Digital Commons Network^™

Everything But Wrestling: How Women Wrestlers Perform Dominance, Lauren Gherman

Anthropology Honors Papers

Women’s wrestling continues to grow at the high school level, with more young girls joining the sport each year. Yet, as more women join wrestling, a heavily masculine sport, questions about gender preintimation on women’s teams arise. This study asks three questions about the role of gender on women’s teams: 1) Does an individual’s gender identity, in a heavily gendered sport like wrestling, factor into the development of team culture? 2) What, if any, forms of gendered socialization emerge as women enter wrestling? 3) In what way are women socialized because of their gender? Data was gathered via interviews, in …

Renewed Archaeological Research In Singida Region, Central Tanzania, Makarius Itambu, Eslem Ben Arous, Ricardo Fernandes, Marina Gallinaro, Jana Ilgner, Mary Lucas, Patrick Roberts, Erin Scott, Axel Steinhof, Robert Patalano

Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department Faculty Journal Articles

Archaeological research in central Tanzania, chiefly in the Singida Region, has only been sporadically conducted, with the focus of such investigations being mostly on rock art and Later Stone Age (LSA) material. Here, we report preliminary results from renewed research expeditions conducted in the Singida Region. In 2021 and 2022, we located 31 archaeological sites in Ikungi District, excavated an open-air site (Nkungi) and a rock shelter (Itramuka), and uncovered well-stratified cultural sequences containing lithics, ceramics, and metallurgical remains, as well as human remains and animal bones. The recent archaeological discoveries in the region revealed a rich and composite archaeological …

Beyond Survival: Anthropocentrism And Environmental Justice In Daniel Defoe’S Robinson Crusoe, Malak N/A Alghufaili Dr., Mada Alghufaili Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This study analyzes Robinson Crusoe (1719) through an ecocritical lens, focusing on its depiction of Crusoe’s anthropocentric mindset that thrives due to his disregard for environmental justice. Drawing on Lawrence Buell’s “environmental imagination” and John Locke’s theory of property, the study examines how Crusoe’s survival tactics exploit the environment, prioritizing his own needs while neglecting the ecological principles of environmental sustainability and biodiversity. By reinterpreting the novel in light of these contemporary ecological principles, this study offers a fresh perspective on Crusoe’s actions, encouraging readers to critically reassess the long-term consequences of his behavior on the natural world. It also …

Year Of The Snake: A Children's Lunar New Year In Missoula, Luke J. Jensen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The focus of this project is to analyze and examine the process of child culture acquisition and engagement. Both are being examined through participant observation during a children’s Lunar New Year event at Missoula public library. The author examines the participation, ease of access and focus on children's activities observed at the event and compares them to child language acquisition, as a means of examining culture shock. With more time the author would like to interview organizers of the event, and examine immersion language learning practices in Missoula, especially with young people, but both fell outside of the scope of …

The Symbolism Of The Andean Condor: Its Meaning In The Indigenous Cosmology, Culture, And National Identity Of Ecuador And The Andean Region, Sylvia S. Carter-Smith

Research Symposium

Este proyecto se enfoca en el tema del simbolismo, significado y conservación del cóndor andino en la región andina, con un énfasis en Ecuador. Las encuestas, observaciones, entrevistas, y fuentes secundarias fueron utilizados para registrar información sobre la relevancia y contexto del cóndor como un símbolo andino. La investigación reveló que el símbolo del cóndor andino juega un rol significativo en la identidad nacional, la cosmovisión andina, y la representación de liberación del colonialismo. Discutió las actitudes populares hacia la disminución de la población de cóndores andinos. La monografía disputó la minería, la caza ilegal, y la comodificación de la …

An Exploration Of Zoroastrian Influence On Early Judaism, Luke J. Jensen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The focus of this project and presentation is examining and describing the influence and appearance of Zoroastrian and Rigvedic traits in neighboring religions, predominantly Judaism. Zoroastrians are currently culturally underrepresented in the historical record, despite their proximity and influence on nearby Abrahamic faiths as well as ancient and classical middle eastern culture. This fact makes them appealing to do research on, procure information on, and spread information about. By reading and analyzing Zoroastrian texts, primarily the Gathas, the Venidad and the Yasht, Orthodox Jewish texts such as The Book of Esther, The Book of Ezekiel, The Book of Ezra, and …

