The Measure: An Undergraduate Research Journal
Not a member yet
94 research outputs found
Sort by
A Brief History of Big Sam
Full text linkLovingly called Big Sam, the statue of Sam Houston standing along I-45 titled “A Tribute to Courage” has watched over that stretch of interstate for decades. The following piece presents an overview of how this landmark came to be. Information regarding the statue was curated from newspaper articles and other materials found in the Sam Houston State University Archives, the City of Huntsville’s website, the Sam Houston Statue Visitor Center, and local news sources
Unpopular, but Never Forgotten
Full text linkGreenwood, Mississippi, took the forefront of the civil rights movement in 1964 with the Freedom Summer Project, in which volunteers sought to register a record number of African American voters. These volunteers were everyday people who risked their lives to protest segregation. Among these activists who fought tooth and nail, the McGhee family stood out as a family with engrained values. The family resided on a farm on the outskirts of Greenwood and was headed by the notable Laura McGhee. Laura used her middle-class position to participate in the fight for civil rights because her family could not rely on the federal government for protection. Today, much of the recognition for the achievements of the civil rights movement has been attributed to the federal government, while activists like the McGhees have been reduced to the role of supporting characters
How to Keep the Office Laughing: A Scholarly Study on the Role of Humor in Workplace Dynamics
Full text linkOrganizational humor has been a heavily studied topic in the science of communication. This research project focused on perceptions and preferences of supervisor use of humor and how individuals went about determining humor appropriateness, as well as how the four functions of humor are connected to and used in the workplace. Data were collected through a survey method, and results found that participants preferred humorous supervisors in most situations, as long as that supervisor was able to use a serious tone in the right contexts. Results also showed that overall, participants believed that the ability to gauge a situation was key in deciding to use humor, but that there are also certain themes to avoid
The Space Between: Cold War Rivalries, The Space Race, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Full text linkOn July 15, 1969, Ralph Abernathy, a prominent civil rights leader, led 500 people, two mules, and a cart to the site of the Apollo 11 mission in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This protest was part of a larger effort known as the Poor People’s Campaign. Occurring against the backdrop of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death, Richard Nixon’s election on “law and order,” and significant White backlash to racial integration, the Poor People’s Campaign wanted to make a statement about federal spending and priorities before the launch of the mission to the moon. This paper examines this pivotal moment by connecting the political motives of the civil rights movement to the Cold War and the Space Race to understand how it came to be that, at one of the most unifying moments in US history, there was still such a great divide
Values and Goals of College Students
Full text linkValues and goals are often the motivation and driving force for people when making life choices. They are motivators for an individual’s career ambitions, and they also help prioritize dealings in daily life. Students on college campuses today have many different values and goals that are important to them. The purpose of this study is to explore such values and goals. Participants were a diverse group of students attending a southern university. The data was collected via an anonymous questionnaire. The most frequently mentioned values were respect, love, friendship, fun and enjoyment, and physical health. The goals most frequently reported were personal growth, giving back to society, mental health, educational aspirations, and family related goals. The results of this study showed that there is some consistency between the values chosen by college students in this study and other studies reported in literature