Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Crank Dat Soulja Boy: Understanding Black Male Hip Hop Aspiration In Rural Mississippi, Bruce O'Brian Foster

Honors Theses

Aspirations and attainment are affected by a number of factors, including socioeconomic status, neighborhood setting, family influence, and peer socialization. While previous scholarship has focused on these factors, separately and collectively, this research will examine an understudied but prevalent dynamic; Hip-Hop aspirations. Specifically, this research focuses on the relationship between aspirations to r^ and the space/place dynamics of the rural South. Drawing on qualitative data collected in rural. Southern communities through ethnographic research methods, this research explores how Black male aspirations may manifest themselves in ways that have come to be perceived as alternative and oppositional.

But Is It Art?: The Significance Of Graphic Design In The Modern Era, Johnny Franklin Miles Iii

Honors Theses

The subject of this thesis is graphic design: specifically, the history of graphic design from the Victorian Period in the late nineteenth century until the end of the Modernist Era around the mid-twentieth century. This time period encompasses perhaps the most important developments in the brief history of graphic design, therefore it is a good place to start when considering the central question this thesis process of whether graphic design is art. The terminology used to disucss the hsitory of graphic design in this thesis--the Romantic Era, the Modernist Era, the Postmoderinist Era--is the same terminology used to describe the …

And Justice For All: Non-Native English Speakers In The American Legal System, Leah Michelle Nodar

Honors Theses

One of the most important rights enshrined in the American Constitution is the right to due process of law. However, the execution of this right has been sporadic, and some groups have been consistently disadvantaged. Speakers of English as a second language make up one such group, especially limited English proficiency (LEP) speakers. LEP speakers' access to due process took a step forward with the 1978 Court Interpreters Act, which guaranteed interpreters for anyone who ‘‘speaks only or primarily a language other than the English language." However, decisions as to who speaks “primarily” a foreign language and who speaks English …

Art & Ideologies: A Comparative Analysis Of The Relationships Between Augustus And Livy And Napoleon And David, Hannah Leigh Penley

Honors Theses

This thesis is an exploration of the relationships between the emperors Augustus and Napoleon and the artists Livy and David, with the specific focus on the influences the two artists had on the core ideologies of the rulers.

An Analysis Of Culturable Bacteria Otained From Store Bought Leaf Vegetables, Kevin Christian Randolph

Honors Theses

Samples of five different varieties of leaf vegetables obtained from a local supermarket were analyzed for the presence of bacteria on both the outside (epiphytic) and inside of the plant (endophytic). For each variety, both conventionally and organically cultivated samples were analyzed. Each sample was analyzed following a typical consumer wash (so detecting both epiphytic and endophytic bacteria), and also after being surface sterilized with 1:5 bleach solution (endophytic bacteria only). Viable counts on R2A and TSA agar suggested that the majority of the bacteria of leaf vegetables were epiphytic, and total numbers range from 10 To 10 CFU/g leaf …

Ecophilosophies And Environmental Perspectives In The Amazon Rainforest: Conservation Through Sustainable Use Projects, Scarlett Ashlen Andrews

Honors Theses

Non-governmental organizations are on the forefront of conservation strategies throughout the world, and the Amazon Rainforest is one of the most crucial regions in the world for these efforts. Though many conservation strategies in the past focused on the establishment of protected areas, there has been a recent increase in projects aimed at sustainable use of land with the goal of conserving natural resources and ecosystem processes. This thesis is an exploration of sustainable use projects in the Andes-Amazon border region, specifically those projects which focus on agriculture and forestry. By comparing historical and theoretical ecophilosophies and analyzing survey responses …

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.

