Digital Commons Network^™

From Ballooning Rents To Skyrocketing Student Debt: College Educated Millennials’ Expenses Are Keeping Them From Saving Money, William Johnson

Capstones

My capstone is a study of recent graduates' inability to save money.

Closing Up Shop, Rachel Green

Capstones

The pandemic has wreaked havoc across the world. One of the hardest hit types of business was restaurants. New York City is a hub for restaurants and bars. Many restaurateurs and bar owners have been struggling to survive throughout the year. This capstone will look at specific examples of struggling business owners and see what happened when COVID-19 hit the city. https://capstone-rachel-green.webflow.io/

A Learning Nightmare For An Immigrant Family, Arlyn J. Sorto

Capstones

Just two years after settling in Texas, a Honduran mother and her two kids must grapple with the hardships of remote learning due to limited access to the internet and a language barrier during a global pandemic.

As Pandemic Endures, Impact On Households Is Here To Stay, Amanda J. Glodowski

Capstones

Covid-19 has uniquely and disproportionately impacted women. Nearly 60% of those who have lost their jobs are women. Women who stayed working had a higher likelihood of serving on the frontline during the height of the pandemic as essential workers. With most schools not fully back in-person, homeschooling responsibilities have increased and endured longer than expected. These tensions ripple through families. Fathers are finding themselves with front-row seats to the mounting pressure working mothers face, causing household dynamics to shift. As the intricacies of households come to light, fathers are willing to renegotiate their roles with their partners as well …

A Pandemic Revolution For Workout Devotees, Their Instructors, And The Gyms They Used To Frequent, Erika Wheless

Capstones

It used to be that going to the gym was the epitome of health - taking time out of your day to stretch, run, and crunch away stress. But the coronavirus has made this a selfish, even narcissistic, act. It has forced consumers to bring the gym into their living rooms. Now that many Americans have adapted to workouts without the gym, yoga studio, or spin class, it’s hard to imagine that we will return to our previous gym routines. The coronavirus won’t be the death of gyms, but it has permanently changed the industry.

Link: https://eawheless.medium.com/a-pandemic-revolution-for-workout-devotees-their-instructors-and-the-gyms-they-used-to-frequent-2ad4bdecd74f

Early Prison Releases And Hotel Placements Produce Unexpected Outcomes During The Pandemic, Buzz Von Ornsteiner

Capstones

The transition from prison to the harsh realities of New York City is seldom easy. Finding employment and housing is always a huge challenge but in 2020 COVID-19 has shadowed the incarcerated. As returning New Yorkers, their stories are unique. Ironically, the added obstacles they face have also brought them benefits in the form of the housing they need to survive during a deadly pandemic.

Early Prison Releases And Hotel Placements Produce Unexpected Outcomes During The Pandemic, Buzz Von Ornsteiner

Capstones

The transition from prison to the harsh realities of New York City is seldom easy. Finding employment and housing is always a huge challenge but in 2020 COVID-19 has shadowed the incarcerated. As returning New Yorkers, their stories are unique. Ironically, the added obstacles they face have also brought them benefits in the form of the housing they need to survive during a deadly pandemic.

‘The Struggle Is Real’: Nyc’S Black-Owned Businesses Face Grim 2021 Outlook, Dalvin Brown

Capstones

Black restaurant owners are among the hardest hit by the pandemic in NYC. They are twice as likely not to survive the outbreak, and that is primarily due to institutional racism that was present well before the coronavirus hit the U.S.

Black restauranters benefited less from government programs, have had a harder time accessing funding and say they are left out of many mentorship opportunities. Meanwhile, their patrons face economic uncertainty and are curbing discretionary spending.

Many haven’t been able to pay rent and face commercial eviction. Others say the doors are still open thanks to a flood of support …

Fed Up, Desperate And Daring Enough To Unionize, Suzannah C. Cavanaugh

Capstones

This is a long-form story that outlines the hazards of restaurant work that predated the pandemic, among them wage theft, racism and sexual harassment. The story focuses on three restaurant workers pushed to unionize after Covid-19 worsened working conditions by cutting take-home pay and creating new safety hazards for employees. Legislation and employer resistance are stacked against them, but for many workers organization is the only solution.

