MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Rushdie Rewriting History Through Midnight\u27s Children
No full textIn Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, the novel’s protagonist, Saleem Sinai, born at the hour of India’s independence in August of 1947, represents India. Saleem uses major historical events such as Partition, the violent division of the Indian state into Pakistan and India, to move the plot along. Saleem’s telepathic powers allow him to enter other people’s minds just as the novel demonstrates the state penetrating the citizen’s minds to create a nation. Furthermore, Saleem’s construction of history through the pickle jars representing each chapter in his life parallels Rushdie’s construction of history through the novel. In Midnight’s Children, Rushdie explores the problems of heterogeneity in relation to the hegemonic ideology of nationalism. In this essay, I argue that in Midnight’s Children, Rushdie rewrites history. By transgressing the boundaries between history and fiction, Rushdie reveals the ways in which nationalism relies on the discursive construction of history
Reactions to the Coronavirus: A Content Analysis Examining the Extent to Which Media Shapes Public Reactions in Response to COVID-19
No full textThis qualitative study explored the extent to which mass media exposure shapes public reactions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A purposive sampling procedure was used to employ a content analysis on a sample of 100 of the most recent comments that included reactions towards COVID-19 from a CBC news article. An open-coding procedure was utilized to examine any themes or categories present in the comments, and the frequency of occurrence of any themes or categories were recorded. Results showed that eight categories of reactions were present: Fear, Warnings, Frivolous, Anger, Hope, Inevitable, Science, and Environment. Further sub-categories were identified within the overarching themes of fear, warnings, frivolous, and anger. This study demonstrated that fear is the most prevalent reaction towards COVID-19, keeping in line with existing research that media exposure and its use of fear-mongering tactics play a central role in shaping public reactions in response to pandemics
A Profile of Islamophobia in Alberta
No full textMy project is call A Profile of Islamophobia in Alberta.This project was prepared for the ECMC (Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities). I developed a racism and Islamophobia profile affecting the Muslim population in Alberta, based on existing sources of information regarding incident and threats. My project includes a detailed report of the findings and an executive summary of the findings just as defining Islamophobia, statistics from official and third party reports that looked at Islamophobia in Alberta, examples of Islamophobia in Alberta just as types of Islamophobia and where Islamophobia happens.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Irfan Chaudhry
Department: Psychology 
A Revised Shock History for the Youngest Unbrecciated Lunar Basalt - Northwest Africa 032
No full textNorthwest Africa (NWA) 032 is the youngest radio metrically dated mare basalt, with concordant Rb-Sr and Sm-Ndages of 2.947 ± 0.016 Ga and 2.931 ± 0.092, respectively [1]. Measurement of the cosmogenic nuclides present in NWA 032 suggest an Earth-Moon transfer age of 0.5Ma, typical of lunar meteorites [2]. NWA 032 is an unbrecciate dolivine-pyroxene-phyric basalt, with olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase as major minerals (Fig.1). A previous description of shock effects in NWA 032 allowed for a shock pressure estimate of ~4060 GPa [2]; however, the shock state of plagioclase feldspar (shock-amorphized vs crystalline) was inconclusive, owing to the fine grain size of this mineral (≤1μm). The purpose of our study is to characterize the shock deformation and transformation effects in NWA 032 using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and micro-Raman spectroscopy, focusing on the structural state of feldspar, shock deformation recorded in igneous olivine and pyroxene, as well as characterizing the crystallization products of shock melting. The latter have been demonstrated as useful criteria to evaluate shock conditions [3]. Our results more tightly constrain the shock history experienced by NWA 032.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Erin L. Walton
Department: Earth and Planetary Sciences
 
Google Images and the Youth Climate Strike 2019
No full textOn March 15, 2019 students from all over the globe participated in the youth climate strike, a political protest with the goal of getting governments to be more active on the matters of climate change. This study examines multiple aspects of the youth climate strike by means of Google Images using the hashtag #YouthClimateStrike. For this study, a sample of 755 Google Images were collected. We analyzed the source of the image (using hyperlink), the characteristics of protest participants in the images and messaging by using the posters within the image. These variables were analyzed using a hybrid method of qualitative and quantitative analysis. The images were derived from 396 unique websites that posted images from the youth climate strike. Of these photos, 85% contained teenaged individuals, 91% of the images contained legible text, with the top slogan being “there is no planet B” and 58% of the text presented in these images contained demands. Future research will be conducted this summer with a larger sample size to determine how COVID 19 has turned this strike into an online strike. Additionally, new research questions will be explored such as whether the slogans are attacking or blaming the government, or if the images differed by publication sources.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Shelley Boulianne
Department: Sociology 
Silicone Wristbands as Personal Passive Samplers: Assessing Exposure to Organophosphate Flame Retardants
No full textOrganophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are used as additives in a variety of industrial and commercial products, such as furniture and electronics, to meet fire resistance standards. However, OPFRs have been associated with health effects, including neurotoxicity, hormonal changes, and cancer; therefore, insight into levels of exposure is necessary for health and risk assessments. An individual’s exposure to OPFRs can be measured using silicone wristbands as passive samplers, which make use of the tendency for a chemical to equilibrate between the solid phase (the sampler) and air to measure personal exposure to contaminants over time. Because OPFRs are frequently used in electronics, this study aimed to examine correlations between electronic use and personal exposure to OPFRs. Silicone wristbands were cleaned to remove surface contaminants, and then deployed to participants to wear for one week. Following deployment, the adhered compounds were extracted and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. While deployed, participants filled out a questionnaire indicating their weekly electronic use, which was used to draw correlations between electronics and exposure to OPFRs. The median concentration of OPFRs on wristbands were found to be about 6300ng/wristband, with high variability between individual wristbands. This project will be one of the first in Canada to use silicone wristbands as personal samplers to address exposure to OPFRs in relation to electronic use, and thus will prove useful in risk assessment due to the increasing use of electronics in society.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Matthew Ross
