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Digital Hijinks Capstone - Project Roadtrip
No full textHave you ever asked yourself, “Hey, I want to plan a road trip- Google Maps is great for finding a route to take. There are event planning websites out there that allow me to organize the details….and even social media apps that keep me connected with my friends. Maybe I could invite them! I wish there were a convenient hub that wrapped all these features up together for me.”
Well your wait has come to an end.
Planning a road trip can be quite the hassle. After doing a great amount of research into similar web apps, we found that none of them took all these aspects and brought them together. Our project idea makes the lives of our users more convenient, and those who want to plan an intricate trip can now do so quickly and accurately. Our project, Roadtrip, combines trip planning and organization with social media features to allow our users to easily navigate the difficulty of creating a road trip from start to finish- while also integrating key social features to keep them connected. These features include: auto-generating an optimal route with the Ant Colony Optimization (ACS) algorithm; saving routes for future use; gaining access to details of different establishments along your route; and creating events- of which any user can join you on your trip; among many others.
Here, we present a short video- meeting the team, demonstrating our progress so far, and discussing future visions
Dehumanization
No full textThis research explores the importance of studying the theory of dehumanization. Over six million people were subject to torture and killed during WWII; the theory of dehumanization provides a possible explanation for how people could commit such horrible acts toward another human being (Dawidowicz, 1981). Although extreme cases of dehumanization, like genocide, are not currently a frequent concern within the U.S., certain groups of people still experience dehumanization on a daily basis. By examining past research, it was determined that the act of dehumanization is a cognitive process that can be seen physically taking place within the brain. Harris and Fisk (2006) found that the cognitive reaction to dehumanized groups is demonstrated via exaggerated amygdala and insula reactions, which is consistent with past neurological research about the brain registering disgust. Various examples from research confirm the problem of dehumanization as a widespread issue. People from different ethnic groups, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people experiencing homelessness have all been found to be targets of dehumanization in the past and present. Due to the brain’s automatic response of registering disgust when presented with members of outgroups, there is little room left to empathize with members of those groups. Our ability to dehumanize has had many negative side effects within society, like discrimination and the development of an unwillingness to engage in helping behavior that could benefit members of outgroups (Haslam, & Stratemeyer, 2016). Given these costs, research regarding the prevention of dehumanization is necessary. Evidence exists to support the use of counter stereotypes and perspective taking as two effective methods to decrease dehumanization by promoting diversity and decreasing group bias (Prati, Vasiljevic, Crisp, & Rubini, 2015; Shih, Stotzer, & Gutiérrez, 2013). The prevention methods developed to decrease dehumanization could help to encourage individuals to support inclusive policies, help to dissuade discrimination, and promote diversity. Dehumanization is an individual cognitive process that in the past has contributed to mass murders such as the holocaust, and currently prevents people from empathizing with members of outgroups. Future research is essential to decrease the rates of dehumanization today
Art & Design Senior Portfolio Presentation: Emma Young
No full textEmma Marie Young\u27s Art & Design Senior Portfolio Presentatio
Seismic Hazard Assessment of Oregon: Analysis of Earthquake Resilience within State Wide Infrastructure and the Cost of Retrofitting
Get PDFEarthquakes are an imminent threat looming over the Pacific Northwest. This threat is radically increased due to the lack of structural integrity of buildings in the region, especially in densely populated areas, and inadequate planning as to where buildings were constructed. It is critical that states such as Oregon and Washington retrofit or reconstruct existing buildings to reduce the risks associated with a potential major mega-thrust earthquake generated by the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Portland, Oregon’s largest city, is currently one of the most vulnerable cities in the US to a major earthquake. If a large earthquake struck the Pacific Northwest, Portland would be greatly affected because most of the buildings within the city were constructed before the state-wide building codes were enacted in 1973, and well before the first state wide seismic building codes (enacted in 1993). In an ideal scenario, reconstructing every building to be earthquake safe and up to code would be the plan. However, reconstructing the buildings of an entire city would be expensive, complicated, and extremely time consuming. For those reasons, this study focused on different retrofitting techniques and their costs, and the necessity for certain buildings to be reconstructed. Retrofitting costs were compared to the cost of demolition and reconstruction of old buildings, in order to determine the most economically viable course of action for preventing loss of life and minimizing structural losses in Oregon. Buildings are not the only type of infrastructure at risk, as bridges are also susceptible to being damaged during earthquake events. On the Oregon coast, many towns are connected both inland and to each other by bridges. Waldport is such an example, having all 3 of its major roads on bridges less than a mile out of town. According to Oregon State University, most of the coastal bridges in the state have a very high chance of collapsing and/or sustaining major damage, or being inundated with water due to a subsequent tsunami. The risk of infrastructure collapse (and potential loss of life due to collapse) and cost of retrofitting is the first portion of data being assessed. The second section of data being analyzed is the amount of people that would be incapable of moving to safety due to collapse or damage, and the access (or lack thereof) of emergency response services to isolated areas following a seismic hazard event
