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Amanda Schertzer English Ma Portfolio, Amanda Schertzer

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This is the final portfolio for my Master's of Arts in English with a specialization in Professional Writing and Rhetoric. The information herein includes an analytical narrative and four projects that I feel best illustrate my knowledge, skills, and academic/ professional growth. These four pieces are titled "Understanding, Retention, and Access as An Explanation for Absence of Medical Writing Style: Historical and Modern Perspectives," "The Infographic: What Is It?" "Expressivist Pedagogy: An Applicable Approach?" and "Historical Fiction or Historical Inaccuracy? Historical Inaccuracies Within Little House on The Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder."

Parent Perceptions Of Service Animals Impacts On The Language Skills Of Their Children With Autism, Rachel Mcmanamon, Tim Brackenbury, Megan Wilson

Honors Projects

This study found multiple areas within the broad field of pragmatics in which a therapy dog can benefit the child that they are partnered with. In general, it appears that having a trained service dog for individuals with ASD may be a good tool to support the developmental of a variety of skills. Specifically, within the areas of socializing and use of language, the dog can provide the child with opportunities for conversations, as well as topics to discuss and experiences to share.

Exploring Exercise As Part Of The Treatment Plan In Eating Disorder Rehabilitation Programs, Kassidy Fark

Honors Projects

This presentation will cover an undergraduate Honors Project exploring the use of exercise as part of the treatment plan in eating disorder rehabilitation programs. To understand the current use of exercise in outpatient eating disorder rehabilitation centers, a survey was conducted. The two major research questions covered in this survey included ""Are outpatient eating disorder rehabilitation programs currently incorporating exercise into their treatment program? and ""Are outpatient eating disorder rehabilitation programs currently incorporating individualized exercise for clients in the treatment programs?"" Three results were collected from the survey analysis and addressed the research questions. These three results indicated the use …

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? A Marxist Analysis Of "Hamilton" And Its Relationship To The Broadway Economic System, Alana Ritt

Honors Projects

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mega-hit Hamilton: An American Musical has been both a critical and academic darling since its premiere in 2015. A historical retelling of America’s inception through the eyes of an oft-ignored founding father, the musical weaves together a diverse cast and hip-hop musical stylings in order to tell the story of “America then, as told by America now.” While many critics and scholars alike have praised the musical for putting an exciting and accessible twist to American history, others have argued that the musical is not nearly as “revolutionary” as it claims to be. This essay is designed to …

A Comparative Analysis Of Bohemian And Irish Immigration During The Antebellum Period, Emily Suchan

Honors Projects

Compare and Contrast the immigration experience of an Irish and Bohemian (Czech) immigrant. This essay describes the history of both regions and analyzes the political and economic stressors for immigration during the second half of the nineteenth century. This essay specifically follows the Irish Famine immigrants and the Czechs who settled in Cleveland, OH

Ñe Juon Enaaj Jeḷā Kōkḷaḷ Eban Peḷọk: Teaching Marshallese Immigrants, Riley Post

Honors Projects

Under the Compact of the Free Association (1983) treaties, Marshallese immigrants are free to live and work indefinitely without visas; however, American schools and educators have not been equipped with data and resources that can be used to address the cultural and linguistic diversity of their new neighbors. Therefore, the research question considers which resources and practices can help Marshallese immigrants succeed academically within the American education system. The findings, supplemented by the perspectives of local Marshall Islanders, suggest that educators need increased awareness of important cultural differences and further develop their cultural competency. Language teachers in particular may also …

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? A Marxist Analysis Of "Hamilton" And Its Relationship To The Broadway Economic System, Alana Ritt

Honors Projects

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mega-hit Hamilton: An American Musical has been both a critical and academic darling since its premiere in 2015. A historical retelling of America’s inception through the eyes of an oft-ignored founding father, the musical weaves together a diverse cast and hip-hop musical stylings in order to tell the story of “America then, as told by America now.” While many critics and scholars alike have praised the musical for putting an exciting and accessible twist to American history, others have argued that the musical is not nearly as “revolutionary” as it claims to be. This essay is designed to …

