USURJ: University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate Research Journal
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"Against the Artificial," "Pomegore," and "Cynosure"
No full textDigital Artworks:
"Against the Artificial" is a study of hands, a weakness of AI-generated images.
"Pomegore" is a visual, gory close-up of a pomegranate fruit.
"Cynosure" is a luminous portrait of a young woman.
 
Editorial Board and Acknowledgements: USURJ Special Issue: College of Kinesiology Research Showcase Special Issue
No full textEditors, Special Issue
Lead: Matthew Chapelski, Health Sciences Graduate Advisor
Ali Rizvi, Health Sciences Senior Editor
Arshpreet Randhawa, Health Sciences Associate Editor
Mason Beaulieu, Health Sciences Associate Editor
Fatma Younis, Health Sciences Associate Editor
Emily Zepick, Undergraduate Editor-in-Chief
Aliya Khalid, Graduate Editor-in-Chief
Faculty Reviewers
Dr. Nancy Gyurcsik, College of Kinesiology
Dr. Carly Priebe, College of Kinesiology
USURJ Staff Advisor
Liv Marken, Writing Centre, University Library
Layout Editor
Parastoo Tahmasbi, University Library
Cover
Photography courtesy College of Kinesiology
Layout: Amy St. Jacques, University Library
 
Framing the Reich: Visual Narratives of Guilt in American-Occupied Germany
Full text linkFew historians have approached denazification from a visual lens, even when the Allies, especially the Americans, used photos, posters, and films to create a visual narrative that established the guilt of the Nazis and their population in perpetrating the Holocaust. Visual propaganda and a policy of making Germans confront atrocities were crucial in both highlighting the severity of Nazi crimes and instilling in the German population a sense of collective guilt. Survey data from the Office of Military Government, United States, shows that Germans were hesitant to accept this. Hence, the Americans adapted their visual narratives to fit the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, transforming the collective guilt hypothesis into a question of legal responsibility and a showcase of Nazi leaders\u27 cruelty. This research relies on primary sources—two anti-Nazi propaganda posters, two films, and several artifacts—to trace the evolution of postwar guilt in American-occupied Germany
Indirect Inheritance: Frederica\u27s Agency in Lady Susan
No full textIn Jane Austen’s epistolary novella Lady Susan, Frederica appears through the biased descriptions of the letters that other characters write. However, in Letter 21, the only letter Frederica writes in the novella, she can explain herself in her own words. As Frederica tries to convince Reginald De Courcy to intervene in Lady Susan’s arranged marriage between Frederica and Sir James Martin, this letter is the closest access to Frederica’s true character in the text and therefore can serve as a basis of evidence for comparison between Frederica’s character and Lady Susan herself. Scholars often assume that Frederica’s qualities and outcomes simply oppose those of her mother. I wish to argue that Frederica takes after her “wicked” mother more than these scholars, and even Lady Susan herself realize. While Lady Susan disregards morality by engaging with its language, she indirectly mothers Frederica to become her likeness by disengaging with her role of motherhood or engaging with it in subversive ways. Lady Susan passes on her qualities to her daughter, who begins to write and use language to affect her fate, despite her mother’s ignorance that she does so. Lady Susan therefore indirectly gives her daughter the tools to achieve her desires within the novella’s social economy, despite how these desires conflict with Lady Susan’s own
"The Big C\u27s" and "Wrap My Bones around You"
No full textThese are photographs of two sculptures I completed as a College of Arts and Science undergraduate student while pursuing my Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in studio art. I worked on these projects during the summer session of 2024 in the Sculpture 1 class taught by Jordan Schwab.
The Big C\u27s: Cardboard, paper, and acrylic paint
Wrap My Bones around You: Chicken wire, papier mache, lace ribbon, pipe cleaner and borax, wooden plaque
 