Link to Capstone: http://fedup.tilda.ws/

Jornada, Mary Conlon

Capstones

Jornada, which means "day" or "journey" in Spanish, is a short documentary following a day in the life of volunteers at a food pantry during the pandemic. La Jornada is the largest food pantry in Flushing, Queens, providing food for 10,000 families across the borough each week. Angélica is one of 400 volunteers who keep the organization running, and our protagonist in the film. Through her eyes and others, we see the cost of what it takes to provide for the community during this time of need, in what was the epicenter of the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. …

Improving Frequency Of Hand Hygiene Education From Providers To Patients, Christopher Sutton, Nancy Moran, Vanessa Hernandez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hand hygiene compliance is one of the most simplest forms of preventing infection. This paper focuses on improving the frequency and standardizing hand hygiene education to patients delivered by health care professionals from a primary care clinic. The ambulatory suburban community clinic in Oakland primarily serves the underserved population. The target population are the following providers: Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, and Medical Assistants. A survey was adapted from evidence-based studies, WHO, and CDC to collect data on current hand hygiene education provided to patients from healthcare professionals. An additional survey was given to patients …

Worst Time Being Poor? The Hunger Problem In U.S. During Covid-19 Pandemic, Yuanhang Hu

School of Professional Studies

Food insecurity is deeply rooted in American society during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Insecurity usually associates with economic indicators, such as unemployment rate, income level, etc. Currently, there are two main tools to fight the war of hunger. The first one is the government food assistance programs. And the second one is food pantries from the private sectors of the community. Both tools are facing numerous challenges due to COVID-19. The purpose of this article is to provide rational reasons to persuade the government to enhance the benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and use administrative …

Roli Dhe Rëndësia E Sistemeve Të Informacionit Në Kohë Pasigurie, Albion Rexhepi

Theses and Dissertations

Punimi shtjellon problemet që u paraqiten me rastin e përhapjes së pandemisë së fundit globale. Problemet janë në shumë aspekte, problemet në menaxhimin e mirë të shëndetsisë, probleme tek kompanitë e fluturimeve, problemet me turizmin, problemet tek aktivetetet sportive, tek ndërmarrjet e mëdha, të mesme dhe të vogla, e të tjera. Problemet tek këta sektorë u shfaqën kur shtetet filluan mbylljen e disa prej veprimtarive. Pasojat ishin të pashmangshme, vetëm se niveli i pasojave do të dallonte prej veprimtarisë në veprimtari, përshembull, tek sektori i ndërtimit dhe sektori i pjesëve të këmbimit. Pra, në këtë punim fokusi do të jetë …

Higher Education Responses To Crisis: A Case Study Of Clark University And The Pandemic Of 2020, Lisa Gillingham

School of Professional Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered an existential challenge to universities and other academic institutions at a time when they are already grappling with other weighty issues that may alter the fabric of higher education. COVID-19 has forced these institutions to consider and employ new ways of conducting its work with a sense urgency that is unprecedented in the recent history of the academy. The rate of learning around these models is rapid, and Higher Education is ripe for change.

Clark University has addressed the pandemic with a plan to protect and pivot using strategies that support the continuation of its …

Dancing Through Covid: An Ethnographic Exploration Of Exotic Dancers' Experiences During A Pandemic, Danyelle Sturdivant

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

The novel coronavirus pandemic, quarantine, and social distancing measures affected working conditions for a variety of workers. Exotic dancers were distinctly impacted due to the stigma of their work which, prior to the pandemic, often involved the sale of close-proximity lap dances. This paper explores exotic dancers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide insight on the unique challenges they faced.

