a sizable labor force to clean up and rebuild the city. Non-local Latinos overwhelmingly responded to this call and began to arrive in New Orleans in the weeks after the storm. This influx sparked new tensions between New Orleans' traditional low-income African American community and the new group of low-income and often undocumented Latinos. Despite these tensions, both African Americans and Latinos faced considerable and …

The Effect Of Whole Body Vibration On Rate Of Force Development And Vertical Jump Performence In College Aged Females, Marco Antonio Italia

Honors Theses

Whole-body vibration (WBV) may potentiate vertical jump (VJ) performance via augmented muscular strength and motor function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different rest intervals after WBV on VJ performance. Eight collegiately trained athletes (age 20.75 ± 1.16yr, mass 61.35 ±9.68kg, height 168.19±7.73cm) and eight recreationally active (age 22.25 ±1.83yr, mass 64.35 ±4.64kg, height 162.53 ± 2.6cm) individuals volunteered to participate in 4 testing visits separated by 24 hours. Visit 1 acted as a familiarization visit where subjects were introduced to the VJ and WBV protocols. Visits 2-4 contained 2 randomized conditions per visit with …

Southern Baptists And Charismatics On Spiritual Warfare: The Ecumenical Implications, Sarah Parker Morris

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the topic of spiritual warfare and compares the views of Southern Baptist and Charismatic Christians. For this thesis, the definition of spiritual warfare I am using is a cosmic and metaphysical struggle between God and His adversaries. What similarities and differences are present on this topic have implications for the ecumenical movement. These two denominations have been chosen for study due to their different historical backgrounds. VvTiile the Southern Baptist Convention emerged in the Civil War South in White churches, the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement emerged amongst and was led by African Americans. The methodologies I implemented for my …

University Of Mississippi First Year Students, And Messages About College, Robbie Murphey

Honors Theses

This study explored the experiences of first-year college students relative to their expectations of college. I gathered data from observations of small group discussions, individual interviews, and scholarly literature. I found that there are consistent ideas that students expect concerning college. Those expectations are at times realized during the experiences of the first semester. At other times, those expectations are adjusted when they do not align with the students’ experiences. Scholarly literature provides a helpful lens through which to understand the expectations and subsequent experiences of firstyear students. Ill

And Myrrh, Cassia, And Frankincense Rode On The Wind A Detailed Look At The Aromatic And Spice Trade Of The Classical Mediterranean, Forrest Colby Roberts

Honors Theses

This Thesis studies the trade in spices and aromatics in the Mediterranean during the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. It will examine in particular frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, and silphium. Through a the use of ancient authors, modem scholarship, and archaeological data this thesis will seek to show that although evidence for this trade in the Classical period is less plentiful than in other times, a Classical trade did exist. This work will also argue that spices were a part of the Classical period Greek market, and that these products were being consumed as luxury goods in order to showcase …

The Economic Impact Of Professional Sports Stadiums: Touchdown Or Timeout?, Alexander Parrish Tanner

Honors Theses

This study focuses on determining the economic impact of professional sports stadiums and teams on municipalities. To determine the impact, this study expanded and improved on the statistical model employed by Charles Santo in his 2005 study by including the National Basketball Association, increasing the period of study, and utilizing recent developments in statistical theory to provide a better statistical model. While this study found several individual instances of statistically significant positive relationships between the various professional sports teams and stadiums and local income, there were no notable overall trends found. From these results, this study concludes that while in …

Gender, Sexuality, And Music Education, Jordan Wesley Tippitt

Honors Theses

Abstract: This thesis was written to study how inequalities of gender and sexuality reveal themselves in music education. I wanted to study gender and sexuality as a social construct to better understand how these groups have an effect on the music education experience. I found that music education is lagging behind most other academic subjects in understanding gender/sexuality; furthermore, the discipline does not seem to be heading in the right direction. I found it tremendously difficult to find any queer theory literature based around music education. After my research I concluded that in its current state, music education is not …

