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Seeking Identity in the Built Environment The Impact of Latinx Culture Centers on College Campuses
Get PDFWhen students move to college for the first time, they are faced with challenges of adjustment and acclimating to a new environment. For Latinx students, these challenges are amplified. Many Latinx students are first-generation college students, meaning neither of their parents attended or obtained a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution. This causes a ripple in the experiences these students face as they were given little guidance on how to navigate college.
They are leaving behind a culture they shared with friends and family. This culture is full of cuisines, music, and cultural traditions. For many this is the first time they are separated from what is most familiar to them. These students come to college searching for a home away from home where others can relate to their experiences. They are looking for a new sense of belonging to replicate what they left behind.
At many historically white institutions (PWIs) this is hard to find as college campuses were not designed with the perspective of Latinx people in mind. Despite this, there has been strides being made to create Latinx culture centers and programs designs to support the increase of Latinx students attending colleges and universities.
This research examines existing Latinx culture centers that have been used as study zones, meeting location for student organizations, event centers, social hubs, and places to decompress. Campuses with Latinx culture centers and/or programs for Latinx students tend to have a greater retention rate than those that do not. To support Latinx students, the students need to be given the opportunity to share their experiences and express their needs that will help them succeed. While these cultural centers might just seem like just another space on campus to some, for these students it is their home
TRAVELING WITH A PURPOSE
Get PDFThe act of traveling is often seen as exciting for many travelers looking for adventure or to experience something different than their everyday routines. However, many current tourism trends force negative burdens onto local communities and environments. For instance, when development increases consumption in an area where natural resources are scarce to begin with, it can put pressure on those resources. There is a certain level of visitor use that an environment can manage; negative impacts occur when the changes in visitor use exceed this limit.
While tourist destinations experience negative impacts from the tourism industry, tourism also supports the livelihood of the community. It can provide the opportunity to enhance cultural preservation, if done correctly. Cross-cultural interactions; understanding, maintaining, and strengthening local culture, values and traditions; and empowering host communities are a few common cultural ideals that have a positive impact on tourism.
When the economy prioritizes the experience of travelers over the lives of local residents, an uneven social and cultural divide is created that can cause dangerous and/or oppressive side effects from tourism - the very industry that also economically supports communities. In an effort to alleviate the various divides that result from tourism, this research explores four indicators of sustainability and how they contribute towards or within the tourism industry. These indicators of sustainability include human factors, social responsibility, economic stability, and environmental stewardship. Each indicator is compared against various case studies to better understand the role of the built environment in sustainable tourism.
In the context of travelling and vacation destinations, the tourism industry is largely based on/within the built environment, or human-made and curated experiences, to enhance the destination. Numerous leading hotel chains have established definitions of sustainability initiative actions with underlying intentions of competitive advantage and efficiency. Fundamental concerns of sustainability and enhancement of the natural environment must be the main focus and sincere intent of these hotels.The role of the built environment is to be the vehicle for incorporating these sustainability initiatives into the destination to improve the future growth of the tourism industr
MAKING NATURE ACCESSIBLE: BUILDING AN ACCESSIBLE WELLNESS RETREAT WITHIN NATURE FOR PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES
Get PDFNature impacts our lives in such a way that it can be incredibly detrimental to our health and wellbeing to be away from nature (1). Nature helps us heal faster, relax more, and just generally lead a more well-rounded life (2). It provides an opportunity to feel the sun on our face, breathe fresh air, and get the exercise we need. When deprived of these experiences, our bodies truly suffer (1). People with physical mobility limitations suffer from mental health issues at a much higher rate (3), this issue is often exacerbated by the fact that much of the built environment does not consider the needs of people with physical mobility limitations (4). This research focuses on the role that mental health plays in one’s life, and how strategies can be implemented within nature to help people with physical limitations gain the access needed to achieve mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. This project seeks to allow for barrier-free connection to nature as well as an accessible space to connect with friends and family. With the implementation of various strategies, this project sets a new standard for accessible indoor and outdoor spaces and brings to light a conversation about a brighter future for accessible design in everyday life
Nick Fugedi and the Artistic Freedom of East Hall
Get PDFWMU alum Nick Fugedi speaks with Cassie Kotrch over Zoom about his time at WMU as an art student with a studio in East Hall
Steve Abid in the Fight Against Landlords and Parking and Becoming a Teacher
Get PDFSteve Abid sits with Cassie Kotrch at the Zhang Legacy and Collections Center to discuss his time at WMU as an education and business student as well as his memories and the promise he made to never teach Spanish
Renaissance Man Steve Mongo Kaniuga and the Architecture of East Campus
Get PDFWMU Alum Steve Mongo Kaniuga shares memories and stories of his time as a student on East Campus over a phone call with Cassie Kotrch
Michael Dixon and his Moment of Unexpectedly Doctorate Material
Get PDFWMU Alum Michael Dixon sits with Cassie Kotrch to discuss his many years as a WMU student (from undergrad to doctorate student) and the many memories from his time on East Campus
Charles Klass: the Paper Titan of WMU and Failing Swimming
Get PDFWMU Alum and Adjunct Professor Charles Klass speaks with Cassie Kotrch virtually over a phone call to discuss his time as a student and the paper industry at WMU
2023-03-28_MichiganOverview_ISDreporting
Get PDFThe K-12 Aged ISD Reporting page was obtained from Michigan\u27s COVID-19 data page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/stats/k-to-12-aged-isd-reporting.
This report is created from data reported by the Michigan Disease Surveillance System (MDSS) the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services\u27 web-based communicable disease reporting system. Data is updated every week.
The purpose of the dashboard is to report the 7 day average of COVID-19 cases in Michigan school students aged 5 through 18 at the intermediate school district and school district levels, as well as display trends over time to better illustrate the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cases are attributed to an intermediate school district and school district if their listed ages are between 5-18 year and if heir listed address falls within the bounds of the shool district. Individuals who live in one district but attend a school in another, as well as students who attend private school or are homeschooled are not represented.
The report contains two graphs: Michigan Intermediate School District COVID-19 Case Reporting (CLI) and Michigan School District COVID-19 Case Reporting. There is also a weekly public use dataset entitled K-12 Aged ISD Reporting
2023-02-27 MichiganOverview_COVIDoutbreak
Get PDFThe Outbreak Data page was obtained from Michigan\u27s COVID-19 data page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/stats/outbreak-reporting.
This report is created by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services from data self-reported by local health departments. Data is updated every week.
COVID-19 outbreaks are generally defined as two or more cases with a link by place and time indicating a shared exposure outside of a household. Local health departments report the number of new and ongoing outbreaks they are investigating by the setting of the outbreak. New outbreaks are those outbreaks that were first identified during the current reporting week. Ongoing outbreaks are those that had already been identified in previous weeks but have had at least one new associated case reported to the local health department in the last 2 weeks. New and ongoing outbreaks are counted only once (i.e., a new outbreak is not also counted in the ongoing outbreak category). Many factors, including the lack of ability to conduct effective contact tracing in certain settings, may result in significant underreporting of outbreaks. This chart does not provide a complete picture of outbreaks in Michigan and the absence of identified outbreaks in a particular setting in no way provides evidence that, in fact, that setting is not having outbreaks.
Contains the tables New Outbreaks by Setting and Ongoing Outbreaks by Setting