Abstracts
of 2005 Honors Theses
Convocation
Speech
By Amanda Kellogg
Honors College and Department of Education
Southern has been a wonderful place for me to learn
and grow over these past four years. I have been blessed with supportive
professors who have been committed to helping me to succeed academically.
As I was thinking about writing this speech, I thought about many
of the things that I have learned and many of the people I will
miss when I leave. However, I have not always enjoyed school. I
would like to share with you a little about my personal journey
here at Southern and how the choices I made impacted my perspective
of school.
When I first came to Southern four years ago, I was unsure as to
whether or not I was going to like this school. Since my previous
education consisted of a small Christian school and home school,
Southern was a completely new experience for me. Not only did I
find myself in a new setting with new people, but I was also overwhelmed
by the new ideas and challenges that surrounded me. Things which
are simple now like finding the best place to park or registering
for classes seemed complicated and confusing.
Very quickly into my first semester, I was sure that I had made
the wrong choice in schools, and by the middle of the semester,
I felt miserable. I remember complaining to my Dad about my honors
courses. I was sure that Dr. Shea and Dr. Cascella were being unreasonable
in their standards for my writing assignments, and I thought it
was ridiculous that I had to do a research project as preparation
for a thesis, which was four very distant years away. After listening
to my complaints, my Dad reminded me that no one was forcing me
to go to school. As I was full of self-pity, his response surprised
me, but I realized that he was right. I had a choice – what
I was going to make of my time at Southern was up to me. I could
drop out of school, I could choose to be miserable for four years,
or I could take advantage of the opportunities Southern offered.
This decision to persevere in spite of my frustrations and to enjoy
the academic challenges presented by my classes may seem like an
insignificant decision, but it slowly changed my perspective of
Southern. My misery and outright dislike of school turned into grudging
tolerance, which turned into hesitant enjoyment of my classes. This
freed me to pursue the many opportunities that Southern offered.
This decision to persevere and to enjoy my classes changed my attitude
toward Southern and opened up many academic opportunities for me.
When I graduated from high school, the one field I said I definitely
did not want to pursue was mathematics. I thought, as many of you
probably think, that mathematics is boring, tedious, and uncreative.
However, by making the choice to be open to the many opportunities
at Southern, I was opening myself to changing this perspective.
I came to realize during my first mathematics course here that mathematics
is a thoughtful, creative, and interesting field. Being open to
consider mathematics has led me on a challenging and sometimes frustrating
adventure these past few years. In a society, where mathematical
illiteracy is increasingly accepted and even joked about and where
girls often feel incompetent in mathematics, my experiences at Southern
awakened my interest in this subject and freed me to investigate
this field.
My choice to persevere and to be open to the academic challenges
offered here at Southern is the same choice made by the many students
before me today. It is a choice that has been supported by our professors
who have encouraged us in our struggles and applauded us in our
successes, but for each of us students, it has been an individual
choice. It is also one that we have each had to make repeatedly.
For me, this choice has most often come in the face of a stubborn
mathematical proof that I have struggled to understand. For others
here, their choices to persevere may have come while struggling
to interpret the nuances of meaning in Shakespeare's Macbeth, to
record the intricate steps in a chemical reaction, or to understand
the philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God.
As students, each of us has made a thousand seemingly unimportant
choices, which eventually have brought us here to be honored today.
These were choices to spend another hour researching at the library,
to work out an extra math problem, or to rewrite another sentence.
As I am sure you all know, the choices we have made to study the
night before our final exams have not earned us success in our classes.
Our success has come from the small choices we have made to attend
classes and to learn throughout the semester. It is the decisions
that seem small at the time that make the difference in being able
to achieve academic success.
In the same way, the small choices in life make the difference in
what personal success we may achieve. C. S. Lewis once wrote: Every
time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you,
the part that chooses, into something a little different than what
it was before. Even small choices produce change in the world around
us and perhaps more significantly change in ourselves. We should
consider how our small and daily choices will mold and shape our
future selves. It is our decisions to tell the truth even when it
is unpopular, to take time out to listen to a hurting friend, to
ask before taking, and to forgive rather than retaliate that will
lead to future personal success. These are choices to do what is
right when no one else is looking or even cares. These choices may
or may not lead to great financial success or to glamorous careers.
However, they will allow us to be true to who we were supposed to
be, and they will give us the satisfaction of lives well lived.
Life is a series of choices. The choices we make define who we are
today and who we are capable of becoming tomorrow. Many of us are
about to begin a new and important part of our lives where the small
choices that we make will lead to a great difference in who we will
eventually become. I challenge you, choose well. I pray that you
will have the wisdom, courage, and perseverance to do so.
