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Breaking Chains: Substance Abuse and its Impact on Underserved Communities
Full text link[ABSTRACT ONLY; NO FULL TEXT] Alcohol consumption is a significant issue among high school students, with about 4.38 million adolescents in the U.S. expected to report drinking within the past 30 days. Recent surveys indicate that around 29% of high school students have consumed alcohol in the last month, and approximately 14% report binge drinking, defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row. Early alcohol exposure can lead to adverse outcomes, including declining academic performance, increased risky behaviors, and long-term health complications. To combat this critical issue, Peer Health Exchange, a nonprofit organization, plans to implement virtual health education sessions, workshops, and peer-led discussions for students aged 14 to 17 in Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, and New York. Utilizing the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) framework, the program aims to strengthen community partnerships and enhance the effectiveness of health education across the United States. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)), these initiatives will promote positive behavioral change through observational learning, reciprocal determinism, and self-efficacy. By allowing students to observe their peers living healthy, alcohol-free lives, the program reinforces the attainability of such choices. Skill-building workshops will equip students with strategies to resist peer pressure, emphasizing individual agency within their social contexts. Additionally, recognizing students' healthy decisions will provide positive reinforcement, encouraging alcohol abstinence while fostering a supportive community. Research shows that effective school-based interventions, when paired with strong community involvement, can significantly reduce substance abuse rates among teens. By prioritizing education and empowering students, Peer Health Exchange aims to decrease alcohol use among high school students and guide them toward healthier choices, ultimately cultivating a generation equipped to make decisions that promote their health and future success
Improving sexual health outcomes among university students
No full text[ABSTRACT ONLY; NO FULL TEXT] Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to pose a significant threat to public health. With the advent of biomedical interventions, such as PrEP and PEP, in addition to more traditional protective barrier methods, behavioral choices can greatly reduce the risk of contracting HIV. However, despite the variety of HIV prevention methods available, some populations continue to report engaging in frequent unprotected oral, vaginal, and anal sex. College students represent an age group at higher risk for acquiring HIV due to increased prevalence of risky sexual behaviors, misperception of risk, poor HIV health literacy, and social stigma associated with HIV. The proposed program utilizes prior research and evidence-based interventions to address the low use of HIV prevention methods among college students at California State University, Northridge. The intervention strategy draws on constructs from Social Cognitive Theory, targeting outcome expectations, knowledge, behavioral skills, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers. Central components of the proposed program include campus-wide dissemination of culturally appropriate information and resources through peer-facilitated sexual health presentations and student-led on-campus HIV testing campaigns. These activities serve to increase knowledge and health literacy, facilitate use of biomedical and barrier prevention methods, and decrease barriers to HIV testing. Program needs related to budget, timelines, personnel requirements, and evaluation are discussed. The intervention seeks to increase the use of HIV prevention methods, both biomedical and barrier, among California State University, Northridge students in order to reduce the incidence of HIV infection and promote sexual health
The Relationship Between Vertical Stiffness and Jump Height Adaptations Following Plyometric Training: A Systematic Review.
Full text link[ABSTRACT ONLY; NO FULL TEXT] This systematic review investigates the relationship between vertical leg stiffness (Kvert) and jump height adaptations following plyometric training. The main objective was to determine whether changes in Kvert are consistently associated with improvements in jump height. Eligible studies included human participants aged 10-30 years, of any training status, who completed plyometric interventions lasting at least four weeks and reported pre- and post- training values for both Kvert and jump height. Studies focusing only on acute responses, case studies, or those lacking accessible full texts were excluded. Relevant articles were identified through database searches in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and CSUN OneSearch. The NHLBI Quality Assessment Tool for Before-After Studies with No Control Group was used to evaluate the quality of each study. Data were synthesized qualitatively, with outcome measures summarized by changes in Kvert and jump height across six eligible studies, involving 96 participants. Sample sizes ranged from 14 to 32. While three studies showed improvements in both Kvert and jump height, the remaining studies showed improvements in jump height with no or negative changes in Kvert. High intensity, vertically directed training with progressive overload, especially interventions mimicking countermovement jump mechanics, were associated with improvements in both variables. Water-based or low intensity training often improved jump height independently of Kvert, likely due to reduced eccentric loading. Foot contact volume and intervention duration played a role in outcomes. Studies with more than 800 total foot contacts over 7-10 weeks showed more improvements in both variables. Shorter or lower volume interventions showed no Kvert improvement, potentially due to limited mechanical stimulus or concurrent sport demands. Additionally, adolescent groups displayed inconsistent Kvert adaptation, possibly due to developmental factors. Limitations of this review include small sample sizes, heterogeneity in interventions, and the absence of control group data despite some studies being randomized controlled trials. In conclusion, although Kvert and jump height are linked through the stretch shortening cycle, the relationship between jump height and Kvert following plyometric training is complex and not always directly proportional. Kvert appears more sensitive to mechanical loading and tendon adaptations, whereas jump height can be improved by neuromuscular strength and coordination. Outcomes depend on training specificity, volume, intensity, and participant characteristics
Impact and Equitability of Assembly Bill 1705 Math Implementation for STEM Students of Color in California Community Colleges
