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Zero Waste Sushi Shelter
No full textThe Zero Waste Sushi Shelter was created in response to a project in a Visual Arts Sculpture/Intermedia course that asked students to imagine and create a maquette of a personal shelter. “Maquette” is a visual arts term describing a model for a larger sculpture whose purpose is to visualize how the sculpture might look, and to work out approaches and materials for how it might be made.
The artist challenged herself to design a maquette whose materials embodied a Zero Waste sustainability model both in terms of reusing discarded products and not using further financial resources. This project, elevated on recycled chopsticks, or otemoto, was inspired by the resemblance of take-out sushi packaging -- the tray and lid -- to a display cabinet, or a “vitrine. The hinged glass cover allows viewers to imagine how a change in scale encourages exploration of concepts of elevated housing. An otemoto and bamboo frame also supports a Japanese-styled futon. The artist decided that a framework might be constructed out of chopsticks, and collaborated with the Sustainability Office to collect waste chopsticks. In three days, fifty-eight chopsticks were collected, which provided the materials to create the maquette and bring increased awareness of the importance of local and global sustainability
Development and Application of a Software Tool/Package for Pan-genomic Analysis
No full textContinuing scientific progress in genetics allows us to better understand how structural variations in an organism’s gene content can lead to diversity within a species. By analyzing the sum of the genes for an entire species, we can construct a pan-genome for the species. The pan-genome of a species is the set of all genes present in all sub-species of a species. A pan-genome consists of the core genome, which represents the genes present in all sub-species of a species, and a variable genome, which refers to genes not present in all sub-species of a species. Micropan is an R package designed for the study of microbial pan-genomics. The genomes of prokaryotes (microbes) are relatively simple, leading to relatively simple construction of their pan-genome. However, plant genomes are highly repetitive and complex in comparison, and there is no general tool/package developed for pan-genome construction for plants. Due to the computational requirements of constructing such a pan-genome, the tool/package required needs to be more efficient and robust than Micropan. The objective of this project is to use Micropan as a guide to develop a pan-genome construction pipeline for single chromosome genomes. The design of this pipeline will allow it to adapt to different selections of gene annotation and ortholog clustering methods. With a more efficient and robust tool/package constructed, future research can discover how to extend it to multiple chromosome genomes
Calculating Genomic Distances Between Three \u3ci\u3eBrassica\u3c/i\u3e Species and \u3ci\u3eArabidopsis thaliana\u3c/i\u3e
No full textThe Brassica genus is notable for its extraordinary variety of food crops and potential biofuels. Turnips, mustards, and cabbages are just a few of the plants that fall under the Brassica umbrella, and one of Canada’s most important crops, canola, is also a member of the genus. In order to genetically improve these crops, researchers need to understand how useful traits evolved in different species. One tool for understanding the evolutionary pathways of Brassica plants is by measuring the genomic distances between them. This project used the Double-Cut-And-Join (DCJ) model to calculate these distances and build rearrangements that give insight into how the genomes evolved and where they differ from one another. The research project focused on calculating the DCJ distances between Arabidopsis thaliana, a model organism, and three main Brassica species
The Effects of War On Women In Syria: A Feminist Analysis
Get PDFThe Syrian war that began in 2011 has had devastating effects on the lives of millions of people. However, its effects on women’s lives has generally been significantly different from its effects on men. In this paper, I look at the effects that the war has had on women and also at the ways that the media has portrayed Syrian women. I use feminist sociological theories to analyse both the effects of the war and the media portrayal of it. Three commonly highlighted issues faced by women to a greater extent since the war began are violence against women, the commodification of women, and maternal health concerns. Through the lens of radical feminist theory, all three of these effects can be explained as being ultimately rooted in a social system of patriarchy. The war’s effects on the lives of women are quite diverse, however, and women have responded to the war in many different ways. Unfortunately, the Western bias that exists in the media has largely failed to capture this and often only paints women in one particular light. Postcolonial and transnational feminist theories critique the Western bias that exists in both the dominant media discourse on Syrian women and also in the framework of radical feminist theory. My own conclusions include the idea that that women’s experiences of the Syrian war are quite diverse, and understanding these diverse experiences helps us have a more accurate view of the war’s effects on women’s lives