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Write
Now: A Teachers Manual on the Assistive Technology Continuum that
Supports Students with Learning Disabilities in the Writing Process
By Kristin A. Baningoso
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Barbara Shiller
Honors College and Department of Special Education and Reading
Numerous students identified with learning disabilities experience
difficulty with written expression. There are many Assistive Technology
(AT) solutions, ranging from low to high tech, that can support
these students in the writing process. The field of AT has grown
drastically during the last decade. Unfortunately, many teachers
are not aware of the ever-growing body of resources available to
them. In an effort to bridge this gap, this manual provides educators
with definitions, information on computer accessibility and hardware
options, a list of local and national resources and descriptions
of many of the AT solutions for writing on the market today.
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Encountering the Nothing: Between
Heidegger and the Heart Sutra
By Philip Beasley-Murray
Thesis Advisor: Dr. David E. Pettigrew
Honors College and Department of Philosophy
The subject of this thesis is the striking parallel between the
themes captured in the expression “Form is Emptiness; Emptiness
is Form,” found in the Heart Sutra, a text from Buddhist antiquity,
and “Being: Nothing: Same” or “Nothing and Being,
the Same,” found in the works of the recent German philosopher
Martin Heidegger (1889-1976). The thesis shows the extent to which
these phrasings indeed signify a close relationship between Buddhist
philosophy and Heidegger’s thought. Specifically, on the one
hand, the thesis addresses the Buddhist notions of interbeing and
interdependent arising, while on the other hand, the thesis addresses
Heidegger’s conception of Being. The thesis elaborates the
extent to which each philosophy entails an opening and dissolution
of the conscious ego, which also involves an opening to interbeing
and Being, as the Nothing. In addition, the thesis shows that a
rejection of ontological dualism – a dualism that separates
self and world, subject and object, cause and effect – is
central to both Buddhist and Heideggerian philosophy. Finally, the
thesis elaborates a similar encounter in each philosophy with the
Nothing. In the case of Buddhism this encounter with the Nothing
takes the form of an enlightened, unmediated or direct access, unhindered
by conceptual interference. With Heidegger, such an encounter involves
a similar pre-conceptual mode of reflection that he names Besinnung,
or mindfulness.
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Adventures Inside the Eye: A Scientific
and Artistic Exploration
Honors Thesis Creative Project
By Bonnie R. Bello
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Charles Wieder
Honors College and Department of Art
Adventures Inside the Eye: A Scientific and Artistic Exploration,
a creative thesis project, takes the form of a children’s
book about vision, a series of accompanying multi-media illustrations,
and additionally serves as an example of interdisciplinary curriculum.
This thesis seeks to give young readers scientific knowledge about
vision in an imaginative way, mixing fact with fiction to generate
interest. Adding a visual element to this thesis, the illustrations
combine original drawings and watercolor paintings. Simultaneously,
this work integrates subject fields. While the science of Optics
is the focus, the art of Optics, or what is known as “Optical
Art” is introduced as well. A principal question asked in
this thesis is how these two aspects of Optics – the visual
and the scientific – compare in importance as school subjects.
Is it more important for students to study science or art? This
thesis introduces interdisciplinary curriculum theory when it answers
this question. It is emphasized that the relevant issue is not which
subject is more significant, but rather, that a subject can be approached
both artistically and scientifically. This thesis asserts that each
subject enhances the awareness of the other. Seeing interdisciplinary
connections, rather than determining academic status, is the fundamental
focus here.
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The Effects of Partisan Politics, Administrations,
and Federal Reserve Policy
on Stock Market Returns
By Amy E. Booth
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Benjamin A. Abugri
Honors College and Department of Economics and Finance
This thesis investigates the relationship between partisan politics
and stock returns after controlling for Federal Reserve policies.
Using multivariate regressions and a Vector Autoregressive Model
(VAR), the results suggest that significantly higher returns occur
during Democratic administrations than during Republican administrations.
The results also suggest that significantly higher returns occur
during the last two years of a presidential administration than
during the first two years of a presidential administration. In
addition, the results suggest that significantly higher returns
occur during expansive monetary periods than during restrictive
monetary periods. And lastly, partisan politics significantly affects
stock returns even after controlling for the effects of Federal
Reserve monetary policies. This result suggests that there is some
independence between Federal Reserve policies and partisan politics.
These findings may have many implications for investors. Investors
may want to keep a close eye on presidential elections and changes
in monetary policy, as both variables seem to have a significant
effect on stock market returns. Additionally, investors may want
to take a closer look at the timing of their investments, as it
seems that certain years, such as the last two years of a presidential
administration, seem to result in higher returns.
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Toto’s House
By Anthony Brano
Thesis Advisor: Professor Brian Johnson
Honors College and Department of English
Toto’s House is a collection of five linked short stories,
each about the Gespario family. The stories focus on the relationships
between characters of different generations and different educational
backgrounds who live in the same house. In “Nuts,” Toto
and his son Paul struggle with loss by arguing about life. In “The
Game,” Frank feels social inadequacy at work, and also sexual
inadequacy at home. In “Prints in the Snow,” Tony learns
about his Grandpa Toto’s past as they hunt an elusive bobcat.
Then, in “Chopping Wood,” Tony struggles to understand
his grandfather’s actions. Finally, in “Roundhouse,”
Tony and his brother Nick gain a closer relationship when they watch
wrestling matches at the local arena. Family members manifest their
various frustrations in different ways; some members lash out against
their relatives physically, while others resort to psychological
tactics. These stories are not in chronological order and since
the same characters reappear in different stories, the reader gains
a different understanding of each family member depending on which
stories he or she reads.
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Dolphin Assisted Therapy: An Investigation
of Learning Style on the Possible Outcomes of Therapy with Dolphins
By Jennifer Caroccia
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Donald Perras
Honors College and Department of Special Education
In an email message, one therapist described dolphin assisted therapy
as “one of the most magical forms of education”. There
is little known research on dolphin assisted therapy; however, anyone
who has been involved with the therapy would agree on its positive
outcomes. Dolphin assisted therapy is a relatively new form of therapy
which involves mentally and physically challenged children swimming
in the water with dolphins. A study was conducted on ordinary people
to see if there was a potential link between a specific learning
style (auditory, visual, or kinesthetic) and those who felt they
had a profound (life changing) experience after swimming with the
dolphins. The results of this study were then transferred to the
participants at Island Dolphin Care (a dolphin assisted therapy
facility) who had a wide range of disabilities to speculate which
children would have a better experience swimming with the dolphins
based on their learning style. From this information, multiple scenarios
were created as a way for the children to learn about dolphins through
different learning styles. Specifically, they would be able to learn
through their preferred learning style; and later through other
learning styles seeking the most effective learning possible.
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Imagining a Radical Third: Reconstructing
Gender in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando
By David Cerniglia
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Mike Shea
Department of English
Since
its publication in 1928, Virginia Woolf’s Orlando has occupied
an uncomfortable and unstable position within Woolf’s oeuvre.
In many ways Orlando seems not to fit in with Woolf’s more
“serious” novels of the same period such as To the Lighthouse
and The Waves. In fact, in her letters and diaries Woolf often refers
to the novel as a joke, at one point writing, it “may be too
long for a joke and too short for a serious book.” Orlando’s
critical history has thus been inconsistent; at times it is ignored
as a trifle, at other times it is seen as simply a roman à
clef, or a love letter to Woolf’s lover, Vita Sackville-West.
In this thesis I argue that, despite Woolf’s contention that
Orlando was meant as a joke and despite its connection to Sackville-West,
the novel presents one of Woolf’s most sophisticated and complete
critiques of gender. Scholars often refer to Orlando, the protagonist
and subject of this parodic biography, as androgynous – a
combination of female and male traits. I argue however, that Orlando
is not simply a mixture of two genders; rather s/he constitutes
a third gender which represents an infinite construction, complicating
notions of masculinity and femininity and calling into question
the concept of a stable gender binary. Also, because Orlando lives
for more than three hundred years, Woolf is able to explore the
historical, cultural, and social contingencies of gender construction.
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Hearing Impairments: A Look at Auditory
Processing in the Elderly
By Randi L. Cuccaro
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Robert E. Jirsa
Honors College and Department of Communication Disorders
In many elderly hearing impaired individuals, it is often difficult
to predict their eventual success in using amplification. Since
the central auditory system has been shown to be critical to the
encoding of auditory information, determining central auditory function
prior to hearing aid use may function to enhance overall adjustment
to amplification. Previous research has shown that there is a decline
in both temporal processing abilities and the interhemispheric transfer
of information as the aging process proceeds. In addition, other
research suggests that other central auditory performance for two
subject groups – those well adjusted to their hearing aids
and those experiencing dissatisfaction with their hearing aids as
measured by a self-assessment scale – was compared to determine
if central auditory performance differences existed between these
two groups. While the results of this preliminary project did not
show significant differences between groups, examination of individual
data did reveal differences that warrant additional research in
this area.
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A Day Off Road
By Jonathan Cushing
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Richard Glinka
Honors College and Department of Communication
With X-games creating a great push towards extreme sports it is
important for people to be informed regarding recreational “off-road”
sports. The world of recreational “off-road” sports
is vast and open to many. Through demonstration of mudding with
trucks and ATV riding, the positive aspects of this type of sport
can be highlighted and influence people to get out and try something
new.
