Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Variability Of Lacustrine Sediment Proxy Responses To Late Holocene Climate Change As Modified By Lake Specific Processes: A Review Of Ecological And Geophysical Processes Across Northern And Eastern Iceland, Mallory Mintz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Consistenly-deposited lake sediments provide some of the highest resolution records of local and global climates in the past, offering the potential to better understand modern climate change in the context of past climate variability. In relating proxies to their respective climate regimes, the environmental cues that the specific proxies reacted to must be isolated from the general noise of possible local influences. In this investigation, biogenic silica (BSi), total organic carbon (TOC), δ13C values, and carbon: nitrogen ratios were analyzed between lakes through northern Iceland, to review possible complicating factors specific to the use of lacustrine proxies in the interpretation …

Realizing Urban Water Pollution Impact In Melbourne, Australia Through Painting, Gregory Suplinskas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Throughout the month of November 2016, I undertook a creative environmental art project in Melbourne, Australia. I chose to create a water-soluble oil painting (dimensions 3 ft. x 4 ft.) that represents water pollution problems in the city of Melbourne, particularly in Port Phillip Bay. These problems include toxic stormwater runoff, plastics pollution and plastic nurdles, as well as nutrient buildup and algal overgrowth. The painting includes messages regarding sustainability; sustainable action limits the use of our natural resources so that humans can preserve the environment for future generations rather than degrade it. In the painting, I combine conceptual and …

Realizing Urban Water Pollution Impact In Melbourne, Australia Through Painting, Gregory Suplinskas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Throughout the month of November 2016, I undertook a creative environmental art project in Melbourne, Australia. I chose to create a water-soluble oil painting (dimensions 3 ft. x 4 ft.) that represents water pollution problems in the city of Melbourne, particularly in Port Phillip Bay. These problems include toxic stormwater runoff, plastics pollution and plastic nurdles, as well as nutrient buildup and algal overgrowth. The painting includes messages regarding sustainability; sustainable action limits the use of our natural resources so that humans can preserve the environment for future generations rather than degrade it. In the painting, I combine conceptual and …

Beyond What Is Heard: A Documentary Film About Acoustic Ecology As Sustainability Activism, Jesse Rolfe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Acoustic ecology is an interdisciplinary field that studies the relationship between sounds, sound sources, and environment they exist within. From an environmental perspective, this involves a holistic consideration of ecosystems, and how the various organisms within that ecosystem, including humans, impact and interact with each other through sound. Biosphere Soundscapes, an international, interdisciplinary project directed by Australian acoustic ecologist Dr. Leah Barclay, operates to engage communities within UNESCO Biosphere Reserves through acoustic-ecological concepts, monitoring, and techniques. In November 2016, I undertook the process of creating a short documentary film entitled Beyond What is Heard, which aimed to explore how the …

Una Mueca Irónica: !El Travestismo Como Recurso Artístico De Las Yeguas Del Apocalipsis / An Ironic Grin: ! Cross-Dressing As An Artistic Resource Of The Apocalypseof The Yeguas, Sophia Cantizano

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Yeguas del Apocalipsis (Mares of the Apocalypse), were an art collective consisting of two men, Pedro Lemebel and Francisco Casas, who revolutionized the way transvestism was used in performance art. Active between 1988 and 1997, the Yeguas lit the way out of the dictatorship and into the post-regime transition period. For this reason, the context in which Lemebel and Casas made their art was more conducive to their own open criticism and explicit commentary of the political and social landscape, than that of the performance artists who functioned during the authoritarian dictatorship itself. This gave the Yeguas’ performances a …

Proxy Dating In Iceland Testing The Validity Of Silene Acaulis As A Phytometric Proxy, Madelyn Grant

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change is causing drastic changes in the cryosphere, particularly in the Arctic region where average warming is 1.9 times greater than in the rest of the world due to Arctic amplification. Understanding the response of essential climate variables such as glaciers and ice caps to rapid Arctic warming is essential to predicting future changes in the Arctic region and around the world. Proxy dating methods can help construct a record of warming-induced glacial retreat in areas where long-term monitoring systems are not in place. In Arctic regions, the cushion plant Silene acaulis represents one of the only feasible proxies …

Humanity Balancing On A Turtle’S Back: Perceptions And Values Of Sea Turtle Conservation Among Different Demographics At Four Sites In The Bocas Del Toro Archipelago Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Roxanne Hoorn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Being the ancient, world traveling, iconic mega-fauna they are, sea turtles have found their way into cultures and traditions around the world, often holding great prestige. Along with their mystical qualities, sea turtles have also been intricately intertwined in the livelihoods of cultures around the globe, utilized for food, jewelry, income, and more recently, scientific research. The ways in which humans around the world perceive the value of this species varies greatly, often causing conflict between those who wish to protect and conserve sea turtles, and those looking to continue using turtles as either a source of income or food. …

