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Cultural Conversations with Claudia Wright
No full textOur storyteller this spring quarter is Claudia Wright, originally from Colombia, who brings a wealth of experience to her role as a dedicated researcher. Her academic journey has taken her through both academia and the private industry, shaping her research interests in migration, motherhood, gender, education, and consumer culture. As a qualitative researcher, Claudia has immersed herself in various rural, urban, and minority communities, enriching her understanding of the complex ideologies and social constructs that influence our beliefs and behaviors.
Currently, Claudia\u27s research focuses on migrant motherhood, exploring how intersectional identities shape migration trajectories. She also delves into other areas of interest, such as the gender gap in higher education, fatherhood, consumption patterns, and healthcare dynamics. At Central Washington University, Claudia shares her expertise through courses such as Principles of Sociology, Sociology of Gender, Sociology of Immigration, and Sociology of Family.
Her presentation is titled Unraveling the Magic of Disney\u27s Encanto.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/libraryevents/1250/thumbnail.jp
Library Advisory Council 2023-2024 End of Academic Year Report
Full text linkLibrary Advisory Council 2023-2024 End of Academic Year Reporthttps://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/cwu_lac/1009/thumbnail.jp
Heterochrony in the Interpretation of Stained Glass Windows: A Case Study on Light in the Church of Orsanmichele
Full text linkIn the last decade, scholars of medieval art have examined how the materiality of religious objects was seen to increase the sacredness of the rituals in which they were used. Christians in the Middle Ages understood that objects had the potential to move from the material (such as glass or gems) to the immaterial (the divine presence of God). While stained glass is a medium that is defined by the mutability of its material, scholars have focused primarily on the iconography of glass windows and the workshop practices of glaziers rather than phenomenological meanings. There is recognition of the visual effect of light moving through stained glass, but few connections are made between the shifting physical conditions of the spaces that include glass and the materiality of glass itself. In this paper I will argue that while the sensorial experience of stained glass windows is a significant part of the historical experience of a building, it is not the whole story. Using the Church of Orsanmichele in Florence, Italy as a case study, I will reconsider glass’ heterochronic potential in three aspects: boundaries, senses, and temporalities. This research raises questions about how viewers’ engagement with past and present can converge to create a clearer understanding of history
The Effects of Environmental Factors on Tsunami Propagation and Inundation: a Comparison of Earth with Other Planetary Bodies
Full text linkTsunamis are a universal hazard in any environment with oceans or lakes. Having a firm understanding of them is essential because of this. However, the vast number of tsunami studies have been solely on Earth, despite the growing evidence of oceans and lakes being on, or having once existed on, other planets and moons. In this study, I investigated tsunami behavior in non-Earth environments by testing the effects of varying viscosity and gravity. I conducted simulations using GeoClaw, Flow3D®, and VolcFlow on established tsunami benchmarks to identify consistent patterns in tsunami flow patterns and inundation. The results show that as gravity increases, wave speed increases, while inundation decreases. I also observed that increasing viscosity slightly reduces inundation and significantly slows the receding wave as it returns to the ocean. I propose that the increased gravity results in the observed pattern of lesser inundation due to the increased total frictional force with the ground. This lesser inundation that comes with high gravity would also imply that the deposits left by the tsunami would have a smaller area. Additionally, the inherent resistance of high viscosity fluids to deformation and shear forces makes the velocity in shallow flows particularly affected. This implies that compared to water, a more viscous fluids wave would lose momentum faster in a shallow environment like a mud flat
The Effects of Verbal Interference on Memory Outcomes: Implications for Understanding How Language Shapes Cognition
Full text linkWith this capstone I examine the impact of verbal interference on attention and memory, particularly in the absence of explicit articulation. Challenging the conventional view that language solely influences explicit communication, I investigate the manner verbal interference affects cognitive processes at an implicit level. The theoretical framework integrates the linguistic-relativity hypothesis, which posits that language shapes cognitive functions, and the universalist hypothesis, which argues for cognitive independence from language. By reviewing relevant literature, I intend to shed light on how verbal interference disrupts attention and memory across varied contexts, including cultural background, emotional state, environmental factors, task complexity, and modality. Foundational studies by Baddeley and colleagues (Baddeley, 2003; Baddeley & Hitch, 1994; Baddeley et al., 1998) on the phonological loop and articulatory suppression provide a cornerstone for understanding how components of verbal interference influence cognitive processes of working memory and memory accuracy. This theoretical framework serves as the path for exploring the various cross-cultural and linguistic influences outlined in studies conducted by Fausey and Boroditsky (2011) and Papafragou et al. (2008), exploring how language structure and cultural background shape memory recall and attentional focus. Additionally, studies on attentional modulation in perception and memory (Connell & Lynott, 2012) illustrate how factors like task demands and context can impact cognitive processing during verbal interference. Literature on environmental and contextual influences, such as the role of spatial memory (Chun & Jiang, 2003), further reveals how verbal interference interacts with attention in complex tasks. Articulatory suppression, defined as the repetition of irrelevant syllables during tasks, is assessed here for its impact on memory accuracy within the working memory’s phonological loop. The findings indicate that verbal interference significantly impairs tasks involving phonological processing, while its effect on semantic and conceptual processing is more nuanced. Additionally, I highlight the importance of language adaptation in cross-linguistic event perception, revealing how different languages shape attention and memory recall. These insights suggest that reducing verbal interference in educational settings could optimize cognitive resource allocation, potentially enhancing learning outcomes and memory retention
Central Washington University 2024-2025 University Catalog
Full text linkhttps://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/catalogs/1292/thumbnail.jp
Articulating Balsa Wood Bridge
Full text linkThe objective of this project was to design, construct and test an articulating balsa wood bridge. It needed to fit certain requirements such as maintaining the bridge structure and articulation structure weight under 85g, being able to articulate 140mm, and be able to withstand a load of 20kg at the middle. The aim was to both create a product, but also give the student a chance to demonstrate their practical knowledge in engineering and going through the processes.