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Community, not Liberation: A New(er) Ethics
for our Treatment of Animals
By Alexis Elder
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Richard Volkman
Honors College and Department of Philosophy
Virtue ethics is concerned with the characteristics (in ethical
terms, virtues) one needs to possess in order to live a successful
life. However, it is not obvious how nonhuman animals might fit
into a virtue ethicist’s account of morals. Author Lawrence
Becker grants animal ethics advocates the premise that there is
no non-arbitrary difference between human and nonhuman animals that
would make humans count morally where other animals do not. But,
he argues, it is an empirical fact that there is greater social
distance between most humans and animals than between humans. We
simply have closer, richer relationships with humans than with nonhuman
animals. This makes the issue of social distance a question for
empirical research. Since friendships of virtue are the paradigm
case of close, rich relationships, we find that any being capable
of having a friendship of virtue with us is one we ought to treat
with the virtues associated with sociality and friendliness. The
question then becomes, are some nonhuman animals capable of friendships
of virtue with human beings? In an Aristotelian conception of friendship,
shared projects constitute a sufficient, though not necessary, condition
for friendship. That is, it is not inconceivable to have friends
without shared projects, but to share projects and goals with someone
makes that one a friend. This essay contains an exploration of the
activities of dog trainers and dogs as instances and evidence of
shared projects and goals. I conclude that we have reason to treat
dogs as potential friends of virtue, due to their capacity to understand,
commit to and pursue shared projects with human beings.
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The Value of Diary Writing for the Growth
of Self: A Case Study of Elizabeth Wolff’s Diary 1939-2004
By Amy Emery
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Sue Ellen Holbrook
Honors College and Department of English
Although people have been keeping diaries for thousands of years
in the individual setting, recently there appears to be a decline
in the keeping of personal diaries. In an article entitled The Whole
World is Yawning, “Guido Veloce” voices his thoughts
on diary writing by saying, “Diaries, by contrast, are personal,
introspective, not meant to be shared, and now – apparently
– old fashioned” (par. 2). In an effort to emphasize
the importance of “old fashioned” diary writing to one’s
growth of self, a case study of Elizabeth Wolff’s diary was
performed. Through this study, the hypothesized importance to self
was demonstrated with a close analysis of three sections of the
diary: 1939-1943, 1968-1970, and 2000-2003. Although new forms of
diary writing were discovered in blogging and other computer diaries,
which appear to represent this writing genre as one that is evolving,
they do not seem to represent the self in the same manner as “old-fashioned”
diaries.
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A Comprehensive Exploration of
Advanced Microscopy for Educational Applications in Introductory
Physics
By Ryan Fitzsimmons
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Christine Broadbridge
Honors College and Department of Physics
This project was initiated with an exploration of several advanced
research tools: the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the atomic
force microscope (AFM). This experience led to the hypothesis that
students learn physics concepts better when exposed to advanced
technology and its applications. To test this hypothesis, a research
project was developed. Nine modules covering various aspects of
introductory physics were created. Module components include discussions,
laboratory experiments and assessments. Four of the nine modules
were implemented in various high school and university classes.
Assessments were used to compare student learning with the modules
versus standard textbook/lecture techniques. The results indicate
that when students are taught physics concepts using the microscopy
modules they understand physics concepts better than when more traditional
methods are used.
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Writing Theories: A View of the Cycle of Reform,
Response, and Revision
By Denise Hart
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Sue Ellen Holbrook
Honors College and Department of Education
Writing instruction has long been an issue of controversy within
our education and government systems. Within the past three decades
there has been a shift in the implementation of writing programs
that focus on the product, to writing programs that focus on the
process of writing. Three prominent theories regarding the process
of writing are: Writing: Teachers and Children at Work by Donald
H. Graves, The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy McCormick Calkins,
and lastly In the Middle: New Understandings about Writing, Reading,
and Learning by Nancie Atwell. Although this shift has been viewed
as a positive advancement, our current educational atmosphere, in
which standardized testing prevails, may not be the best environment
to foster the growth of this “new” writing. This thesis
clarifies our present educational situation in the context of the
history of education reforms that have helped shape our present
situation. Through this clarification, our teachers will gain knowledge
of current methods and sources of support that will enable them
to integrate the demands of standardized testing with the empowerment
of writing, administrators will gain a greater understanding of
what writing consists of and how current research provides knowledge
of effective writing techniques, and the general academic community
will receive explanation on what writing was, is, and could be.
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The Case for Developing Azerbaijani Fossil Fuels
By George C. Ilse
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Paul J. Best
Honors College and Department of Political Science
The case for further development of Azerbaijani fossil fuels is
centered on the idea of balancing risk and gain. The author of this
thesis will argue that despite political and social risks in Azerbaijan,
the United States should invest more political and economic capital
in that country and its surrounding region, thereby increasing American
energy security. The way to increase energy security is through
the development of fossil fuel reserves outside of the Middle East
and the OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) cartel.
The United States government will have to adopt foreign, security,
and energy policy to reflect a new world where demand is outpacing
traditional suppliers such as OPEC and Mexico, for example.
This paper includes historical events in the development of Azerbaijan
and will focus on Imperial Russia and its influence on the development
of fossil fuel resources in that area. Until the Second World War,
the Soviet Union was meeting its oil needs just as Imperial Russia
had. Soviet influence is still evident in the country today. Up
until 2003 a former Politburo member was serving as president of
Azerbaijan. The legacy of a command economy is still visible with
links such as pipelines and railroads that still give Moscow much
say and therefore control over Azeri internal affairs. Nonetheless,
later this year a new pipeline with a capacity of one million barrels
of oil per day will come into operation. This pipeline marks a new
direction in Azerbaijan and the region as it will provide easier
access to Western markets, and cement the country’s more Western
orientation. Cultural linkages are being created as well, such as
exchange programs. These links, be they pipelines or exchange programs
are critical in building a long term relationship formed on mutual
benefit and gain for both the United States and Azerbaijan.