Street Art In Kathmandu As A Tool For Activism And Social Change, Madison Minchin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years street art has become a popular platform for activism and social commentary in Kathmandu. Both local Nepalis and visiting foreign artists have transformed the streets of the city into their new canvas for art and changemaking. The effectiveness of this unique intersection of art and activism has narrowly been examined through an academic lens. This research intends to understand the specific intentions of street artists and their art in Kathmandu. The effectiveness of this street art as a platform for social change is measured in this research through qualitative interviews and observational techniques. Analysis of the dynamics …

Making It Work: Supporting Contemporary Artists In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Michael Curran

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Following the country’s political transition to democracy in the 1990s, a generation of Mongolian artists constructed an art movement rooted in the issues of the new society: transitional national identity, corrupt political and economic systems, and a growingly complex relationship with nature. The liberalization of the economy, however, hasn’t nurtured sustainable creative resources or helped artists reach domestic or international markets, pressuring them to find alternative ways to create livelihoods out of their craft. This study considers how emerging multidisciplinary artists sustain themselves through both formal and informal means, and the motivations behind their creative lifestyles.

Central to the study …

Human Rights Education: A Tool For The Cultivation Of National Human Rights Culture In Morocco, Page Benoit

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Human rights have been taught in Morocco for twenty years. Since the process of Moroccan transitional justice, the aim of this human rights education has been to promote a national human rights culture. This research is a cross-comparison between how human rights education; for the purpose of creating a human rights aware society, is presented and enacted by the the Moroccan government and how it is presented and enacted by non-governmental bodies in a post transitional justice moment of history. The study was conducted through a qualitative data method. It includes interviews with the Inter-Ministerial Delegation of Human Rights and …

Welcome To The Streets: Tracing The Development Of Street Art In Nepal Since 2010, Malik Earle

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Graffiti is a process. There really is no beginning or ending to a piece. Graffiti art is practicing a design, bringing it to a wall, letting it take shape, and allowing it to interact with the environment. What makes graffiti unique, among other things, is its interaction with the environment. When international graffiti influences and local conditions drove inspired artists to bring their art to the streets, a new art form emerged in Nepal. “Local conditions” labels the forces ranging from personal drive to the history of public art in Nepal, which fuel the movement. The present study aims at …

Watch Chöd Self: An Examination Of Chöd, Its Practitioners, And Its Music, Weston Conner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The practice of Chöd is a form of Vajrayāna meditation that involves cutting one’s attachment to one’s self and compassionately offering one’s body as a feast for various deities and spirits. This study examines the practice of Chöd in the context of Boudha, Kathmandu, where there is a large community of Chödpas, Chöd practioners. This work aims to document the history of the practice, the experiences of some current Chöd practitioners, and the role that music plays in Chöd. This knowledge was acquired through observing Chödpas, speaking with them directly, and sitting in on various learning opportunities to gain firsthand …

Queer Connections: Social Media As A Versatile Tool Of The Marginalized Moroccan Lgbt, Savannah Vickery

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the role of social media in the Moroccan LGBT sphere. It draws on personal narratives from LGBT men and women as well as activists in order to establish the various ways that social media is employed in the interests of the individual, the community, and the activist. While social media has been a tool to expand the LGBT community around the world, it is specifically and unusually useful in Morocco where there is considerable censorship of incoming and outgoing media. Additionally, many public displays of resistance are considered to be counter productive to the pro-LGBT movement because …

The Non-Proliferation Treaty And The Political Aspects Of Nuclear Power In A Modern Context, Eve Gleeson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was created in 1967 in response to the growing threat of nuclear weapon detonation.1 Today, it has been signed and ratified by 190 countries who pledge to pursue efforts towards non-proliferation, peaceful nuclear energy, and nuclear disarmament. Five states remain outside of the treaty, four of which are nuclear weapon states: Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea. The nuclear weapon states in the NPT have been established as Britain, France, the U.S., Russia, and China.