To complete this project as mentioned the student began by creating an initial design and performing a series of analyses on the components. This determined whether or not the bridge would fit the necessary minimum requirements. Other design processes were followed such as using decision matrices to determine the best process to use for manufacturing components. With the design completed, manufacturing could commence, involving creating components and final bridge assembly.
After completing testing of the bridge, it preformed as designed. It was able to withstand the required load of 20kg before fracturing down the middle of the bridge where the beams were at the most stress. It was also able to fully articulate 140mm at reasonable speeds and maintain the 140mm articulation for 10 seconds. The bridge also fit the design weight and dimension specifications. It was determined that the bridge was successful in meeting the requirements of the project, fitting all the necessary requirements while maintaining low costs and easy manufacturability
Music Density: A Novel Measurement of Music Perception
Full text linkEmpirical research in fields such as music perception, cognition, and therapy has developed considerably in recent decades. While many studies implement musical stimuli, there are few expeditious metrics for identifying the objective characteristics of music itself. The current study proposed and developed a tool for measuring perception of the theoretical concept of music density. Music density can be defined as the compactness of auditory information that comprises a piece of music. For this study, five musical factors were explored (tempo, texture, timbre, dynamics, and predictability) via a 5-point Likert scale. It is well established that personality is an important correlate to music cognition and general music preference; therefore, it was theorized that individuals who scored high in extraversion and those who scored high in openness preferred high-density music. All participants were administered the following scales: Music Density Inventory, STOMPR, and the Big-Five personality index. Results showed little to no correlation between personality traits and music density preference, contrary to correlative research studying relationships between personality traits and music preference
An Experiment to Determine Mineral-Associated Organic Matter Turnover in a Sandy Clay Loam
Full text linkSoil is an important terrestrial carbon sink. Through regenerative land management, which includes minimizing soil disturbance, the carbon content of soil can be raised towards preindustrial levels. This feat requires effectively storing carbon in a natural system that is inclined to cyclicity. The most stable form of soil organic matter is mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). This carbon labelling experiment was designed to identify short-term CO2 fluxes within the soil-plant-atmosphere system, particularly those related to MAOM turnover in the rhizosphere. Basil (Ocimum basilicum) was planted on a plot at the campus farm at Central Washington University. Another plot of bare soil was used as an environmental control. The basil was pulse labelled by allowing photosynthesis within a 13CO2-rich atmosphere for a total of nine hours. Measurements were made with clear and opaque flux chambers to determine flux of CO2 from the soil and into basil via photosynthesis. Soil and respiration samples were taken before and after labelling; biomass was also sampled following labelling. Samples were analyzed with an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer for carbon ratios. After-labelling δ13C values were compared to before-labelling δ13C values to determine where the 13C spike had moved within the plant and soil over the course of the experiment. Soil samples were collected so that turnover estimated through soil respiration could be compared with any observed change in MAOM carbon content. Over the month-long timescale of this study, there was no measurable change in MAOM and the 13C spike was not detected in the soil. However, the heavy carbon appeared in respiration gas collected soon after the last labelling interval as well as in the basil’s roots.
To love is to mind the ebb and flow
and to use warily the garden hoe.
With more neutrality, one may peer
belowground a function of the atmosphere.
We wished to find breath from the mineral
but our methods were not so liberal.
Even still, we return with knowledge
of basil’s carbon haulage.
Example: our tapestry of sandy clay loam
was drier of heavy nectar from the phloem
than expected,
with roots and shoots reasonably affected
Impact of Diet Culture on Disordered Eating Habits in College Students
Full text linkEating Disorders (ED) impact people worldwide at increasing rates and are a contemporary public health issue in the United States. The purpose of this research was to understand if exposure to Diet Culture impacts disordered eating behaviors in college students. A cross-sectional study was conducted of adults aged 18 and older who were currently enrolled in at least one college-level course during the period of August 2023 to December 2023. Utilizing the platform Qualtrics, an anonymous survey was created and distributed via online and in-person sources. Researchers created 5 survey questions aimed at collecting data on the familiarity and exposure of Diet Culture. Along with these questions, the EAT-26 questionnaire was utilized in the survey to determine a participant\u27s disordered eating behaviors and need for referral to a treatment professional. Among our respondents, 48.7% (97) met the EAT-26 threshold for a referral to an eating disorder professional. Additionally, 30.2% (60) participants reported having a poor relationship with food, 93.6% (186) of participants exhibited some level of knowledge of the term Diet Culture, and 49.2% (98) of participants recalled their first exposure being before the age of 10. 81.5% of respondents reported that Diet Culture influences their eating behaviors in some way. Participants who reported a worse relationship with food, having a younger age of exposure to Diet Culture, or believing that Diet Culture influences their eating more were found to be more likely to qualify for a referral. Women and genderqueer people were more familiar with the term Diet Culture, recall being exposed at younger ages, and felt more influence on their eating behaviors. No significant correlations were found between a respondent\u27s major of study and any of our variables. A substantial portion of students are familiar with Diet Culture, feel it impacts their eating behaviors, or recall being exposed at a young age. These findings shed light on the damage that Diet Culture can create as well as a need for more targeted treatment and prevention for college students