Digital Commons Network^™

Critical Information Literacy And Collections: Developing Praxis For Public Libraries, Lesley Garrett

Liberal Arts Capstones

Public libraries play an active role in building equitable, democratic communities by promoting critical information literacy, most notably in their collections development. Critical Information Literacy builds on the standard information literacy definitions by adding an analysis of political, economic, social and corporate systems that “have power and influence over information production, dissemination, access, and consumption" (Gregory and Higgins, 2013). This project includes a zine created to introduce an adaptation of Paulo Freire's banking concept of education for libraries, as well as note the continued work needed to develop a praxis for critical public librarianship.

Grim Under A Compensation Variant, Aaron Davis, Aaron Davis

Honors College Theses

Games on graphs are a well studied subset of combinatorial games. Balance and strategies for winning are often looked at in these games. One such combinatorial graph game is Grim. Many of the winning strategies of Grim are already known. We note that many of these winning strategies are only available to the first player. Hoping to develop a fairer Grim, we look at Grim played under a slighlty different rule set. We develop winning strategies and known outcomes for this altered Grim. Throughout, we discuss whether our altered Grim is a fairer game then the original.

Remnants & Recollections, Ashley Reagan

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

Within my work, I explore a relationship between nature and memory. In both nature and the mind’s processes of cataloguing previous experiences, forms can become pervasive, overgrown, untamed, be lost, or be found, perhaps changed by their surroundings. Each piece explores not only the easily forgettable side of latent recollection, but also the recurring and insistent nature of traumatic memories.

In each ceramic memory-scape, photographs transferred onto forms lost and buried in the foliage both represent memories and express the ways our minds catalog experiences. These memories become lost over time, details blurring, deteriorating and often deforming until only remnants …

Glial Granules Contain Germline Proteins In The Drosophila Brain, Which Regulate Brain Transcriptome, Samuel J. Tindell, Eric C. Rouchka, Alexey Arkov

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Membraneless RNA-protein granules play important roles in many different cell types and organisms. In particular, granules found in germ cells have been used as a paradigm to study large and dynamic granules. These germ granules contain RNA and proteins required for germline development. Here, we unexpectedly identify large granules in specific subtypes of glial cells (“glial granules”) of the adult Drosophila brain which contain polypeptides with previously characterized roles in germ cells including scaffold Tudor, Vasa, Polar granule component and Piwi family proteins. Interestingly, our super-resolution microscopy analysis shows that in the glial granules, these proteins form distinct partially overlapping …

Language Learning From The Developmental And Neurocognitive Perspective: An Examination Of The Impact Of Music On Second Language Acquisition, Shelby Grimm

Honors College Theses

This literature review aims to analyze the influence of music as a learning tool throughout the process of second language acquisition. Through the compilation and analysis of recent research conducted on the academic, cultural, and linguistic impacts of music on the four modes of language, which include reading, speaking, writing, and listening, this thesis will demonstrate the effects of incorporating music into the second language learning curriculum. Definitions of both music and language, as well as a description of the components of both areas will be included. An examination of the neurocognitive relationship between music and language, as well as …

2020-11-20, Board Of Regents, Murray State University

Board of Regents Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Pursuit Of Happiness, Delaney Rogers

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

Perfection, it is the expectation perpetuated by mass media. We are spoon-fed the propaganda of the American Dream through sex-filled advertisements of beer and food our entire lives. Anything less than a god-fearing nuclear family eating three square name-brand meals a day and wearing the newest clothes is seen as a moral failing. We willingly participate in the capitalist game of conformity, it doesn’t have to be policed, only continually advertised. How far can this go until it becomes a cult mindset? And does any of this actually equate to happiness?

I am depicting a “fictional” world where social conformity …

Game Plan: Incorporating Games Into Libraries, Olivia Shelton

Scholars Week

This article discusses the importance of gaming in all libraries. It aims to show what different libraries around the world have done to incorporate games in their circulation. It examines the different needs based on the size of the library and the community each serves to better inform other libraries interested in starting a collection. The article reviews some of the issues that arise when starting a collection and how to address those concerns when starting a new project. It also reviews what steps are needed to add games into catalogs to circulate. The article concludes with reflections for future …

Kiley Cox Art 399 Digital Commons, Kiley Cox

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My artwork uses the organic forms found in nature as metaphors to express human emotions. The incorporation of nature is used as a tool to evoke a sense of community as it is something that we all appreciate collectively. My drawings are made to be relatable in that way so that different viewers can have different interpretations. For some people, they can evoke a sense of happiness or nostalgia, while for others it can create a feeling of sadness or being overwhelmed.