The Experiences Of Black Women Pursuing Advanced Degrees In Stem, Denaja Haygood

Honors Projects

Black women are severely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. While the underrepresentation of professional Black women in STEM has been well-researched, the pipeline problem of the education of Black women in STEM has been overlooked. The number of Black women pursuing STEM degrees dramatically decreases as the level of education increases. This gap in the literature is problematic, because Black women are still severely underrepresented in STEM-focused advanced degree programs. A small but growing literature indicates that Black women tend to experience frequent forms of discrimination, feelings of isolation and less satisfaction with their graduate programs, …

Final Master's Portfolio, Alyssa Zuber

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This MA explores the body's response to trauma, social media's impact on modern young women, the Women's Health Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and how the memoir can be used as a tool to explore radical honesty.

And Justice For All: Viewing The Wealth Of Three United States Billionaires Through Three Theories Of Distributive Justice, Andrew Nahhas

Honors Projects

Wealth inequality in the United States has now hit levels not last seen since the 1920s. With this, has come a general disagreement over how to address this inequality, as well as a debate on whether it’s even an issue. Since no clear consensus has been reached, a theory that describes what is just and what is unjust wealth accumulation is needed. By summarizing the theories of traditional Libertarianism, left libertarianism and Luck Egalitarianism, and applying them to the fortunes of Oprah Winfrey, Richard Sackler and Jeff Bezos, this paper arrives at the conclusion that a version of traditional Libertarianism …

Properly Unhinged: A Collection Of Poems, Madison Everett

Honors Projects

This is a collection of poems that explores the identities I possess and am a part of. These identities include being half black and half white, clinically diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Generalize Anxiety Disorder, pansexual or bisexual or something altogether different (depending on the day), and cis gendered womanhood. I also explore what a poem is and what a poem is not, and how there is very little difference between the two. In a lot of ways, this is an exploration into myself and what it means to be within the world. What does it mean to …

Why The Philanthropic Donations Of Wealthy Individuals Are Not As Great As We May Think, Alyissa Horn

Honors Projects

Largely overlooked when it comes to nonprofit organizations and their influence in society are the practices and influences of wealthy donors. Throughout history, wealthy individuals have been able to find immense amounts of influence through the donation of their wealth to the nonprofit sector. As individuals, we struggle to be critical of a sector that creates such an immense amount of good. However, this article pushes readers to ask: “What are the true motivations of wealthy donors?” Through a critical analysis of the philanthropic practices of Andrew Carnegie, who is often credited with the start of modern-day big philanthropic giving, …

Too Little Ph: How Freshwater Acidification Impacts The Abundance Of Macrophytes Consumed By Rusty Crayfish, Lauren Tucker, Paul Moore Dr., Jay Jones Mr.

Honors Projects

Anthropogenic activities such as the burning of fossil fuels result in increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration. High levels of atmospheric CO₂ cause chemical shifts in the carbon cycle. Changes in the carbon cycle due to increased CO₂ levels lead to ocean and freshwater acidification. Freshwater acidification is problematic for species that synthesize their own shells as well as species that use olfaction for decision-making. Rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) were subject to simulated freshwater acidification and fed two types of macrophyte, Chara (Chara braunii) and Myriopyllum (Myriophyllum sibiricum). A series …

Activities In A Long-Term Care Facility Amidst A Global Pandemic, Kayla Valente

Honors Projects

This paper focuses on the lives of individuals in Wood Haven Health Care in Bowling Green, Ohio during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Living in a long-term care facility can be difficult any time, but since the lockdown began life has been especially challenging for the individuals in nursing facilities. I worked directly with the residents at Wood Haven during my internship with the activities department. With this position, I was tasked with creating fun and engaging activities that also kept residents safe. I will be discussing different research about activities in long-term care facilities, specifics about activities during the COVID-19 …

Teaching Writing, Dylan Stickler

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This portfolio fulfills the requirements for my MA in English with a specialization in Teaching. It contains an analytical narrative, two teaching units, an academic proposal, as well as an analysis of technical writing instruction. Each project centers on improving the quality of writing instruction students receive.

