Digital Commons Network^™

2001 Louisiana Legislative Special Session: Do We All Read The Same News, Jennifer Bhatia Ledbetter

LSU Master's Theses

This study reviews the newspaper coverage given during the 2001 Louisiana special legislative session. It was convened to raise additional money to fund teacher pay raises through legislation impacting the state’s gambling tax requirements. The seven markets include Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Monroe and Shreveport. The session was a “last resort effort” in response to persistent pleas from educators that had elevated into statewide teacher sickouts. In the fall of 2000 the public voted down new taxes to fund their pay raises. The governor charged his administration to come up with a plan to raise teacher’s …

The Influence Of Imagined Interactions On Verbal Fluency, Charles Choi

LSU Master's Theses

Imagined interactions (IIs) are a type of social cognition and mental imagery whereby actors imagine an interaction with others for the purposes of planning. Within actual encounters, verbal fluency is a characteristic that contributes to the speaker's credibility. The planning that takes place through imagined dialogues can help a speaker overcome disfluency found in speech. This study shows that improvements in speaking style are also dependent upon the trait of communication apprehension that an individual experiences. Visualization can decrease apprehension levels, thus producing higher verbal fluency. Results from this study indicate planning's influence in the reduction of silent pauses but …

Know, Known, Knew, Sherry J. Lane

LSU Master's Theses

I have special appreciations for my education, the ability to read, comprehend, and communicate. These appreciations have led my curiosity to issues of education and how we sometimes take important necessities for granted. Advances in technologies are changing social interactions, perceptions, and the ways in which we communicate. I have become intrigued at how these changes affect the ways in which we are taught today, verses how we were taught in the past and I am especially concerned of how the future will be influenced by what we are learning. When I speak of how we are taught and what …

Chinese Intervention In The Korean War, Harry Martin Crocker

LSU Master's Theses

In late October 1950, the People's Republic of China (PRC) committed approximately 260,000 troops to combat in North Korea. The initial Chinese decision to intervene in the Korean conflict was based on a misperception of American commitment to halt communist expansion. American actions seemed to communicate the desire to avoid confrontation. The withdrawal of U.S. troops and the limited equipping and training of the South Korean army implied Washington's lack of interest in the fate of Korea. Therefore, Mao endorsed North Korea's proposal for the military reunification of Korea. China stood to gain international prestige and access to Soviet equipment …

Taking Pr To School: A Case Study Of The Three Private High School Public Relations And Development Departments, Christine Cidalise Indest

LSU Master's Theses

Few studies specifically explore public relations in private high schools. Statistics reveal that in Louisiana the number of nonpublic high school students continues to increase, therefore the competition among private schools for students increases as well as the demand to improve the private schools. These private schools need public relations to establish mutually beneficial relationships with strategic publics to attract students and to raise money to educate the students. This thesis is a case study of private school public relations programs at three Louisiana high schools. The theoretical basis for this thesis centered on the research of James Grunig. To …

The Chemistry Of Change: A Production Thesis In Directing, Anthony Greenleaf Winkler

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis is an account of the production process involved in directing The Chemistry of Change by Marlane Meyer. Particular attention is paid to the Suzuki and Viewpoint methods of actor training used in rehearsal; periods of discussion with the playwright regarding the script; negotiations with designers; and an evaluation of the audience reception of the public performances. These aspects of producing a play for the theatre are recorded from the point of view of the director and described with the intention of revealing the learning process for all involved in the collaborative process.

Analysis Of Death Trends In Coroner Cases In East Baton Rouge Parish From January 1, 1991 To December 31, 2001, Gina Ann Dimattia

LSU Master's Theses

Analysis of death trends in a geographic area can provide valuable information regarding the health of the people in that area. Additionally, evaluation of variables such as sex, race, age, and cause of death can aid local health officials in serving the needs of the population. East Baton Rouge Parish is located in southern Louisiana, includes the capital city of Baton Rouge, and has a population of 412,852. An analysis of death cases handled by the Coroner's Office in East Baton Rouge Parish has not been performed until now. This thesis presents results from an analysis of all deaths in …