Department: Chemistr
Effects of NaCl and CaCl2 Salinity Stress on the Germination, Seedling and Root Morphology of Dalea Candida
No full textCalcium chloride (CaCl2) and sodium chloride (NaCl) are commonly used de-icing agents that result in saline-contaminated soils. Little is known about the effects of CaCl2 on plant germination, growth, and development. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of CaCl2 and NaCl on germination and true leaf development of Dalea candida, a native legume of central North America. We further examined comparative effects on root growth and morphology at the initial germination phase. We used a controlled growth experiment consisting of various concentrations of NaCl (62.5mM and 125mM) and CaCl2 (31.25mM and 62.5mM) in soil and Petri dishes. While both salts exhibited negative trends, CaCl2 had less of an effect on the germination rate (64% at 31.25mM); however, aboveground true leaf development was stunted. NaCl at 62.5mM and 125mM exhibited a significantly lower mean root length and wider mean root diameter relative to comparable concentrations of CaCl2. Furthermore, only NaCl treatments significantly inhibited root hair presence. Our results indicate that while CaCl2 had less of a negative effect on initial germination, both salts stunt aboveground growth and development of D. candida seedlings via different mechanisms.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Karen Christensen-Dalsgaard
Department: Biological Sciences
NOTE: This work is available to MacEwan users only at https://roam.macewan.ca/islandora/object/gm:210
Unknown Cost: The Psychological Implications of Animal Rescue Work
No full textTens of thousands of abandoned and orphaned animals are taken in by rescue organizations across Canada every year. These animals are then rehabilitated by caring individuals who often work as volunteers. While the plight of the animals and the financial toll associated with their rescue is made clear through aid requests by organizations, very little attention has been paid to the effect this work has on the humans involved (Englefield, Starling, & McGreevy, 2018). Research has revealed that animal health care professionals (AHCPs), such as veterinarians, experience higher-than-average levels of psychological distress due to the nature of their work (Nett et al., 2015; Polachek & Wallace, 2018). Animal rescue workers (ARWs) experience many of the same stressors as AHCPs, and what little research has examined ARWs suggests that the psychological consequences they face may be even more severe (Figley & Roop, 2006). Our study was designed to systematically examine the work-related stressors and associated mental health ramifications of animal rescue workers across Canada. As predicted, we found significant correlations between respondent scores on measures of depression, compassion fatigue (which includes secondary traumatic stress and burnout), and trauma. Furthermore, scores on some measures were correlated with the types of animals rescued, and the tasks that ARWs performed. Overall then, our research demonstrates that depending on the stressors that they are exposed to, individuals who work in animal rescue within Canada are at risk of experiencing detrimental psychological outcomes associated with their work.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Eric Legge
Department: Psychology
NOTE: This work is available to MacEwan users only at https://roam.macewan.ca/islandora/object/gm:2137
 
Creation of Fear in an Online Environment: A Content Analysis of Public Reaction to Donald Trump’s Information Regarding COVID-19
No full textThis study examined public reactions on Twitter about Donald Trump’s messages regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, which created fear in the public, therefore promoting an increase in panic buying. A content analysis of 52 relevant tweets between March 16 and April 3 identified several themes of public reactions to the messages that were transmitted by Donald Trump about COVID-19, including: incompetence, harm, untrustworthiness, political agenda, misinformation, distraction, lack of empathy, and the dismissal of solving panic buying. The most prevalent theme was the incompetence of Donald Trump, which created fear; therefore panic buying increased among the public.  
Intrusion, Immersive or Irregular: Classifying the Fantasy of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell with the Intertextual Influence of Sir Orfeo
No full textOften when we think of fantasy we think of far off places or some magical world completely removed from our own. We think of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia or J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Even J. K. Rowling’s wizards and witches are distinctly divided from and inaccessible to non-magical people. But what happens when this Other Place comes into contact with our world? Susanna Clarke explores this type of contact in her novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Relating the adventures of two magicians in early nineteenth century England, the novel describes what happens when the magic of the Faerie realm interacts with our world or, more specifically, with England. The ultimate effect is one where each place does not exist independently of one another but rather are ontologically connected. Unpacking the particulars of this existential coexistence and identifying the exact nature of Clarke’s fantasy is no easy task. For this it is helpful to turn to Farrah Mendlesohn’s Rhetorics of Fantasy, a book dedicated to the classification of five different types that a fantasy work might fall into: portal-quest, immersive, intrusion, liminal and irregular. Despite the thorough detail that Mendlesohn achieves in outlining and explaining each category, Clarke’s novel remains exceedingly difficult to place. In addition to Mendlesohn’s book then, we must also turn to the outside influence of other primary texts, like the Middle English poem Sir Orfeo, to classify the intricate fantasy that is Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell