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Evidence suggests that allocating additional pay to certain positions can affect the percentage of games won in a season for Major League Baseball teams. Previous literature finds interesting and varying results when it comes to payroll allocation by player position. To add to the existing literature, I use the most up-to-date team-level panel data from 2021 to 2023 to test whether pitcher payroll allocation affects team win percentage. I expect to find that allocating more of your payroll to pitcher positions has a positive but diminishing effect on win percentage.

Previous literature has questioned whether the number of parental restrictions affect a child’s self-esteem; however, it has not been questioned if a child’s previous grades affect the number of future parental restrictions. To analyze this question, I am using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, courtesy of Harris, et al. (1994-2018). My preliminary results show that there is no statistically significant effect of previous grades on future parental restrictions; however, the father figure’s level of education, the child’s past level of self-esteem, and child’s grade level proved to have an effect on parental restrictions. I found that a father figure’s level of education and a child’s grade level reduce the number of restrictions, while a child’s self-esteem increases the number of restrictions.

This study will examine the days and times in which Georgia College students prefer to have on-campus events. The goal of this study is to increase event attendance while adequately using the school’s resources to do so. By conducting this study, we will increase the value of the school’s resources while saving them time and money that would otherwise be wasted if on-campus events are overlooked. On-campus events are used to increase social interaction and display campus offerings. The study will be conducted using a mixed research method, solely focusing on data from campus-wide survey results. While conducting this study, the key focus will be on identifying optimal key success factors like days and times, event types, and scheduling issues. A netnography will also be conducted to interpret the online data. By analyzing this survey data, we will help the school be better equipped to host on-campus events that benefit both students and the college. Keywords: Times, dates, resources, planning, study

The NFL (National Football League) generated $18.6 billion in revenue in 2022, and the best tool teams have to improve their quality—and in turn, value—is at the NFL Draft. Teams use the NFL Combine as a guide for which players to draft. The 40-yard dash is generally viewed as the most impactful test on draft position. I test whether 40-yard dash times affect player performance in the NFL, and whether NFL teams are overvaluing the physical tests at the NFL Combine. Preliminary results from my research indicate that 40-yard dash times have a very positive impact on player performance at the NFL level.

Syracuse University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Florida, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Iowa all have one thing in common- they have all been previously ranked as a top party school in the US. I estimate whether being named the top party school has effect on university applications by using panel institution-level application data from IPEDS and party school rankings from Princeton Review. My preliminary results show there is no statistically significant effect on applications from being ranked as the top party school.

After every flight accident in the United States, the National Transportation Safety Board releases a report determining the probable cause of the accident and flight characteristics. The characteristics include weather, flight training, purpose of flight, and type of aircraft. After analyzing over 300 flight accidents for single-engine aircrafts in 2019, my results do not indicate a statistically significant effect between a pilot's level of training and the fatality of an accident. However, my results show that when a flight’s purpose is instructive, there is a robust negative negative effect on the likelihood an accident will be fatal. Furthermore, I conclude that if the weather during a flight was classified as Instrument Conditions, the likelihood that an accident would be fatal is positive.

The United States is the highest petroleum-consuming country in the world, accounting for 20.4 percent of global petroleum consumption. The United States also ranks first globally concerning real GDP. I use time series national-level real GDP data from the FRED and national-level crude oil consumption data from the EIA to observe whether there is a relationship between crude oil consumption and real GDP. There are inconsistent viewpoints on this question by scholars; however, my preliminary results suggest a 2 million dollar increase in US real GDP for every additional barrel of crude oil consumed.

