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2020-05-20 (Western Howl)
Get PDFStudent newspaper includes campus, local and national news stories and photographs. For additional information about this collection see: http://digitalcommons.wou.edu/studentnewspapers
The 52 Card Shuffle (Among Other Things)
Get PDFThere are many ways to shuffle a card deck, but one particularly interesting way is what’s known as a perfect out-shuffle. Through this method of perfectly interlacing cards, several other strong connections arise. Beginning with predicting the path of a card in a deck and the number of shuffles it takes to return a deck to its original order, further explorations then emerge. These involve the use of units, computation, and finally delving into the repeating base 2 decimal expansion of a fraction
D&D Tool Kit Website
No full textMany players of the popular tabletop game Dungeons and Dragons enjoy playing the game both in person and online, but the often archaic and specific nature of the game’s numerous rules have cost many players a large amount of time as they are forced to rifle through informational books whose pages often reach the hundreds in number all to find a tiny bit of data. While one can always use a designated website to find what one is looking for, our team seized upon the opportunity to build a website useful for not only making these resources easier to navigate, but also put that functionality alongside other useful tools for the running of the game.
The D&D Tool Kit website is a tool kit that will provide useful tools and contain multiple visuals for the interaction of the user and the Dungeon Master. It will also contain visuals for the characters and enemies on the game board, allowing them to have more interaction with the website to create games, maps, and allow them to manage stats for their characters in a D&D game. Alternatively, if a viewer is only interested in searching for a specific monster, spell, or equipment for their session, we also provide easy access in order for them to enjoy the game in their separate environment. We give many viewers the opportunity and flexibility to enjoy D&D in their own way, and this was made for those who are interested to learn the game, have no fear and give it a try
Katherine Schubert Graphic Design Portfolio Presentation
No full textSlide presentation of senior design portfolio.
Developing creative solutions that enhance a clients’ impact on their community as well as strengthen the image of their brand fuels my passion for graphic design. My goal is to exceed expectations. I am a fast learner who can quickly develop effective and creative solutions to design challenges. I genuinely enjoy collaborating with clients and creative teams to provide exceptional graphic design, publishing, printing and marketing solutions. As an enthusiastic and professional graphic designer, I strive to provide a unique perspective regarding branding and visual communication strategies. My commitment to excellence and my dedicated work ethic drive me to constantly expand my skillset and knowledge
Addressing the Academic Achievement Gap
No full textResearch has shown that across the United States children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds are less academically successful in K-12 schooling than their peers from high-socioeconomic backgrounds. This achievement gap starts before birth, as children’s rapid early development is affected by their environments and later by their social interactions. Through a civic engagement project, I set out to analyze and propose changes to reduce the disparities in early experiences for children from low-versus-high-socioeconomic backgrounds. My original plan for this project, a book drive, fell through the cracks, as my research revealed that the root causes of the achievement gap cannot be addressed with simple solutions. Families today need serious financial and social support. My project morphed into advocacy for large-scale change through a showing of the documentary No Small Matter. This film draws viewers’ attention to the stress and hardship that millions of families face as they navigate economic instability and the United States’ bleak childcare landscape. It focuses on the potential that is lost for children experiencing high stress at such a crucial point in development, but No Small Matter does not leave viewers feeling hopeless. It spreads the message that by taking the early childhood education crisis head on, we can unlock every child’s full potential and propel ourselves to new heights. Through a documentary showing on WOU campus, I planned to bring that message, the conversation around it, and early childhood education problem solving to the WOU community
EDUWheels
No full textEDUWheels is a platform for students to coordinate ride sharing opportunities. The mission of EDUWheels is to connect students with safe and accessible transportation and help them share costs and lessen the environmental impact of traveling outside of their local campus area. Many students have a car and travel outside of the Monmouth-Independence area regularly, and some students would like to leave town for the weekend or a day trip, but don’t have access to reliable private or public transportation options. EDUWheels makes it possible for students to adventure out of town or visit family for the weekend, and allows others to lessen the cost of a trip they were already planning to take.