Full text linkThis study examined the effectiveness and equity implications of transfer-level math placement under California Assembly Bill 1705 (AB 1705), focusing on STEM Students of Color in a large Southern California community college district. Using a critical policy lens informed by Critical Policy Analysis (CPA), it evaluated how enrollment in transfer-level preparatory math courses influenced persistence and success in the STEM calculus pathway (Calculus Preparatory, Calculus 1, and Calculus 2). Descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between academic outcomes and student demographics. While preparatory coursework was associated with higher persistence into Calculus 1, it did not significantly impact the completion of Calculus 1 or subsequent success in Calculus 2. Similarly, direct enrollment in Calculus 1 showed no significant association with course completion. Disparities in outcomes were strongly tied to race, gender, and their intersection, with Black and Hispanic students persistently underperforming compared to their White and Asian peers. These findings suggest that although AB 1705 has expanded access, structural inequities, rather than academic preparation, continue to shape STEM outcomes. The study offers policy recommendations to promote more equitable implementation, particularly through targeted support for historically underrepresented student populations
A Study of Circle Packing, Tree Map, and Baseline Visualizations in Understanding Ontological Relationships
Full text linkThis study compares three visualization techniques—circle packing, tree map, and network graph (used as the baseline for comparison)— for representing OWL ontological relationships, namely disjointWith, unionOf, intersectionOf, and complementOf. Participants (n=34) completed multiple-choice tasks using all three visualizations in randomized order. Task performance was measured by accuracy and completion time, while user experience was assessed through standardized questionnaires: User Visualization Preference, System Usability Questionnaire (SUS), and Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use (USE). Results revealed distinct trade-offs across the visualizations. Circle packing yielded the highest task accuracy but received the lowest usability scores and had mixed user preferences. Tree map achieved high ratings in USE and SUS scores and the shortest task completion time, though task accuracy was moderate, and visualization was the least preferred. The network graph scored the lowest in performance accuracy but was the most preferred, despite requiring the most time to complete tasks and receiving moderate usability scores. These findings suggest that visualizations, such as circle packing and tree map, are well-suited for navigating complex data structures. However, minor interactive feature enhancements—such as adding a back-navigation feature to the circle packing or implementing transparent, colored layers in tree maps—could further improve both accuracy and usability. Exploring alternative visual representation methods can offer users more effective tools for understanding complex relationships in data
CLOSETED CLASSMATES: EXAMINING THE PRECARITY OF CONCEALING AND COMMUNICATING QUEER STUDENT IDENTITIES
Full text linkThis research project assembled queer/questioning student voices across seven California State University (CSU) campuses to highlight perceptions of being out or closeted while in college, all the while gathering student solutions to issues that most resonate with the community. More specifically, this study examined the phenomena of code-switching as a vehicle for concealing and communicating non-normative queer identities, attacking issues like campus climates, the impact faculty have, and the structural absence of queerness in the learning environment. Data from 60 survey responses and four focus group sessions were run through Qualtrics, SPSS, and Dedoose to bridge sociolinguistic and queer literatures and mark tangible issues for campuses to begin addressing. Findings include significant relationships between the study's three variables and queer/questioning students' abilities to be out on their campuses, with the recognition that institutional work to achieve queer/questioning student retention and safety is not only necessary, but must include the voices of the students it seeks to protect
Did you Hear? The Nunnets are gathering tonight…
Full text linkI use painting, sculpture, and ceramics in symbolic compositions inspired by a mixture of classical art history, video game concept art, religious mythology, and pop surrealism to explore emotional and physical experiences. Extra-Dimensional beings, mutated flora and fauna, otherworldly archaeological artifacts, and devastated alien landscapes are used as a backdrop to explore how personal and communal relationships influence us as well as how they can help us overcome currently troubling times, be they private or within a larger community. Stories and myths entertain and connect cultures to present and future audiences through shared experiences and fantastical imagery, and creating my own mythos allows me to make my own contribution
Cultural Resonance within the Latin American Youth
Full text linkThis thesis aims to use mentors, mentees, and other communal figures that reside within the greater Los Angeles area to help dissect the nuances that bind mariachi together on a common level. Finding common ground, from both formal and informal points provided by the interviews will locate a problem which might upset the longevity of this cultural music. As a violinist who intertwined himself with the facets of mariachi, I have become intrigued as to the nature of the genre itself. The formal education in music which I received helped me to implement ideas which are abstract to this non-formal culture. I continue to pursue and dissect knowledge to find a more pragmatic approach to teaching and learning in this genre, and using my peers, colleagues, and friends allows me to gain different perspectives. Understanding the reasons our interviewees are concerned or intrigued by mariachi is the drive for this thesis, and the concluding statements that come from this thesis are based on a personal level of realization as well as using conversion points that we will obtain from our interviews
Recital Works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Frederic Chopin
Full text linkOn Friday, January 24, 2025, Dutch Dodge performed a graduate recital at California State University, Northridge in the Shigemi Matsumoto Recital Hall. The works performed were Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Minor, BWV 853 by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata" by Ludwig van Beethoven, and Sonata in B Minor, Op. 58 by Frédéric Chopin. This graduate thesis will examine the background each work and analyze the forms and structures of each composition
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES OF THE FAST FASHION INDUSTRY: THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCES
Full text linkAs the fast fashion industry emerges into the market, its remarkable affordable price and fashionable styles attract consumers, which increases its demand significantly. The demand is further pushed by the advanced algorithms of social media and frequent usage by many consumers. This paper aims to explore the possible influence social media has on young people, on their consumption of fast fashion leading to economic and social issues as the possible consequences posed by this industry. The quantitative and qualitative data collected through a survey gathering insights from CSULB students will reveal the factors that affect the consumers' decision to purchase. These factors can include attraction to brands through content creators and, or sponsorship advertisements on social media. This study will draw a connection between social media as the cause of the young generation's consumption of fast fashion and the yield to economic and social issues, the consequences of the influences