Ethical Standard for Stockbrokers in the United States: An Ethical Analysis of the Suitability and Fiduciary Standards
Get PDFThe everyday investor enters the investment world with an inadequate understanding and knowledge of the market. More often than not, these retail investors turn to the expertise of financial intermediaries, such as stockbrokers or investment advisors. This paper will investigate the relationship between principal and agent as it pertains to the financial service industry. More specifically, the current ethical obligations that dictate stockbrokers’ practices will be examined and compared to proposed reforms. In the United States brokers have a legal and ethical requirement to recommend only “suitable” investments to their customers. This standard generates numerous conflicts of interest between brokerage firms and the customers they serve; the products that pay the highest commissions for the broker, may not be the best investment options for the customer. Currently, there are proposals to raise the standard to a fiduciary duty of care, in which recommendations are solely in the best interest of the client. In part one of this thesis, there will be a focus on the analysis of brokerage firms’ revenue streams and apparent conflicts of interest. This section will also look at the historic development of both suitability and fiduciary standard, as well as briefly discuss the current legislative development of ethical standards in the investment industry. In part two of this thesis, focus will be directed to the role of ethics in finance as a whole. Here, an analysis and comparison of various ethical theories and debates will be highlighted; primarily stemming from the neoclassical economic rationale of ethics and variations of agency theory
What’s in an Essay: A Study of International Student Writing Growth over Two Terms
Get PDFAcademic language is a specific variation of language that is marked by its own grammatical features. It is one register, or specific variation of language characterized by certain types of vocabulary and grammatical structures; others include fiction writing, news writing, spoken language, magazine writing, etc. All of these registers differ both grammatically and lexically. In order to become proficient in a specific type of writing, one must become familiar with using the different rules and guidelines (both spoken and unspoken; the conventions) of that type of writing. For academic writing, which is learned over time, writing growth can be observed in various ways, such as through vocabulary usage, thematic development, use of nominalizations, use of non-finite clauses, use of prepositional phrases, and use of embedded clauses. This growth can be observed over time through a writer increasing in the number of appropriate grammatical choices based on the discipline or style they choose to write in; the more advanced syntax they use, the more they’ve grown in their writing ability. Many of these aspects of writing are difficult for native speakers to grasp, more so for non-native users of English. This is because academic language has to be learned by all- it is no one’s native language. The following project seeks to investigate change and growth in specific areas of academic writing (such as vocabulary, thematic development, lexical density, and reading level) of international students throughout twenty weeks (two terms) and chart their improvement. Further, the study will connect the various aspects of writing growth with self-reported survey data inquiring about the student’s own beliefs on what constitutes good academic writing, and how they feel about their own writing and 5 language growth. This survey allows for connections to be made between the areas in which students produced the most growth and the grammatical features they see as most important. It also allows a glance into their self-confidence when producing their second language, which is a crucial aspect of success in a second language. This project will be based in both quantitative and qualitative data sets and will utilize corpus software and manual analysis
Mindfulness and Interpreter Cognitive Load
Get PDFAs a signed language interpreter, I must be able to connect with all parts of my brain during interpreting, but much energy is used trying to prevent negative self-talk and managing mental distractors, taking up vital brain space needed to focus on the incoming and outgoing messages. This project will research the effects of mindfulness on cognitive load as a signed language interpreter. I recorded the effectiveness of mindfulness for managing cognitive load by using surveys. The research tracked whether the situation was made more manageable if mindfulness practice was incorporated. Qualitative data was used to investigate my ability to continue interpreting during a stressful situation by using mindfulness techniques, maintaining a balance of cognitive load, and practicing management of incoming personal negative criticism. Quantitative data was taken by using four cognitive therapy surveys and rating blood pressure and heart rate taken before and after Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class (MBSR). Findings showed a lessened cognitive load during signed language performance with greater attentiveness to the task at hand. There was less negative nagging that had been taking up the brain space required for the interpretation process