De Mal En Peor: The Framing Of Felipe Calderón’S “War On Drugs” In The United States And Mexican Print Media, Peyton Britt Smith

Honors Theses

This work was written to explore the print media’s portrayal of the Mexican war on drugs started by Felipe Calderon in 2006. In order to do this, I looked at both Mexican and U.S. print media sources to compare coverage and to ascertain the frames that the media employs when covering the drug war. I analyzed national newspapers in both countries and also analyzed coverage of specific events in pairs of U.S. and Mexican city, namely Tijuana and San Diego, and Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. In my analysis frames of “war” were used repeatedly and national biases were seen …

Fundamental Humanitarian Principles In Aid Organizations: Impartiality And Neutrality In The Great Lakes Refugee Crisis, Maggie Elizabeth Savely

Honors Theses

Since the origin of formal humanitarianism with the Geneva Conventions of 1864, aid organizations have become a major player on the global stage. Humanitarian aid has gone through significant changes over the years, being influenced by international events and the evolution of international relations. As with other international actors, aid organizations encounter a number of dilemmas, and this thesis aims to address one of the more recent struggles of aid agencies. The fundamental principles of impartiality and neutrality have become controversial, especially in complex humanitarian situations such as the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. This catastrophe is known as the …

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.

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 …

The Predictability Of Juries, Valerie P. Hans, Theodore Eisenberg

DePaul Law Review

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Water Conservation On Evapotranspiration In Las Vegas, Nevada, Joseph Belli

Master's Theses

Las Vegas, Nevada, is a rapidly growing arid city that is experiencing significant challenges in water consumption. Most of the water is used outdoors, precluding recycling and reuse of water. With a large increase in population, the Southern Nevada Water Authority created the Water Smart Landscape Program to limit outdoor water usage. This study used remote sensing images and techniques to examine how much water was lost to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration (ET) in the Las Vegas metropolitan region from 1999 to 2009. The results showed that both extreme weather conditions and water policy influence ET rates.

For All Time: An Examination Of Romantic Love Through Curse Tablets, Alicia Deadrick

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the Greco-Roman amatory defixiones, or curse tablets, and binding spells from the fourth century BCE to the fourth century CE in order to investigate the existence of romantic love in the Mediterranean Basin. Binding spells provide a unique opportunity for cultural analysis, for they were popular with all levels of society, both genders and all sexualities. Three categories of amatory spells prevalent in ancient society (agoge, separation, and philia) undergo examination to establish romantic love as a sentiment separate from eros and philia and in opposition of the currently prevailing relationship theory of …

Differences In Eubacterial And Archaeal Soil Communities Along A Precipitation Transect In The Mojave Desert, Elaine Pressly Bryant

Master's Theses

Deserts occupy one third of the total land mass of Earth, yet little is known about microbial soil communities under conditions of low precipitation and humidity. The Mojave Desert of the Southwestern United States provides an opportunity to observe microbial communities along a precipitation transect. The diversity of these communities can elucidate which specific groups of Eubacteria and Archaea are best adapted to limited liquid water.

Two methods were utilized to determine patterns and trends of the microbial soil communities under varying precipitation levels. Viable plate counts allowed comparison of culturable microorganisms over a four-year period. Molecular techniques distinguished unculturable …

The Environmental Impact Of The Retail Photoprocessing Industry In Santa Clara County: 1996 Vs. 2006, Benoit Delaveau

Master's Theses

Consumer digital cameras appeared on the market in 1994. Consequently, the photoprocessing industry experienced a downturn beginning in 2000, with a sudden drop in activity. This study focuses on the evolution of the retail photoprocessing industry between 1996 and 2006 and evaluates its four major environmental impacts: (1) energy use, (2) associated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), (3) silver discharge, and (4) water consumption. The main method used for data analysis is based on the ISO 14040 standard for Life Cycle Assessment. The study utilizes data from: (a) impact quantification for two photoprocessing labs in Santa Clara County, and (b) a …

The Impact Of Hurricane Katrina On Gulf Coast Libraries And Their Disaster Planning, Jeffrey Frank

Master's Theses

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast, becoming infamous for the destruction it wrought to communities from Louisiana to Alabama. Most notably, it caused massive flooding in New Orleans and surrounding parishes by breaching the levee system. The storm's impact on the region's population, buildings, and collective psyche is impossible to measure. As was the case with other Gulf Coast institutions in the path of Hurricane Katrina, the region's libraries also suffered extensively.

