Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beyond The Meeple: Ttrpg's Impact On Wwu Students, Nicolas Mendez

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The present study sought to develop a stronger understanding of the impact of Tabletop Roleplaying games (TTRPG’s) on college students. Data from 17 one-on-one interviews as well as 18 survey responses from students attending Western Washington University were used. The qualitative data was coded using first, second and third order coding with the use of digital coding software Atlas.ti. Of the 12 codes found from the interviews, the “Beyond Part” and the “Player versus Character” themes were examined. My analysis found that players experience the impacts of TTRPG’s beyond the table on both an individual level as well as on …

Developing The *Ucker Carlson Effect: Creating Space For Collective, Personal, And Professional Work In Cognitive Psychology, Zoe Gadbow

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The media, i.e. Tucker Carlson, often asks leading questions that guide audiences to generate implied answers. This can suggest misleading answers and guide people to construct disinformation. This strategy/format utilizes the generation effect (Slamecka & Graf, 1978), which states that when people generate information, they remember it. The Applied Cognitive Psychology (ACOG) lab is interested in whether this will contribute to an illusory truth effect (Hasher et al., 1977), which states that repetition of a statement increases belief in the statement. In order to investigate this phenomenon and reflect on the process itself this project contained two components: (1) para-professional …

Framing Dr. Fauci: The Portrayal Of Dr. Anthony Fauci By Fox News And Cnn In The Early Covid-19 Lockdown, Lilian Froese Raihl

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

COVID-19 caused the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that emerged in December 2019 (Center for Disease Control, 2022). When COVID-19 became prevalent in early 2020 in the United States, the media played a large role in communication about the pandemic, whether it was transmitting updates about the spread of the virus, posting alerts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or sharing medical research on COVID-19 (Grasso, 2021). As the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci became a leading figure in informing the public about the virus. He was featured …

Linguae Biologiae: Biomedical Terminology And Its Real World Applications, Sydney Wong

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Interdisciplinary studies between Linguistics and STEM are lacking in current educational institutions, leading to the preconception that they are separate, unrelated fields. Medical fields in particular, however, utilize extensive jargon and terminology based on Greek and Latin roots. Understanding these roots can provide a more widespread understanding of the human body and conditions affecting it, which is relevant to every person at some point in their life. Currently, biomedical terminology courses are advertised and reserved almost exclusively for students in biomedical fields. Therefore, despite its practical relevance, instruction of this topic is largely inaccessible for the general population, which encompasses …

Environmental Education At An Under-Resourced And Multicultural Bellingham School: Reflections On Americorps, Culturally Responsive Education And Abbott Elementary, Allie Vandewege

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This internship report details a year of an AmeriCorps service with Common Threads Farm, working at Cordata Elementary’s school garden and teaching cooking classes in Bellingham, WA. A comprehensive summary of the systemic segregation of the Bellingham School District elucidates how northern schools like Cordata are under-resourced and underserved compared to Bellingham’s more central, wealthier neighborhoods. The author compares her experiences to that of the characters on ABC’s Abbott Elementary, discussing the importance of culturally responsive teaching pedagogies when working with multicultural school communities and collective, grass-roots movement for education reform in under-resourced schools.

The Evolution Of Spanish Nationalism, Anna Sutherland

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The primary objective of this study is to discover how diversity and immigration affect Spanish nationalism and learn more about the contemporary Spanish mindset. The paper contains a literature review of researchers’ findings on the history of Spanish nationalism. In addition, data from the World Values Survey on Spain from 1996 and 2023 demonstrates a shift in societal values. Following is my hypothesis based on the research and data found. A methodology is included with information about the research process. Appendix A contains survey questions and Appendix B interview questions regarding topics including immigration, nationalism, personal identity, and values. The …

The Study Of Peace: Proposing And Designing A Peace Studies Class For Wwu, Clarice Ruhlin-Hicks

