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Citations in a Cinch: From Bibliographies to Faculty Engagement
Get PDFAt Hope College, faculty are overwhelmed with the sheer number of places they must submit their publication information, including the institutional repository. A new project to generate citations for faculty chairs has been undertaken with two goals in mind: 1) create bibliographies for departments to use in annual reports, and 2) establish DC as the go-to place to find out what faculty have accomplished in the last year on campus, thereby eliminating the need to submit publication information elsewhere. The goals of this poster are to show the workflow of creating citations, how I worked with bepress to get what we need out of the citations, and report on the progress of how this process benefits the repository and the campus as a whole
Why Geographer\u27s Should Study Christian Congregational Song
Get PDFThis interdisciplinary research (to be published late 2013 in The Changing World Religion Map, Stanley D. Brunn, ed., Springer Publishing) examines reasons why geographers should study Christian congregational worship music
The Psychological Effects of the London Blitz
No full textIn May 1940, Britain stood alone as the sole Western power engaged in battle with the German war machine. Against the near continuous blitz attack on London, its citizens persisted. This research will demonstrate how the mental fortitude of the London citizens, spurred on by the royal family and prime minister, helped them endure the crucible of war at the hands of the German Luftwaffe and deliver Hitler’s first defeat in WWII. Hitler sought to weaken the British infrastructure and distract the government by producing mass hysteria among its citizens to make way for Operation SEALION, Hitler’s battle plan for a land invasion of Britain. In effect however, the Blitz on London during 1940-1941 solidified the idea of the British identity. The innate characteristic of the British people is one of stoicism and steadfastness. Hitler had underestimated the resolve of the citizens of London. Furthermore, the residents of London were a part of a new and modern war in which the battlefront was the city itself. National survival hinged upon Britain’s ability to withstand the German onslaught. The bombardment aroused the quiet fury of the Londoners, and in turn they refused to yield to the German Leviathan
Is the French Language in Quebec in Danger of Extinction?
No full textIn a world that depends more and more on the English language, French speaking citizens of Quebec make efforts to protect their native language with laws and changes to the official French language. Even if there are many differences between the French spoken in Quebec and the French spoken in France, those are on differences of different dialects, not entirely different languages. However, if the French language in the world in general isn’t in danger, the dialect spoke in Quebec is in danger of extinction. Since the Second World War, English speaking immigrants have surrounded the area of Quebec, making it increasingly more difficult for them to retain their French roots. Over the years, the Québécois have begun to create words in French to replace English sounding words, resulting in a dialect very different from the official French language spoken in hexagonal France. However, these efforts have not been completely effective in keeping the French language, even the Quebec dialect completely vibrant. As a result of this, Law 101 was passed to preserve the French language in Quebec in commerce, advertisements, and in official documents. It has been extremely controversial in Quebec and parts of it have been repealed since it was passed. As Quebec elects new officials, Law 101 is revisited time and again as Quebec tries to keep French the official language and the language taught in schools. Quebec is a French province in a largely English speaking country and though there are striking differences to the official French language, it is not an entirely different language. The French language is growing quickly in Africa, but in Quebec, it is in danger of becoming just a part of histor
Cognitive Dissonance in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin: An Evaluation of Rhetorical Technique and Cultural Impact
No full textThroughout its history, the United States has seen itself as an exemplary nation, a paragon of democracy, and an example that others should follow. The United States have also been characterized by a persistent division. Possibly the greatest example of such a division came in 1861 with the Civil War. The dissonance—the conflict of identity—of the nation was uniquely expressed by Harriet Beecher Stowe in her 1852 novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. By examining the methods through which Stowe created dissonance in her reader and comparing them to the reactions of both Northern and Southern critics, it becomes possible to evaluate the impact Uncle Tom’s Cabin had on American culture. Examining Uncle Tom’s Cabin in a psychological framework provides a common ground upon which to discuss Stowe’s rhetorical and literary technique, as well as examine its effectiveness
Exploring the Graphic Novel: An Example of Multi-Media Education and the Importance of Visual Literacy