Mental Health Support And Advocacy For Undergraduate Bgsu Students In Wood County, Oh, Robert Lince

Honors Projects

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has been a topic receiving significant focus on college campuses across the United States. Thus, it is important for all undergraduate college students to understand the available organizations and facilities that will provide the most quality and effective mental health care. With BGSU undergraduates already facing academic and social pressures, in addition to the financial and other hardships brought on by the pandemic, it is imperative that students are aware of resources both on campus and in the local community so that their needs can be met appropriately and in a …

Identidad Personal: Curriculum For The World Language Classroom, Kyrsten Nagypaul

Honors Projects

This project provides accessible, compelling curriculum for Spanish teachers to teach for social justice in their classroom. The integration of other disciplines is integral in making this curriculum accessible and compelling by giving students practical experience with technology, literacy skills, and social skills. More specifically, this project will help them to contribute to the social-emotional health and well-being of their students by supporting the students through an exploration of their personal culture. The curriculum is designed in a manner that is supported by theory and builds upon itself as students move through the experiences.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Nutritional Patterns Of School-Aged U.S. Children, Abigail Prendergast

Honors Projects

This study aims to evaluate the nutritional impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children within the U.S. by assessing how children’s nutritional patterns have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, determining how these changes are impacted by participation in school federal nutrition assistance programs, and exploring additional food-related barriers the COVID-19 pandemic has created for families. A cross-sectional survey of American parents was used to evaluate changes to their children’s nutritional patterns. Data was collected through an electronic survey administered through the Qualtrics platform. Participants were recruited through Facebook advertisements and the distribution of electronic survey links. The COVID-19 …

An Exploration Of Voice, Kristyn Montgomery

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This combination of four pieces reflects an overarching theme of researching the ways that our foundations and experiences shape us, either by our own hands or by the hands of others. This is a final portfolio that was submitted to the English Department of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the field of English.

The Effect Of Animated Resources For Learning American Sign Language, Bailey Towns

Honors Projects

American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language expressed through movements of the hands as well as facial expressions and body language. While Deaf individuals are the primary users of the language, many hearing people learn ASL in order to communicate with Deaf people and promote inclusivity for the Deaf community. When learning ASL, one area of difficulty that they initially encounter is producing signs correctly. The present study addressed this concern by examining two methods for introducing ASL signs to novel learners. Animated ASL programs have been proposed to combat the problems created by static 2D presentations of signs. …

The Bg News April 21, 2021, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. April 21, 2021. Volume 100-Issue 29.

Women’S Self-Efficacy Before And After Hiring A Personal Trainer At The Bowling Green State University Student Recreation Center, Audrey Schweers

Honors Projects

Exercise is important to maintaining a healthy weight and decreasing the risk of health-related diseases. Self-efficacy is a psychological concept that, when increased, can help a person to overcome a particular situation. In exercise, a person with high self-efficacy is able to better adhere to a program. It is a goal of The American Council on Exercise (ACE) to educate their personal trainers on ways to increase their clients' self-efficacy. This study was conducted to determine if women who have hired a personal trainer at the Bowling Green State University (BGSU) Student Recreation Center (SRC) in the past five years …

The Acoustic Effect Of Masks On Speech And Singing, Anna Birkemeier

Honors Projects

Objectives / Introduction:

Mask-wearing has become commonplace for the public during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. This has caused communication difficulties such as muffled speech, causing a lowered speech intelligibility and worse audibility. The purpose of this study was to determine the acoustic filtering effects of various masks.