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The Relationship Between Sex
Education and Sexual Risk Behavior
By Rebekah Jackson
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Deborah A. Carroll
Honors College and Department of Psychology
The United States has the highest adolescent pregnancy rate and
the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases among developed
countries, which is a cause for concern. Is this due to a lack of
adequate sex education in public schools, or do young people know
the facts about contraceptives and disease prevention but choose
to ignore them? The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship
between sex education and sexual risk behavior in young people.
A comprehensive sex questionnaire detailing level of sex education,
sexual behavior, sex knowledge and attitudes was distributed to
120 college students between the ages of 18-25. Three hypotheses
were analyzed in the study: that participants who received formal
sex education have a higher level of sex knowledge than those who
received no sex education; that participants who have received comprehensive
sex education also follow safer sexual practices than those who
did not; and that comprehensive sex education has an impact on sexual
behavior only if the education comes before sexual intercourse occurs.
I was unable to evaluate hypothesis #1 because all of the participants
had received some form of sex education in school. The relationship
between the level of sex education in school and sex knowledge was
not significant. The relationship between level of sex education
and safe sexual practices was not significant. The relationship
between whether a participant had sex education before or after
intercourse was not significant, however there was a trend toward
a significant group difference on the dependent variable score for
risky contraceptive use and risky STD behavior. When comparing the
levels of sex education and knowledge of sexually active participants
and participants who have remained abstinent, no significant relationship
was found. There was no significant relationship found between attitude
concern and safe and risky behaviors. These results suggest that
while participants are very concerned about becoming pregnant and
contracting STDs and have the knowledge to protect themselves, their
behaviors do not reflect this concern and knowledge. The sex education
programs being utilized are not having a significant effect on the
number of sexual risks taken by young people today.
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Integration of the History of Mathematics
into the Elementary Classroom
By Amanda Kellogg
Thesis Advisors: Dr. Maria Diamantis and Dr. Ross B. Gingrich
Honors College and Department of Education
In recent years, the integration of the history of mathematics into
the mathematics classroom has become a matter of thoughtful debate
and research. However, little available research addresses how the
history of mathematics is used in the elementary school classroom.
The purpose of this study was to determine how third and fourth
grade teachers view the history of mathematics and to investigate
how the history of mathematics can be successfully integrated into
mathematics classrooms for elementary school students. To accomplish
this goal, an exploratory survey of thirty-eight area teachers was
developed. Although most of the surveyed teachers had generally
favorable attitudes toward the use of the history of mathematics
in mathematics classrooms, only six of the teachers could describe
using it on a minimal level. In addition to the survey, a literature
search revealed three journal articles describing how three elementary
and middle school teachers successfully used the history of mathematics
in their classrooms. This study found that although the history
of mathematics can be beneficially integrated into the elementary
school mathematics classroom, a number of barriers must be removed
before it can be successfully implemented.
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Attempts to Shovel the Glimpse Into
the Ditch of What Each One Means:
Interpretations of Bob Dylan’s Lyrics
By Joseph Mason
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Michael Shea
Honors College and Department of English
This paper will examine the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s Love Minus
Zero/ No Limit in an attempt to demonstrate that the song neither
simply empowers nor simply denigrates the female figure that is
its subject. Rather, the song alternates between these two activities
in that it portrays a female that is in a privileged place to judge
her culture so long as she expresses these judgments in a non-obtrusive
and passive manner. Thus, the female figure can be viewed through
various interpretive contexts that foreground her paradoxical-polemical
conformism. The three major contextual sources for interpretation
are Jacques Derrida’s notion of the “im-possible,”
Paul Bove’s analysis of discourse, and Christopher Ricks’
interpretation of the song. Derrida’s notion of the “im-possible”
provides a way of viewing the female figure as a powerful and self-determining
subject that communicates passively merely to express her non-conformity
through innovative means. That is, she resists her culture in an
unexpected manner that is uncontrolled by the culture and its circumscription
of possibility. Bove’s idea of discourse allows the female’s
resistance to be seen as a predetermination of her culture’s
power structure. In this context, her passivity is the circumscribed
feminine role and the contradiction of passive resistance is shown
to be an innocuous conformity with her culture’s expectations.
Ricks’ reading provides support for textual close readings
and introduces the discursive precedent of William Shakespeare’s
King Lear, which is used to support invoking Bove’s analysis
of discourse. King Lear’s Cordelia is used as a comparison
with Dylan’s female figure in an attempt to show how a passive
female is discursively predicated in patriarchal oppression.
