Student Scholarship Recognition Day Projects

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This collection is for the use of Willamette University faculty and students. Access to these papers is restricted to members of the Willamette University community.

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Applications of Environmental History on Bolivia’s Coca Trade
(2010-04-23T17:39:06Z) Baptista, Rafael
Bolivia’s coca trade offers one of the most compelling narratives of the complexity of environmental history in Latin American. This is indeed a case where economic instability, social power struggles, and neoliberal economic policies combined to pose not only a highly visible social and health threat (worldwide increase of drug consumption) but also a threat to long-term sustainability of both the environment and agricultural crops.
Can Virtue Make Us Happy? The Art of Living and Morality
(2010-05-12T18:56:17Z) Burns, Kathryn
Is happiness found through an external focus on accomplishing goals in the material world? Or is happiness fashioned through an internal focus on performing one’s duty according to the moral standards of one’s community (religious or secular)? Might happiness (eudaimonia) consist in taking personal responsibility for one’s creative capacity to accomplish things that nature cannot accomplish on its own? Might viewing virtue in terms of the origins of one’s creativity rather than the external consequences of one’s actions lead to an understanding of virtue that allows us to be human and happy?
Can Virtue Make Us Happy? The Art of Living and Morality: Otfried Höffe
(2010-05-11T18:47:31Z) Murphy, Eryn
Höffe’s first question is how to determine and define “the good.” He cites three habits, three interests, and three meanings that, together, form a recipe for an understanding of goodness. “Good” can apply to any one of the three meanings of ethos: Ethos 1, the habits associated with the relationship between an organism and its location; Ethos 2, moral habits that correspond to societal conventions; and/or Ethos 3, habits that form a personal course, independent of society’s influence. Habits can be evaluated through the lens of three interests. They can be examined empirically, through description of cultural moral habits and through explanations of origin and function. They can be examined with concern for the normative task, either in an effort to evaluate the validity and morality of the habit or to prescribe “should” imperatives that apply to both eudaimonistic and deontological views. Finally, they can be examined through attention to moral philosophy, seeking a meta-ethical standard for standards.
Changes in Anaerobic Work Output Following a Carbohydrate Loading Protocol
(2010-04-21T21:29:42Z) Schultz, Leslie; Cebron, James; Soma, Erica
Carbohydrate loading is a common pre competition method that aims to improve athletic performance. It has most commonly been used in endurance activities, however there is some evidence that it may also improve anaerobic performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of carbohydrate loading on anaerobic work, measured by an anaerobic treadmill test. Participants were college varsity athletes who performed two anaerobic treadmill tests, one with carbohydrate loading the evening prior to the test and the other after a normal diet. Anaerobic work was calculated and results were analyzed with a one tailed student’s t-test. Subjects generated an average of 22.90 ± 9.55 kJ of work under the loading condition, and only an average of 20.716 ± 8.39 kJ of work under the non-loading condition. The statistical analysis revealed a p value of .011. Given these results, the hypothesis that carbohydrate loading would cause a significant increase in anaerobic performance was accepted.
Deux Versions de I'esthetique Romantique Rossini vu par Stendhal et Berlioz
(2004) Lawson, Shelley
Â«Depuis la mort de Napoleon, il s'est trouve un autre homme duquel on parle tous jours [sic] ... La gloire de cet homme ne connait d'autres bornes que celles de la civilisationÂ» (Stendhal, La vie de Rossini, vol. L 1). Par ces mots elogieux, Stendhal (1783-1842)-un ecrivain celebre et un des chefs du mouvement romantique franyaisouvre sa biographie du compositeur d'opera italien, Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868). La Vie de Rossini (1823). Mais la verite est que la gloire meme de Rossini. telle qu'elle est imaginee par Stendhal, avait ses limites dans les cenacles romantiques. Pendant les annees 1820. la musique de Rossini divisait les Parisiens de I' epoque en deux factions: les Â« Rossinistes Â» et les detracteurs de ce compositeur. 1 Parmi ces derniers se trouvait un jeune compositeur franyais, Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), qui detestait la musique italienne. et dont la colere etait tellement extreme qu'il desirait meme bruler Ie Theatreltalien (Berl ioz, Memoires, vol. 1, 70-71). Dans ses Atemoires (1865), ecrites quelques annees avant sa mort, Berlioz attaque la biographie de Stendhal (decede depuis plus de vingt ans) avec les mots suivants : Â« M. Beyle, [... ] a ecrit une Vie de Rossini sous Ie pseudonyme de Stendhal et les plus irritantes stupidites sur la musique. dont il croyait avoir Ie sentimentÂ» (Berlioz, vol. L 215)?
