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Volume 30 Issue 2
Full text linkThis issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2016, showcases a diverse collection of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, highlighting themes of identity, memory, and artistic expression. The issue, archived as Volume 30, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 35, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.
Editor Qassye M. Hall, in her editorial preface, reflects on the responsibilities of leading a literary journal, emphasizing the collaborative efforts of the editorial team and the privilege of reading diverse submissions. She highlights how Nebo serves as a platform for both emerging and established voices, providing literary exploration that resonates with readers and challenges perspectives.
Key highlights include:
The Bone Collectors by Tim Beime, a mystery-laden story exploring family secrets, eerie traditions, and a past that refuses to stay buried.
Confessions by Justin Green, a gritty Southern Gothic narrative that delves into cycles of violence, trauma, and survival.
Beggar’s Banquet by Robert McGuill, a short story about grief, loss, and the quiet unraveling of a man’s life after tragedy.
Buoyancy by Sharon Mack, a nonfiction reflection on resilience and the strength found in adversity.
Score by Gale Acuff, a poem that captures the deep yearning and nostalgia of youth.
Death of a Hermit by Jacob Borchardt, a poetic meditation on isolation and mortality.
A Portrait of You by Lewis Roberts, a tender reflection on memory, love, and perception.
The Cult of the Rabbit by Von Nordheim, a surreal poem that examines power structures and conformity.
Looking at the Fragments of a Polaroid of My Family, 1995 by Derick Vam, a personal reflection on memory and nostalgia.
A special section in this issue highlights works by Arkansas Tech students, showcasing the talent emerging from the university\u27s creative writing community
Impact of National Parks on Mental and Physical health of local communities
Full text linkAmerica’s National Parks play a significant role in improving the mental and physical health of local communities. National Parks provide recreation opportunities, open spaces, and a great way to connect with nature, which are associated with improved health. Previous research studies have shown that mental and physical health is an increasing concern in the United States especially in areas with little to no recreational spaces. Although research highlights the health benefits of National Parks, how often it is utilized as a public health strategy isn’t clearly stated. The purpose of this research is to determine how access to National Parks can influence the mental and physical health of communities located in a 50-mile radius. Mental and Physical health may be broad topics, but this research will be focusing on phycological concerns and physical activity. Targeted concerns will be stress, anxiety, depression, sleep, physical activity, fatigue levels, and heart rate. Pre-tests and post-tests will be conducted focused on certain health concerns to determine the direct correlation between health and access to National Parks. By addressing the potential benefits, research suggests National Parks could become a key figure in public health and wellness. Utilizing these spaces more frequently for public health strategies could help address long-standing health issues across the nation
What Should Park Guests Do in An Emergency Situation
No full textThis study is focused on the area of wilderness survival skills. These skills are important because they can help everyone from day hikers to mountaineers survive austere situations that they could find themselves in. A common problem park rangers face is a rolled ankle. This situation leads to multiple rangers having to make often several-mile hikes carrying equipment that is cumbersome to any hiker, only to then have to carry said hiker back out to a secure place. This could be mitigated by a class that is sanctioned by park staff or other instructors on how to fashion a splint of natural materials. The problem is that people who want to practice these skills do not know where else they can practice and are afraid of being kicked out of parks or prosecuted for what’s considered unlawful behavior. They don’t know where they can practice these skills, and this project aims to help change that. My work is meant to do two things. First, I want to provide practitioners with a list of parks that are receptive to practicing these skills in a controlled environment. Second, I want to let the park staff know which skills visitors want to practice and how they can facilitate these activities. What I believe to be the best method of gathering information is creating a questionnaire that asks about park staff\u27s knowledge of survival skills and ways to practice these skills. Park staff can then modify a second questionnaire to ask visitors about their interest in practicing these skills. This study can help park goers be better prepared in case something goes wrong during their trip. This research can also provide park staff with a method to bring together average day hikers and experienced campers, which could increase park attendance for multiple parks
Bridging the First-Year Divide: A Comparative Study of Online and In-Person FYE Courses
