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Addressing the Education-to-Prison Pipeline: Our Two-Pronged Approach to Keeping Kids in the Classroom
No full textOur project group focused on exploring some of the causes of the education-to-prison Pipeline to identify key areas of concern that we could reasonably tackle within the timeframe of a single semester. Through our research, we found that keeping students in the classroom by any means necessary was paramount to closing the pipeline, and we found that there were two actionable paths for us to follow to that end.
Our first focus was advocating for legislative policy change through our partnership with The Education Trust. We attended a Day on the Hill where we discussed the advantages of keeping students in the classroom and taking steps away from problematic disciplinary policies that are detrimental to youth development. Through our meetings, we made connections with representatives and senators, and this opened the door for us to take the next step in seeking education reform by writing a bill proposal that we submitted to these legislators to hopefully be introduced to the house floor during the 2025 legislative session.
Our second focus was a beautification effort tasked with improving the physical learning environment in schools to incentivize better student engagement with schooling overall. Students in uninspiring, prison-like environments are less likely to feel connected to their school and are more likely to act out and get removed from school. To counteract this, we partnered with Haynes Middle School to design a mural with the help of the students; who brainstormed and came up with a design that incorporated the things that made them feel connected to the school. During their spring break, we went into the school and painted the mural in their main hallway. This was predicated on studies that found school environment plays a large part in student mental health and behavior. We hope this mural will help the students feel more connected to their school, and hopefully have a positive impact on their behavior and mental health.
Our presentation will discuss the steps we took to achieve our goals in both our education policy reform and our school beautification efforts as well as the efficacy of our project as a whole throughout this semester
Black Students’ Perceived Socioemotional Safety On College Campuses
Get PDFResearch indicates that Black students experience college differently than their white counterparts; often, their minority racial status exposes them to discrimination and unfair treatment (Eschemann, 2020; Griffith et al., 2019; Pyke, 2018; Stotzer et al., 2012). These racialized incidents contribute to perceived socioemotional safety among Black students, including fear and experiences of bullying, exclusion, intolerance, hate speech, mental health, academic performance, and opportunities (Eschemann, 2020; Garces et al., 2022; Griffith et al., 2019; Pyke, 2018; Stotzer et al., 2012; Woldolff et al. 2011). The goal of this research is to explore the correlations between racial marginalization and discrimination and the perceived socioemotional safety of Black college students attending predominantly white institutions. Through Dr. Pryor’s Social Research Methods class, we examined students of color’s perceived socioemotional safety on college campuses by surveying an Introduction to Sociology class and other peers, analyzing secondary data, conducting content analysis, and interviewing students of color attending Belmont University. Our methodologies, processes, analyses, findings, and potential future research will be discussed in the upcoming presentation
Carl Maria von Weber: “Romance: Trombone et Piano” An Analysis of Musical Narrative, Ambiguity, and Chromatic Voice Leading and Progressions
Get PDFAbstract
Romance for Trombone and Piano by Carl Maria von Weber is one of the most pivotal works of trombone repertoire today. This piece is an important piece to study for many trombonists today as it embodies many fundamental characteristics of German Romantic music, including: increased chromaticism, elaborate harmonic progressions, and increased emotional expression. In my presentation, I discuss how Romance for Trombone and Piano utilizes the concepts of ambiguity and chromatic voice leading progressions to create a sense of longing, desire and instability. Specifically, the listener can hear instances of “false tonics,” chromatic mediants, omnibus progressions, and voice leading progressions. These moments work together to establish the musical narrative of a tragic romance which the listener can hear unfold through the piece
Cognitive Biases and Election Decisions
No full textThe electoral process serves as a cornerstone of democratic societies, yet it is often subject to the subtle yet potent influence of human cognitive biases. This research paper and presentation delves into the nexus between cognitive biases and electoral voting behavior focusing on two prominent biases: the Halo Effect and groupthink. Understanding the interplay between these variables involved in the voting process is crucial for fostering informed civic engagement as well as enhancing electoral transparency and fortifying the foundations of democratic governance
Do You See A Crime? An Investigation of the Effects of Priming
No full textThe present study aims to analyze the effects of priming on the perception of visual stimuli. Does priming influence the creation of false memories? Will priming effectively lead participants to interpret a simple video as being something more
Behind the Lens
Get PDFWhat Fuels Me as a Photographer?