Differences in Couple Representation Between Men’s and Women’s Magazines
(2010-07-13T17:24:31Z) Stewart, Shannon; Geck, Amanda
This study was a content analysis on ten mainstream men’s and ten mainstream women’s magazines. Researchers looked for depictions of a couple within articles, advertisements, and in any images within the magazine. Every item was coded for what kind of couple was shown, the tone towards being a couple, and what the genders of the individuals within the couple were. A tally of how many articles and images mentioned couples, and how many articles or advertisements featured birth control was made in addition to the coded items. It was hypothesized that couples would be mentioned more in women’s magazines and would be portrayed more positively compared to the men’s magazines. Results supported this hypothesis through chi-square analysis. Furthermore, the hypothesis that most couples represented would be heterosexual couples was also supported. All of our results were statistically significant.
“Do Not Trust Too Much to Your Eyes”: Female Epistemologies in Robin McKinley’s Rose Daughter
(2010-05-14T18:29:51Z) Miller, Barratt
This paper examines the way Robin McKinley's Rose Daughter uses female epistemologies. By destabilizing the visual and emphasizing the use of touch as a means of knowing, this retelling of Beauty and the Beast challenges traditional gender roles presented in earlier versions of the tale.
Dreamscapes
(2012-07-12) Hill, Cameron
This project is the third video in a series of videos which captures my artistic development at Willamette University through music and photography. This project continues work originally for a Carson Grant. The video is titled Dreamscapes and is divided into two sections. The thematic issues concern emptiness, nature, space, and people. The entire video is in monochrome with original music compositions designed to guide the viewer through the experience.
Ethical Challenges for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
(2009-05-20T16:10:15Z) Mix, Samantha
This project addresses several ethical issues related to pandemic influenza preparedness planning. In a pandemic emergency, medical and public health energies would likely be most focused upon preventing further spread of the disease and keeping people alive rather than responding to ethical quandaries that emerge in the pandemic’s wake. It is therefore critical to examine such quandaries and develop ethical guidelines before the pandemic occurs. Ethical issues considered in this project include quarantine, distribution and use of medical supplies, and the obligations and responsibilities of medical professionals and the government vis-à-vis patients and the public. This project also examines the position of socioeconomically disadvantaged populations who tend to suffer disproportionately in epidemic emergencies.
“Forward Out of Error, Forward into Light:” Hunger Striking, Force-Feeding, and Historiographical Oversight in Three Women's Suffrage Movements, 1909-1918
(2010-05-11T18:39:49Z) McCartan, Alison
“Cracking Eggs:” Introduction Yesterday afternoon at about four or five, Mrs. Lewis and I were asked to go to the operating room. Went there and found our clothes. Told we were to go to Washington. No reason as usual. When we were dressed, Dr. Gannon appeared, and said he wished to examine us. Both refused. Were dragged through the halls by force, our clothing partly removed by force, and we were examined, heart tested, blood pressure, and pulse taken. Of course such data was of no value after such a struggle. Dr. Gannon told me I must be fed. Was stretched on bed, two doctors, matron, four colored prisoners present, Whittaker in hall. I was held down by five people at the legs, arms, and head. I refused to open my mouth. Gannon pushed tube up left nostril. I turned and twisted my head all I could, but he managed to push it up. It hurts nose and throat very much and makes nose bleed freely. Tube drawn out covered with blood. Operation leaves one very sick. Food dumped directly into stomach feels like a ball of lead. Left nostril, throat and muscles of neck very sore all night. After this I was brought into the hospital in an ambulance. Mrs. Lewis and I placed in same room. Slept hardly at all. This morning Dr. Ladd appeared with his tube. Mrs. Lewis and I said we would not be forcibly fed. Said he would call in men guards and force us to submit. Went away and we were not fed at all this morning. We hear them outside now cracking eggs.1 In this passage, Lucy Burns describes the experience of being force-fed at Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia in 1917, where she had been imprisoned after her arrest for militant suffrage activities. As had become standard practice among suffrage prisoners at the time, Burns went on hunger strike to protest her imprisonment as a common criminal and not as a political prisoner. Since 1909, hunger striking had been employed in the women’s suffrage campaigns of Britain, Ireland, and the United States, and hunger strikers in all three countries underwent the harrowing process of being forcibly fed. Considering the shock value of an account like Burns’, one might imagine the issue of suffragette hunger striking and force-feeding to have generated significant historical interest. However, this aspect of the movements appears in only a very small portion of works pertaining to women’s suffrage.