The History And Consequences Of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002, Gerald Waltman

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research and thesis is to explore the intended and unintended consequences of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Act arose from a series of financial scandals including those that happened at Enron and WorldCom. The Act is one of the most wide-sweeping pieces of financial legislation in the country’s history, and it has drastically changed the way that publicly traded companies and their auditors conduct their business. A significant challenge to the Act was heard by the United States Supreme Court, and the Court held a portion of the Act to be in violation of the …

Thematic Transformation In The Operas Of Francis Poulenc: Gender, Spiritual, And Psychological, Elizabeth Brooks Bruening

Honors Theses

Although Francis Poulenc is perhaps best known for his one hundred and fifty contributions to the genre of French art song, melodie, this study focuses on his mere three operatic compositions. This work illustrates and analyzes the theme of transformation within each of Francis Poulenc’s three operatic compositions: gender transformation of Les Mamelles des Tiresias (1944), spiritual transformation of Dialogues des Carmelites (1953), and psychological transformation of La Voix humaine (1959). Research was conducted through viewing each production and studying its musical score and libretto. Published works ranging from scholarly articles to Poulenc’s personal journal were consulted in order to …

Casinos In Mississippi: A State And Regional Analysis, Norma Katharine Butts

Honors Theses

The aim of this paper is to complete a case study of the casino industiy in Mississippi its three casino regions. Figures on visitation, employment, and population were taken from the U.S. Census, Federal Reserve, Mississippi Gaming Commission. American Gambling Association, and Mississippi Regional Economic Analysis Project. This paper aims to show how the casino industry in Mississippi has fared compared to other states, how its casino regions have developed, and how they var>'. The review of history, economic theory on casinos and tourism, and data shows how resort areas have the best chance for economic development, and one …

The Art Of Peking Opera: Chinese And European Operatic Traditions: Commonalities And Divergences, Portia Nicole Davis

Honors Theses

Peking opera is an art form that combines music, singing, dancing, acting, and acrobatics. The skill necessary for performance is shown through the vigorous training required of the actors that portray characters on stage. A study of Peking opera’s history allows a better understanding of the developments and changes that have occurred to make Peking opera what it is today. Peking opera’s costuming and makeup, stylized movements, and stage presence set it apart from other Chinese art forms and operas that one could see around the world today. One major development of Peking opera occurred during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). …

Nuove Esplorazioni In Ognina, Sicily, Gabrielle Dianne Coggin

Honors Theses

My thesis was built around my excavations in Sicily during the summer of 2012. I researched a church on a small islet, and some of its findings over the years. Not only did I use my excavation notes, but I also used the notes from the earlier excavation of the same site in the 1960s. I needed expert advice on the building and the lamp that was found, so I contacted a Byzantine architecture specialist, and an ancient lamp specialist to obtain their opinions on the site. In order to understand the findings from 2012,1 researched the basic history of …

Liberal Policy And The Peasant Condition In Garibaldi's Sicily, 1860, Robert Liming Corban

Honors Theses

My thesis was built around my excavations in Sicily during the summer of 2012. I researched a church on a small islet, and some of its findings over the years. Not only did I use my excavation notes, but I also used the notes from the earlier excavation of the same site in the 1960s. I needed expert advice on the building and the lamp that was found, so I contacted a Byzantine architecture specialist, and an ancient lamp specialist to obtain their opinions on the site. In order to understand the findings from 2012,1 researched the basic history of …

Containing The Dragon: The Rise Of Chinese Military Power And Its Effect On Us Foreign Policy, Robert William Eberhart

Honors Theses

In 2001, John Mearsheimer made a prediction that according to his theory of offensive realism, if Chinese military power continued to grow, the US would increase its military presence in East Asia in order to contain growth of Chinese power. Now in 2013, US military presence is slowly rising, appearing to prove Mearsheimer’s prediction. Therefore the question that needs to be asked is can offensive realism explain the current status of US-Chinese relations. By examining the changes in Chinese military developments by comparing unit sizes and amounts to the changes in military weapons developments, an integration rate can be formed …

