1. 2011 Senior Thesis Projects (a sampling)

2. Victoria Braga “A Study and Critique: U.S. Democracy Promotion in the Middle East” Department of Political Science Double major in Arabic studies Adviser: Michael Coppedge There is an overall trend of positive change in a country’s democracy score when the United States contributes money to promoting democracy there. However, in some regions, this trend is reversed, particularly in the Middle East. My thesis seeks to explain why this occurs by exploring regional factors that might be influencing this relationship. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

3. Adam Carlson “The Chaucerian Treatment of Arthurian Tradition” Medieval Studies Double major in classics Adviser: Dolores Frese I want to understand why Geoffrey Chaucer, who exhibits a familiarity with and affection for chivalric literature, wrote only one explicitly Arthurian tale. I examine the wider context of English transmission of the French Arthurian tradition and apply it to an analysis of the Wife of Bath’s tale in The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer is a nearly infinite source of problematic topics and complex ideas, so there was no lack of challenge. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

4. Shannon Coyne “Gender Violence in Egypt: An Examination of Structures Reinforcing Female Genital Mutilation and Domestic Violence” Department of Political Science Double major in Arabic studies Minor in peace studies Adviser: Emad Shahin I lived in Egypt and became interested in gender dynamics there. I began researching violence against women and was shocked at its prevalence. I wanted to do further research to show it can’t be attributed merely to cultural or religious differences. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

5. James Columcille Dever IV “On Socrates and Socratic Philosophy” Department of Philosophy Double major in classics Philosophy and Literature minor Adviser: David O’Connor I examine The Apology of Socrates by Plato and Xenophon’s Apology of Socrates to the Jury in light of Aristophanes’ critique of Socrates in his The Clouds. I’m fascinated by Aristophanes’ account of Socrates and Socratic philosophy. I also returned to Platonic accounts of Socrates, reading them in light of Aristophanes. To get a fuller picture, I turned to Xenophon, interpreting his work largely as a consonant response to Plato. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

6. Kayla Durcholz “Who is Phaedrus Anyway?: The Ambitions of an Unknown Author and His Quest for Recognition” Department of Classics Adviser: W. Martin Bloomer I studied Phaedrus, a little-known Latin fable writer from the 1st century A.D. Because so little is known about him—and what is known is mostly speculative—I decided to look closely at the fables themselves and the authorial persona who narrates them. The mystery of working with an understudied author was an exciting challenge. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

7. Matt Gallivan “China and the Iranian Nuclear Program” Department of Political Science Double major in Arabic studies Adviser: Peter Moody My thesis examines how China’s foreign policies affect the politics of the Iranian nuclear program. My thesis combines my language skills in Chinese and Arabic, my passion for public policy, and a pressing modern issue that has an impact on U.S. foreign policy and global security. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

8. Austin Holler “The Fraternal Relationship and Correspondence of Marcus and Quintus Cicero” Department of Classics Double major in chemistry Advisers: Keith Bradley and Catherine Schlegel Marcus Cicero and his brother, Quintus, shared a loving and devoted fraternal relationship. In my thesis, I investigate their relationship through their correspondence and analyze their quarrels leading up to the Roman Civil War. I have long been fascinated by the political figure of Cicero and, in this paper, was able to explore the more personal and private side of his life. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

9. Casey Kenny “Trends in Chinese Migration” Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (Chinese) Double major in Arabic studies Adviser: Sylvia Lin My thesis looks at the challenges faced by Haigui (Chinese overseas returnees) and examines new trends, re-emigration, circular migration and transnationalism, and globalist perspectives. I was introduced to the subject while in China and was fascinated by it, which left me wanting to do my own research as there wasn’t a lot previously done on the topic. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

10. Anna Peterson “Explaining the Puzzle of the Israeli Government’s Continued Support for Settlement Building” Department of Political Science Double major in Arabic studies Adviser: Daniel Philpott I analyze the Israeli government’s support for settlement building beginning in the aftermath of the Six-Day War. I adopt a layered approach analyzing Zionism, Israel’s government, Israel’s political parties and players, and the settlers’ use of coercion. I am particularly interested in unraveling the puzzle of Israel’s support for settlements considering the problems such support creates. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects

11. Caitlin Sullivan “Soccer and Globalization” Department of Political Science Double major in Arabic studies Adviser: Sebastian Rosato I was in Cairo during the World Cup qualifying match between Egypt and Algeria, and there were riots outside the Algerian Embassy. That gave me the idea of researching soccer and politics. Specifically, I’m writing about why nationalism persists despite globalization, using soccer as a case study. College of Arts and Letters — 2011 Senior Thesis Projects