My drawing process is improvisational in nature. I discover the emotion that I want to explore through the …

Artist Talk: Malcolm Fife, Malcolm Fife

Scholars Week

MALCOLM FIFE

RECENT WORK

Artist Talk

Art 399

The Importance Of Having Properly Funded Art Programs And The Benefits It Brings To Public Schools, Chelsey Brown

Liberal Arts Capstones

This presentation is to help raise awareness towards art education in schools and how these programs are losing their funding. The main focus is to present information on how the arts benefit people in both the school and in more public settings. Politics affect how much money is given to the arts and if the school is not art-rich, they may suffer and have a poorly funded arts program. The arts provide cognitive, health, and social benefits that can help kids learn and can also help those who participate in community programs. Students who participate in art, music, theater, or …

Archie Hardesty Art 399 Portfolio, Archie Hardesty

Professional Practices (ART 399)

The queer lifestyle fascinates me because of all the different facets that the queer community has within it. The ideas of love, intimacy, safety, feelings, confusion, pride, sex etc. are so pervasive within this community that all of it swirls into one big melting pot. My work reflects the confusion that is seen with the two juxtaposing sides of the queer community but also the stereotypes and lifestyle choices the straight community throws at me.

When thinking of my work the first word that comes to mind should be “gender binary.” Where do I fall into this binary as a …

Utariusart399portfolio, Murray State University

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My art is a visual representation of my emotions and the things I cannot say through the use of portraits and flowers. When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, this flower will have a different meaning to every person who holds it. The living beings and things I am painting are my outward expression of my experiences and the people in my life, but they can be understood in infinite ways by viewers. Art to me is a free space; a place with no rules, no restrictions, and no wrong way of doing anything, …

Human Migration Rates In Relation To Hdi Scores Of States, Amy E. Docter

Honors College Theses

Migration is a human phenomenon impacting various factors of society, politics, and cultures today that will continue to grow in both domestic and international importance. Despite this profound significance, there are numerous challenges for migration with little control of the flow of populations and limited understanding of the changing trends of migration. Historically, migration has been defined by South-to-North movements, with the main motive being economic opportunities with the allure of developed countries, but many articles today have found more South-to-South movements and myriad other factors influencing migratory decisions. By examining net migration population from 2014 and 2015, in conjunction …

Fife, Malcolm Art 399 Portfolio, Malcolm Fife, Malcolm Fife

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My life would make a perfect decadent novel. Nothing happens, but it happens with style. The time we live in now is an exceedingly decadent one, and I am interested in making connections and comparisons to periods of historical decadence. Aesthetically and thematically I am interested in the art and literature of the 1890s and 1920s, especially the Aesthetic, Decadent, and Art Nouveau movements. Art that is ornate and intricate attracts me. Superfluous ornament is something that makes life more bearable. One way this shows up is a consistent use of historical settings in my work. The people in my …

James Inmon Art399 Portfolio, James Inmon

Professional Practices (ART 399)

My work has its roots in structures; the regularity of structural components feel right to me and serves as a counterpoint to the visual noise of the natural world. My most recent work has focused on houses and home structures. Most contemporary houses are only a slight variation on one another, and there doesn’t seem to be too many models to choose from. The suburbs are full of sameness which can become pattern. This observation sparked my interest, so with my latest pieces I’ve been exploring this idea of multiplicity in a suburban setting, whether it be with a watercolor …

Autumn Brown Art399 Portfolio, Autumn Brown

Professional Practices (ART 399)

It is easier to approach a difficult topic if it isn’t immediately posed as threatening or sacred. The viewer’s ability to enjoy my pieces, regardless of their prior experience with the subject matter, is my priority. My primary means of creating my work is through drawing, with the end products taking the form of animations and zines. Sequential art provides a unique opportunity to form a relationship with the viewer during the short time they interact with the piece, which many drawings can’t accomplish in the same way. Zines and animations are highly shareable and exist as an experience as …

