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Border Separation in the Middle East: Legacy of the Sykes-Picot Agreement
No full textThe Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, a secret pact between Britain and France with Russian approval, remains one of the most consequential and controversial diplomatic arrangements of the 20th century. Designed to divide the territories of the Ottoman Empire into British and French spheres of influence after World War I, the agreement disregarded the sociopolitical, ethnic, and religious complexities of the Middle East. By imposing artificial borders that ignored historical, tribal, and sectarian affiliations, the agreement laid the foundation for enduring instability in the region. This presentation explores how the Sykes-Picot Agreement contributed to long-term geopolitical turmoil, fostering ethnic and sectarian divisions, weakening regional sovereignty, and igniting nationalist movements. The arbitrary partitioning of territories led to the fragmentation of communities that had coexisted for centuries, fueling conflicts that persist today. The exclusion of Arab voices in the decision-making process further deepened resentment, leading to widespread opposition to European colonial rule and shaping the political landscape of the modern Middle East. The presentation will analyze key consequences of the agreement, including the rise of nationalist and Islamist movements, the challenges of state-building in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, and the role of Western intervention in exacerbating regional conflicts. Case studies will include the Syrian civil war, sectarian violence in Iraq, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, all of which have roots in the territorial divisions imposed by Sykes-Picot. Additionally, the discussion will highlight how the agreement set a precedent for foreign intervention and power struggles among global and regional actors, including the United States, Russia, Iran, and Turkey. By examining the historical context, political ramifications, and present-day consequences of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, this presentation will demonstrate how a century-old colonial arrangement continues to shape the geopolitics of the Middle East. Understanding this legacy is essential for policymakers, historians, and scholars seeking to navigate the complexities of modern Middle Eastern conflicts and diplomatic relations.https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2025/1065/thumbnail.jp
Unmasking The Shadows of Gotham: A Study of Identity in The Batman (2022)
No full textPlease note: no video is available for this presentation.
This paper studies the theme of identity in The Batman (2022). It analyzes how the film navigates Bruce Wayne’s dual existence as a reclusive orphaned billionaire and an unrelenting masked vigilante. Through its gruesome atmospheric narrative, the film examines how trauma, vengeance, and justice shape Batman’s sense of self. Ultimately, it questions whether his masked persona is an instrument for justice or an escape from his identity. The film critiques the blurred lines between justice and vigilantism by juxtaposing Batman’s moral struggles with those of characters like the Riddler and CatWoman. Using rhetorical analysis, this paper investigates how The Batman portrays Bruce Wayne’s identity as fluid yet fragmented and influenced by Gotham’s corruption. It highlights the psychological and ethical predicaments that define Bruce Wayne’s transformation into Batman.https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2025/1058/thumbnail.jp
Behavior Analysis in Sports: Goal Setting Improves On- and Off-field Behaviors in Soccer Players
No full textPlease note: no video is available for this presentation.
Goal setting is a common behavioral intervention that involves selecting an observable and measurable behavior and creating clearly defined, objective criteria that indicate when the goal has been met. Although ample evidence suggests that goal setting is an effective intervention in sports, few studies have examined collaborative goal setting (i.e., goals that are determined by players and coaches). Additionally, prior research has focused on improving specific behaviors for player positions, which may limit the utility of goal setting as a team-wide intervention. The present research used a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effects of collaborative goal setting for on- or off-field behaviors in eight soccer players. Throughout all phases, participants self-recorded their behavior. In baseline, participants and their coaches selected a measurable behavior to improve. In the intervention phase, participants and their coaches set long- and short-term goals. Participants attended weekly individual meetings to receive feedback and set new short-term goals. All participants in the current study showed improvements in their selected behaviors, and seven (out of eight) participants met their long-term goal. High social validity ratings (e.g., satisfaction with procedures and results) were obtained from players and coaches. Limitations of the current study and directions for future research will be discussed.https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2025/1053/thumbnail.jp
An Illusion of Choice: An Analysis of Geoffrey Chaucer\u27s Gender Politic
No full textPlease note: no video is available for this video.