Full text linkThis research study will focus on the Tech 1013 and 1001 First Year Experience (FYE) Courses as a comparative study between the success of in-person and online students as well as instructor type for both modalities. This study aims to examine the success of students who enroll in face-to-face courses versus online enrollment to discover student engagement and success from the two available class options. Moreover, the investigation continues into whether a correlation between instructor type and student success exists and what form of relationship is presented. The subject area of this study will be students from the Spring 2024 semester and the Fall 2024 semester. First year students must take the introductory course to learn more about how to adapt to higher education. The adaptation to higher education is supported by instruction on the topics of campus resources, study skills, and overall mental and physical health strategies. Specifically, this research assesses the student\u27s ability to develop skills that promote life-long learning and academic success through the completion of assignments in these FYE courses. The findings from this study aim to provide insight into what delivery method and instructor type is more efficient for student success in FYE Courses
Using Environmental DNA to Evaluate the Distribution and Abundance of Western Chicken Turtles
Full text linkThe Western Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria; WCT) is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need that is currently under review for federal listing and is assumed to be rare and declining across its range. WCT are threatened by a variety of anthropogenic challenges, including habitat loss, habitat modification, and road mortality. The conservation of this species is further hindered by a lack of understanding of its distribution, abundance, and population trends. These knowledge gaps arise largely from the species’ unique characteristics and cryptic nature. More specifically, WCT demonstrate prolonged aestivation and are notoriously difficult to capture. Environmental DNA (eDNA), which has reportedly higher detection rates and lower costs than traditional methods, offers a promising solution to this problem. Our project aims to evaluate the distribution and abundance of WCT in the Mississippi Delta ecoregion using a novel two-part approach that will consist of eDNA sampling and traditional methodologies, namely trapping and visual surveys. Samples from approximately 62 known and suspected WCT sites will be collected and analyzed using species-specific primers and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. At sites that test positive for WCT eDNA, we will conduct trapping and visual surveys to confirm presence, gather demographic data, and estimate population abundance. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the state of Arkansas to combine eDNA with traditional sampling to locate and characterize WCT populations. By identifying new populations of WCT and generating baseline population data, our study will help enhance the monitoring and conservation of this at-risk species
An Analysis on the Time Effectiveness of Speeding while Driving a Vehicle
No full textSpeeding is responsible for roughly a third of all crashes, often coming at a deadly cost. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports many negative consequences, such as a greater likelihood of loss of vehicle control, reduced protection equipment effectiveness, increased stopping distance, crash severity, and fuel consumption (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, n.d.). Yet despite these costs, drivers continue to speed. In fact, in our fast paced world, speeding is so normalized that it’s uncommon to encounter a driver following the speed limit. Hawaiian psychology professor Leon James explains it best: people have twisted their definitions of speeding to 20 miles over the original limit, making it more acceptable to go 15 miles more (HiRoad.com 2022). The essence of speeding is a desire to ‘save time,’ but how much time is really saved? According to a study by the US Army—not much. Curiously, they found that the higher the original speed limit, the less time speeding actually saves (Beckman 2022); a fascinating conclusion since it seems to defy the laws of physics. Using the methodology from the Army, this study sought to reproduce their calculations to determine the reason behind their surprising conclusion and whether speeding can save time. The calculations performed resulted in the same time saved the Army concluded, but further analysis revealed a deeper story. Comparing all the possible speeds a car could travel revealed a logarithmic graph trending to a 50% time reduction, no matter the distance. Considering these calculations were also an idealized model—neglecting traffic lights, crashes, or police stops—the irony of how little time is saved is truly impactful. These findings further support the conclusions the Army made in their original study: It’s better to be a minute late than to lose your life in a minute
Accessing Critical Resources for Family Emergency Preparedness
Full text linkThis study evaluates the accessibility and effectiveness of online disaster preparedness resources for families. Through content analysis of publicly available emergency planning materials, the research identifies four major barriers impeding family preparedness: technical jargon, geographic limitations, financial constraints, and incomplete information. The analytical sample included resources from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and specialized platforms, assessed through a researcher-developed evaluation instrument examining linguistic accessibility, geographic specificity, implementation feasibility, and informational comprehensiveness.