EDUWheels allows drivers to offer rides, and passengers to reserve them. Drivers and passengers may offer or reserve rides based on their needs and preferences so that they can ride comfortably. To increase safety and security of passengers and drivers, all users will be verified with their @wou.edu email. This ensures that anyone using the EDUWheels platform is a student or staff of Western Oregon University. In the future, EDUWheels could be scaled and implemented at campuses throughout the United States
The Intersection of Geoscience and Policy: An Examination of Local Geologic Hazard Mitigation Plans and State Policies in the Western United States
Get PDFThe Pacific coast of the western U.S. is at risk from a range of geologic hazards, including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. It is becoming increasingly clear that hazard mitigation policies at both the state and local levels play a critical role in minimizing losses from natural disaster events. At the same time, the quality and execution of these policies by local governments vary widely within and between states. A primary factor limiting the effectiveness of many local policies is the absence of a solid factual foundation that incorporates geoscientific considerations in order to achieve policy goals. This study explores the role of local regulatory and developmental policies in protecting communities in the western U.S against geological hazards, with an emphasis on scientific foundations within local policies, and examines recommendations for improving hazard strategies. State and federal agency papers, local government reports, and a variety of professional journal articles serve as the basis for this analysis. The research suggests that state mitigation measures emphasizing pre-disaster policies have the potential to be most effective for minimizing losses and improving community resilience to recover from catastrophic geologic events. States with hazard mandates that lack clear enforcement powers for regional agencies, such as California, have a wider variation in local policy quality when compared to states that do, such as Oregon, whose detailed state mandate ensures that all jurisdictions must comply with stipulated hazard safety elements. States should aim to ensure that local jurisdictions are implementing both structural and non-structural mitigation measures. The effectiveness of mitigation strategies on the Pacific coast of the western U.S depends on the level of local and state collaboration. In particular, the effectiveness of local hazard planning reflects the quality and enforcement of state mitigation policies. Proactive policies instituted by local governments are an important tool for natural hazard mitigation and disaster prevention when done right. The variety of geological hazards on the west coast makes the mitigation policies of the region a useful framework for other areas of the U.S., with applications for developing physical and non-structural mitigation measures
World War I and the Policing Power of the State
Get PDF“World War I and the Policing Power of the State” analyzes World War I legislative power combined with inculcating hyper-patriotic propaganda and how these factors contributed to violations of First Amendment rights. A review of various primary sources from World War I, such as war-time legislative orders and federal government propaganda campaigns, demonstrates examples of how these violations exacerbated division within American society, leading to mob activity and a proliferation of extra-legal vigilantism. Citizen turned against citizen as vigilante organizations such as the federally endorsed American Protective League spread across the country, enforcing federal will. During World War I, zealous patriotism campaigned by wealthy, white American men, transformed the federal government into a powerful and autocratic force and through implementation of patriotic based policies, coerced Americans into a wave of vigilantism and at the very least, reinforced certain social turbulences such as classism and racism. World War I distinguishes an era in which a new U.S. wartime government used legislative power and patriotic propaganda to further establish centralized control. This was made possible through the indoctrination of the patriot, the inculcation of blind obedience and a pledge to 100% Americanism
How to Create an Accent Without Really Trying
Get PDFThis project will explore the creation of a fictitious accent, similar in process and results to Constructed Languages or Conlangs, as they have been termed and the documentation of the process by using methods typically employed by linguists like Nick Farmer and David J. Peterson in creating their Conlangs, such as Belter from the dystopian science fiction show The Expanse and Dothraki from the high fantasy series Game of Thrones. Belter serves as an excellent example of my end goal: while it is its own conlang, it has three different levels with each becoming increasingly affected, with the lightest affectation coming across as an accent that, on television, does not necessitate subtitles for its audience. Nick Farmer built the language by pulling from several languages and their structures and phonologies instead of starting from scratch and creating his own. Following this idea, I will create a sound system that will borrow from existing languages and are able to be “plugged in” and substituted for sounds in the “Standard American Dialect.” From that, I will create a step by step workbook in the style of David Allen Stern’s Acting with an Accent Series to guide other people with a working knowledge in the International Phonetic Alphabet in successfully being able to adopt the accent. My purpose with this project is twofold. The first to produce a fully functioning accent that can be replicated and distinguishable from other real-world accents. The second is to demonstrate how multiple distant cultures can come together into one 4 product. Similar to the Belter Conlang created by Nick Farmer for a fictitious demographic to show their diverse and far flung roots, my accent will act as a possible destination as people and accents become more interconnected and explore the intentional and unintentional effects of blending dialects
Anyone Can Lead: A Workshop for Individualized Leadership Discovery
Get PDFThe traditional leadership paradigm recognizes a narrow group of people as possessing the capability to be leaders. Specifically, educated white heterosexual males are overrepresented in leadership positions, and characteristics traditionally expected of leaders come more naturally to that demographic. This narrow paradigm is problematic, because it creates barriers to leadership for individuals who do not identify as educated, white, heterosexual, or male. Moreover, it does not acknowledge leadership as diverse and malleable. Individuals who do not identify with the characteristics acknowledged as leaderly by the tradition paradigm, but who have potential to be strong leaders tend not to seek leadership roles. Undergraduate college students who seek to create altruistic change, but lack the identities associated with the traditional leadership paradigm have much to gain from a paradigm shift toward a more inclusive idea of leadership. This thesis seeks to address this issue and opportunity through developing a leadership workshop focused on instilling the belief that leadership should be fit to the individual, not the other way around. The Anyone Can Lead workshop, developed through this project, creates a space for diverse undergraduate students to reconceptualize leadership. The workshop is built on the values of servant leadership and guides participants in discovering the unique version of leadership that will allow them to create positive change