Hybridization of Home: Development of Diasporic Domesticity in the Contemporary Literature of Britain’s Bangladeshi Diaspora
(2010-05-12T19:55:10Z) Donaldson, Emily
I want to break tradition—unlock this room where women dress in the dark Discover the lies my mother told me. The lies that we are small an powerless that our possibilities must be compressed to the size of pearls, displayed only as passive chokers, charms around our neck. Break tradition. –Janice Mirikitani1 Corsets. Drawing rooms. Parties. Family. Letter writing. Marriage. These motifs are the features of traditional domestic fiction. At its height in the Victorian era, domestic fiction allowed women writers and female protagonists to find their literary voice for the first time. The genre affirmed the self-realization of women in the space of their home. And although novels like Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, and Mrs. Dalloway are still beloved today, novels that celebrate an idealized domestic space are scarcely written in modernity. With suffrage, access to education, the feminist movement, and overall female empowerment, women writers seem increasingly to “find their voice” outside of the domestic tradition. When domestic novels are written today the traditional notions of female identity, family, and home are deconstructed and defined anew.
Improving Subjective Quality of Life for Individuals Diagnosed with Schizophrenia: Urban vs. Rural Environments
(2010-05-14T17:07:52Z) Saccomanno, Olivia
It is argued that individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have more opportunities to increase their subjective quality of life in urban vs. rural areas due to increased mental health resources and decreased social stigma. There is greater resource availability in urban vs. rural areas; individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia meet their identified needs and increase their subjective quality of life through mental health resources. Additionally, there is less stigmatization in urban vs. rural areas and when stigma is reduced, health care service utilization increases. Increased levels of diversity in urban areas lead to intergroup contact which decreases prejudice and consequently stigma. Implications include the need for rural mental health services to be attentive to clients who are struggling with poor quality of life and consider whether the clients would function more effectively in an urban environment.
In A Theory of Justice
(2010-04-23T16:52:51Z) Tirrell, Cari
In A Theory of Justice, Rawls claims that his two‐principle society will be the best society for forming self‐respect among its citizens. He thinks that the two principles will cause people to realize that society is working towards their best interests, and that this will make them feel that they are worthwhile to society, which will foster a sense of self‐respect. In this paper, I will argue that Rawls’s notion of self‐respect is incoherent given the context of the rest of his theory.
Individuality and Community in Desert Solitaire
(2010-05-17T23:59:51Z) Davidson, David
Edward Abbey’s 1968 literary memoir Desert Solitaire is an iconic piece of American literature. The book describes young Edward’s time as a park ranger at Arches National Monument near Moab, Utah - working primarily in isolation and keeping long, detailed journals, much of which text made it word-for-word into Desert Solitaire. For those who have not read it, Desert Solitaire is a series of vignettes revolving around the desert Southwest, ranging from a polemic against “industrial tourism” to an ambiguously fictional account of the lives of uranium miners to anecdotes of river running, mountain climbing and canyon exploring. The reader is left dazzled both by Abbey’s gorgeous prose and his prickly and hostile attitude towards, seemingly, much of the rest of the world.
Locus of Control as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Sex Education and Sexual Behavior in Adolescents
(2010-05-11T19:21:13Z) Kudroff, Kachina
A model in which locus of control acted as a mediator in the relationship between sex education and sexual behavior in adolescents was tested. One hundred forty college student participants completed an online survey which measured sexual behavior, locus of control, condom use self-efficacy, sexual knowledge, and experiences with sex education in school. Although significant relationships were found between sex education and sexual behavior, no significant relationships were revealed between sex education and locus of control or locus of control and sexual behavior resulting in rejection of the hypothesized model. Exploratory supplementary analyses revealed significant relationships between condom use self-efficacy, knowledge, and sexual behavior. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed, along with possible explanations of the findings.