Louisiana Mass Media Perceptions Of The Lsu Agcenter's Communications Effort, Robert James Soileau

LSU Master's Theses

LSU AgCenter Communications sends news stories and materials to all three major mass media for news - newspaper, radio and television - in the state of Louisiana. These news releases are designed to educate and inform the general public about LSU AgCenter programs and research through the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service and the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station. LSU AgCenter Communications wanted to know the effectiveness of its news effort in terms of usage by the media, and what was the media’s perception of the LSU AgCenter and the topics covered by communications. Three researcher-designed surveys were developed, one for each …

Operation Overlord, James Clinton Emmert

LSU Master's Theses

On June 6, 1944, Allied soldiers assaulted the beaches of Normandy in France. In preparation for that one day, the Allies assembled millions of tons of supplies, hundreds of thousands of men, and thousands of ships in Great Britain. Allied leaders spent three years preparing plans and training troops. American and British intelligence agencies scoured Europe for information about German troops and fortifications and launched massive deception campaigns designed to keep their German counterparts in the dark about where and when the blow would fall. In the air, bombers rained destruction upon German factories and French railways while their escorts …

Isleno Decima Singers Of Louisiana: An Interpretation Of Performance And Event, Danielle Elise Sears

LSU Master's Theses

This study is a metaperformance autoethnography of the Isleno decima singers of Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana. The performance and event of the decima are explored using research techniques including the performance of ethnography. First a basis is provided for the study by presenting a brief historical overview of the Spanish influence in Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana. The work of Richard Bauman in Verbal Art as Performance is included in order to key the decima as a performance event. Second, the script, “A Tribute to Storytellers: Isleno Decima Singers of Louisiana,” performed at Louisiana State University in The HopKins Black Box …

The Bauhaus (Per)Forms, Lisa Flanagan

LSU Master's Theses

This study uses the methods and discourses of creative/performative writing and formal aesthetics to evoke the visual aesthetic principles exercised and developed by the Bauhaus and its Stage Workshop. It explores the creative connections between visual and written forms that can affect meaning through primary, universal expression and comprehension. First, a graph links creative/performative writing and avant-garde theater concepts with related Bauhaus performance documents. This initial graph contains the key forms of visual and written expression used in the remaining sections. These further areas of inquiry include, an evocative rendering of the multiple and partial histories that include the Bauhaus, …

Picnicking At Houston's Waterwall: The Public Construction Of Corporate Space, Trushna Parekh

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis demonstrates how private, corporate space at the Williams Tower Park in Houston’s Galleria area, (originally conceived as an office park that was closed to the public) has becomes a public place of leisure through its use. Ethnographic fieldwork conducted at the Williams Tower Park provides evidence contrary to what some scholars have heralded as the "end of public space," characterized by placeless and homogenized spaces. Instead, the corporate landscape of Houston is being culturally constructed through its unintended use by dog owners, fly fishers, wedding and quinceañera photographers, couples and families. The analysis begins with Martin Heidegger’s notion …

Effect Of Tip Geometry On Blade Tip Flow And Heat Transfer, David Michael Kontrovitz

LSU Master's Theses

In an attempt to increase thrust to weight ratio and efficiency of modern gas turbines, engine designers are always interested in increasing turbine operating temperatures. The benefits are attributed to the fact that higher temperature gases yield a higher energy potential. However, the detrimental effects on the components along the hot gas path can offset the benefits of increasing the operating temperature. The High Pressure Turbine (HPT) first stage blade is one component that is extremely vulnerable to the hot gas. The present study explores the effects of gap height and tip geometry on heat transfer distribution. This investigation differs …

Tribological Behavior Of Nanostructured Nickel, Dean Joseph Guidry

LSU Master's Theses

The present study reports the effects of electroplating parameters on the microstructure, and thus the mechanical and tribological properties, of nanostructured nickel. Electroplating was conducted in a Watt's type bath with a pH of 3.0 carried out using direct current in galvanostatic mode at current densities of 30 mA/cm² and 15 mA/cm² in electroplating bath temperatures of 30°C and 50°C. Grain size and distributions were determined from TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope) and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) micrographs. Tribological tests were carried out on a pin-on-disc type tribometer. The same tests were conducted on Ni-200 for the purpose of …