The Treatment And Management Of Chronic Pain Using Cbd, Emily Davis

Honors College Theses

Chronic pain is a common debilitating condition in the United States. The treatment of chronic pain is complex and can sometimes lead to addiction of opioid medications. However, there is another, more natural option in the treatment of chronic pain—the use of CBD, cannabidiol which is a phytocannabinoid from hemp and marijuana, for the treatment and management of chronic pain. While CBD is labeled a schedule I drug by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, there is evidence that CBD can make an impact on the severity of pain, the amount of opioids in use, and the …

Women’S Suffrage Is “Nothing Less Than Treasonable:” An Analysis Of Rural Women And Their Group Activism In The Women’S Suffrage Movement In The Jackson Purchase Area, 1838-1940, Ashleigh Deno

Honors College Theses

The 1910s was a decade characterized by technological advancement, World War I, and a global movement for women’s suffrage, which would eventually culminate with legislation, most notably the 19th Amendment in the United States. In the United States, women staged protests throughout the country and were known to stand outside of the White House with taunting signs for President Woodrow Wilson to read. This movement came to the United States from other parts of the globe, particularly Britain, and suffragists from other countries were known to travel to the States to give presentations and provide guidance to suffragists on this …

The Impact Of Hemp Cropping Systems On Soil Quality In Western Kentucky, Jack Eaker

Scholars Week

Recently, hemp farming systems are increasingly popular in Kentucky replacing tobacco cropping systems. However, the study on the impacts of hemp cropping on soil properties is rarely conducted, resulting in limited data on soil’s behavior/changes under these management practices. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine soil characteristics including compaction, acidity level, moisture level, and water retention. The measurements were collected from three different hemp fields, three crop rotation studies ( in 2020 - corn, soybean and tobacco) and a bare field adjacent to these fields. All fields are located at Murray State University West Farm, Calloway County, …

Seed Quality And Dormancy Of Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.), Sabry G. Elias, Yea-Ching Wu, David C. Stimpson

Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research

Hemp has great potential as cash crop for growers in the US because of its multiple uses in food, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. Seed quality and dormancy research had been put off for decades. The indeterminate flowering pattern of hemp results in harvesting seeds with varying maturity levels, affecting their quality. The objectives of this study were to: 1) investigate the differences in quality of seeds harvested from different locations on the same plant, 2) determine suitable viability and vigor tests for evaluating hemp seeds, and 3) examine the extent of dormancy in newly harvested seeds and develop a dormancy-breaking …

Pyrococcus Horikoshii Rada Intein Site Selection, Noah Stallins

Honors College Theses

Inteins are protein segments interrupting polypeptides with the unique ability to excise from the host protein and link flanking protein fragments (exteins) to form a functional protein. Many of these proteins are involved in crucial processes such as DNA replication, DNA recombination, and DNA repair. The functionality of these elements in nature and applications in biotechnology necessitates the study of inteins. Pyrococcus horikoshii (Pho) provides an array of inteins to study, with a total of nine different proteins possessing inteins. Among the nine total inteins, the DNA repair and recombination protein RadA gained interest due to the speed …

Cte Leadership Self-Efficacy Scale (Clse), Michelle Conrad, Kemaly Parr, Larae Watkins, David Yost, Howard Gordon

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

The development of the CTE Leadership Self Efficacy Scale [α .944] (CTE LSES) was guided by ACTE's High Quality Framework. We generated a factor analysis with the following dimensions: technical skills, 9 items; human skills, 15 items; and conceptual skills, 11 items. In total, 154 secondary and postsecondary CTE leaders provided complete ratings on the 35-item CTE LSE Scale. Responses to all measures were scaled from 1 (not at all) to 5 (a great deal). The scale reliabilities for the 5- item scales of each dimension for this sample were as follows: technical skills (α .845); human skills (α .881); …

Conner Murt Art399 Portfolio, Conner Murt

Professional Practices (ART 399)