Methods / Study Design:

The acoustic effects of a surgical mask, a Singer’s Mask, and an N95 mask were obtained. A single subject spoke (and repeated) the vowels /a,i,u/ and the consonants /s, ∫/, and sang the vowels on G4 and C5 with and without the masks, respectively. Spectra of the vowels and …

Animated Videos: The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bailey Alspach

Honors Projects

This project is a resource created to provide information about the Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (AJMC Staff, 2021). The first reported cases began to appear in December 2019, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11th, 2020. This pandemic is still active with new cases reported everyday as of April 2021 (AJMC Staff, 2021). This resource consists of four videos ranging from around two and a half to eight minutes long. All videos were created in an animated fashion and were uploaded to YouTube. The first video focuses on …

Measuring Marriage And Cohabitation: Assessing Same-Sex Relationship Status In The Current Population Survey, Wendy D. Manning, Krista K. Payne

Sociology Faculty Publications

Since June 26, 2015, marriages to same-sex couples have been legally recognized across every state in the United States, bringing new challenges to measuring relationship status in surveys. Starting in 2015 for select households and in 2017 for all households, the Current Population Survey (CPS) used a new household roster that directly identified same-sex and different-sex cohabiting and married couples. We gauge how the estimates and characteristics of same-sex couples vary according to old and new roster categories using the 2015/2016 and 2017/2018 CPS. Employing the new roster, we distinguish the sociodemographic characteristics of married and cohabiting same-sex couples. These …

Stress To Success: A Children's Book About Handling Stressful Situations, Marina Pennycuff

Honors Projects

For this project, I investigated the importance of bibliotherapy with school-aged children through the construction of my own children’s book that is focused around social-emotional aspects that are important for development. In particular, this children’s book was focused around different stressful events that can occur in a child’s life. This project allowed me to have a hands-on approach in researching this central topic. Another major goal for this project was that it granted me the ability to create a physical copy of a book that I will be able to use as a tool in my future career working with …

The Bg News April 14, 2021, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. April 14, 2021. Volume 100-Issue 28.

From Memory To Present To An Uncertain Future: An Analysis Of History And Policy On Chinese Food Security, Justin Mascarin

Honors Projects

This paper seeks to analyze China’s historical relationship to famine to better understand contemporary Chinese policy on food security. The historical analysis focuses both at the political level and the level of the peasantry, with a particular focus on the Great Chinese Famine. This Chinese specific analysis in conjunction with an understanding of food security history helps to better understand two white papers on food security from the Chinese Government in 1996 and 2019. This paper finds these white papers to be response to deep rooted doubts in the ability for the Chinese Government to logistically support such a massive …

An Assessment Of Communication Between Speech-Language Pathologists And Intervention Specialists In Schools, Sarah Painter

Honors Projects

The American Speech-Language Hearing Association states that Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) should collaborate with other professionals, including Intervention Specialists (ISs). In recent decades, there has been a shift from pull-out therapy, where students are removed from the classroom for services, to push-in therapy, which takes place within the classroom. This shift has resulted in greater overlap in SLP-IS caseloads. However, there is little known about the collaborative practices of these professionals. This study aimed to close the gap by using surveys to address two main research questions.

1) What is the focus, modality, and frequency of collaboration between SLPs and ISs? …

“They At Least Try”: Examining At-Risk Students’ Perceptions Of The Bgsu Honors College, Patrick Caniglia

Honors Projects

The researcher conducted one-on-one informational interviews with current and former BGSU Honors College students. The researcher then utilized this qualitative research in planning and recommending programming to support at-risk Honors students. By at-risk Honors students, the researcher refers to members of historically underrepresented groups such as students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, and international students. Although the Honors College aims to provide its students with ample resources and opportunities, it must place a greater emphasis on making sure it is properly supporting its at-risk students. With this goal in mind, the researcher feels that this study provides Honors College administrative personnel …