Data were gleaned using ethnographic methods with modifications informed by phenomenology. Existentially-engaged participant observation was performed in a small, Southern strip club, identified here as Flare. Two rounds of formal, recorded interviews were conducted with six exotic dancers, and …

Surviving Or Thriving? The Impact Community Collaborations Can Make During A Global Pandemic, Stephanie Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is to determine the ways in which communities and schools can help support students and their families during the current global pandemic. This is an important issue for students and their families because due to differences in socioeconomic status, language, and/or time and availability, not all resources are available to everyone. It is argued that regardless of the presence of any of the factors listed above, all students and their families deserve equitable access to resources, especially in the midst of a global pandemic when resources are not as readily available as they normally …

Got Health? Student Health Through Distance Learning, Micah Angela Malabag

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Keeping kids healthy has always been a challenging task due to a plethora of reasons, but leaders in education have been doing their best to overcome this obstacle. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made this challenge even greater. It has been more difficult to make an impact on student health because of distance learning. Healthy food programs and physical activity in school have been harder to reach, and because of this second Stay-At-Home order in California, it may now be a further reach. The focus of this capstone is on how students are taking care of their physical health through …

Exploring Online Graduate Student Experiences In Doctor Of Education Programs At A Private Christian Institution: An Ecological Systems Theory Approach, Meagan K. Sanders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the experiences of online Doctoral of Education students at a private Christian university, primarily considering how they perceived their communication and interaction with instructors and peers. A qualitative research method was used for case analysis, and was built upon the theoretical framework of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory approach. The researcher implemented purposeful sampling to identify participants enrolled in the university’s fully online EdD program. Through virtual videoconference interviews at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, data were collected and analyzed to reflect emerging themes that encompassed two of the five levels of an individual’s ecological …

Case Study: Effects Of Covid-19 On A Mid-Size San Francisco Commercial General Construction Company, Andrew G. Maxwell Jr

Construction Management

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect on the commercial construction industry. New safety procedures and regulations set by local government and health officials have made it difficult for construction to proceed at the efficiency level it had prior to the pandemic. The San Francisco Bay Area was subject to strict protocols starting in March of 2020 that vastly limited the capability of construction companies to perform work. This case study looks into the ways in which a mid sized commercial general construction contractor from the San Francisco Bay Area was impacted by Covid-19 and the methods they used …

Environmental Effects Of Coronavirus Pandemic: Analysis And Prediction Of Global Air Pollution Levels, Nouf Saif Alhmoudi

Theses

The Covid-19 pandemic started last semester when I was starting on my proposal. At that time, the pandemic lockdowns were at their peak levels with strict restrictions against movements. This was the case in most countries across the world. The effect this had on the air pollution was immediately felt. There were negligible amount of flights and road traffic had also significantly reduced. This led to an amazing clearing of the skies of pollution. For the first time in years, the Himalayan mountains could be seen, and many cities saw their smog and blanket of air pollution disappear. At that …

Coral Reef Restoration In The Tropical West Atlantic Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic, Linden Cheek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is increasing threats to coasts, both from storm surge and sea level rise. Healthy coral reefs provide reduction in storm surges, wave energy, coastal flooding and everyday erosion, and are found across a variety of spatial scales. Given the state of coral reefs worldwide, active Coral Reef Restoration (CRR) in emerging as a necessary component of coastal protection. CRR can be classified as a nature-based solutions (NbS) for coastal protection that also provides a multitude of ecosystem-based services to both humans and other life. Nearly all literature on coral restoration efforts assume a steady-state of human-ecological interactions, but …

Resilience Mediates The Relationship Between Socio-Cognitive Mindfulness And Perceived Stress In Academic Middle Managers In Higher Education, Rachel R. Slaymaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Faculty, staff, and administrators in higher education have experienced rising stress levels due to an increasingly turbulent environment amid constant change and uncertainty. In particular, academic middle managers experience increasingly high demands and significant stressors in the ever-changing landscape of higher education. Most research that addresses stress among academic middle managers has focused on the management of stressors and emphasized the need for additional training and technical support rather than how to address adaptive challenges. However, emerging research has provided promising evidence of the positive effects of mindfulness in reducing the perception of stress and enhancing resilience, both of which …

The Effect Of An Online Mental Health Promotion Program During Covid-19, Juliana Maldonado

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

The negative impact of Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) on mental health has been observed through the pandemic. People have had to adapt to a new norm of social distancing, wearing a mask, and abstaining from big group gatherings. These changes have impacted all levels of society and the rise of mental health care continues to grow as COVID-19 continues at this time. Mental health promotion strategies may be enhanced through the use of telehealth.