The NPT has been created and maintained through the existence of power dynamics between nuclear and non-nuclear states. The potential to …

El Rol De Los Supermercados Chinos En La Integración Social De La Población China En Buenos Aires / The Role Of Chinese Supermarkets In The Social Integration Of The Chinese Population In Buenos Aires, Dana Marrero

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Aunque la inmigración china es algo relativamente nuevo en la historia de Argentina, las personas de aquel país han tenido una presencia fuerte en la sociedad de Buenos Aires, la ciudad Capital. En gran parte, esto es debido al nicho económico en el que muchos de los trabajadores chinos se han concentrado: los supermercados. Los pequeños mercados de barrio manejados por dueños chinos son tan comunes que a menudo los porteños simplemente dicen frases como “voy al chino” para referirse a estos comercios. Y con razón: en el 2011, aproximadamente el 35% de todos los mercados de Argentina pertenecía a …

Give A Man A Fish: A Narrative Approach To A Case Study Of Soup Kitchens In The Wentworth Community, Evelyn Shen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study uses a narrative approach to explore the role of soup kitchens in the predominantly Coloured and English-speaking Wentworth community. Many of the community’s churches1 and non-profit organizations host soup kitchens regularly, rotating so that there is a meal available each day of the week.

Qualitative data was gathered through volunteering with the soup kitchens as a participant observer and having conversations and open-ended interviews with soup kitchen guests and hosts. Institutional context was provided by interviews with the Convener of the War Room and the Ward Councillor, and representatives of three non-profits in the community. In order to …

Ease On Down The Road: From Diagnosis To Graduation And Beyond, An Auto-Ethnography, Amber M. Alford

Capstone Collection

This study was envisioned following a personal acknowledgement of perceived suppression of the author’s “unorthodox” approach to the research design process resulting in the desire to explore the role of the researcher’s experience in research design and ultimately in higher education. The author began feeling lost and overwhelmed in the pursuit of her Master of Arts degree. She felt that her particular values and methodology were not being validated or supported. Through the use of narrative, the author analyzes her own experience navigating higher education as one of the first in her entire family to do so, with the added …

A National Bilingual Education Policy For The Economic And Academic Empowerment Of Youth In St. Lucia, West Indies, Gabriella Bellegarde

Capstone Collection

This campaign portfolio argues the case for a national bilingual education policy on the island of St. Lucia, where youth speak both St Lucian Creole and St. Lucian standard English. The portfolio consists of a policy paper and brief, an advocacy plan, a communications plan, monitoring and evaluation plan. The Bilingual Education Taskforce (BET), made up of teachers, parents and principals, is an advocacy organization that discovered the need for a bilingual education intervention when they observed, assessed and analyzed the written work of struggling readers at their school, the Anse la Raye Infant School on the west coast of …

Tapez Le Tam-Tam And The People Will Come: A Study Of Theater For Social Justice In Kaolack, Senegal, Emily Schwerdtfeger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of theater to create social change and raise awareness of social issues as used by the troupe Bamtaare in Kaolack, Senegal. Further study was done to determine why theater was successful and whether this type of theater can be implemented in the United States. I spent four weeks in Kaolack working with the troupe to understand their methods. While in Kaolack, I observed rehearsals and performances, conducted interview with actors and audience members, and reviewed relevant literature. My research showed that Bamtaare’s performances in urban neighborhoods and rural villages did …

“It’S Not Important For You To Speak:” The Perception Of Purity And Its Power Over Women’S Reproductive And Sexual Health, Margot Radding

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There is a general silence in both society and academia surrounding women’s health and the social conception of purity. Purity myths and misconceptions have created stigmas that women of all backgrounds must navigate to manage and care for their reproductive and sexual health. This study investigates the importance of purity and how it is used to define, measure, and categorize women’s bodies and behaviors. Women’s perception of purity, specifically in regards to menstruation and pre-marital sex, were investigated using semi-structured interviews in Dehradun, Uttarkhand. This study analyzes how stigmatized conceptions of impurities manifest as silence in society. Data collected from …

My Neighborhood Is Changing: Positive Youth Development In The Historic Near East Side, Fevean N. Keflom

Capstone Collection

In this paper, I consider the impact of positive youth development in the lives of Black youth, in the Historic Near East Side of Columbus, OH. More specifically, I examine initiatives centered in cultural arts, holistic support, and African centered education in order to identify positive trends impacting urban Black youth. My research is guided by the question: How are Black youth impacted by urban development in a historic African-American neighborhood?

The Near East Side(NES) is a distinguished neighborhood, and in the past laid the foundation for some of the most prominent and successful African American owned businesses in Columbus, …

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?: Food Inequlaity And Black Americans, Christina Foster

Capstone Collection

Food insecurity is an issue that plagues many people throughout the world. It only requires a brief search on the United Nation’s (U.N.) World Hunger Map to determine that this is indeed a worldwide crisis. Conversely, within the United States, the issue of hunger is often treated as “minimal” in comparison to other countries. A deeper inquiry into hunger within the U.S. reveals an even more disturbing connection: the role of white supremacy and systemic racism in regard to hunger. Academic research pertaining to food access is quite recent. Be that as it may, it is of no surprise that …