Does Country of Origin Affect MLB Players’ Base Salaries? TJ Murphy ECON 4990, Senior Seminar MW 12:30 - 1:45 Professor Conaway January 10, 2024 Abstract: According to Major League Baseball sponsorship revenue from 2010 to 2023, the MLB generated roughly 1.5 billion dollars in revenue in 2023, which is a 23 percent increase from the previous year (Gough 2023). The share of MLB players recruited from outside of the US was over 28% at the beginning of the 2022 season (MLB 2022). Given the sometimes-vast differences in standards of living between the US and other countries, MLB teams may offer lower salaries to players from other countries. To test this theory, I utilize league-wide, cross-sectional data from Spotrac.com for every active offensive Major League Baseball player, including base salary data from the 2023 Major League Baseball season, each player’s birthplace, the team they played for at the end of the 2023 season, their Wins Above Replacement statistic for the 2023 season, and their years of experience at the Major League Level, I estimate the effect that players’ countries of origin have on their base salaries. I concluded that players’ countries of origin have no statistically significant effects on their 2023 base salaries at the 95% confidence level; however, the team they play for, their Wins Above Replacement statistics, and their experience at the Major League level do have statistically significant effects on their base salaries. Works Cited Gough, Christina. 2023. “MLB Sponsorship Revenue 2023.” Statista, MLB sponsorship revenue 2023 | Statista Randhawa, Manny. 2022. “Opening Day Rosters Feature 269 Players Born Internationally.” MLB.Com, MLB, www.mlb.com/news/international-players-on-2023- opening-day-rosters.

College football is a popular sport in the US, and it generates huge amounts of revenue for colleges and local businesses. Colleges want quality student-athletes that will bring in more revenue, and it can be a lucrative business for large colleges. My goal is to estimate the effect of recruit quality on team performance, using team level panel data. The data I am using are from the five biggest conferences in Division One, and they are from 2003 through 2018 seasons. They come from Rivals and Sports Reference, two top sources of sports and recruiting data. My key variable is “stars,” which is a metric used to rate high school recruits that have college level potential. A recruit can be ranked from three to five stars, five stars being the most talented recruits. I believe my key variable will have a positive impact on win percentage, since better talent should result in better performance. I am controlling for points for, points against, strength of schedule, and team fixed effects, which I’m hoping will get a more accurate measure of how recruits affect performance. Controlling for other relevant factors as well as team fixed effects, my preliminary results indicate that higher team level star averages negatively affect winning percentages.

In 2011, the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics found that 70% of married women with children were working, up from the 10% working in 1940. Using national, cross-sectional data from Add Health, I estimate whether having a stay-at-home mother affects childhood academic outcomes. It is becoming increasingly more difficult for families to live on one income in the United States, and it is important to understand whether this affects children’s academic development. Previous work focused on smaller populations indicates a positive effect on test scores and grade point averages among adolescents with an unemployed or part-time working mother, as opposed to full-time working mothers. My dependent variable is a score that follows the 4.0 GPA scale that I calculated based on students' self-reported grades in grades 7-12 for the previous quarter in 4 main subjects. My key independent variable “homemaker” is a dummy variable equal to one if the student listed their mother’s profession as “homemaker.” Using a more nationally representative sample, I found that stay-at-home mothers have a negative effect on their children’s academic outcomes.

With declining mental health and fertility rates in the United States, the relationship between having children and happiness has wide-ranging implications. Because parents voluntarily decide how many children to have, identifying a causal relationship between procreation and happiness is challenging. In this paper, we attempt to estimate the exogenous effect of the number of children on parental happiness by employing an Instrumental Variable (IV) regression. As our instrument, we use the quasi-random occurrence of twin births.

Many developing and undeveloped countries that deal with hyperinflation, corruption, high unemployment rate, poverty, and financial instability, often consider dollarization as a potential solution. Dollarization involves adopting the US currency as the official or parallel currency, which is a strategy observed in countries like El Salvador, Ecuador, and Zimbabwe. I anticipate finding positive impact of dollarization in economic growth. To analyze this, I used panel data primarily the The World Bank, Statista, and International Monetary Fund. Although, some data was difficult to find because of high corruption in some of these countries. My preliminary results suggest that dollarization is negatively associated with economic growth; however, I plan to use a one-year lag on dollarization to control for the fact that countries who choose to dollarize may do so because their economic growth is low.

