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Local to Global: Exploring the Digital Age through Small Business
No full textHow do you get people interested and invested in a small local bookstore? This presentation will explore this question as well as what it means to work in a small business. Books are dying in popularity. For entertainment, the general public usually turns to the TV or computer. If people are interested in reading, often its with a kindle or other E-reader. In order to market for a small business, one has to really hone in on what the community wants and needs. This is a different climate from academia, and furthermore different than the "office" image that we imagine as a professional workspace. This presentation seeks to explore these ideas and speak to the transfer of skills developed at the college to the work place.Globalization and digitalization have drastically changed the way industries function today. So how do small businesses fit into the picture? This panel is comprised of students who have worked in Video Production, PR, Marketing, and Photography across the globe. Yet all of us decided to work in small business organizations. Why? Because of the unique benefits that interns can only get through working with small organizations. As a panel we will discuss both these pros and the cons that come with working in this environment, in addition to the realities of working in the media and marketing fields. Join us
Shifting Paradigms Across Borders
No full textIn South Africa, the current teenage pregnancy rate is approximately 30%. Studies demonstrate that two primary reasons for this statistic are a lack of knowledge and a desire to prove femininity. In the early 2000’s, Life Orientation was introduced as a subject in the South African education system to teach learners topics such as sex education and career development. However, the curriculum is very theoretical and in some ways seems unattainable to high school students. Over a decade after Life Orientation was established, teenage pregnancy continues to be a challenge for the South African population. Therefore, this presentation will discuss a program launched in Athlone, Western Cape at Garlandale High School led by Principal Dawn Crowie. This program sought to empower female students by connecting them with existing resources in the community. By establishing partnerships with local businesses and organizations, the girls of Garlandale gained valuable experiences related to family planning, sexual health, self-defense, HIV awareness, and taking control of one’s own life.During an era of immense gender inequality, Mary Lyon founded Mount Holyoke in order to provide greater educational opportunities for women. She recognized the importance of education as a means of overcoming oppression. As an institution, Mount Holyoke has always stressed the importance of female empowerment. This past summer, we collaborated with different communities in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Cape Town, South Africa to further this vision. We worked with institutions and organizations that sought to empower women and challenge the limitations forced upon them. Though our work was in a range of fields, including the non-profit sector and technological training, we all sought to empower women through knowledge. By participating in education and activism, we offered a new perspective on women's roles and abilities and ultimately helped to change the way women view themselves
The Effect of Quaternary Structure on Small Heat Shock Proteins: Chaperone Activity of GST-Induced Dimers of Human HspB1 and HspB5
No full textSmall heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a class of ATP-independent molecular chaperones that maintain protein homeostasis by preventing denatured proteins from aggregating and causing cell damage. When cells are stressed (whether by heat, oxidation, infection, or a variety of other stressors), proteins denature and expose hydrophobic surfaces. In the aqueous cellular environment, this denaturation promotes protein aggregation linked to many diseases such as Alzheimer’s or cataracts. sHsps bind to and form complexes with these unfolded client proteins in a way that prevents their aggregation and can promote their refolding or degradation with the help of other cellular chaperones.
sHsps exist in vivo as polydisperse oligomers composed of numerous subunits that can mix and exchange with other subunits, and this dynamic nature has made the determination of a specific mechanism of sHsp action difficult. A given amount of sHsps can bind up to an equal amount of denatured proteins in terms of molecular weight; in order to have enough surface area available to bind an equal amount of denatured proteins, it has been suggested that dissociated sHsp subunits are responsible for observed chaperone activity, while large oligomers merely act as molecular storage for the smaller active chaperone subunits. X-ray crystallography and mass spectrometry studies have identified the dimer as the most-likely dissociated subunit of large oligomers.
HspB1 and HspB5 are both widely produced in human tissues as a stress response to prevent client protein aggregation. In order to pin down the role of the dimer in chaperone activity, glutathione s-transferase (GST) was genetically linked as a fusion protein to the N-terminus regions of both proteins in order to constrain HspB1 and HspB5 forms to a dimer. Using purified GST fusion dimers and wild type HspB1 and HspB5, the in vitro chaperone activity of dimers as compared to polydisperse oligomers was measured through the use of a UV-Vis aggregation assay. The results suggest the fusion proteins function as active molecular chaperones, and furthermore, the two different fusion proteins demonstrate different chaperone activity in relation to multiple different substrate proteins.Biochemistr
Centering C-Section Narratives in Birth Discourse
No full textThis thesis examines narratives of C-section experiences to understand the personal perspective of a national conversation on medicalized birth. Birth statistics, child health, and reproductive rights, are often the focus of C-section studies. However, these approaches often exclude the perspectives of those experiencing the C-section. By centering narratives, we regain an understanding of what it means to experience a C-section in a system of medicalized birth. The analysis includes authoritative knowledge, self-education, and becoming a mother. Using narrative as an anthropological tool allows us to enlighten a topic that is so heavily studied through lenses of observation and data collection.Sociology & Anthropolog
Post Earthquake Reconstruction in Haiti since 2010
No full textAlthough natural disasters cannot be prevented, with proper building techniques and correct design choices, the level of infrastructural damage done can be minimized. On January 12, 2010, Haiti was affected by one of the most devastating earthquakes the country had ever experienced. With a magnitude of 7.0 over 200,000 people lost their lives and millions were displaced. The majority of the buildings that were destroyed were built in concrete but were not made to withstand an earthquake that powerful. Nonetheless, even after that event, concrete remains the most popular building material in Haiti. Since then, many changes have been made in terms of construction methods and regulations in an attempt to prevent the level of damage seen in 2010. However, unequal access to this information prevents the majority of the population from improving their building techniques.