Using eBird Data to Track Changes in Migration Patterns of Vaux’s Swifts (\u3ci\u3eChaetura vauxi\u3c/i\u3e) Due to Climate Change
No full texteBird is one of the world’s largest databases for ornithological data. eBird uses citizen science data and standardized checklists to log sightings of an array of bird species worldwide. Unusual sightings recorded on eBird are checked by regional professionals to ensure high quality data is being recorded. This data has been used in recent peer-reviewed studies to track species presence, distribution, and community health. There are endless research possibilities for the use of eBird data, one of the salient opportunities being climate change. (Sullivan et al.2009)
Climate change has varying affects globally. In North America, forest fires are increasing as summers get warmer and drier, and water levels are rising as glaciers in northern Canada melt. In Mexico, drought is becoming more prevalent and temperatures are predicted to increase by 3-4°C in the next decade. These phenomena have real consequences, not only for humans and native flora and fauna, but also for migratory species that use these habitats for only part of the year. (U.S. Global Change Research Program 2014)
Combining eBird data on migratory birds and current knowledge on climate change presents the opportunity to find trends in migration patterns that may be driven by climate change. Here I propose tracking migratory patterns in Vaux’s Swifts using eBird data and comparing these patterns to climate change trends to see if there is a correlation.
Literature Cited
Sullivan, B.L., C.L. Wood, M.J. Iliff, R.E. Bonney, D. Fink, and S. Kelling. 2009. eBird: a citizen-based bird observation network in the biological sciences. Biological Conservation 142: 2282-2292.
U.S. Global Change Research Program. 2014. National Climate Assessment. Accessed on Jan 14. 2019. Accessed form: https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/download
SESSION 3.1: Indigenizing Support Services for Indigenous Adult Learners in Post-Secondary: A ‘Chutes and Ladders’ Journey of Inquiry
No full textPost-secondary student support services for Indigenous adult learners in British Columbia are currently insufficient in the reconciliation of historical transgressions of Indigenous education and within the culturally appropriate developments towards Indigenization of the academy through radical institutional transformation of patriarchal and linear organizational structures. The Truth and Reconciliation (2015) calls to action address the historical assimilative actions of Canada on Indigenous peoples via the Indian residential school legacy. Education has a particular role within reconciliation for it can increase capacity building and strengthen relationships with communities. However, in order to decolonize and recognize the value of Indigenous knowledge for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous settler allies, authentic and transformative epistemological, axiological and ontological shifts to the academy are vital to the process of Indigenization. This project sought the opinions of current students and student support service workers in a British Columbia Indigenous-controlled institution to determine the current knowledge base of Indigenization and who should own the responsibility of Indigenizing post-secondary student services. The findings of this study indicated that building relationships and connections is the fundamental starting point towards bridging the gap in student support services for Indigenous adult learners
SESSION 2.2: Mapping and Managing Cultural Landscapes in Secwepemcúl’ecw
Get PDFThe mountains, grasslands and waterways of Secwepemcúl’ecw are landscapes of intersection, connecting people, resources and ideas for millennia. Today, these landscapes remain vital to Secwépemc cultural, political and economic life. Like other landscapes across British Columba, this area also exists at the intersections of multiple resource extraction projects, which have impacted indigenous peoples’ abilities to access, protect and make decisions on their lands. This paper discusses recent research by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS), in Kamloops, BC, to document cultural heritage values and assess impacts in relation to an impending resource extraction project. Rather than a taking conventional, site-specific approach to impact assessment, the TteS research team developed an innovative landscape-level approach to recording cultural values across the territory. Grounded in local protocols and community verification, this methodology brought together Secwépemc oral histories, digital maps of contemporary land