According to Deloitte, “ESG-mandated assets could make up half of all professionally managed investments by 2025, totaling $35 trillion”. Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) investing has grown dramatically in recent years and shows no signs of slowing down. Using Bloomberg ESG Disclosure scores for companies in the S&P 100 index, I estimate the effect that ESG disclosure scores have on stock returns. Previous studies focused on China and the United Kingdom have found mixed evidence of a positive effect. I have found no statistical significance of ESG scores on stock returns.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 10.9 million one-parent family groups with a child under 18 in 2022, and this number continues to increase. Utilizing cross-sectional data from Add Health Waves One and Four, I estimate whether growing up in a one-parent household impacts the probability of marriage later on. Previous work has covered other devastating impacts on children’s mental health from growing up in a one-parent home, but none have mentioned the effects on marriage. I find that not having a mother in the home increases the probability of that child getting married by 6.5 percentage points, while not having a father has no statistically significant effect.

As part of their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Chinese government has invested over eight hundred billion dollars across the globe into various infrastructure projects in a bid to improve economic connectivity and local economic growth, but the altruism of these efforts has come into question. Using the GINI coefficient of countries as a measure of inequality, along with data regarding Chinese investment statistics collected by the American Enterprise Institute, I estimate the effect of the BRI on income inequality in participating nations. While the matter of how foreign investment affects income inequality is still debated, I expect to find that Chinese investment will increase the GINI coefficients of countries receiving loans.

When considering the effects of scandals on politicians, the majority of research focuses on election outcomes and fails to analyze the behavioral outcomes of the politician. Current research is inconclusive as to whether voters will reelect politicians after scandals, but no other researchers have evaluated whether scandals affect a politician’s sponsorship of legislation. I used unbalanced panel data (2013-2017) from the Library of Congress (2023) and scandals compiled by Miller and Hamel (2021) to estimate the effects of scandals on legislation sponsorship through a linear regression model. My results show scandals do not significantly affect legislation sponsorship, but election years and the race and party of the politician do.

The presence of increasing returns to postsecondary education (Webber, 2022) and rising costs (NCES, 2022) have led to a proliferation of student aid policy in the United States. This includes not only a considerable expansion of federal loans and subsidies but also a widespread adoption of state-level scholarship programs. While rising prices certainly fuel public demand for scholarships, the inverse is lesser known: Does the expansion of scholarship programs drive prices up? Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship program, which has surpassed $13 billion in awards, provides me with a unique natural experiment to test the existence of such an effect.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent economic sanctions implemented by the West, major media sources across the world began reporting on the use of Bitcoin by Russian billionaires and oligarchs attempting to dodge sanctions. Using daily price data, sourced from the major crypto exchanges, I estimate the effect of sanctions on the short-term price returns. Previous papers have found no impact from sanctions, but measured against volume, a much less reliable metric. My preliminary results show there is no effect of sanctions on the price of Bitcoin, likely because the Bitcoin market is still too small and illiquid to facilitate trades of the necessary size.