Many photographers don’t realize their ability and opportunity to give back and make a difference. I believe photography extends beyond taking a series of photographs. For me, it is my way of serving others, connecting with people, and sharing their stories. I believe photography is a powerful tool to inspire change in communities—especially in those that are underserved. Photos are visual statements of humanity: an abstract of our failures, ignorance, arrogance, compassion, resilience, progress, and so much more. I want my photography to go beyond a small circle of influence. All of us have seen how one photo can raise awareness, ignite conversation, open doors, and generate moral and financial support. So, with any photo I take, I start with the question, how can I share their story?
The New Orleans Outreach Project, Conflicted
My first photography project will focus on my hometown New Orleans, LA. My New Orleans Project, Conflicted, is a narrative photo exhibition about my insider-outsider identity. It is fair to say many locals have a love-hate relationship with New Orleans. My goal is to capture this relationship from two perspectives. I want to get the idealized version of the well-loved city while simultaneously showcasing the frustration and pain of living there. My photographic documentary will include portraits of my family members who still live there. Their stories will touch on racial disparity, the city’s slow progress to recovery, the extreme mismanagement of funds, poor leadership, and what happened to the “Jewel of the South”. Street photography will best show how many areas were abandoned while others thrived. I want to represent photography’s power so that the viewer may understand New Orleans’ culture better. After all, you must not just hear it, you must see it. Once completed, I would like to raise awareness and support to help fund more art initiatives and programs for the City of New Orleans.
A Photographer is Born
It was at Belmont University that I decided to pursue my passion: the arts. My life changed when I declared photography as my minor instead of marketing. I always had a love for the art form, but it wasn’t until middle school that I realized I enjoyed being behind the camera more than being in front of it. All my life, people said I had a future in modeling because of my height. But what I felt when taking a photo could not compare. While I enjoyed photography and made it to the AP level, I felt like my love for music was stronger post-high school graduation. This feeling was why I decided to apply to Belmont University in the fall of 2019. Throughout my studies, I was able to explore the music business and help artists as they pursued their musical dreams. It started to change when I began working with local artists at my internship. Too often, I found myself working harder and wanting it more than them. Disappointed, I decided to take a chance on myself and pursue photography full-time.
Seeing and experiencing disappointment when working with various artists forced me to look inward. Their lack of discipline pushed me to seek out opportunities, establish contacts, and work hard. Due to this mindset, Belmont has recognized and afforded me some incredible opportunities. I was one of four students selected to shoot NASCAR’s Speedway Race. I was hired as the event photographer for Marty Dickens’ Valentine’s Day Celebration with Governor Bill Lee. My body of work KALON was featured at The Watkins Art Gallery (WAG) for two consecutive weeks. And I have worked with BMG and other record labels and signed artists. I am extremely grateful to all my teachers for mentoring me outside the classroom, sharing in my dream, and encouraging me to take risks. Because of their generosity and support, I want to give back to Belmont. I realized almost all of Belmont\u27s campus photos were taken during the day, but rarely do people get to see how stunning Belmont\u27s campus is at night. Several times I have found myself mesmerized looking at the night lights shining throughout the campus. Why is this important? Because beauty made me feel safe. It also made me feel proud. After speaking with a faculty member and Marty Dickens, I pitched the idea to have a series of photos taken of Belmont University at night. Once again, my desire to serve extends to the Belmont community as well.
Nashville: The Heart and Soul of Music
Stopping at serving the Belmont community would not feel right considering the incredible city I live in. Nashville is notorious for its plethora of recording studios throughout the region. I am aiming to make every studio look like a million bucks. So far, studios don’t brand themselves with the same intentions as country singers. Incorporating a highly recognizable brand and photography experience into a business model will be very successful. With enough networking, creative concepts, and Belmont’s support, I feel confident that I can garner success with this new endeavor. Based on the feedback that I have received from some of Belmont’s staff, I know the concept is worth exploring. But what about service? How does this help a community? A photo is another way of telling a story. I want to capture the heart and soul of Nashville’s music scene through the capturing of recording studios. Where is just as important as who, and that is why their stories need to be told.
Why Me?