use, and historical, archaeological and environmental data to produce a rich understanding of the spatial and temporal relationships between cultural values, practices and places. Data analysis revealed seasonal use patterns across 10 geographically distinct – but connected – areas, which the research team called Secwépemc cultural landscapes. Each cultural landscape was associated with a discrete set of cultural values, practices and resources critical to maintaining the integrity of that area. The concept of interconnected Secwépemc cultural landscapes helped the research team reframe impact assessment to highlight how impacts to one landscape element could have a ripple effect throughout Secwepemcúl’ecw. This study also has broader implications for TteS approaches to resource management, community planning and governance
Carrying baggage or a building a toolkit for adventure? Shifting to trauma-informed class spaces and teaching
No full text“The goal of trauma-informed systems is to avoid retraumatizatizing individuals and support safety, choice, and control in order to promote healing” (Poole, 2015). For a range of reasons, students may feel most comfortable, or that it is necessary, for them to disclose experiences of sexualized violence to faculty members. The purpose of this workshop is to equip faculty members with knowledge and skills for building trauma-informed classes and for responding in a positive way, if disclosures happen. Recognizing that the front line relationship building faculty do with students is inevitable and invaluable, this interactive workshop will explore specific ideas about how to create classes that are mindful of the diverse, and sometimes traumatic, experiences students bring with them. It will encourage shifting from seeing this as “baggage” they need to carry to asking what we can do to enhance their toolkits throughout their time at TRU. While the focus will be on a context of sexualized violence, the information will be adaptable to different kinds of experiences. In addition to general tips for trauma-informed classrooms, we will briefly cover what TRU’s Sexual Violence Policy (BRD 25-0) can and cannot do and give an overview of helpful responses as well as resources. We look forward to sharing and discussing practical steps each of us can take to create safer classes for those who have experienced sexualized violence
The Adventure Capstone
Get PDFThe woodstove crackles and the light from the flames dances across the student’s face as she introduces the first question for the group to address. “How has education got in the way of your learning?” This is not your typical university capstone experience. The Adventure Capstone is the final culminating undergraduate level course and exit point for adventure students in the Bachelor of Tourism Management. It is also available to graduating Adventure students in the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies. This course is a unique progression point for adventure students about to leave the security of the university environment and head out into the unknown. For a typical student this may be the culmination of 17 years of schooling and a terrifying step into a new world. To borrow from Kurt Hahn, they are outward bound. There are two typical formats for Post-secondary capstone courses. One is a summary project that demands a demonstration of the collective skills and abilities developed over the duration of the degree. The other is more reflective in nature. It is this second model that was selected for the TRU Adventure Capstone. Boyer (2004) describes the scholarship of integration as the gathering of isolated concepts to create meaning by generating perspective. A capstone course integrates the many diverse facets of the undergraduate degree into a cohesive meaningful entity. By organizing and making sense of the diverse parts, the student is able to move forward into a post-university work environment (Durel, 1993)
SESSION 1.1: Is Metaphor a Mode of Knowing? BC’s “Martyr” Poet Gave an Answer
No full textPat Lowther, the quintessential BC Coast poet, was murdered by her husband just as her career was beginning. The problem with understanding this writer’s place in British Columbiais that her horrifying death distracts from her writing. Biography steals attention that belongs to her writing. What makes Lowther interesting—as writer not as victim—is her fascination with metaphor. She is a master of metaphor. Metaphor is the identification of one thing with another: to see one thing as another. Metaphoric thinking is little understood, despite centuries of analysis. But metaphor is inescapable for understanding reality. Thus we use metaphors to describe an electron as “particle” and as “wave”. Whatever an electron is, it is certainly not a particle—a chunk of matter—or a wave—but these visual images give us access to these unimaginable objects. Metaphors are tools for making sense of things. Lowther was a scientist of metaphor. She experimented with metaphors as means of understanding the West Coast world she loved