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Expression Pattern of an Olfactory cDNA (12C)
from Atlantic Salmon
By Geoffrey M. Mikita
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Jiongdong Pang
Department of Chemistry
This research project aimed to confirm the location of the 12C mRNA
within the olfactory rosette of the Atlantic Salmon utilizing in
situ hybridization. This was one of a sequence of projects continuing
the work of trying to deduce the specific properties and location
of RNA products related to olfactory function within the Atlantic
Salmon. The 12C mRNA is believed to produce a protein, which can
participate in functions relating to olfaction, and the presence
of the mRNA would suggest a probable location for a protein. The
project consisted of three main laboratory experiences: the preparation
of olfactory rosette tissue followed by preparation of the anti-sense
RNA probe, and concluding with the focal point of the project, in
situ hybridization. The results of the research positively revealed
the existence of the 12C mRNA within the olfactory rosette.
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Solitaire and Suicide: A Short Story
Collection
By Erin Miller
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Tim Parrish
Department of English
This collection consists of eight short stories which address the
lives and thoughts of children and adolescents as they struggle
with conflicts which loom large in their minds. These struggles
and conflicts are also related to themes of isolation, alienation
and connection. “Icing,” the first story in the collection,
presents a high school athlete who must confront her cancer-caused
weakness and the reality of her mortality. In the second story,
“Solitaire and Suicide,” a young boy discovers that
he can no longer rely on his older brother, who has gone away to
college. The third story, “Val of the Moon,” also features
a young protagonist. The Val of the title escapes into her imagination
in order to remedy the perceived neglect of her parents. The fourth
story provides contrast to “Val of the Moon.” “Loving
Maddy James” is a historical fiction piece that takes place
during World War II. It revolves around the self-image of a young
man who wants to be a soldier but is blocked by a physical disability.
The fifth story, “Duchess,” is a tale of grief, about
a girl whose cat speaks to her in order to help her recognize her
grief over the loss of her grandmother. The next two stories, “Mary
Jo’s Parking Lot” and “Andy’s Dog,”
are both family stories, although they differ greatly. In “Mary
Jo’s Parking Lot,” a teenager must overcome her own
irritation at her younger sister in order to protect and connect
with the younger girl. “Andy’s Dog” is a story
about the changing relationship between a mother and son as he becomes
an adult perhaps before she is ready to accept his maturity. The
final story, “Back On,” is an impressionistic piece
about a girl who gains confidence through a horseback riding class.
As a whole, the collection seeks to relate the problems of young
characters in a way that highlights the depths of their thoughts
and emotions.
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A Study of Armed Conflict in the Post-Cold
War World
By Kathia Niewiadomski
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Harriet Applewhite
Honors College and Department of Political Science
This paper tests Samuel Huntington’s Clashes of Civilizations
(1996) hypothesis quantitatively. His hypothesis is that conflict
in the contemporary world grows out of cultural differences. The
main reason for such type of conflict is the re-assertiveness of
one’s culture in a post-cold war world, where culture takes
first place, leaving ideologies (i.e. capitalism, communism) a matter
of the past. In order to test this hypothesis data on the number
of international conflicts from 1991 – 2002 were analyzed
and categorized according to Huntington’s geographic division
of civilizations. The findings of this study challenge Huntington’s
argument. The number of conflicts has steadily decreased, and conflicts
were more likely to have occurred within civilizations and at the
intra-state level rather than among civilizations. When adding a
multi-cultural variable to civilizations, however, most of the conflicts
occurred in “most heterogeneous” nations, rendering
culture a possible predictor of conflict if applied to smaller units
of analysis.
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Vicious Circles: A Study on Directing
Theatre of the Absurd
By Carl J. Olson
Thesis Advisor: Dr. William Elwood
Honors College and Department of Theatre
This thesis intends to show how two playwright icons of the absurd
movement, Beckett and Ionesco, while both members of the same camp
of writing, attack their subject matter in two completely different
modes. The comparison was made through the production of the plays
Krapp’s Last Tape by Beckett and Improvisation or the Shepard’s
Chameleon, by Ionesco. These performances were directed in two different
styles. Ionesco’s play was directed in a pseudo-realistic
manner, it had the appearance of being grounded in a stable reality,
which was systematically torn apart as the play progressed. The
Beckett play was not directed in a realistic manner, on the contrary,
it was in a minimalist and surreal style that harkened back to Beckett’s
early poems.
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Digital Signal Processing for the Analysis
of Microscopy Images
By Thomas E. Sadowski
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Christine C. Broadbridge
Department of Physics
Ferroelectrics (FE) are a group of materials that exhibit a spontaneous
electric polarization over a given range of temperatures. Such polarization
is reversible between two states upon the application of an external
electric field. Due to this property, many types of FE are currently
under investigation for use in a variety of electronic devices,
especially solid state memory. A previous study of one such FE material
was conducted for thin film SrBi2Ta9O9 (SBT). This study revealed
a possible correlation between the surface topology and the electronic
behavior of the resulting devices [1]. Non-contact atomic force
microscopy (nc-AFM) was used to measure surface statistics of the
samples, such as RMS roughness, average grain area, and average
grain density. These statistics revealed that the surface structure
of SBT thin films is dependent upon annealing temperature. Although
such methods make it possible to classify the surfaces of a given
set of SBT samples, this process becomes labor intensive if multiple
images need evaluation. An image processing technique, known as
texture analysis, is a proposed solution to this dilemma. The analytical
model involves a set of gray scale cooccurrence matrices to construct
a data set for each image and statistics obtained from the previous
study (i.e. surface structure dependence upon annealing temperature).