As a young photographer, I must choose to believe there is room for one more person who wants to take photos. I want to use my creativity and knowledge along with this opportunity to establish important and meaningful bodies of work. Success in this industry means having the proper photography equipment. Pursuing the projects I want to do is made easier when I have the tools that are necessary to make a photo not just great, but incredible. What drives me as an artist apart from serving communities is changing someone’s perspective. I know the New Orleans Outreach Project, Conflicted, will cause a shift in how we perceive party cities. The Belmont Project is meant to show how beauty and image can go hand in hand with showcasing the campus\u27s safety. And finally, my endeavor to capture studios throughout Nashville will give people another way of appreciating the origins of music. Just like every person has a story, so does every building.
I want to be an advocate of real change by showing acts of service in and through the work that I do. If I want my photos to change people’s lives, then I have to participate in that change. As a photographer, I must be a participant and not a bystander. I will never forget when my ninth-grade history teacher Mr. Davidson said, “It’s better to follow your passions rather than chasing the money to live the comfortable “American Dream”. If pursuing my passion and living out my dream makes my life a little uncomfortable, then I\u27m okay with that. I\u27ll choose a life modest lifestyle any day doing what I love and helping people before I choose a life simply to make a lot of money. My faith and love for this medium is what ultimately drives and pushes me to do this. Deciding to take a chance on myself is no easy feat, but I know I must try
The Relationship between Neuroticism, Social Media, and Marketing Susceptibility
No full textSocial media has become a very important aspect of our lives in many areas. What once served as a simple way to connect with those around you has now evolved into a space much bigger. Amongst other things, social media has managed to have increasing success in appealing to the consumer gaze, suggesting that social media has the ability to influence an individual’s interests and preferences with little to no effort (Dodoo & Wen, 2021). When coupled with feelings of negative affectivity, however, we begin to see a decrease in perception of how applicable the ads are, but an increase in perceived invasiveness (Dodoo & Wen, 2021). This study aimed to further the research on whether neurotic tendencies are predictive of susceptibility to marketing strategies. Participants were undergraduate students at Belmont University who answered questions related to their personality, social media tendencies, and perceived effectiveness of marketing. Results indicate a positive relationship between neuroticism and frequency of social media use, but a negative relationship between neuroticism and susceptibility to marketing. Additionally, neuroticism was found to mediate the relationship between social media use and marketing susceptibility. This suggests that, regardless of the amount of exposure to social media they have had, an individual’s personality may evoke an increased sense of privacy loss and limit the success of general marketing strategies. Furthermore, it may offer marketing companies a glimpse into how they can alter their approach to better appeal to consumers
Increasing Staffs’ Awareness of Adaptive Swim Lesson Methodology and Enhancing Agency’s Infant Lesson Programming
No full textThis doctoral capstone project was conducted in partnership with Sunshine Swim Center, located in Elk Grove, CA. Sunshine is a small-scale swim lesson company that is proud to offer their community small class sizes and personalized swim instruction. The focus of this project was to educate agency staff on the importance of adaptive swim lessons for children with disabilities and enhance the current infant lesson programming. The staff education material included information on instruction modification, informal behavior modification, alternate forms of communication, cueing, skill grading, and the sensory properties of water. Enhancements to the infant programming included adding fifteen new developmentally relevant activities to existing curriculum, as well as strengthening the existing activities. Support was also offered to instructors throughout the project by incorporating methods included in the training during lessons for hands-on application of the information. All training, programming, and marketing materials were provided in a digital file for future agency use
Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Navigating a New Normal in Middle Tennessee
Get PDFMonroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in partnership with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center offers REACH for Cancer Survivorship, a pediatric cancer survivorship clinic. REACH provides a full range of follow-up care designed to meet the physical, emotional, and practical needs of survivors and continuous surveillance of deleterious effects of cancer and its treatments. The purpose of this project was to meet population and agency needs through research of long- and late-term sequela while advocating for occupational therapy’s role in the oncology population through the proactive therapy and prospective surveillance models. The process of creating this project included synthesizing the literature, communication and collaboration with healthcare professionals, and patient interaction during observation of patient visits in both the acute hematology-oncology and survivorship clinics. This project resulted in a resource guide to provide the survivor and family with insight, education, health promotional information and activities, local and national supports, and more. The guide will be handed out at new patient visits in booklet format. The goal of this resource is to encourage survivors to make healthy, proactive decisions in hopes to potentially avoid or decrease severity of possible late term effects, while also fostering the feeling that they are not alone when navigating this “new normal.