Through examination of the available literature and first-hand accounts of library professionals, this thesis examines the impact that Hurricane Katrina had on libraries …

Dangerous Decor: Consumer Knowledge Of Health Risks Within Interior Spaces, Kaitlin Keith

Master's Theses

Interior décor is an ever-present part of people's daily lives. The furnishings and finishes with which people surround themselves are part of their personal expression, but these components in people's homes and work spaces can negatively affect their health. Products such as furniture and paints can contain harmful chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) so toxic they are pollutants regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. With the rise in the "green" movement, healthy and environmentally safe alternatives such as low or zero-VOC paints are becoming more available. This study assessed how aware consumers and design professionals are of environmentally …

Dialectical Tensions: Drunk Driving-Related Loss Among Emerging Adult Siblings, Krista Nilsen

Master's Theses

The longest relationship many of us will share in our lifetime is that with our siblings. Siblings sometimes experience the loss of their brothers and sisters to drunk drivers. Despite the risks associated with drinking and driving, this behavior continues to occur. This study explores drunk driving, sibling loss, and loss during emerging adulthood. This study explores the ways in which dialectical tensions and liminality take shape across educational and professional contexts when emergent adults lose her/his siblings to drunk drivers.

Two dialectical tensions emerged in this work: openness-closedness and connectedness-autonomy. Surviving siblings engage in four patterns of praxis in …

An Existential Phenomenological Examination Of Parkour And Freerunning, Jennifer L. Clegg

Master's Theses

Recently, there has been growing interest among scholars in the concept of edgework to examine voluntary risk-taking behavior. Parkour is an emerging sport that finds a nexus between transgression, risk, and accessibility that may represent a unique form of edgework. Few scholars have examined sport as an edgework pursuit, and fewer still have attempted to portray the lived and embodied experiences of edgeworkers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to expand sport and edgework research by qualitatively examining the lived, sporting experiences of parkour practitioners.

Phenomenological interviews were conducted with 11 (9 male, 2 female) intermediate-to-advanced traceurs (parkour practioners) …

Understanding The Relationship Between Hyper-Violence And Educational Disparity: Listening To The Voices Of Latina Youth From Oakland, Yanira Madrigal-Garcia

Master's Theses

The hyper-violence that exists in Oakland, California, has persistently made national headlines. When examining the violence that exists in low-income urban cities, studies usually overemphasize the male experience. The studies that center on female experience usually focus on extreme cases such as gang-involved and incarcerated girls. This study foregrounds the experiences of Latina high school girls from Oakland who are "in the middle," neither gang-involved nor academic high-achievers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate: 1) how the participants make sense of and understand the violence that is present in their communities; 2) how violence impacts their everyday lives …

Profiling Miniaturized Separation Media By Micro Infrared Spectroscopy, Kelsi Michel Perttula

Master's Theses

Separation methods have been miniaturized in recent years. Capillary electrophoresis is now common and other types of analyses are being done on microfluidic chips with capillary channels in lieu of wider column diameters. The surfaces of the media used for separation are chemically modified. Using infrared spectroscopy by a microscope attachment, attempts were made to characterize the surfaces of both capillary channels and modified polymer for microfluidic chips. FTIR microscopy is not common in this type of analysis and is normally used to analyze particles, such as fibers, paint, and other polymer sources. Since modification of miniaturized chemical media is …

Performing Asexuality Through Narratives Of Sexual Identity, Janet Sundrud

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the social construction of asexual identities through everyday narrative performances and critically examines the marginalizing effects of heteronormative discourses. This thesis posits narrative performance as a framework for understanding asexual identities within a heteronormative society. Drawing upon oral history and ethnographic methodologies, this thesis examines the narrative performances of three self-identified asexuals and explores four themes within each narrative: 1) the breach of heteronormative expectations, 2) the creation of commonality among individuals within the asexual community, 3) the negotiation of heteronormative discourses within the family, and 4) the construction of future-oriented liminoid narratives of asexuality. This thesis …