A stepwise discriminant analysis (DA) was conducted to evaluate
which quantitative parameters could best distinguish among the range
of annealing temperatures. The results indicate that eight parameters
are required to distinguish the images based on annealing temperature.
Parameters from the previous study, grain density and the standard
deviation of the grain area were determined to be the most significant
factor and the least significant factor, respectively, to distinguish
among annealing temperature. The remaining six parameters were computed
from cooccurrence matrices, which concluded that texture of a given
sample (image) possesses the ability to provide supplementary surface
characterization statistics. [1] Pechkis, D. L. "The Microstructural
Characterization of Thin Film Ferroelectrics for Electronic Applications.”
Honors Thesis, 2001
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Alcohol & Aggression: A Study of the Effects of Alcohol
on College Student Aggression
By Kristin Serowik
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Deborah T. Kraemer
Department of Psychology
The study of the effects of alcohol on aggression is important because
63% of violent crimes and 82% of assaults have been linked to alcohol
use and/or abuse (Quigley, 2002). One form of aggression that has
been ignored in this research area is relational aggression, the
intent to destroy someone’s social status and peer relationships
through means such as gossip and by spreading rumors (Werner, 615).
In this study, relative to women, men were expected to report more
alcohol consumption than women and more physical aggression and
aggression in total. Women were expected to report more relational
aggression than men. In this study, participants completed self-report
style assessments including: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification
Test (AUDIT), the relational aggression measure from Linder, Collins,
& Crick (2002), and a shortened version of the Marlowe Crowne
Social Desirability Scale (Ray, 1984). As expected, results revealed
that there are positive correlations between alcohol and relational
and physical aggression for both genders and males reported more
physical aggression than females. Women did not report more relational
aggression than men. One possible reason that men report more physical
aggression than women is that the genders are socialized differently.
One major factor that may have affected the results was social desirability,
which was found to correlate negatively with aggression and alcohol
consumption. One explanation for this correlation is that people
who engage in excess drinking and aggressive behavior are not as
attentive in answering questions in socially desirable ways as those
who don’t engage in these behaviors.
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Evaluating
the Performance and Dynamic Consistency of a Replicated Distributed
Service
By Michael Shattuck
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Imad Antonios
Honors College and Department of Computer Science
In a replicated distributed service, there is typically a strategy
for maintaining the consistency of all the servers in the system
which hosts the service. Various research efforts in distributed
computing have studied either the performance of a replicated distributed
service or the consistency of it; however, researchers have not
looked at these two as a relationship. That is, the strategy in
which a service is updated is not the sole factor in determining
the system’s consistency. Other factors, such as the statistics
of the inter-arrival rate of requests, how frequently data in the
service is changed, and the number of servers hosting a service
all contribute to the service’s consistency and performance.
This research constructed a simulation to model a replicated distributed
service, varied parameters detailing the system utilization and
frequency of updates, and examined the trade-off between the system’s
user perceived performance and accuracy. It was revealed that a
system’s accuracy can be improved not only by changing how
frequently the data is updated, but also by changing the system’s
utilization. Further, the frequency in which the data is updated
does not necessarily increase the accuracy of the system as the
frequency increases.
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A Comprehensive Survey of Post-Laryngectomy
Patients: Their Lifestyles and Rehabilitation Outcomes after Surgery
By Stefanie N. Smolen
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Deborah Weiss
Honors College and Department of Communication Disorders
Spoken language is the most efficient technique used by human beings
to convey their thoughts, feelings and most basically, their needs.
To produce spoken language, people require the use of a vibratory
source, the larynx. Although the presence of this organ and the
process of speech are taken for granted by the majority of the population,
a number of people require surgical removal of the larynx usually
due to cancer; which is technically referred to as laryngectomy.
The loss or alteration of this biological ability is devastating
to both the individual and those around him/her, and involves the
assistance of experienced professionals, especially speech and language
pathologists (SLPs). This project is based on the idea that postoperative
research in this area of communication disorders is lacking in depth.
There have been some studies of varied speech techniques, but few
that focus on the individual and his or her perception of personal,
post-surgery life. For this research, a post-operative survey that
explores the quality of life, rehabilitation outcomes and the self-concept
of laryngectomized individuals was created. The survey was administered
to a select group of individuals following laryngectomy in order
to determine its effectiveness and further refine its contents before
national distribution. The group was interviewed in order to gather
additional information regarding their perception of the survey.