Life In The Pow, Hope Marie Ensminger

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This ethnography examines the deeper cultural and environmental aspects of skiing, focusing on the dynamic between experienced and new skiers at Lookout Pass, a ski resort found on the border of Idaho and Montana. My core focus that was explored is how skiing fosters a sense of community and environmental stewardship, which transcends material aspects such as equipment and gear. My guiding question for this study is “How do interactions between experienced and newer skiers at Lookout Pass shape their relationship with themselves and their environment?” To carry out this project, I employed participant observation and detailed field notes in …

Field Notes From The Crumbling Ivory Tower, Emily Van Hoose

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Gone is the era of academic neutrality as American culture continues to grow and ride the turbulent waters of its political societal pillars. The saying “leave your baggage at the door” is not only incredibly outdated, but for anthropology students at UM it is impossible. The worries and curiosities of our students do not inexplicably stop when they open the doors to the social science building. Their concerns follow them not only into the classroom, but into their career prospects as well. Anthropology classes do not have the luxury of neutrality that other disciplines like mathematics, chemistry, and physics are …

Blackfeet: Campus Voices, Future Echoes, John C. Billedeaux Mr.

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

As a Blackfeet senior student in the University of Montana/Missoula, I am research assistant to Mizuki Miyashita who is a linguistic professor who prioritizes the importance of the Blackfeet language revitalization at the university. Our work is surrounded on vowel changes and dialects because most of the language we use in our work is Blackfoot, which is the sister tribe in Canada, to show our work to people like myself that want to learn if not more about the Blackfeet language. My main interest in the abstract is to focus on what other native or non-native students would like to …

Consuming The Tropics In The 'Age Of The Insect': Imperial Imaginaries Of Frontier Ecologies In Spectacular Expositions, Adria Capozzoli

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

By surveying representations of 'exotic' landscapes and 'monstrous' other-than-human creatures of the tropics featured in exhibits of the fin de siecle and early interwar period, including visual displays and descriptive language at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893) and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) in San Francisco (1915), this project examines tropical frontiers as conceived in the geographical imaginaries of the United States to explore how metropolitan audiences related to those environments encountered at the imperial periphery. Between 1890 and 1920, were the infamously exaggerated characterizations of nineteenth-century spectacle tempered by the advent of twentieth-century cultural and scientific discourses, …

Global Health Senior Portfolio, Iris Archibald

Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: March 12, 1957

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

Restart (Re-Entry Support, Training, And Reintegration For Today ), Ronaldo S. Broadbent, Maggie E. Gibbons, Aspen M. Nord, Bree Knutson, Brandon Smith, Alyssa Mendez, Marissa Harper, Gabbi Claxton

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Our project is about reducing friction for the re-entry of previously incarcerated, emerging adults. To contribute to the solution of the issues facing emerging adults returning from incarceration in the Missoula community, we will implement three workshop events to foster a sense of community and belongingness in the returning citizens population. The goal of these workshops is to aid in a smoother transition back into society, integrating components of social, personal, and community-based skill sets. We have found through surveying individuals who are currently or previously incarcerated in our targeted age range of 17-25 that a majority of those surveyed …

Guns, Bombs, And Flying Machines: Assessing Claims Of Modern Technology In Ancient India, Dorian Geraci

Proceedings of GREAT Day

Composed of four books known as the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, and the Atharvaveda, the Vedas are considered the oldest Hindu religious writings in existence. This position grants them significant status in many sects of Hinduism, which count the Vedas a prime source of religious authority and interpret their stories and teachings literally even today. Their authority and integration into contemporary life became a significant part of the Hindu nationalist movement from the 19th century onwards, which interpreted certain passages of the Vedas and other ancient Hindu writings as describing the existence of modern technology thousands of years ago …

Castles, Lands, And Locks: Exploring The Social Capital Of Heritage Sites, Loren Carter