INTRODUCTION: Conducting a Windshield Assessment is a critical component in identifying and addressing community needs around tobacco-related health outcomes. METHODS: The standardized tobacco assessment for retail settings (STARS) surveillance tool was conducted on a random sample of active tobacco retailers to evaluate both interior and exterior marketing of tobacco products in an urban setting in Georgia. Specific criteria evaluated included visibility of products, display of graphic health warnings, proximity to other non-tobacco related products, price promotions, type of products and pricing. Using Qualtrics, the 36 item STARS survey was administered. Data was exported to an Excel analysis template to produce graphs and figures. RESULTS: A total 64 (31%) out of 195 tobacco retailers ranging from convenience stores, general merchandise stores to full-service grocery stores were surveyed. 59% of retailers evaluated did not display graphic health warnings for tobacco related products. The cheapest reported cigarette cost $4.35 prior to sales tax, and $4.70 after sales tax. 81.3% have a cheaper option of cigarettes for customers to choose from. Inappropriate advertisement included advertisement of tobacco products within 3 feet of the floor and/or within 12 inches of toys, candy, gum, slushy/soda machines or ice cream. 1 in 10 retailers had tobacco products within 12 inches of toys, candy, gum, slushy/soda machines or ice cream and 14.1% had E-cigarette ads within 3 feet of the floor. Two-thirds of retailers advertise price promotions and sold cigarillos as singles for less than $1.00. Most retailers (89%) sold Menthol cigarettes of which 50% had visible price promotions inside or outside the store. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the need to address issues with access, marketing, and sale of tobacco related products. Targeted interventions aimed at compliance and education may reduce tobacco use and related health outcomes and disparities.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure negatively impact the health of individuals and disproportionately so in African Americans and rural communities. We aimed to examine stakeholder perception on tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. METHODS: A listening session following CDC guidelines was used to document residents’ views on tobacco use, secondhand smoke and policy aimed at reducing exposure in public places. Residents 18 years and older were invited to participate through flyers, emails, and social media. Additional key informant interviews by phone call/zoom. The discussion guide collected data on 1) attitudes of participants toward tobacco use and secondhand smoke, 2) barriers, and enablers to smokefree policy implementation, and 3) strategies to implement smokefree policy. Recorded dialogue along with meeting notes were transcribed and assessed using a thematic analysis. Codes and themes were used to create word maps to displays findings. RESULTS: We conducted 3 key informant interviews, and 15 stakeholders attended the listening session ranging from government, non-profit, faith-based organization, community members, and the department of public health. Three themes emerged around community perceptions of tobacco use, with an overall negative perception. Stakeholders expressed concern with health consequences and control measures being implemented. When discussing perceptions of barriers and enablers to smokefree policy implementation, themes identified challenges in implementation related to the imbalance of marketing power and equitable enforcement of existing policies. Stakeholders were motivated toward finding strategies to implement smokefree policies. Emerging themes around policy implementation were “improvement in the delivery of health information related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure” and “building community trust”. CONCLUSION: Stakeholders in this rural community perceived tobacco use and secondhand smoke as a public health hazard. The balance of marketing power, equity, improving message delivery and building community trust represents opportunities for intervention by local government and public health bodies.

Objectives. We assessed the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of tobacco use among adults in rural Georgia. Methods. We used the National Adult Tobacco Survey questionnaire to collect data on current use of cigarettes; cigars, cigarillos, or small cigars; chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip; water pipes; snus; and pipes. Eligible participants were 18 years and older residing in selected rural county in South Georgia. Survey was conducted through phone calls, web-based and in person collection. Analyses were stratified by gender, age, race/ethnicity, and education. Results. County prevalence of current use was 20.8% for cigarettes; 19.6% for cigars, cigarillos, or small cigars, 13.3%% for e-cigarettes and 4% for smokeless tobacco such as chew, dip, or snus. Tobacco use in any form was greatest among respondents who were male, younger (25-44yrs), and lived in unincorporated area of the county. Cigarette and e-cigarette use was greatest among those with higher education compared to cigars, cigarillos, or small cigars which was greatest among lesser educated respondents. Conclusions. Cigarette use in this rural county is higher than state and national estimates. Evidence-based prevention strategies are needed to decrease tobacco use and the health and economic burden of tobacco-related diseases.

Michael Irlbeck and Jacub Gonzalez Social Media and its Impact on the Spanish Language Rises in technology lead to various new opportunities for communication in one’s life in the form of social media.When one communicates, they tend to want to get across their message decisively. A common method people use is slang, which gravitates the attention of the viewer; typically, a younger audience. Within this presentation, there will be an examination of the correlation between social media slang with 13–21-year-old people and their impact on the Spanish language. Across social media sites such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, the vocabulary of slang and abbreviation grows abundant. Jumping from site to site, slang expands and proves to be influential to the Spanish language by finding an alternative method to deliver a message. This research examines the ever-evolving Spanish language lexicon and provides insight on how languages evolve in tandem with technology.

