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The Wise Women of Oxford
Get PDFIn Fall 2015, a group of women began meeting for lunch. The first meeting was nearly spontaneous: a woman named Eunice Benton emailed a few of her friends, saying that she would prefer to go out to eat with them at one o’clock on a Friday instead of eating alone. From there, the email list Eunice had created began growing and incorporating many new women from a variety of backgrounds, some of whom Eunice knew and then, increasingly, some she didn’t. The list spiked tremendously after the 2016 presidential election, as the group provided comfort to women who were extremely upset by the disappointing results and needed fellowship. This thesis brings together the lives of twelve group members, who tell their stories largely in their own words. The methods I used were journalistic methods, but the end result more closely resembles oral history. I wanted to find out what had drawn these women together in the first place and why people kept coming back. As a member of the group myself, I knew some of the value it brings. Other women’s insights have highlighted the very different paths many women have taken to feminism, activism, self-acceptance and (in many cases) self-sufficiency. One of my interviewees said that this was a group largely without patriarchy that exists within a patriarchal society. The simple act of women eating together is neither a new nor a radical idea. For generations, organizations like the Junior League and the Daughters of the American Revolution have been hosting lunches. No one would accuse these groups of trying to remake society or advance a progressive agenda. But the Wise Women has been a force for change in Oxford and a community in which women with progressive values (however they define them) have found like-minded women
There She Evolves: The Financial, Marketing and Journalistic Sustainability of the Miss America Organization
Get PDFAdrian Phillips, a Pageant President and volunteer in the Miss America Organization for more than seven decades, stated that, “Things evolve. The press likes to refer to ‘changes,’ but most everything that has happened has been a precedent of something evolving. It comes by evolving and it disappears by evolving. And that has been the history of the Miss America Pageant” (Bivans).
With the centennial anniversary quickly approaching and drastic changes made recently within the Miss America Organization, my Thesis examines the program’s evolution and evaluates its sustainability through finance, marketing and journalism perspectives. To do this, I drew information from a plethora of books, news publications, articles and statements. In addition, I created and distributed an anonymous survey through social media platforms to gauge the public’s perception of the current state of the Organization. Through the compilation of the history of the program and an analysis of the nearly 1,000 survey responses recorded, I observed that the current state of the Miss America Organization is not sustainable and that immediate action needs to be taken in order to guarantee the continuation of the Pageant.
From the start of the Competition in 1921, the Miss America Organization has faced many of the same challenges year after year. Back lack and criticism, the ever-present need to prove its relevance, shifts in media outlet utilization, the frequent adaptation of Miss America’s role to fit societal expectations and the reliance on outside entities for a substantial amount of funding have not stopped the Pageant from continuing in the past. However, as the current situation of the Organization weakens, it must fight to sustain itself as a relevant program. Resolved internal dispute, a relatable image the public connects with, strong financial backing, revised competition elements and scoring criteria, a network broadcast partnership and a renewed sense of belief in the Pageant are all immediate needs that must be met in order for the Miss America Organization to both survive and prosper beyond its upcoming 100th anniversary
The Effect Of Instructional Expenditures on Student Outcomes: Evidence from St. Louis-Area Public School Districts
Get PDFThis thesis seeks to contribute to the broader conversation over the relationship between school spending and student outcomes. Using twenty-two public school districts in the St. Louis area, annual data on instructional expenditures and two measures of student outcomes (average composite ACT score and the percentage of high school graduates to enroll at a 2- or 4- year college or university within 180 days of graduation) was collected by request from the Missouri Department of Education and Secondary Education. Regression analysis was conducted with this data to determine whether or not raw changes in instructional expenditures per student or the amount that a school district “focuses” on instruction (instructional expenditures as a percentage of total expenditures) influence these measures of outcomes. The findings indicate no relationship between changes in instructional spending per student and the selected outcome measures but support the proposed “65-percent rule”, a common guideline throughout the relevant academic literature which suggests that 65-percent of a school district’s budget should be allocated to instruction. Ultimately, the results indicate that a student’s family background and environmental factors are far more important in influencing student performance than changes in instructional expenditures per student, and that allocation is a more effective avenue through which policymakers can improve student performance than simply increasing the amount of funding which a school district receives
Case Analyses of Accounting Concepts and Methodologies by William Freeman
Get PDFThe purpose of this honors thesis is to study different areas of accounting and create a deeper understanding of accounting in the real world. The University of Mississippi provides Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Graduate the opportunity to craft a final thesis based on twelve different case studies. These case studies go on to cover real life topics from specific companies accounts receivable to stockholder’s equity and other areas in between. Along with these case studies, Honors Accountancy students compete in two case competitions where they are challenged with creating a plan to address different accounting issues. The plans are then presented to a team of accounting professionals representing multiple major accounting firms. The thesis program allows individual accounting students the opportunity to get a glimpse into accounting outside of academia and prepares students to engage in professional presentations and research
Hydrogen Production by His Mutants of Artificial Hydrogenase
Get PDFNickel enzymes are relatively new to be studied, but they have been found to be useful in creating artificial hydrogenases. Nickel alone can be harmful, but when combined with proteins to create an enzyme, the hope is that through catalysts, hydrogen can be produced for viable energy. The proteins used in the experiments had respective mutations at points 113 and 26. The cysteine at both of these points was replaced by a histidine to hopefully enhance metal binding. To create artificial hydrogenases and produce energy, the proteins were induced by various metals including nickel, copper, and cobalt. After experimentation and analysis by UV spectroscopy, nickel was found to successfully stay bound to both C113H and C26H, and the proteins contained significant increases at the peaks of 280 nm which shows a higher concentration of protein. C26H and C113H when bound to copper and cobalt also showed increased peaks at 280 nm, increasing the protein concentrations drastically. Due to these increases, it is inherent that some catalytic activity occurred, but it is unsure whether these metals continued to stay bound due to a lack of UV-Vis peaks around 450 nm after spectroscopy analysis. Overall, experimental studies show success in creating viable energy when subjecting the nickel metalloenzymes to metal induction and photocatalysis