Producing Knowledge: The Social Made Visible In The Division Of Environmental Biology Of The National Science Foundation, Patrick Southern

Capstone Collection

This inquiry explores how knowledge is produced in the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) of the National Science Foundation. Beginning from a poststructuralist understanding of science as firmly embedded in the unequal relations of society, this study sought to examine how the policies and procedures of funding research proposals in DEB influence and are influenced by those relations. Using an institutional ethnography approach to analysis, data were collected from analyzing publicly available texts from the division, NSF, Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the research community. The analysis demonstrates how the activities of DEB could maintain or exacerbate …

Dynamic Media: A Need For The Dynamic Use Of Media To Meet Organizational Goals, Alexander J. Scott

Capstone Collection

This qualitative research study looks at how media can be used dynamically as a vehicle for study abroad students to create more meaningful engagements with the communities they visit. It takes a post-structural approach with an emphasis on how media supports participatory community-driven initiatives. It is the result of a 3-month participatory research process that looks at how media is emerging as a resource in some of the most remote communities in Nicaragua. The study was based on interviews with community stakeholders of the study abroad program, participatory observation, questionnaires, talks with community members, and the results of dynamic media …

The Current State Of Access To Basic Education For Syrian Refugee Children Living In The Za’Atari Camp, Theresa L. Frey

Capstone Collection

Using Rodman’s (2006) International Education Analytical Inquiry Matrix as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study is to examine the current state of access to basic primary education for Syrian Refugee Children Living in the Za’atari camp. Within the scope of this study, access is examined in three parts, including:

(1) Who is accessing education within Za’atari and who is not?

(2) How are certain groups accessing education?

(3) What is the learning environment of Za’atari?

In addition to addressing existing issues of access to basic education in Za’atari, this study examines efforts made towards increasing access. By examining …

Reflect & Connect- Helping Students Make The Most Of Their Study Abroad Experience, Rachael L. Dean

Capstone Collection

In our world of internationalization and global networking, students that study abroad have a definite advantage when transitioning into the professional world after graduating college. However, when asked, many have a difficult time articulating and marketing their international experience. When transitioning back to the United States and campus culture, students also go through varying degrees of reverse culture shock. They want to talk about their experience and share their newfound love of another culture, however many run into disinterested friends and glossy eyes.

The Education Abroad office at Central Palm International University is looking to expand their outreach and commitment …

Traditions And Proficiency Abroad - Spain (Tapas) Program: A High School Study Abroad Program For District 128, Michaela Kendzior

Capstone Collection

As colleges begin to internationalize campuses and global competencies continue to become a demand in the workforce, secondary schools should also aim to internationalize the curriculum and offer international education opportunities to their students. In an effort to do this, I have created the Traditions And Proficiency Abroad - Spain (TAPAS) Program for Community High School District 128 in Illinois. The TAPAS program is a 20-day summer intensive cultural and language immersion program created to maximize learning potential in D128 students. While the program’s focus is on Spanish language and culture education, the orientation and instructional activities have been designed …

U101: Global Perspectives A Semester Course For First-Year Students, Chrissie Faupel

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper introduces a special section of the already existing, and quite successful, University 101 programs at the University of South Carolina (USC). U101: Global Perspectives is a semester-long program proposal for first-year students (freshman and transfer students), offered by the Study Abroad Office (SAO) at USC. Functioning as part of the Global Carolina initiative, the USC SAO is committed to providing students with the knowledge and cultural awareness to be responsible and successful citizens in today’s globally integrated world. With the goal of increasing the number of students studying abroad, as well as creating unique opportunities for students …

Protecting The Right To Life Of The Internally Displaced: An Examination Of Encampment And Its Effects On The Communities In Unyama And Koro Sub-Counties In Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Ashley Alessandra

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the period of encampment in Northern Uganda, as related to the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict, and the effects that encampment has had on communities in Gulu District through present day. The objectives of this study include; to examine the process of displacement, to analyze whether displaced persons were accorded the right to security during the encampment period, to analyze the effects that encampment has had on communities during the return period, through present day, and to examine the ways in which various actors have attempted to address such effects. This analysis is conducted through a human rights …

Song Of The Dzopa: A Case Study Of Traditional Farming, Food, And, Isabella Pezzulo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a plane high above the snow-capped jagged peaks and cracked earth of Ladakh, I stared down below with awe, wondering how people ever coaxed life from the soil in this mountain-desert landscape. The intention of this study is to see how traditional subsistence farming actually takes place and the social settings formed by these practices. Living in the village of Tar for a little over twenty days allowed me to observe the age-old practices in which nourishment is produced and community formed through working the land. Working with my hands and resting with cups of butter tea alongside villagers …