Mama Huaca y Amorfinos Literatura Oral Ecuatoriana Como la Identidad Multicultural (Mama Huaca and Amorfinos Ecuadorian Oral Literature as a Multicultural Identity)
(2010-05-12T21:00:42Z) Sifferman, Teresa
La lucha para la identidad personal es un tema central para todos los humanos, y con cada acto los individuos expresan sus personalidades aunque sus tácticos son distintos. Algunas personas y, a su vez, las culturas a que las pertenecen, declaran su identidades a través de la vestimenta, las creencias, su moda de vida, y, además, el idioma. Por casi toda la historia del mundo, populaciones han manifestado su identidad con mitos, canciones, poesía, e historias que se transmiten a través del idioma, sean escritos u orales. (The struggle for personal identity is a central issue for all humans, and with each act of individuals express their personalities and tactics are different. Some people and cultures, in turn, declare their identities through clothing, beliefs, your lifestyle, and also the language. For almost the entire history of the world, populations have indicated their identity with myths, songs, poetry, and stories that are transmitted through language, whether written or oral.)
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Modernization, and Improvement Act of 2003: Why it Passed and What it Says About the State of American Politics
(2004) Greger, Christine M.
In recent years, senior citizens have called upon government to add a benefit to Medicare to cover prescription drugs, upon which they are increasingly reliant. Late in 2003, Congress and President Bush approved the Medicare Prescription Drug, Modernization and Improvement Act of 2003 (MPDMIA), adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, the primary health care provider for Americans over 65. Considering that there was broad public support for such reform, MPDMIA appears to be a breakthrough. However, closer examination suggests that the bill falls short of seniors' need. After the drug benefit is implemented in 2006, seniors' out-of pocket drug costs will remain high and many will lose their retiree benefits because of the legislation. Also of concern, the stability of Medicare as a whole may be threatened due to privatization mandates in the bill. This paper explains the puzzles behind MPDMIA's passage, first uncovering motivations of the Republican Party and pharmaceutical industry. Next, the paper discloses information behind Democratic support of the legislation and that of AARP, formerly known as American Association of Retired Persons. Evidence suggests that some lawmakers' decisions were inappropriately manipulated by the bill's proponents, and that AARP's support of the bill, which was an influential factor for legislators, did not in fact reflect the interests of seniors. Finally, the analysis of the creation and passage of MPDMIA exposes a breakdown in the central tenet of representation in American democracy. More specifically, the success of this policy indicates the failure of groups to represent their members and of elected officials to represent their constituents and the public good.
Personality as a Predictive Factor of Coping Styles: Contextualizing “Successful” Coping among Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
(2010-05-24T21:34:52Z) Jones, Megan
Past research has explored personality traits as predictive factors of coping with general and task-induced stress. Personality traits have not been explored as predictive factors of coping with gendered violence. Ten clients at a women’s crisis service completed surveys that consisted of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the revised Ways of Coping Checklist, and a demographics form. Results indicated that extroverts, sensors and thinkers used engagement coping strategies and introverts, intuitors and feelers used disengagement coping strategies. The present study should be replicated with a larger sample size. Pending replication, the results could improve counseling for survivors of gendered violence.
Pure Romance: Unfastening the Sex Toy Stigma
(2010-05-17T21:01:06Z) Robinson, Bethany
The topic of sexuality generates a wealth of public discussion, disagreement, and social control, in addition to being an important political issue for feminists. According to Foucault (1978), the process of determining which activities and sensations are considered “sexual” is a historical and cultural process, and therefore represents a discourse that evolves as a response to social constructions. Sexuality has historically been repressed, with social institutions such as churches, the military, schools, and more broadly the state enforcing surveillance and control over bodies and sexuality (Foucault 1978). There is a need for sexuality to be discussed and analyzed sociologically, with particular attention to female sexuality and how the personal has become public. Responding to my interest in the social repression of female sexuality, I chose Pure Romance as a site for ethnographic research.
Revelations on Serenity
(2010-05-19T19:04:35Z) Hill, Cameron
This project is an exploration concerning the personal freshman year experience at Willamette University through photography. The project came from a personal desire to document the experience in an artistic manner. The video is divided into two sections. The first documents, in chronological order, the experience while the second is a more abstract artistic expression using photography. The video is supposed to represent a singular narrative on the experience which is why the video is in monochrome. In the second part of the video I wanted to explore the notion of the “self” and see how the concept relates to ourselves and how we interpret the world around us. The main theme running throughout the video is the concept of serenity. ***Note: Use Apple's QuickTime to view this video & music. This runs 15:50 minutes in length.

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