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This proposed course explores the field of peace studies, examining the state of peace and conflict in the world from the perspective of international relations and comparative politics. Is peace simply the absence of conflict? Are humans naturally drawn towards war? How do we achieve peace? Where has peace worked and where has it failed? What institutions or processes lead to or inhibit the establishment of peace? The course dives into conflict prevention, the erosion of peace, methods of conflict resolution and management, the issue of peacekeeping, and the process of peace building. Through group presentations, in-depth reading, and individual …

The Silenced Migrants, Alisa Nguyen

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

I researched how the Ukrainian refugee crisis has highlighted cases of institutionalized racism all over the world and amplified the quiet part of many people's thinking. I focused on how BIPOC refugees were treated before this crisis, what has happened to them during this crisis, and how BIPOC refugees from Ukraine were treated by the world and Ukrainians.

[A supplementary file with slides is available below.)

Political Rhetoric: A Personal And Scientific Exploration, Joshua Mcneal

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

An essay going over the existing Political Science and Communications research behind Political Rhetoric. Specifically: what political rhetoric is, by what mechanisms it works, and various examples of political rhetoric in practice (eg: populism, sacred rhetoric, classical rhetoric, etc.). Also a component at the beginning and end that ties the findings of this paper back philosophically to my honors education, personal realizations, and future goals.

Liberalism And Its Trail, David Nessa

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The United States has a history of utilizing liberal ideology as a justification for the appropriation of native land and resources for the enrichment of the United States. After becoming the pre-eminent superpower of the world post-WW2, the United States continued to justify intervention across the globe with liberal notions of what is good for society. David Harvey, who is a Marxist geographer, constructs the US imperial project as one that is tied up in the uneven trade of resources and thus the uneven development of these regions under the US sphere. After constructing an index measuring uneven trade and …

1. On Adapting Local Food Systems, Nelson Lobo

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Local food systems are central to climate change adaptation. Without adequate systems of production, distribution, and consumption, cities and countries run the risk of food insecurity spreading across economic classes. Implementing urban food production complemented by restoration agriculture principles is a solution worthy of consideration for municipal governments. At the same time, institutions and the public need a reconceptualization of the fundamental worldview attached to the dichotomization of humans and nature. Indigenous cultures provide a significant blueprint for tending to and caring for nature that should be reflected in any urban land management strategies utilizing restoration agriculture.

Media Coverage On Human-Bear Encounters, Robin Hall

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Human-bear encounters are on the rise as human recreation and settlement continues to expand and encroach upon bear habitat. As these encounters increase, so does the news and media coverage of encounters that affect societal attitudes toward bears, their habitat, and their conservation. In this paper I will explore the implications of media coverage on human-bear encounters, including management techniques and critiques that influence media coverage and bear populations. The basis for my study was founded on the research question, “How does local media coverage of bear encounters impact societal perceptions of bears?” Using content analysis of 59 local news …

Visualizing Animal Fire Responses, Michael Ginster

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The following document contains an assembly of 21 pie charts depicting proportions of animal during-fire responses across ecosystems and groups of specific animals within those ecosystems. For further clarification, a good example would be the Coastal Redwoods Ecosystem Pie Charts, which depict a general chart for all animal fire responses before displaying bird fire responses and mammal fire responses in separate charts. The pie charts were originally created for a group ENVS 429 capstone project before being modified based on accessibility guidelines and Edward Tufte’s graphic design principles. This project and its ENVS 429 predecessor are valuable because animal fire …

Getting To Know Community Forestry, Jane Egan

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This Story Map is an interactive website introducing the concept of community forestry. Community forestry is a system of land management where local people are empowered to participate in, benefit from, and actively manage the ecosystem where they live. Unlike the dominant land management strategies in the United States over the past two centuries, community forestry is a model of land management that is sustainable, equitable, and participatory. This site explores that history to illustrate how different land management strategies contribute to environmental justice goals. In addition, it uses case studies from the US and Nepal to demonstrate that community …

Perceptions Of Political Knowledge, Political Participation, And Political Efficacy Among Western Washington University Students, Bryndis Danke