The Refuge Of Fools, Merrill Lee Girardeau

Honors Theses

The main character of The Refitge of Fools, Mar>’ Canon Israel, resembles H.L. Mencken's iconoclast. Mencken v\Tites that an iconoclast uses an instinct that supersedes the logic of religion, a logic he calls "the refuge of fools." Known as M.C., Mar\- Canon attends a private Christian high school in the South. Instinct acute, however, she regards the "God concept" with extreme suspicion. The Refuge of Fools visits her junior year of high school, each chapter taken from a month of that year. Her lifelong friend Palmer wants to change the nature of their friendship but cannot decide whether to …

The Pilgrimage Of Ibn Jubayr: A Microhistory Of Travel During The Late Twelfth Century, Trevor David Johnson

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on The Travels of Ibn Jubayr. Ibn Jubayr was a Muslim pilgrim from medieval Spain who made a religious pilgrimage to Mecca between 1183 and 1185. Temporally this places him on the eve of the Third Crusade. Ibn Jubayr traveled throughout the Mediterranean world and the Arabian Peninsula. It is his travelogue that provides a template for understanding the conditions of travelling that Ibn Jubayr and his contemporaries would have faced. The primary research question of my study is: what did travel in the late twelfth century entail? The core of this thesis revolves around the aspects …

Millions Of Owners, Not Hundreds Of Millionaires: An Analysis Of The Middle Class As A Requisite Condition For Democracy In Contemporary Russia, Isaac Alan Lichlyter

Honors Theses

Building on Lipset's modernization theory, this thesis makes the argument that a robust, independent middle class is vital for the long term sustenance of liberal democracy in Russia. Following a discussion of scholarly literature on what constitutes democracy and the middle class, a historical analysis compares and contrasts the trajectories of the middle class and democracy in Russia from the late-Soviet Era to the present, This thesis draws on public opinion polling, media reports (both Russian and foreign), and scholarly works to perform a mixed qualitative and quantitative analysis to show that middle class Russians provide the most reliable base …

When Cultures Collide: A Comparative Study Of The Culinary Cultures Of Uruguay And The Lebanese Community In The Mississippi Delta, Claire Nicola Reid

Honors Theses

Every world culture defines itself differently through the application of similar qualifying processes. Gastronomy is an important one of these processes. This thesis aims to explain how food both aids in and exists as a reflection of cultural identity by asking these questions: What are the specifics of how gastronomical processes are applied in Uruguay and the Mississippi Delta? Do the two regions share similar cultural identification structures? If so, in what ways are they similar, and what do these similarities mean in the context of identity construction? In doing this, | aim to explain why culinary practices, more so …

Federal Farm Subsidies And Industrial Agriculture: A Case Study In Mississippi Agriculture And Policy Analysis, Travis Lenti Gray

Honors Theses

Over the last century, federal agricultural policy has shifted from supporting family farmers to protecting profits for a handful of the largest agricultural corporations and food producers. By guaranteeing a price-floor for commodity crops, farm subsidies encourage farmers to overproduce with no regard to traditional supply and demand economics. Under the current system, commodity crops are exceptionally cheap. The emphasis on quantity over quality has led to an array of negative externalities in this country, which include environmental, public health, and economic consequences.

This research attempts to determine the economic feasibility of farm subsidy reform by examining the impact of …

An Investigation Of The Green Grove Initiative, Haley Brooke Kesterson

Honors Theses

Game days, particularly football game days, at division one universities generate a great deal of waste. At the University of Mississippi, the amount of waste generated on home football game Saturdays has been increasing. Increasing recycling by spectators may decrease the amount of waste generated and reduce the negative environmental impact of game days. The purpose of this case study was to explore the development and evaluation of interventions that may be effective for increasing recycling behaviors. Various interventions were implemented at each game of the 2012 season. Recyclables were collected and waste was measured following each game. Games with …