In today’s market, influencers have a tremendous amount of control over what consumers purchase. The average consumer is able to see a person use the product and see its effects in real time. With that being said, the age in which children are able to use social media is decreasing. Younger children are beginning to have the same information access as adults. While the effects of social media on children have been a major question over the past 10 years, I would like to pose the question of how these young consumers are being affected by the increasing number of influencers. Due to their immense access to the same products that young adults are using, they are skipping over their typical age-appropriate products and jumping towards teen-targeted products. The question I will be researching is are we seeing the diminishing of the tween population? The relevance of this question to the marketing world is how this will affect how these younger generations will respond to future advertising techniques. Since their brains have not fully developed, it is difficult for them to make sound purchasing decisions. Children and young teens also have a huge impact on their parents’ buying practices, and if we see the disappearance of the tween population, this could put many businesses under hot water. The method I will be using for this research proposal will be a mixed method approach in which I will undergo exploratory, qualitative, and quantitative research. The exploratory research will begin with a survey that investigates what industries that various age groups are influenced to purchase. I will then cross analyze the age groups to see if the typical tween ages of 10-13 are influenced to purchase from similar industries as the older age groups

In the hours following the news breaking concerning Hamas’ surprise attacks on Israel on October 7, social media was inundated with conflicting accounts of the day. In the months that have followed, formal news outlets have continued to cover the progression of Israel’s war on Gaza in dramatically different ways. Given increasing social concern surrounding media literacy, I use this project to develop a five-class lesson plan intended to help college journalism students understand the impact of media framing and bias. I use coverage of the war produced by domestic and international sources, including the BBC, FOX News, CNN, Aljazeera, NPR, and others to explore media bias, the impact of media ownership, consideration of culture and audience when reporting journalism, and how to analyze newsroom coverage strategy. This work both presents up-to-date analysis concerning the framing of the ongoing Middle Eastern war and offers strategies for discussing these issues with students.

Music has played a significant role in presidential campaigning since the 1840 campaign of William Henry Harrison (Scott, 2017). This music was circulated in small, printed booklets called “songsters.” In the 19th century, campaign songs typically praised one candidate, or denigrated others, but sometimes lyrics expressed specific viewpoints or outlined aspects of the candidates’ policy platforms (Miles, 1990). The campaign of 1860 was no exception. There were four major candidates for this election: Abraham Lincoln (Republican party), John Breckinridge (Southern Democratic party), John Bell (Constitutional Union), and Stephen Douglas (Democratic Party). The candidates debated many topics, but the main issue at this time was slavery, and candidates turned to the power of song to sway public opinion. Songs for the Great Campaign of 1860 is a collection compiled for the campaign of Abraham Lincoln and his running mate, Hannibal Hamlin. This collection includes “Help! O Help!,” an abolitionist song composed during the period. Unlike the traditional campaign song, “Help! O Help” makes an emotional appeal by offering a poignant narrative of an enslaved mother. “Help! O Help!” tugs at the heartstrings of those that listen to it and exposes them to the grief and loss that enslaved individuals faced on a daily basis. While several scholars have turned a critical lens to campaign music, few have analyzed how songs in campaign songsters dialogue with other abolitionist texts. Drawing on anti-slavery rhetoric in newspapers, pamphlets, and personal narratives, this paper analyzes “Help! O Help!” against the backdrop of these texts, illustrating the vital role music played in the circulation of ideas in the campaign of 1860.

Jim Jones has become immortalized as the leader of the People’s Temple. Jones founded the cult in Indianapolis before moving its members to a remote compound in Guyana. In 1978, Jones ordered cult members to drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid in the largest loss of American civilian life besides September 11, 2001. There has been extensive research on Jones and his charismatic leadership. While significant attention has been given to Jones’ speeches specifically about the People’s Temple, I plan to contribute to this topic by analyzing his earliest speeches. My project analyzes archived transcripts and recordings of Jones using rhetorical persuasive theories. By linking these speeches to records concerning his early life, I explore how Jones used his engaging personality and honed his rhetorical skill to craft a public presence that is still remembered to have led to one of our nation’s most shocking tragedies.