One of the key changes that was made was the creation of the country’s first national building code, Code National du Bâtiment d’Haiti (2012), which addresses questions regarding concrete construction and specifies the proper procedures when it comes to building and rebuilding. Although having the codes mark an important step towards better construction, they are inaccessible to most of Haiti’s population. Fifty-nine percent live below the poverty line1 and many of them continue to build informally with concrete. In addition, the code is written in French, which only ten percent of the population speaks, reads and understands. That further pushes away the fifty-nine percent. In effect, the poor face a language barrier. Simply because people cannot afford to hire the best engineers and architects to work on their homes does not mean that they should not have access to the information and protection provided by the code.
Many are building informally and are not being supervised by higher authorities. If people are building their own homes it is important that they know the proper way to do so. A home should be one’s safe space. Therefore, having access to the information provided in the code is crucial.
My project addresses this issue of accessibly to information. I will develop a series of pamphlets that will include key information that should be taken into consideration when building a home with concrete. In order to do so, I have been able to communicate with an earthquake engineer in Haiti who works with Build Change, an organization who helped developed the building code, to gather more information about construction and to discuss the code. Moreover, these pamphlets will be written in Haitian Creole, the language widely spoken, in order to reach as many people who will be building as possible. This project is not meant to be a solution to the informal building crisis in Haiti nor does it guarantee a fully earthquake resistant home. However, since so many continue to build informally with concrete in order to have a roof over their heads, it is worth thinking about what can be done now even as we work on developing a long term solution that would minimize the amount of informal building that takes place currently.Architectural Studie
Geomedia, Mining, and Mobility Justice: The Matter of Cloud Computing and Bitcoin
No full textTechnology never operates on its own, but is always about how people use it, how we put things together and make them work. The “material turn” in media studies and mobilities research highlights the geopolitical and socioecological power relations behind technologies like cloud computing and cryptocurrencies. There is a transnational material and ecological basis for communication infrastructures and virtual media geographies which pose crucial problems of mobility justice. Every historical period involves specific assemblages of transport, logistics, communication, and energy infrastructures, from the coal-fired steam train to the caffeine-fueled WiFi café, along with the pollution and waste these systems leave behind: “the materiality of information technology starts from the soil, and underground” in metals such as cobalt and gallium, tantalum and germanium, bauxite and aluminum (Parikka 2012). This talk will introduce the new interdisciplinary fields of Mobilities Research and Geomedia Studies and reveal the politics of infrastructure through examples such as cloud computing, e-waste, and Bitcoin.
Mimi Sheller, Ph.D., is Professor of Sociology and founding Director of the Center for Mobilities Research and Policy at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She is founding co-editor of the journal Mobilities, Associate Editor of Transfers: Journal of Mobility Studies, and past President of the International Association for the History of Transport, Traffic and Mobility. She has been awarded Visiting Fellowships at the Davis Center for Historical Studies, Princeton University; Media@McGill, in Montreal, Canada; Center for Mobility and Urban Studies at Aalborg University, Denmark; and the Penn Humanities Forum. In 2016 she was inaugural Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication at the Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania
Navigating Non-profits
No full textThe Northampton Community Music Center (NCMC) offers people of all socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to study music. It was a pleasure to intern as the Summer Program Assistant and help with the various camps at this non-profit organization. Running a fine arts school in today’s world is difficult due to unrealistic cuts of already small budgets. As a result, music opportunities are becoming less accessible to society. NCMC strives to give any person, regardless of monetary constraints, the opportunity to pursue music. While working with NCMC this summer, I learned the administrative side of running a non-profit music school. From sending out letters to answering phones, I learned about the little things that help an organization build ties with the surrounding community. I also found myself singing background vocals at Rock Band Camp and discovered a new area of music in which I am interested. This year, I will continue to learn about different forms of music while I finish my music major, and apply new teaching methods to my own students. I began my summer not knowing where my place in the music world would be when I graduate. After four months of learning from people in diverse musical professions, such as teachers, performers, directors, store owners, and freelancers, I found my place among these amazing people. In addition to realizing where music fits in my life, I have gained the confidence to pursue aspects of the music world that I love. I learned that I am not done learning. My experience at NCMC has prepared me for the next steps in my music journey.This summer, each of us interned with a different non-profit organization. Non-profits are often sought after by ambitious, conscientious college students as gateways into morally-driven career paths. As we discussed our respective experiences, we each reflected that while the work itself was noble, seeing results in real time was uncommon. Non-profit work is a methodical process, where we each had to participate in forms of routine administrative work within otherwise high-energy, exciting organizations. While we were all knowledgeable going into our internships with non-profits that administrative work is requisite for most of these positions, we found that getting creative with our situations kept the work invigorating. Personal reflection, seizing opportunities for creative license over projects, and taking on writing assignments were all avenues through which we made the most out of our experiences