"Monochrome Passage," "Fragmented Reflection," and "Fandom Reveries"
No full textThis project explores the interplay between objects, memory, and narrative through a series of monochromatic still-life compositions. Each piece juxtaposes everyday items, personal artifacts, and symbolic elements to reflect themes of nostalgia, storytelling, and identity
The Last Game and The Years That Follow: A Case Study on the Experiences of Participants in a High School Football Program
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College of Kinesiology Research Theme: Child and youth health and development
Introduction: High school sports are recognized for their numerous positive impacts, as evidenced by extensive research. Despite this, the unique experiences of individuals involved in specific sports, such as football, remain underexplored. This study aimed to address this gap by examining the perspectives of coaches and former student-athletes who participated in one Saskatchewan high school football program that was intentionally structured to foster character development.
Methods: This study employed an intrinsic case study design to explore the perspectives of former participants in the described high school football program. Using snowball sampling, two coaches (minimum 3 years of experience) and four former student-athletes (graduated between 1 - 6 years prior) were recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. All interviews were transcribed, and documents were reviewed, with key findings recorded in a research journal. Finally, reflexive thematic analysis was employed to identify and interpret themes within the data.
Results: Analysis of documents, as well as insights from coaches and former student-athletes, revealed three key themes. The first theme explores how high school football serves as a microcosm of life’s emotional fluctuations, exposing athletes’ raw character during extreme highs and lows. It examines how the prevailing win-focused framework contributes to these emotional fluctuations, which can serve as opportunities for character development, while also contrasting this framework with the ideals promoted by coaches and high school football regulatory bodies. The second theme explores the design of the program and the coaches’ intent behind its structure, which forms the foundation of the program. Specifically, it investigates the elements coaches have incorporated into the framework, how they implement their approach, and the underlying motivations behind each structural decision. The third theme addresses the experiences this program’s design and intent facilitated for both coaches and former student-athletes. Coaches, having observed multiple program iterations, identified both beneficial (e.g., strong relationships, team camaraderie, and core values) and problematic elements (e.g., work-life balance, tough playtime decisions, and limited reach with some student-athletes). Former student-athletes reflected on how the program shaped them, highlighting both positive influences (e.g., development of life skills, community and relationships, and the sport itself) and negative influences (e.g., coaching challenges and discipline dynamics, balancing demands and expectations, and physical and social risks).
Conclusion: The participants\u27 insights offer a deeper understanding of their experiences in this unique football program. These perspectives provide valuable information to high school coaches seeking to develop student athletes\u27 abilities and characteristics beyond the playing field. 
Exploring the utility of resistance training for congenital mirror movement disorder
Full text linkCollege of Kinesiology Research Theme: Human Performance
Introduction: Congenital mirror movement (CMM) disorder is a very rare condition (<1 in a million) where voluntary limb movements trigger involuntary mirroring in the opposite limb. This study examined whether four weeks of unilateral resistance training, followed by 10 days of detraining, affects mirroring activity and cross-education effects (i.e., strength gain in the untrained opposite limb) in individuals with CMM.
Methods: Two right-handed participants (both male; age 18 and 47) reporting CMM completed four weeks of maximal unilateral isometric grip training of the left hand, three times per week using a grip trainer (Digiflex), followed by 10 days of detraining. Training sessions increased from two to five sets of eight maximal repetitions per session. Participants completed testing for grip strength and muscle activation at baseline, mid-training, post-training, and after detraining. Testing included three brief 3-second maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and a 1-minute MVC contraction of each hand. MVC force (kg) was measured using Jamar and Biopac grip dynamometers, while simultaneous EMG recordings captured muscle activity from the flexor carpi radialis, extensor carpi radialis, and flexor digitorum superficialis of both arms.
Results: Due to the low sample size in this study (on account of the rare condition), only descriptive results are reported. After left-hand training, left grip strength increased in the first participant by ~12% and remained ~6% above baseline after detraining. Strength in the untrained right arm improved ~17% and increased to ~23% above baseline after detraining, indicative of cross-education. The second participant showed a modest increase of ~6% by the end of detraining and no cross-education. Both participants showed substantial mirroring force and EMG activity in the opposite limb during 1-minute MVC contractions of either hand. Mirroring force in the right hand during a 1-minute left MVC was ~20% MVC for both participants at baseline and decreased by almost half at the end of detraining. Mirroring force in the left hand during 1-minute right MVC was ~40% MVC and ~20% MVC for each participant, respectively, and decreased by almost half after detraining. EMG activation of the right hand during the left 1-minute MVC ranged from 67% to 82% MVC at baseline, with little change after training, and then increased after detraining. EMG activation of the left hand during the right 1-minute MVC was in the range of 80% MVC and tended to increase post-training, but reverted to baseline or lower after detraining.
Conclusion: In two participants, unilateral grip training reduced mirroring force and improved strength, with signs of cross-education. However, muscle activation responses varied, and detraining effects were inconsistent. Further research, with larger samples and a longer intervention period, is needed to understand individual differences and long-term benefits for CMM.
Acknowledgements: A special thank you to the participants with CMM who dedicated a considerable amount of time to training and testing for this study and to fellow students in Dr. Farthing’s lab