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The way people view political knowledge, political participation, and political efficacy impacts their interactions with politics. But how exactly do people define political knowledge and participation? Political science scholars are in the midst of discussions on how to broaden these definitions to include traditional forms of both (knowledge of political facts and participation in activities such as voting, campaigning, and protesting) as well as non-traditional forms (experiential knowledge and community activities). This paper examines the results of a survey of 196 university students and 5 student interviews to determine if these broader definitions are held by the general public. Additional …

Perspectives On (In)Human(E) Displacement And Migration, Jordan Carey

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This interdisciplinary, multimedia document gathers various media pertaining to human displacement and migration. The collected perspectives take the form of poetry, academic research, books, photography, as well as un-sortable multimedia projects. Depending on the source, they are cited, introduced, quoted, summarized and/or analyzed. These sources are connected by their enactment of creative resistance, authenticity, proximity to lived experience with displacement and migration, and dedication to uplift the very truths silenced by colonialism and every intersecting mode of oppression that seeks to control and dominate. These truths are that every single human seeking asylum is a capable, resilient, intelligent, self-reliant, creative, …

Sentimental Value: Developing A Model For Sentiment & Linguistic Analysis Of Cable News, Caitlin Bannister

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This project aims to provide a tool for sentiment and linguistic analysis of news content. Specifically, the intended purpose of this research is to assess the variability of language use across cable news. In order to accomplish this, a Python script was written that allows the researcher to produce a specific set of sentiment/linguistic analysis output as well as statistical analysis of that output. While the code is written specifically to analyze cable news transcripts, it can be modified to perform the same analysis on any text of interest, news or otherwise. The output of this code allows the researcher …

Wsdot - Transportation Planning Intern, Sean Hakala

College of the Environment Internship Reports

My role in my internship is to be a researcher for John Milton. My assignments have been to investigate anything that he is interested in with regards to safety, particularly with a lens of looking at what other states or countries have done regarding the specific topic of inquiry, as well as what academic writing is available on the topic. Transportation Safety and Systems Analysis is a department of the Division of Multimodal Development and Delivery, which deals with all different divisions of modes of transportation, project development, construction, maintenance, and multimodal planning.

Gis Analyst, Tyler Balthrop

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Actalent allowed me to work as a paid internship for Wiser Imagery Services as a GIS Analyst. As a GIS analyst day to day my job can be completely different every single day or it could be the exact same thing day after day. It just depends on the deadlines, the client we are working for and the task at hand. Often the contracts that Wiser receives are with the federal government. Many of the positions do require security clearances but not all. However, that is not to say that the information does not hold value to potential harmful actors.

Orange County Coastkeeper Environmental Communications Intern, Sofia Neros

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Throughout Winter and Spring quarters of 2023, I worked remotely as a communications intern for Orange County Coastkeeper. Orange County Coastkeeper is a nonprofit based out of Costa Mesa, California that centers around the Southern California ecosystem and educates the community about local conservation efforts via lessons and beach cleanups. I worked with a small team on a series of videos meant to educate the public on the Santa Ana River watershed. The main questions that went into the production of these videos are, what are the most important topics the public should know, and what is the best voice …

Low Income Housing Institute Researcher, Alexis Light

College of the Environment Internship Reports

For my internship this quarter, I decided to work with my current employer, LIHI, outside of my scheduled hours to research how to get solar panels installed at Gardenview Village. The idea of installing solar panels on the individual units was not originally mine, it was one that was floated around by some of the people living at the village. I thought it was a great idea, though, and was curious about what the process would be like to implement this idea.The main objective of this project was to research whether or not it is possible or practical to have …

Environmental Studies Peer Mentor, Mia Lumbley

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The activities that I did during my internship were done in three steps. The initial step was to collaborate with students, faculty and staff to identify the needs of students. Through research and outreach, we discovered that students want to develop their academic, social, and professional identities. The second step was finding mentees, which was done by creating posters, speaking in classes, and getting the word out to students. The third and final step was developing, planning, and attending events with assigned mentees. The activities done within the internship helped to achieve the mission of making students feel seen and …