Conner Murt

Artist/Design Statement

These photographs capture raw moments of people’s lives, without artistic fabrication, communicating a sense of candor and ingenuity in each photograph.There is an absence of a figure, yet obvious fingerprints have been left on the space due to its unique nature. Most easily explained, taking pictures of things that stand out mentally in a personal sense, have unique characteristics, and can illustrate only portions of a destination, without giving away all of the specifics of that said place are what is photographed within this work. The search that is involved in finding the spaces for the …

Discourse And Discography: The Pushback Of Female Writers, Characters, And Pop Stars, Amara D. Stroud

Honors College Theses

In my senior thesis, I will be analyzing and comparing early modern literature and “pop” music in order to follow the development of women’s ability to gain power. Throughout history, there has been an ongoing struggle for women’s equity in education, publishing, and socially acceptable actions. While it may seem that comparing literature from the 17^th Century to current pop lyrics, there are major connections that show a consistent female struggle - the inability to voice one’s true feelings due to the reaction of an educated man or an unchanging society. My thesis will focus on literary works such …

Discourse And Discography: The Pushback Of Female Writers, Characters, And Pop Stars, Amara D. Stroud

Honors College Theses

In my senior thesis, I will be analyzing and comparing early modern literature and contemporary popular music in order to follow the development of women’s ability to gain power. Throughout history, there has been an ongoing struggle for women’s equity in education, publishing, and socially acceptable actions. Though the connection between literature and pop music is unordinary, there are major connections that show a consistent female struggle - the inability to voice one’s true feelings due to the reaction of an educated man or an unchanging society. Overall, the response of female characters, authors, and artists is to show their …

Exploring Relationships Between Perfectionism, Social Anxiety, And Post-Event Rumination, Xavier Brown, Patrick Cushen

Scholars Week

Disruptive cognitive biases are often problems for people with anxiety-related disorders. For those individuals with social anxiety, one common bias is negative post-event rumination. This bias involves people with social anxiety remembering and distorting past experiences by focusing on negative details and perceptions. This bias may also be key to maintaining social anxiety as it feeds into the cycle of distress associated with social experiences. Another factor that may relate to a person’s likelihood of demonstrating this bias is their level of perfectionism. Two aspects of perfectionism may be related to post-event rumination: socially prescribed perfectionism (thinking that others expect …

Gender Differences And Social Judgements Of Face Masks, Katherine Link, Daphne J. Jackson, Jessica M. Criddle, Jana Hackathorn

Scholars Week

This study seeks to investigate whether face masks influence social judgements of first impressions. Ratings of trustworthiness in strangers has been linked to smiling and facial features. With the Coronavirus pandemic still running rampant in today’s society it has become a social norm to wear a face mask out in public. Due to the fact that a facemask obscures half of an individual’s face, it is expected that the presence of a face mask will influence first impressions. Additionally, gender differences have also been associated with social judgments, in that females are often perceived more positively (e.g., trustworthy) than males. …

Self-Compassion, Anticipatory Anxiety, And Fear Of Evaluation In Social Anxiety, Brooke Short, Alexandria Sherman, Kayla Clarke, Jacob Barnette

Scholars Week

Self-compassion involves treating yourself with kindness instead of judgement, understanding that pain and failure is experienced by everyone instead of isolating oneself, and being mindfully aware of painful thoughts and feelings instead of ruminating on them (Neff, 2003). The present study is interested in self-compassion's effect on social anxiety; it is a replication of a recent study (Harwood & Kocovski, 2017) and an attempt to extend its findings. Harwood and Kocovski (2017) found that, among participants higher in social anxiety, those who completed a self-compassion writing task experienced less anticipatory anxiety before a speech task in comparison to those who …

(S)He Said What Behind My Back: The Negative Effects Of Gossip, Hillary Copeland

Scholars Week

Gossip can be defined as communication within a social context directed towards the evaluation of absent others (Foster, 2004), and likely evolved as an advantage for our ancestors to build social bonds and maintain group stability (Dunbar, 2004). The ubiquitous nature of gossip suggests significant influences on group dynamics, particularly when associated with factors related to social functions, such as influence, friendship, information, or entertainment (Foster, 2004; Peters et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2016). The current study examined the effects of gossip on the evaluations of absent targets. Undergraduate participants (N = 128) were presented with short biographies …