Research Symposium

This Honors thesis aims to analyze the social roles of heritage sites as modes of cultural communication and connection. Through combined ethnographic and archaeological research methods, I argue that while the museumification and industrialization of heritage does provide useful information for populations with little knowledge of cultural processes, the communities most closely related to the heritage sites lose both tangible and intangible cultural connections when their backyards turn to tourist destinations. Studies of heritage have long argued that heritage processes take place not just through tangible heritage artifacts but also through everyday intangible heritage activities (Smith 2006). Throughout this work …

Bronze And Bulletin Boards: Indigenous Language In Formal And Informal Campus Space, Adria Capozzoli

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

What histories and lives are acknowledged in officially sanctioned institutional memorials and place-names? In recent years, academic institutions in the United States and other Anglophone nations have installed a significant amount of Indigenous-language signage on their campuses. Administrators at the University of Montana have installed a number of signs in Indigenous languages, including an intended new "centerpiece" monument at the Oval due to be installed in 2025. Also in 2025, UM is simultaneously finalizing installation of an expensive three-meter-tall sign at a new "gateway" to campus. This project seeks to inquire where, and in what contexts, acknowledgement of Indigenous languages …

Brick Biographies, Molly O'Dell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Every brick has a story. Some have witnessed decades of students rushing to class, others have felt the weight of graduation caps landing. For years, the personalized bricks on the University of Montana’s Oval served as small but sturdy tributes, etched with names, messages, and memories. Now, as these bricks are starting to be worn away, are their stories shifting too?

This ethnographic study follows the journey of these commemorative bricks from 1993 and 2004, exploring their significance to the individuals who purchased them and the community that walked across them daily. Through interviews, archival research, and a bit of …

Foraging Opportunists: Encouraging Reconnection With The Land, Madelyne Miller, Aine Fannon, Ada Scott, Sylvia Blodorn, Luke Pruitt

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

There is a large cultural disconnect between humans and natural areas, and the utilization of natural resources is rarely reciprocal. In addition, opportunistic (commonly called invasive) plants can outcompete native species if they are not managed, though this management typically involves heavy chemical use. There is also a deficit in resources surrounding other management strategies such as foraging for non-native species. To address these issues, our group has explored the potential uses of opportunistic plants. Initially introduced to novel areas both intentionally and unintentionally, these plants can serve as food, medicine, and art materials. We aim to reduce chemical use …

The Student Movement Volume 109 Issue 22: Cardinals Bid Farewell To A Nest In Bloom, Ayanda Dewa, Gersh William, Alyssa Caruthers, Melanie Webb, Callie Carlsen, Kaara Harris, Abby Shim, Anna Rybachek, Natalie Mendonça, Amelia Stefanescu, Lexie Dunham, Addison Randall

The Student Movement V. 109 (2024-2025)

HUMANS

Next Stop, The World: A Final Goodbye from Our Senoirs, Ayanda Dewa

Humans of the Year, Gersh William

AUSA 2025-26 Senator Projects, Alyssa Caruthers

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

"Til It Happens To You": SAAM and a Song, Melanie Webb

NEWS

Andrews Observes SAAM with Campus Activities, Callie Carlsen

Sabbath School Quarterly Disclaimer Addresses Domestic Violence Concerns, Kaara Harris

IDEAS

Dear Daniel, Abby Shim

PULSE

The Benefits of Crying, Anna Rybachek

Therapeutic Pathways to Healing for Assault Victims, Natalie Mendonça

Lamson Maintenance Concerns, Anna Rybacheck and Amelia Stefanescu

Support Your Local Libraries: Part 2!, Lexie Dunham

Matcha Makes a Scene on …

Midlife Stress, Kimberly Diah, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Midlife stress occurs naturally through the aging process but can be the result of an external psychological stressor due to loss or change such as occupational stress, health concerns, parental bereavement and divorce. Coping with the psychological suffering associated with these stressors brings challenges throughout all stages of life, but when it occurs during midlife it can be complicated by heightened or unique feelings of bewilderment. For men, recognition of their own mortality and sense of purpose in life can drive the experience of midlife stress. For women, this experience may be derived from feelings of emptiness and sadness, physical …