Safety Considerations for the Design of Modern Elevator Systems
Get PDFThe main purpose of this work is to perform an analysis on elevator safety considerations in the United States. This report introduces the development of elevators through its history, definitions and commonly used concepts in the elevator industry. Elevators are already an important part of day-to-day life for thousands of people and have significant role to play in the future of urbanization due to increasing population density and decreasing real estate. Elevators not only make vertical transportation convenient, but also play an important role in providing accessibility for people with disabilities; so, its safe and reliable operation is very crucial. Elevator maintenance and safety practices around the country are evaluated in this article and a study on various elevator-related
accidents was performed to recommend safety practices. Modern elevators are very safe in general, but poorly maintained systems, passenger safety vulnerabilities,
incomprehensive work instructions, negligence and lack of proper safety protocols still cause several accidents every year. The engineering parameters related to elevator safety
such as rated load, rated velocity, brakes and safety gears are also explored, and a brief study is done on linear induction motor elevators through ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s
MULTI. Ropeless elevators that can move both vertically and sideways are essential in developing mini-cities within large buildings and architectures, so it is important for safety code regulation agencies to keep up with time and technology, while innovators must prove the reliability, safety and applicability of new technologies
A New Consultation Service for Community Pharmacies? An Investigation of Pharmacists' Perspective on Implementing a Weight Management Program
Get PDFPharmacists are capable and interested in providing a targeted weight management intervention addressing the high rates, and associated risk, of obesity. A series of in-depth phone interviews with Mississippi community pharmacists were used to gain their perspective on a systematic approach for delivering a weight and obesity management service to patients. Using qualitative content analysis, three themes were identified and analyzed. These themes included: pharmacist’s perceptions of patient’s needs, program structural components, and pharmacist’s implementational needs. These findings can be used to expand the role of pharmacists, serve as a model for the development of other consultation services, improve health outcomes for patients with obesity, and save the healthcare system money. This investigation of pharmacists’ perspectives on the development of a weight management service could be used to design a program to minimize implementation barriers and become sustainable for the long term
Imidazolium Magnetic Ionic Liquid Solubilities in Water
Get PDFMagnetic ionic liquids (MILs) are room temperature ionic liquids that exhibit paramagnetic behavior. These liquids have tunable physiochemical properties with proposed applications in separations and drug delivery. It is, therefore, useful to know the solubility and micellar behavior of MILs in aqueous environments. Our group synthesized MILs with a FeCl4 anion and 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and investigated aqueous solubility vs alkyl size (C2 through C10). We measured water solubility (MIL content in water saturated with the MIL) using UV-Vis spectroscopy, total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, and Total Nitrogen (TN) analysis. After observing micellar behavior for C(n)mim[FeCl4], where n > 6, we investigated the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of these MILs. Finally, we used Linear Free Energy Relationship (LFER) semi-empirical models to correlate the MIL water solubility to the MIL’s molecular volume. In the future, this LFER can predict the solubility of a MIL in water before the MIL is synthesized
Brutus, Cassius, Judas, And Cremutius Cordus: How Shifting Precedents Allowed The Lex Maiestatis to Group Writers with Traitors
Get PDFIn either 103 or 100 B.C., a concept known as Maiestas minuta populi Romani (diminution of the majesty of the Roman people) is invented by Saturninus to accompany charges of perduellio (treason). Just over a century later, this same law is used by Tiberius to criminalize behavior and speech that he found disrespectful. This thesis offers an answer to the question as to how the maiestas law evolved during the late republic and
early empire to present the threat that it did to Tiberius’ political enemies. First, the application of Roman precedent in regards to judicial decisions will be examined, as it plays a guiding role in the transformation of the law. Next, I will discuss how the law was invented in the late republic, and increasingly used for autocratic purposes. The bulk of the thesis will focus on maiestas proceedings in Tacitus’ Annales, in which a total of ten men lose their lives. The most striking trial that will be investigated is the one involving Cremutius Cordus, who praised Brutus and Cassius, referring to them as the “Last of the Romans.” However, does this make him a traitor who belongs in Dante’s ninth circle along with Brutus, Cassius, and Judas
Millennial Effects on Tourism and Branding in Rural Destinations
Get PDFResearch reveals that Millennials are becoming one of the leading markets for tourism and travel industries. Because of this, tourism destinations have been forced to examine their current marketing strategies in order to appeal to this market. The purpose of this study is to examine the most effective marketing strategies for rural tourism destinations to reach the target market of Millennials. This thesis identifies small town destinations as a facet of the tourism industry and effects of the market on branding and marketing a destination. It further analyzes the current marketing strategies used by rural destinations to remain competitive in the industry.
St. Francisville, Louisiana, was chosen as a rural tourism destination to develop an integrated marketing communications campaign targeting Millennials to increase awareness, encourage visits, and grow its digital media presence. The methodology used to reach insights about the target market and the branding of rural tourism destinations includes secondary and primary research that aided in the understanding of the effectiveness of communication strategies. In-depth interviews were conducted with members of the tourist commission in St. Francisville.
This study identified elements of creating a competitive advantage for rural destinations and factors of travel and purchase decisions for Millennials. Insights were gained on the importance of creating marketing campaigns based on the market of the consumer. From these insights, an integrated marketing campaign for a rural destination was created