Effects Of Repeat Sampling In The U.S. Waterfowl Parts Collection Survey, Jesse G. Oetgen

LSU Master's Theses

Age ratio estimates obtained annually by the Cooperative Waterfowl Parts Collection Survey (PCS) serve as important estimates of annual waterfowl recruitment. To determine if age and sex ratios are biased due to repeat sampling of hunters across years, I examined PCS data collected from 1991-2000. Mean seasonal harvest increased with number of consecutive years hunters responded to the PCS. Proportions of juveniles in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) harvest and harvest of all species combined decreased with increasing seasonal harvest level. Proportions of males in the harvest increased with increasing harvest level. Proportions of juveniles in the harvest of hunters responding …

Patterns Of Female Nest Attendance In Northern Pintails And Mallards, Andrea Kim Hoover

LSU Master's Theses

I examined the accuracy of using data collected by temperature sensing dummy eggs (hollow and switch) to determine female nest attendance in waterfowl. I monitored 3 northern pintails (Anas acuta) and 6 mallards (A. platyrhynchos) using closed circuit video recording. Differences in the time spent on the nest for an 8-hour recording period between dummy eggs and camera were similar between type (hollow and switch eggs, P = 0.93), species (P = 0.07), and date (P = 0.42). My results show that temperature data from hollow and switch eggs are an effective and accurate method to monitor female nest attendance …

Collecting Raindrops: Investigating Multiplicity In The Work Of Paul Arthur Dufour, Kristin M. Krolak

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis is an investigation into the artwork of Paul Arthur Dufour. He has continuously redefined his identity through the form of his art, and his life. The work is passionate, powerful, complex and always of the moment. It is helpful to capture specific moments as opposed to developing a theory about brushstrokes or color or thematic focus because Dufour has worked in just about every imaginable media, color and genre. The possibilities for interpretation of his life’s work are thus limitless. After interviewing Paul Dufour and poring over countless drawings, paintings and other works, I have determined that to …

A State-Of-The-Practice Review Of Hurricane Evacuation Plans And Policies, Elba Alicia Urbina

LSU Master's Theses

The events of recent hurricane seasons have made evacuation one of the leading emergency management issues. In 1998 and 1999, Hurricanes Georges and Floyd precipitated the two largest evacuations in U.S. history and perhaps, its two largest traffic jams. In response to the problems experienced during these events, many State Department’s of Transportation (DOT) have begun to take a more active role in the planning, management, and operation of hurricane evacuations. Since the involvement of transportation professionals in the evacuation field has been a fairly recent development; many of the newest practices and policies have only been used once, if …

The Use Of Preexisting Clothing In Current High Fashion(2000-2002), Gillian David Sims

LSU Master's Theses

The fashion system has historically looked to art for inspiration. For the greater part of history, this inspiration has been purely visual. However, with the advent of Modern Art, the formal qualities of art are often merely visual representations of some underlying theoretical position. As the fashion system seeks inspiration from this new art, an examination of what aspects, if any, of these underlying theoretical positions are carried into fashion becomes necessary. To not do so, is to forego a complete reading of the fashion objects being currently produced. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of …

The Effects Of Internet Guided Practice With Aural Modeling On The Sight-Singing Accuracy Of Elementary Education Majors, Jessica L. Hall

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of aural modeling in guided practice through the Internet on the sight-singing improvement of elementary education majors. Students enrolled in a music methods course for elementary education majors (N=37) used software delivered via the Internet to practice sight-singing. The experimental web page included visual examples of sight-singing exercises as well as aural modeling of each of the exercises. The control web page included only visual examples. A t test for independent samples indicated no significant difference in the posttest scores of the two groups in rhythm (p > .05), pitch on …

Net.Sense, John Mikucki

Theses

Net.sense will server as a proof-of-concept of a new type of network management system, using biological models and statistical principles to address scalability, predictability, and reliability issues associated with managing the highly complex computer systems that we as a society have come to depend on.