Heinz Werner, Ethan Fleuchaus, Katie Cunningham, Heidi Kloos

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Heinz Werner (February 11, 1890 – May 14, 1964) was an Austrian psychologist who played an active role in defining the field of developmental psychology at the start of the 20th century. While initially seeking to become a composer and music historian, he changed his mind after listening to a lecture on Immanuel Kant at the University of Vienna. Werner became engrossed in topics of philosophy and psychology (which were combined at the time), and he wrote his dissertation on the psychology of aesthetic experiences. Subsequently he worked at the University of Hamburg, where he published the first edition of …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Graduate Council Meeting, April 25, 2025, Marshall University Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

A Sacramental Model For Digital Ecclesiology: Theological Retrieval For A Mediated Church, Caleb J. Atha

Senior Honors Theses

The widespread proliferation of digital technologies has opened the door to new ecclesiological questions and challenges for the Christian denominations that have integrated these technologies into their community life and liturgical practices. American evangelicalism is proposed to be especially susceptible to the aforementioned challenges due to its ecclesiological emphases and general posture towards digital media. Using Marshall McLuhan’s seminal insights in media theory, this work argues that the role of digital media in the church shows a significant congruence with Christian sacramental theology. The concept of the digital church is analyzed through McLuhan’s tetrad framework and its weaknesses are highlighted. …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To The Investigation Of Consciousness, James Guy Lundie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Questions of phenomenal consciousness have troubled intellectuals for millennia. Theologians, philosophers, and scientists continue to grapple with the problem of how our minds interact with our brains and bodies. From Anaxagoras and Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas, Nagel and Goff, and Koch and Hameroff, the brightest among us have been unable to solve the riddle of how we are conscious, unique, self-aware thinking beings. Uniting our efforts by considering the reasoning of interdisciplinary scholars and integrating the thoughts of others with our own can only enhance our chances of success. This paper offers a pathway toward a multidisciplinary theory of consciousness …

Maria Montessori, Vanessa Braun, Donna Devaughn Kreskey

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Maria Tecla Artemesia Montessori (born August 31, 1870, Chiaravalle, near Ancona, Italy – died May 6, 1952, Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands) was an Italian educator.  She is commonly remembered for the many schools around the globe that bear her name and implement her educational methods, the Montessori system. Maria Montessori was a scientist, educator, activist, and advocate for children.

Adolescent Social Development, Randall E. Osborne

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Views about the manner and nature of human development have changed across time (Psyking.net 2016). Some of these views have been religious (e.g., creationism) and some of these views have been more biological (e.g., preformationism).  Regardless of the focus of the view, how we believe human beings develop has a profound effect on our expectations for those beings.  One early view of human development from a biological perspective was Preformationism.  This is explained as, “A notion that was widespread among pioneer biologists in the 18th century was that the fetus, and hence the adult organism that develops from it, is …

Temperament, Aya Shigeto

Essays in Developmental Psychology

John Locke, an English philosopher, stated that all babies come to the world with a blank slate or tabula rasa, ready to absorb everything that their outside world has to offer. Behaviorists like John B. Watson similarly advocated the power of nurture (i.e., learning) and disregarded the contribution of nature (i.e., biology, genetics) to human development. Researchers today agree that babies are born with unique characteristics called temperament and that these individual differences in behavior, affect, and attention are believed to have genetic and biological bases. However, researchers also agree that temperament is not immune to environmental influences. In other …

Unearthing Silence: Deaf Archaeology As A Pathway To Social Justice And Accessibility, Abigail H. Steiner

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Deaf archaeology is an emerging field exploring the material culture, spaces, and histories of Deaf communities to understand their social lives and identities. This paper examines Deaf archaeology as a framework for uncovering the historical presence of Deaf individuals and promoting social justice. It begins by defining deafness, contrasting medical and cultural perspectives, then traces the field’s roots in sign language evolution, marginalization, and Deaf education. Through a timeline of findings, the study reveals how Deaf individuals have been recognized or overlooked historically. Engaging with the Southern Tier Deaf community, I explore accessible archaeology and the role of Deaf archaeology …

All Things Marian: Marian Titles, Michele Foley, John T. Myler, University Of Dayton. International Marian Research Institute

Podcast: All Things Marian

No abstract provided.

April 24, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

April 24, 2025 minutes for the WKU NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee meeting. Meeting conducted via Zoom.