Public Awareness About Global Warming In Hyderabad, India, Vani Sarraju Rao

Master's Theses

This study addressed public perceptions and awareness about global warming in India through a survey of 851 subjects in the city of Hyderabad in the year 2007. A stratified sample of nine segments of society showed that, although people consider global warming a serious problem, they do not clearly understand its causes, impacts, and solutions. The data analyses using paired T-tests indicated differences in levels of awareness about global warming, across age and education. ANOVA and regression analysis suggested that levels of awareness among respondents varied according to their occupation. The degree of seriousness with which subjects viewed global warming …

The Relationship Between Diversity And Performance In Major League Baseball Teams: Conflict's Mediating Effect, Michelle Maureen Campion

Master's Theses

Diversity in the workplace is a growing reality around the world as the globalizing economy has prompted the growth of work teams comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds with different values, experiences, knowledge, and skills. Researchers have been investigating the way diversity impacts organizational outcomes, including performance. However, it is not clearly understood how diversity impacts performance. Using data from 30 Major League Baseball teams over a two-year period, this research proposed that conflict might mediate the relationship between diversity and performance. Both diversity and performance were measured using multiple indicators. Although results did not indicate that conflict mediated the …

Getting By At The Benjamin Mays Black Branch: Library Access For African Americans In Jim Crow South Carolina, 1940-1971, Jamie Irene Cutter

Master's Theses

This thesis examines a chapter of South Carolina history that has been neglected in the historical record, namely segregated libraries of the twentieth century. Previous works have covered the history of black libraries in the entire South, but details of South Carolina's segregated libraries are incomplete. This study looks first at the broader context of segregated libraries in the American South and then reviews the history of African American libraries in South Carolina. Finally, this study provides a case study of the Benjamin Mays Library, a segregated, African American library in Greenwood, South Carolina. The case study uses primary source …

The Effects Of Self-Referencing On Mood And Information Processing, Michael Mehler

Master's Theses

Research in the area of attitude change has demonstrated that people can process a persuasive message in a systematic or heuristic manner. It has been shown that positive mood increases heuristic processing, whereas negative mood increases systematic processing. In the current study, we were interested in examining one factor that may increase happy people's ability or desire to systematically process a persuasive message, self-referencing. Self-referencing occurs when information is processed by relating it to oneself or one's personal experience. After a happy, neutral, or sad mood was induced, participants were exposed to a message with either self-referencing or no self-referencing …

Emancipatory Pedagogy Through Serialized Heuristic Reflection: Fostering Self-Awareness Of Dental Students' Prejudicial Beliefs, Deborah Narcisso

Master's Theses

This study investigated dental students' prejudicial beliefs towards underserved patient populations as an upstream constituent of provider attitudinal barriers to care. The objectives were to explore the nature of prejudicial beliefs, to assess the value of critical reflection as essential preparation for patient care, and to identify insights that would inform the preclinical curriculum that, ultimately, reduce oral health disparity.

An original reflection assignment was introduced into the preclinical curriculum of first year dental students to journal about the legitimacy of their prejudicial beliefs. Results indicated dental students identified a range of prejudicial beliefs and, through self-direction, experienced awareness and …

Federalism And Criminal Law: What The Feds Can Learn From The States, Rachel E. Barkow

Michigan Law Review

Criminal law enforcement in the United States is multijurisdictional. Local, state, and federal prosecutors all possess the power to bring criminal charges. An enduring question of criminal law is how authority should be allocated among these levels of government. In trying to gain traction on the question of when crime should be handled at the federal level and when it should be left to local authorities, courts and scholars have taken a range of approaches. Oddly, one place that commentators have not looked for guidance on how to handle the issue of law enforcement allocation is within the states themselves. …