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Reliance and Other Short Stories
By Shawn Taylor
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Timothy Parrish
Department of English
Five character-driven pieces comprise a collection of short stories,
exploring human emotions and relationships, employing various characters
and perspectives. Reliance is a first person narration of a young
man coming to terms with the limitations of his independence, as
he falls ill on a six month hike and is forced to rely on help from
a stranger. Desires revisits the narrator of Reliance several years
latter, this time in third person, as he is diving into a new relationship
and another long hike. This story explores false expectations between
young lovers and the protagonist's fear of family commitment. Harvest
is a third person narration focusing on the experiences of a Columbian
refugee working on an oyster boat in New England. Getting caught
in the middle of a politically motivated heist that takes the life
of his captain, the main character recognizes that America harbors
similar injustices as Columbia. Ricochet is a first person, present
tense narration that follows a character in his attempt to confront
his rage towards abandonment by his father. As a result of that
rage he accidentally kills an innocent man and comes to feel that
he has become like his father. Karma, the collection's only non-fiction
piece, is a first person exploration of a moral dilemma raised when
the author and his girlfriend put two young hitch-hikers in a bad
spot as they attempt to help them in an effort to feel good about
themselves. This collection represents the author's ability to use
voice, perspective and narrative elements to uncover deep psychological
conflicts.
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The A* Pathfinding Algorithm and its Implementation
in Computer and Video Games
By Kyle P. Walsh
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Lisa B. Lancor
Honors College and Department of Computer Science
Computer and video games have advanced as fast as any leading technology
in the world today. Just about every three years, there is a new
video game console or personal computer hardware upgrade that allows
developers of games to reach new levels that were previously unattainable.
Many look at games as just fun, mindless programs, but in reality
they are legitimate real-time software applications. Whether it
be the graphical interface that aids the player in controlling his
representation on-screen, or the tendencies of a non-playable character
(NPC), there are several situation-specific algorithms used to make
the digital world feel real to the user. Algorithms crafted for
every possible need are crafted by game developers to make their
NPCs look “real”. In terms of pathfinding which, simply
put, is the ability to navigate terrain in an efficient way from
a starting location to an ending location, the A* algorithm dominates
other alternatives. Considering that A* is widely regarded as the
best pathfinding algorithm for games, and that it is used time upon
time, the question is: What about it makes it seem most “human
like” and intelligent in the player’s opinion? Why is
A* chosen over the various alternatives in pathfinding algorithms
by game developers? Furthermore, is this preference warranted? Is
this technique truly the most “human-like” pathfinding
algorithm? These questions, and the findings, are the core of this
project’s research.
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The Making of the Modern Myth: The
Da Vinci Code in its Historical Context
By Andrea L. Wesche
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Alan Friedlander
Honors College and Department of History
The line between fiction and non-fiction has never been a strict
division. When elements of history are added to a fictional plot,
the genre of historical fiction is created. Consequently, when elements
of fiction are added to historical truth, myth is created. Until
recent times, myth functioned to fill in the missing pieces, to
explain the unknown facts, origins or causes of historical developments.
Now, however, the function of myth has changed. The modern myth,
built out of a fictionalized transformation of history, serves to
challenge known facts and to replace plausible causes with fanciful
ones. The most egregious example in recent times is the fabulous
invention of The Da Vinci Code. As this study shows, this work,
claiming to reveal a true history, contains no historical truth.
It epitomizes the modern creation of myth-history. Rather than fill
in gaps of missing knowledge, it is the product of an overload of
information in the “information age.” Out of this is
born skepticism, and from that the need for another truth, a truth
revealed in myth.
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Origin of Spheroidal Bodies in the Talcott-Fairhaven
System, East Haven, Connecticut
By Sarrah Williams
Thesis Advisors: Dr. Cynthia Coron and Dr. Thomas Fleming
Honors College and Department of Earth Science
Unique rocks discovered in two distinct outcrops located in East
Haven, Connecticut, are examined in this study. Originally identified
as “ball and socket breccia,” these rocks were chemically
and petrographically analyzed to determine their true origin and
mode of formation, as well as their correct position within the
stratigraphic sequence of the Hartford Basin. Chemical analyses
of the rocks were performed using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer.
These analyses revealed that the samples taken from both outcrops
are related to the Talcott basalt, the stratigraphically lowest
flow in the Hartford Basin. The determination of the intrusive or
extrusive origin of the outcrops is inconclusive, though field relations
are suggestive of intrusive origins. Petrographic analyses revealed
the presence of plagioclase and pyroxene micro-phenocrysts in all
of the samples, as well as pools of glass which create a coarse
grained appearance in the rock upon weathering. The unique characteristics
of the rocks in East Haven can be attributed to spheroidal weathering
processes, which account for both the appearance and chemical variations
of the samples collected, including the enrichment of Al with increasing
degree of alteration. This spheroidal weathering is also linked
to fracturing within the outcrops, which follows a NW trend.
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