Analysis Of Accident Cost And Comparison With Available Research, Michael Osterhaudt

Theses

This project is designed to determine the cost of occupational injury in one case study and to relate it to the cost of occupational injury in the available literature. The main reason for this project is the general lack of knowledge that companies have regarding the actual cost of occupational injuries. Information was gathered for this project through personal interviews with the case study individual, telephone calls to various agencies and hospitals regarding the scenario presented in the case study and compilation of the costs and hours spent with respect to this case study. Through the case study this project …

The Collaborative Learning Handbook: A Best Practices Guide, Sameer Malhotra

Theses

Not provided.

The Practice Of Precedent: Anastasoff, Noncitation Rules, And The Meaning Of Precedent In An Interpretive Community, Lauren K. Robel

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Missiles Of Terror: Hitler's And Hussein's Use Of Ballistic Missiles, Edward Scott Martin

LSU Master's Theses

Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein were the only national leaders ever to use large-scale missile launches against American forces and their wartime allies. In both cases, the missiles were too few in number and lacked the accuracy and warhead size to be militarily effective. Use of the V-2 and SCUD missiles showed that conventionally armed ballistic missiles have minimal tactical military value and are more suitable as terrorist weapons. Indeed, the goal of those two meglomaniacal dictators was to terrorize enemy civilians and achieve a political settlement of a hopeless military situation. Each leader hoped to split the Allied coalitions …

Directing The Threepenny Opera, Alexander G. Harrington

LSU Master's Theses

This production thesis on directing Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera is divided into two sections. The first section consists of four research/critical chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the director’s understanding of the theories of Bertolt Brecht. Chapter two discusses potential differences between the director’s aesthetic point of view and Brecht’s theories. Chapters 3 and 4 lay out the findings and opinions based on those findings of research into two issues that influenced production decisions: Chapter 3 focuses on Brecht’s relationship with totalitarian communism and Chapter 4 looks into questions raised about the authorship of The Threepenny Opera. Section …

Full, Leanne Rose Mcclurg

LSU Master's Theses

As an artist I want to make my human experience sharable. I am interested in the connection between the act of consumption, the desire that leads to that act and the repercussions of fulfilling that desire on the body both social and intimate.I have chosen the hand made pot to express my thoughts of filling the vessel. It is in the arena of eating that I begin to understand larger philosophical issues about sentience. Using dishes I made, I have chosen to illustrate the experience of consumption by leaving remnants of a dinner on display during gallery hours. How much …

Corporate America And Web Access For The Blind: Are Public Relations Practioners Communicating With The Blind Public?, Jenice Daigle

LSU Master's Theses

Advances in technology have given the blind public a new voice in corporate America. Today, blind individuals are able to utilize the Internet independently using screen access software. However, like ramps for wheelchairs in physical spaces, Web site accommodations are needed in cyberspace for successful use. A review of the current literature indicates trends in public relations are shifting toward a corporate ethic of social responsibility, but on-line concerns for the disabled are not clearly demonstrated among the leading corporations in the United States. The purpose of this research is to determine if blind consumers are being accommodated on corporate …

The Dynamic Judicial Opinion, William D. Popkin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Eskridge's article on Dynamic Statutory Interpretation advances an aggressively pragmatic theory of interpretation but has had more influence among academics than judges because of a failure to attend to the problems of writing a candid, pragmatic and dynamic judicial opinion. This article argues that, although not free from doubt, a candid judicial opinion is preferable, and discusses how to write such an opinion - suggesting that judges rely on the "intent of the statute," not legislative intent; and adopt a personal/exploratory style in presenting their views.

Identifying And Building On Strengths Of Children With Serious Emotional Disturbances, Michael Orval Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore strengths assessments and the participation of parents in assessment of strengths and functioning of their children challenged by serious emotional disorders. The children in this study have a high level of exposure to mental illness, domestic violence and substance abuse in their biological families. These children are living with family members or foster families in the community, with the majority at continuing risk of placement outside of their homes and communities due to serious emotional and behavioral problems.

The research questions investigated are the concordance of families and professionals in assessment of …