Balancing Human Bonds and Professional Realities
No full textI interned as a tutor at The Care Center in Holyoke, Massachusetts this past summer. The Care Center is an alternative education program for young mothers who have dropped out of High School. Everyday young women who become pregnant drop out of school. Many leave behind the plans they had made for their academic futures. Dropping out of High school to care for their baby may seem like the only option available, but most often leads to a bleak future of economic insecurity. Many of these young women face extreme poverty, homelessness, domestic violence and food insecurity. The Care Center is a place where young mothers can study for their HISET, High School equivalency exam while addressing many the social needs they may be experiencing. The Care Center recognizes the barriers to academic success that these young women encounter. The Care Center provides child care, transportation, an on- site medical provider, social workers, bi-lingual educators and breakfast and lunch every day. My purpose each day was to work one-on-one with students on specific exam preparation. I learned to navigate the different personalities and learning styles of the students. Being a non-traditional student myself was very helpful in developing learning relationships. Mount Holyoke prepared academically to tutor the students, and the classes, and resources available to me here have been invaluable. As an Anthropology major, the coursework I have taken has helped me to understand the community I worked within. Reflecting on my time at The Care Center the most valuable lesson I learned is that you need to meet people where they are at. A young mother needs more than just coursework to be successful in continuing her education. The Care Center breaks down the barriers and inspires young women to fulfill their dreams.This panel will bring light to the challenges and rewards of working closely with a community-based organization. Over the summer we interned for a variety of organizations in the New England area that are committed to social justice and advocacy. These organizations offered educational, mental health, and emotional support to marginalized groups including LGBTQ youth, incarcerated men, psychiatric patients, and young mothers. Though our internships varied in the types of services offered and populations that they supported, each organization emphasized the importance of helping people develop skills to uplift themselves and others through peer support and group empowerment. In various ways, we all encountered the challenges of navigating close-knit community spaces as an outsider, engaging people on an emotional level while maintaining professional boundaries. We invite you to join us as we talk about our journeys navigating community spaces, balancing human bonds and adhering to professional realities
Coalition as Representation: Revitalizing Democratic Accountability and Participation
No full textMuch of the literature on political representation focuses solely on the election process and deciphering who is the “best” candidate for the job. Often, the person that is thought to be a “good” representative is someone who has your same social identities; simply, the thought is, if you look like me, you represent me. However, this raises a question worthy of investigation: Is having a representative with your same identities your best chance at being represented? I argue that these notions rely on essentialist concepts of identity that actually end up being more limiting and further marginalize those with intersectional identities. As the literature mainly focuses on political elites, there is little attention to evaluating their ability to be in relationship with constituents once they are in power. Essentially, there is no consistent mechanism of accountability post-election.
In this thesis, I will explain how the equitable representation of social identities is important in achieving representation, while at the same time, the actions of representatives and their ability to be accountable to their constituents is equally, if not more, salient. Primarily, I utilize Lisa Disch’s 2011 piece, “Towards a Mobilization Conception of Democratic Representation”, where she makes the necessary argument that representation is an ongoing process because just as social identities are continually constructed, so too are the political opinions that are associated with them. Thus, due to the construction of both identity and politics, representation is the ability to adapt to a mobilized constituency with evolving political needs and opinions. In order to further contextualize and revise Disch’s argument, I argue that to understand representation and its incredibly mobile nature, representation must be accompanied by three virtues: appreciation of political dynamism, an ethos of radical listening, and accountability. I argue that these three virtues, which are important aspects of coalition building, should inform our understanding of who makes a good representative. Additionally, this evaluation should be equally based upon the observation of tangible actions and one’s ability to be in relationship with constituents.Politic
Local to Global: Exploring the Digital Age through Small Business
No full textHave you ever had to ride a motor bike, walk through a river and trek through muddy fields to get to work? I have. This past summer, I worked as an impact documentation intern for Under the Mango Tree, a small socially conscious business and NGO based in Mumbai, India. Through photographs and video stories I documented female beekeepers in rural India. This footage ranged from "daily life" photographs and footage (housework, cleaning, walking around, conversations, aerial, cooking, etc) to beekeeping (women beekeepers with their boxes) to recorded interviews and documentation of the impact of UTMT. This internship gave me a better understanding of myself and my future career goals. I will explore how I used prior knowledge to succeed in a field I had little background in and my experience as a digital intern in a small global business.Globalization and digitalization have drastically changed the way industries function today. So how do small businesses fit into the picture? This panel is comprised of students who have worked in Video Production, PR, Marketing, and Photography across the globe. Yet all of us decided to work in small business organizations. Why? Because of the unique benefits that interns can only get through working with small organizations. As a panel we will discuss both these pros and the cons that come with working in this environment, in addition to the realities of working in the media and marketing fields. Join us