Purpose

To determine if a six-week online mental health promotion intervention would improve the GAD-7 scores of participants.

Methods

This project utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test …

The Diminished Experience Of Liturgy In A Pandemic, Joseph Torti

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This paper considers the pastoral challenge of a diminished experience of liturgy and worship during the Covid-19 pandemic. It explores the ubiquity of the digital realm and a pervasive culture of consumerism as factors in addition to the pandemic contributing to the challenge. We then reflect on the challenge through the theological perspective of Scripture, sacramental theology, Vatican II teaching and liturgical theology before proposing a pastoral plan.

The Effect Of An Online Educational Intervention On The Community Knowledge Of Physical Health, Mental Health And Self-Efficacy During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kerstin Ashby Ferguson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

Community health education during times of pandemic is of utmost importance to disseminate information regarding safety precautions, educate the public regarding the disease process, and provide accurate health information during a time when individuals are specifically vulnerable to inaccurate sources of information. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical gatherings were highly restricted; therefore, it became important to incorporate technology into the educational process.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to determine if a thirty-day, online community health education program would increase the health knowledge and self-efficacy of participants.

Methods

This project utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design from a …

Examining Parental Perceptions And Decisions To Uptake Child Influenza Immunizations: Assessing Pandemic And Policy Impacts On Vaccination Rates Following The H1n1 Pandemic, And The Acip Laiv Preferential Recommendation Revocation, Amir H. Mehrabi

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

2009 H1N1 Pandemic: The historical 2009 H1N1 Influenza pandemic, which had a CDC estimated accrued disease burden of 100.5 million illnesses, 936,000 hospitalizations, and 75,000 deaths from 2009 to 2018, resulted in a declared state of emergency nationally, with ensuing diminished vaccine confidence and amplified fears of infection, prompting some to pursue flu vaccination, and others to forego. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommend an annual flu vaccine for individuals 6 months of age and older as the “first and best” defense against influenza, a low percentage …

Efectos De La Pandemia De Coronavirus Covid-19 En Estudiantes Extranjeros Y Su Posible Impacto En Los Programas De Estudio En El Extranjero En El Futuro, Gloria Chavez

World Languages and Cultures

The purpose of this project is to discover the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the study abroad experience of American students participating in a study abroad program in Lyon, France during the 2019-20 academic year, and to evaluate possible impacts on and changes in the future of study abroad in consideration of their experiences and the pandemic. These students were subject to an early departure from France when their in-person program was shut down by the rising pandemic in March 2019. Participating students were interviewed about this early departure, the measures taken by the study abroad provider in …

Outdoor Recreation, Greenspace, And Covid-19 In Maine, Jayne Marie Foley

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

In this report we are exploring the significance of outdoor recreation and usage in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will discuss the importance of green space and outdoor recreation as a part of sustainability and what we can do for the future to provide sustainable and safe spaces for the public. I will be looking at the response of 119 individuals from a survey collected and three interviews from stakeholders in Maine on their experiences with the outdoors during COVID-19 and comparing these results to other similar findings. We can use this information from the COVID-19 experience to better …

Breaking Down Barriers: Utilizing Virtual Resources To Promote Occupational Balance Among Vulnerable Populations In The Midst Of A Global Pandemic, Roya Rezadoost

OTD Capstone Projects

The focus of this project was to utilize virtual media, resources, and technological advancements to create resource guidelines that facilitate the preservation of occupational balance and overall quality of life among under-served and marginalized populations during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Coronavirus, Carla Bonczak

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a novel virus that began its virulent spread in China December 2019. Since that time, it has spread worldwide and has affected individuals, business, and educational systems, as well as day to day life. COVID-19 has become a national pandemic. COVID-19 is spread through airborne droplets produced by affected individual that may or may not be symptomatic. Individuals may experience fevers, dry cough, and difficulty breathing. While most individuals with COVID-19 may be able to recover at home, several are requiring hospitalization. If patients are hospitalized, they are placed into an isolation negative air flow room for …