Findings reveal that while many resources demonstrated strengths in providing comprehensive content with clear language, significant deficiencies exist regarding geographic specificity and practical implementation guidance. Free resources often lacked depth, while paid services were frequently cost-prohibitive. The All Hazards resource emerged as most effective overall, offering accessible language, interactive documentation capabilities, child-appropriate materials, and facilitated access to additional resources.
This research highlights the urgent need for development of integrated family preparedness planning instruments that synthesize best practices while addressing observed deficiencies, particularly regarding regional specificity and age-appropriate communication strategies. By improving the accessibility, affordability, and comprehensiveness of emergency planning tools designed for diverse family configurations, this study aims to strengthen preparedness and contribute to more resilient communities.
Keywords: disaster preparedness, emergency planning, family resilience, accessibility barriers, resource evaluatio
The Effects of Climate Change on the Advancement of West Nile Virus
Full text linkThe West Nile virus (WNV) first emerged in the United States in the year 1999 within the state of New York and has become endemic throughout the country over time. This virus is contracted from an avian species acting as the reservoir host, by the vector species which are mosquitoes. From this point, the mosquitoes transmit the virus to humans and other mammals, which are the dead end hosts. The WNV often presents itself as flu-like symptoms, but in serious cases can cause severe arboviral neurological disease. Since this is an arbovirus, it is important to have the ability to anticipate the patterns of mosquitoes in order to best mitigate the virus. Scientists have been studying the correlations between climate related variables, such as temperature, in order to predict the patterns of mosquitoes and WNV incidence. Through reviewing scientific literature and interpreting geospatial data, connections were formed between the WNV and climate change. Due to mosquitoes\u27 preferred temperature range being 20-28 degrees Celsius, as the Earth is slowly warming, the patterns of the WNV are shifting since the climate is growing warmer throughout all months of the year. As summer months get warmer, the temperature rises beyond the mosquitoes desired range which risks dehydration and death for the mosquitoes. Additionally, as traditionally colder months get warmer, the temperature reaches the mosquitoes ideal range allowing for a faster reproductive cycle in months that would previously have not been expected. This begins to pose a risk of contracting the WNV in all months of the year instead of mostly summer months. Additionally, as climate change continues to occur there may continue to be shifts in WNV incidence which will require regular examination of mosquito movement to continue virus mitigation
Dual Colorimetric and Fluorometric Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide in Aqueous Samples
Full text linkIn this project, a simple, inexpensive colorimetric and fluorometric method for determining hydrogen peroxide in aqueous samples is described. In this method, aryl boronic acid is de-protected to produce a red dye that absorbs and emits in the red/near infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Upon deprotection by the hydrogen peroxide, an intramolecular charge transfer occurs between a strong phenolate donor and a TCF acceptor to produce the strong absorption and bright fluorescence. This allows naked eye detection of hydrogen peroxide within seconds in water under physiological conditions. The detection limit is impressive and falls in the sub-micromolar (µM) range. The fluorometric detection method is unaffected by the presence of various salts, metal ions, and other interfering species commonly found in biological samples. This novel way of generating a fluorogenic donor-acceptor pair holds potential for this dye and other related derivatives for understanding the role of hydrogen peroxide in the environment, physiology, and pathology. This method\u27s simplicity and cost-effectiveness will make it highly accessible for various applications, including environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics. Its robustness to common interferences ensures reliable results, paving the way for further research into hydrogen peroxide\u27s impact on biological and ecological systems
Investigating the Effect of NaCl Stress in Raphanus sativus
No full textPresentation at the Arkansas INBRE Research Conference, November 7-8, 202