Male anxieties are the culmination of reactions that men project upon women when the patriarchy is subverted by female means. In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer illustrates how patriarchal rule determines the interactions between both men and women by developing complex figures who submit or rebel to the overwhelming societal expectations that dictate the performance of gender. Whereas characters such as Emilye of “The Knight’s Tale” are rewarded for their virtuousness and willingness to obey the demands of masculine society, characters such as the Wife of Bath in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” are villainized for subverting patriarchal values and deciding their own principles. Despite the lines drawn by Chaucer’s definition of masculinity and femininity in The Canterbury Tales, the introduction of Criseyde in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde creates a complex figure that exists between the favored and feared wife. While submitting to the feelings of “pity” she develops for Troilus’s lovesickness, Criseyde decides at the end of the poem to rebel from the wills of the patriarchal structures that govern her; instead, she paves a way for her own freedom by making a choice that villainizes her in the eyes of Pandarus, Troilus and the traditional male audience. In this presentation, I will analyze Criseyde’s complex identity through the different lenses of the favored and feared wife, exemplifying Chaucer’s demonstration of how the body is governed by existing and prevailing gender politics.https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2025/1039/thumbnail.jp
Investigation of the Mechanism and Purpose of Birds’ Head Bobbing
No full textPlease note: no video is available for this presentation.
This presentation will discuss why some bird species bob their heads and show how their musculoskeletal system allows this motion. Currently, there is a debate among scientists over whether the purpose behind the bobbing of the head of some bird species, including pigeons, is due to visual stabilization, balance, or another evolutionary adaptation. Research on a pigeon specimen was conducted at JSU to determine the mechanism and reason for the head bobbing movement. The presenter will share photos of the observations made in the lab and demonstrate how the neck muscles (longissimus capitis muscle, M. biventer cervicis muscle, and entotympanicus muscle) and other anatomical features support the hypothesis of visual stabilization. The results from the research hypothesize how the observed neck muscles have the capacity for this head movement. In addition, the observed neck muscles of the pigeon will be compared to vultures’ neck muscles from literature. Since vultures do not exhibit this unique movement, the locomotion of these two bird species will be contrasted to hypothesize the reason some species bob their heads.https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2025/1019/thumbnail.jp
In the Hull of the USS Disregard: An Analysis of Secretary of State Cordell Hull’s Execution of Foreign Policy In East Asia and the Precipitation of Armed Conflict Between Japan and the United States
No full textThe political career of Cordell Hull was motivated primarily by trade policy and the courting of Central America through the negotiation of reciprocal trade treaties that helped stabilize, for the most part, the entire Western Hemisphere. He was an obvious choice for Roosevelt’s cabinet to address economic instability. But why was he chosen for Secretary of State? The Open Door Policy, adopted by many Western nations in East Asia during the early 20th century, was a petri dish primed for the growth of political strife and international conflict. With the warnings from Hull’s predecessor, Henry Stimson, placed on the back burner in the name of popular isolationism, Hull would take office during a diplomatic period that was already experiencing conflict.
Hull appeared to many observers to be unprepared or unwilling to address Japanese treaty violations and aggression. With many State Department functions sometimes falling to Hull’s deputy, Undersecretary Sumner Welles, passivity towards Japanese military aggression was not uncommon. The question arises as to whether Hull was unwilling to intervene in the Manchu-Japanese issue out of fear that Japan might impair American trade interests in East Asia, or whether Hull’s Wilsonian tendencies placed faith in treaties that were held to less esteem by the cultures of East Asia, leaving the United States to stand naively by as the Imperial Japanese Navy grew stronger. This analysis examines the use of unilateral and multilateral trade restrictions as an economic strategy to prevent armed conflict and the implications of Hull’s use of such policies in delaying the United States’ entry into World War II.