Wwu Spring Block Assistant, Zoe Harper

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The best way that I can describe Spring Block is as a knowledge exchange, even that term barely does it justice. I’ve spent the past two quarters preparing for, and helping my peers prepare for a field school on John’s Island, W̱ ȾÁEMEṈ, in cooperation with both the Lummi and W̱ SÁNEĆ nations. In preparation students and faculty created a curriculum that included not only lessons, but risk management protocol, housing accommodations, schedules and food plans for each of the trips. The final product of these months of preparation was a four day experience that is almost beyond words,

Marine Science Education At The Community Boating Center, Sandy Rost

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Though this has been incredible hands-on experience with education, I found myself starting to ask questions about the inner workings of our programming. I began to wonder how a tiny non-profit is able to reach so many people in our community and effectively at that. In the past two seasons, CBC
management has been making connections with local schools and began developing field trip programs. I found myself particularly interested in these relationships with schools.

College Of The Environment Strategic Visioning Committee, Brynn Vogel

College of the Environment Internship Reports

I hope to learn more about the inner workings of the university and contribute meaningful conversation and input regarding the future of the College of the Environment. I also hope to gain more professional experience by attending meetings with other faculty members and building professional connections for my future in the environmental field. I am passionate about this department and university and would love to be able to contribute as much as I can by communicating regularly with other faculty members.

Chuckanut Health Foundation Intern, Eukia Lemaster

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The Whatcom Racial Equity Commission (WREC) is a project started by Shu-Ling Zhao and Kristina Michele Martens in the wake of the George Floyd murder and police brutality. Their goal was to create a community-led commission that would address racial equity in Whatcom County. These two wonderful women were supported by the Chuckanut Health Foundation (CHF) and began work on this project in 2020. In 2021, Shu, Kristina, and Heather Flaherty (the Executive Director of CHF) gave a presentation in an Environmental Political Science class I was taking. They shared their vision for WREC and asked for anyone who was …

Whatcom Council Of Governments Planning Intern, Jay Zimmerman

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Scenic byways are roadways that because of their intrinsic qualities (scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archeological, natural) are destinations in and of themselves. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has published guidelines outlining the requirements for comprehensive CMPs, and state agencies or local governments may use these in the application process for a roadway’s recognition as a National Scenic Byway. Original CMPs for both corridors were completed in 1997 (Mt. Baker Hwy.) and 2003 (Chuckanut Dr.) respectively. While earlier community outreach has indicated local opposition for application to national recognition, the previously mentioned local agencies sought an update to these regional plans …

Whatcom Million Trees Project Intern, Ainsley Shearer

College of the Environment Internship Reports

One of my learning objectives before I started theinternship was to learn how to work with a map makingteam to create visually stunning and comprehensive mapsof Bellingham's invasive species. Over the course of thequarter that is exactly what I did. I have made a staticmap of different work party sites that Whatcom MillionTrees Project have and will host within the City ofBellingham Parks. Along with a Story Map that presentsand displays that map in a more interactive way.

Confronting Consumption - Undergraduate Thesis, Tera Ziemer

College of the Environment Internship Reports

This undergraduate thesis examines the factors driving personal consumption among students at Western Washington University and how their positioning within a larger community context influences thoughts, behaviors and feelings surrounding consumption. The research employs qualitative methods to tap into the subtleties and nuances of consumption as a personal act informed by one’s social context. Fifteen interviews were conducted with students at WWU in Spring 2023 to explore the relationship between values, action, and consumption patterns within the community. Three major themes emerged from the analysis: the Values Actions Gap, Conspicuous Sustainability, and Consuming Green to Consume Less.

Wwu Spring Block Ta, Anna Friederich

College of the Environment Internship Reports

I think that I learned so much from being in this group, both at the western washington university level where I was with the faculty and the students and my fellow TA where I learned so much about natural history on different specific species as well as just generally wanting to come away with the knowledge around ways of being that students brought. As always, our indigenous partners are also a huge influence on me and the way that I exist in a space where they are hosting on the land but we are running the behind the scenes of …