No full textThough educators have historically denounced the comics medium as detrimental to literacy development, recent research suggests this is not the case. In fact, educators can use comic art to enhance the visual literacy levels of students in all stages of development. This project exposes readers and scholars alike to the benefits of utilizing such a medium. Specifically, the work provides an example of its ability to inform an audience by use of multi-media images and text. This endeavor particularly focused on enlightening the reader on the culture and current events in Afghanistan. The scope of the work included writing an original script and completing illustrations for a graphic novel that communicates the effects of war on a soldier’s mental and emotional state. Research for this project included studying the memoirs of soldiers from the current war in the Middle East, specifically in events pertaining to Kabul, Afghanistan. Digital components of this project involved the use of a Wacom Tablet for completing the artwork and an illustration program used to colorize the pages. The accompanying research paper about the creative project outlines the process and sources used in developing a script. First, it outlines the history of the graphic novel and the conversation surrounding its purpose. The paper then continues to specifically detail the research that influenced the style, context, cultural, social, and political references of my work
Strokes, Flashes, and Jottings: The Lives and Work of Alice Rahon and Lola Alvarez Bravo
No full textLola Alvarez Bravo, the Mexican photographer, and Alice Rahon, the French writer and painter, developed as artists in postrevolutionary Mexico. Both stand as two influential characters in the group of female surrealist artists who settled in Mexico in the 1930s and 1940s. This presentation explores the lives and the artistic production of Bravo and Rahon. Introduced and influenced by their husbands, these two talented women were catapulted into the art world gaining worldwide recognition. Although they both divorced their husbands, these men—Manuel Alvarez Bravo and Wolfgang Paalen— figure, arguably, as the most influential men through out their artistic lives. Even though they never met, an invisible thread unites them through their common friendship with Frida Kahlo and their struggling journey to gain respect as female artists in their own right. Alice Rahon\u27s writings and paintings portray the prehistoric mysticism that she sought and admired through her many trips; Lola Alvarez Bravo\u27s black and white photographs expose the simple but cultural, daily life of Mexico. Overcoming many obstacles since their childhood, these women created their niche in the creative world, taking advantage of Mexico as their backdrop
Investigating Fer Kinase Regulation of Gene Transcription During Development
No full textThe Caenorhabditis elegans protein FRK-1, an ortholog to Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and mammalian Fer kinase, is critical to the proper embryonic and larval development. In humans, aberrant Fer kinase levels have also been implicated in the progression of leukemia and prostate cancer. In addition to roles in the formation of the hypodermis in C. elegans, FRK-1 has been shown to localize to the nucleus in a cell-cycle dependent manner (Putzke et al, 2005.). This localization has led us to hypothesize that FRK-1, and its ortholog Fer kinase, are involved in the regulation of transcription factors during development. To discover potential gene targets regulated by Fer kinase activity, we aim to perform microarray analysis in nematodes, Zebrafish and human cells in the absence of Fer/FRK-1. Our microarray results, thus far, indicate that many genes with abnormal levels of transcription at 24 and 48 hours post fertilization in Danio rerio are associated with proper neurogenesis and vasculogenesis of the Zebrafish. We are currently pursuing microarray data in C. elegans (genomic knockout ok760) and as well as a human cell line utilizing with Fer knock-down (via siRNA). The aim of this research is to determine more about the development of C. elegans and Danio rerio, and to identify potential therapeutic gene targets for treatment in human cancers
Evaluation of the Antibacterial Properties of a Newly Developed Liquid Soap
No full textA great deal of evidence suggests that widespread use of antibacterial soap containing triclosan may be harmful to humans and the environment. Thus, the development of new soaps not containing triclosan with antibacterial properties would be of interest. We compared a novel soap, Old Post Road, to Meijer Antibacterial, Soft Soap, and hand sanitizer in several different assays for antibacterial properties. In all cases, the soap containing triclosan was more effective at killing a wide range of bacteria. Old Post was at least as effective as Soft Soap, and more effective than hand sanitizer in the assays we performed. Evidence suggesting that Old Post Road soap may have activity against Mycobacteria species warrants further investigation
Influence of Fungal Endophytes on Insect Herbivore Defense in Canada Wildrye (Elymus canadensis)
No full textIn the past few decades, the relationship between Epichloë and Neotyphodium fungal endophytes and cool season grasses has gained increasing attention from botanists, mycologists, and ecologists alike. With hosts displaying traits that increase their competitive abilities and fitness when infected but occasionally suffering from the taxing fungal reproductive structures, an interesting relationship that is both mutualistic and parasitic can be observed. To determine how this dynamic association affects the variation of Epichloë infection frequency in Elymus canadensis populations across North America, seed samples from multiple populations were taken and tested for endophyte presence via PCR and gel-electrophoresis. Despite predictions, no significant relationship between infection frequency and latitude or longitude could be found, perhaps due to differences in biotic and abiotic factors between tested populations. Rhopalosiphum padi and Spodoptera frugiperda larvae were utilized to test how a diet of Epichloë elymi infected E. canadensis blade tissue affected insect herbivore performance. It was believed that since the E. elymi endophytes were capable of producing peramine and an intermediate ergot alkaloid that both insect species would suffer negative effects. While the S. frugiperda larvae showed less accumulation of dry weight when fed infected tissue, R. padi reproduction was not affected by such a diet. The reason for these results may be due to differences in sensitivity to peramine by the insect species