In his autobiography, Hull describes his political evolution from “Gladstone liberal” to “Jeffersonian.” He later states that he had studied Wilson’s policies and that “there was no doubt that Wilson’s principles were [the same as his own].” Wilsonian tendencies are best summarized as an ideology that the “United States ought to be the supreme moral factor in the world’s progress.
Assessing Expected Cover of Invasive Flora Species Near Corridor Features by Distance
No full textFragmentation of landscapes has been a growing topic of interest within scientific literature over the past several decades, as the way we as humans affect our planet becomes more apparent as the years go on. As humans, we have shaped the land and what it contains in immeasurable ways, erasing or forever altering entire natural ecosystems. Chief among the drivers altering these ecosystems is the fragmentation of landscapes, which can have all kinds of effects on natural ecosystems, from limiting nutrient transport to providing easier access for invasives to permeate throughout a landscape. Corridors are significant areas of interest regarding landscape fragmentation, though research often focuses on road corridor types, causing knowledge of the effects of fragmentation from other corridor types to be difficult to find and often only pertinent to the areas where the studies were conducted. For trails, this means fragmentation effects are not as widely understood, and subsequently, it makes management of trail systems within ecosystems more difficult. This paper aims to provide a starting point for (1) understanding trail corridor fragmentation impacts by assessing invasive plant species spread and (2) develop a method for identifying potential hotspots along corridors of invasive species spread. The results from this study show strong road effects at the test sites, with two scale types (plot and cell) showing near-road relationship between occurrence and intensity of invasive species. For trails, interestingly, there is higher invasive species intensity in the far bin compared to the near bin, indicating potential effects of usage patterns or trail maintenance along the trail of focus
JSU Financial Documents, Miscellaneous: Finding Aid
Full text linkThis collection is comprised of miscellaneous historical items related to Jacksonville State University finances. These include annual budgets, receipts, bond information, contract and other building paperwork, faculty salaries, invoices, and more
Exploring Minority Students’ Perceptions of Using Open Educational Resources in a Computer Game Design Course
No full textWith the increasing use of open educational resources (OERs) in higher education, and the potential of OERs to enhance student learning, this study investigated minority students’ perceptions of using OERs in learning computer programming. The influence of minority students’ OER perceptions on their learning outcomes, as well as the relationships of the perception variables were explored. The participants were minority students from an HBCU institution in the southeastern United States. Quantitative approaches were used to analyze the collected data. The results indicated that the minority students’ perceptions of using OERs had a significant influence on their perceived learning outcomes in learning computer programming. OER self-efficacy did not influence the minority students’ perceived learning for programming. Understanding of OERs, OER interest, and OER self-efficacy significantly predicted the minority students’ perceived value/usefulness of OERs in learning coding
Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates for Patients Without Insurance
Full text linkBackground: Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States (U.S.), ranking as second most prevalent overall. Despite many initiatives, screening rates remain low, especially among clinic patients without insurance. The lack of an evidence-based screening protocol exacerbates these issues and increases the risk of advanced cancer and death. Initial data showed that 0% of patients were screened according to recommended guidelines.
Purpose: The project implemented a standard screening protocol to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in a rural Alabama free clinic for patients ages 45-64 lacking insurance.
Project Design: This quality improvement project aimed to implement a colorectal cancer screening protocol based on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. Using screening criteria, appropriate patients received test instructions and guaiac fecal occult blood test kits to be completed either in the clinic or at home. If tests were positive, patients were referred for colonoscopy. Pre- and post-implementation data was reviewed and compared to identify efficacy of the evidence-based protocols. Project sustainability included increased provider buy-in, designated funding, increased referral sources, patient callbacks, increased support for the provider in identifying screening needs, and increased staff education.
Results: During the 10-week implementation period, 29.03% of the patients meeting the criteria were screened by the standard evidence-based protocol; however, 22.58% of patients were screened with a non-evidence-based approach.
Conclusion: Implementing a standard screening protocol increased screening rates, but protocol non-adherence by the provider and patient refusal remain key barriers to address in future efforts