Communication Commons^™

Amjambo Africa! (January 2020), Kathreen Harrison

Amjambo Africa!

In This Issue...

Transportation planning ...........p. 2

Celebrating Diversity in Maine .p. 3

Opinion on refugee numbers....p. 4

Jamat Ibrahim dreams big..........p. 9

In Her Kitchen ...........................p. 10

Lewiston author pens children’s book.........................p. 13

Food Co-op and MAIN ............p. 18

World Affairs Council...............p. 19

Youth Get Together..................p. 19

A Hard Row To Hoe: Suicide Among Kentucky Farmers, Olivia Eiler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male farmers die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of the general population. My research focuses on understanding the factors contributing to this trend and identifying potential solutions, with a specific focus on the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I have collected qualitative data through video interviews with political leaders, scholars, and youth who are active in the agriculture community. These individuals have identified several key stressors, including stigma, a lack of healthcare providers in rural areas, financial insecurity, a lack of appreciation from the public, and uncertainty due to decisions made …

Pilot E-Portfolio Project For Communication Studies Graduate Program, Ahlam Muhtaseb

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This proposal for integrating e-portfolios into the graduate program assessment plan at the CSUSB Communication Studies Department was developed by Dr. Ahlam Muhtaseb, the graduate coordinator of Communication Studies at CSUSB, for the TRC's institute on e-portfolios in December of 2019.

Effective Teaching Techniques And Strategies, Jaime Garcia

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

Abstract: This Course ensured that faculty learned about—and implemented—the approaches that improve engagement and persistence and promote deeper learning. This 25-module online course concentrated on teaching practices effective in face-to-face instruction. Comprehensive in scope and organized around five units of study, faculty members learned together in cohorts and implement approaches to:

• design an effective course and class
• establish a productive learning environment
• use active learning techniques
• promote higher order thinking, and assess in ways that inform instruction and promote deeper levels of learning

Each interdisciplinary cohort is facilitated by a celebrated CSUSB faculty member. Our local facilitators are 2019 Outstanding …

Audience Engagement Strategies In The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Rachel Halle

Masters Theses

Audience engagement research examines the strategies content creators use to enhance audience involvement beyond simply watching the content. This analysis applies audience engagement strategies generated from television, branding, and social media research to video blogs (vlogs), specifically in the context of the narrative of The Lizzie Bennett Diaries. As part of that analysis, this effort also identifies ways in which those strategies integrated into the vlog format. The strategies included addressing the audience directly, mentioning the vlog within the narrative, mentions of YouTube or the internet, asking the audience for input, and mentioning audience input with the vlog. All strategies …

Romantic Rejection In Gay Potential Relationships: A Gay Blog Analysis, Rebecca Ferlotti

Masters Theses

Little research has been done on gay potential relationships (when two daters had gone on five or fewer dates or would-be dates), and there was no existing research available on romantic rejection in gay potential relationships. Most existing literature on romantic rejection focused on heterosexual relationships and long-term homosexual relationships. This thesis analyzed 48 blog entries from four publicly-accessible gay dating blogs ( The Guyliner ; It Gets Worse ; Gay Dating Stories ; and 100 Guys, 100 Storie s) that described romantic rejections. This thesis concluded romantic rejections for the four gay bloggers overall were most frequently implicit, due …

Ua1b3 Confederates In Our Attic - Discussion Guide, Wku Naming & Symbols Task Force

WKU Administration Documents

Guidelines created by the WKU Naming & Symbols Task Force for conversations regarding naming of buildings for Confederate sympathizers.

Ua1b3 Confederates In Our Attic - Discussion Guide 2, Wku Naming & Symbols Task Force

WKU Administration Documents

Short discussion guide created by the WKU Naming & Symbols Task Force for use in consideration of renaming buildings honoring Confederate sympathizers.

Ua19/16/1 Wku Hilltopper Basketball Media Guide, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

2020-21 men's basketball media guide produced by WKU Athletic Media Relations, includes athletic records and statistics, photographs, schedule and information regarding opponents.

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Department Of Biomechanics Annual Report 2019-2020, Department Of Biomechanics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Biomechanics Annual Report

This report contains:

A letter from the Director: Dr. Nick Stergiou

Articles on research that impacts the community

Article about the Movcentr Impact

Articles on Expanding horizons

Article on the people of UNO Biomechanics

Student Centered articles

Articles on Community Engagement

and Fun.

The Effects Of Misrepresentation (2020-2021), Miranda R. Cobo

CPN 101: Researched Inquiry

This example of a research inquiry investigates issues of representation in the comic, Black Panther. Cobo writes: “In the 1960s, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced T’Challa, famously known as the Black Panther. He was the first black superhero to be introduced in the Marvel Universe and into popular American comics. The world that Black Panther lived in is very advanced and breaks the stereotype of the view that many Americans have on Africa. However, that is only one stereotype that it has worked against. There have been many other stereotypes that writers use in T’Challa’s storyline that can be …

Child Protection Services: The Developmental Consequences Of Arbitrary Removal (2020-2021), John Jackson

CPN 101: Researched Inquiry

This research inquiry example details the developmental consequences for children removed from their biological homes by Children’s Services. Jackson uses sources to discuss physical, mental, and emotional implications for removing children from their homes or parents in their future development as both children and adults. Not only does Jackson present an alternative perspective thinking about negative consequences and how the process of removal puts parents at odds with regaining custody, but he also proposes an alternative solution in the conclusion.

The Medical Ethics Of Hela Cells (2020-2021), Elizabeth Pratt

CPN 101: Researched Inquiry

Pratt’s research inquiry essay focuses on the medical ethics issues involved in the case of Henrietta Lacks and her cancer cells (known as HeLa,) which have been used and reused in medical research without hers or her family’s consent. Throughout this essay, Pratt moves between several areas for concern including medical agency and patients’ rights to their own bodies, financial implications, legal definitions, and issues for privacy. Pratt concludes with a call for future regulations and focus on medical ethics.

The Doppelganger Effect (2020-2021), Jessica Jean-Baptiste

CPN 101: Researched Inquiry

In this example of a research inquiry, Jean-Baptiste focuses on the use of cameras and mirrors to create doubles, or “doppelgangers” for the character of Nina in the film, Black Swan. In thinking about the “doppelganger effect,” Jean-Baptiste moves through an argument for how doubling fulfills not only one purpose or message within the film, but three. Her claim in synthesizing multiple sources of film analysis is that the doppelganger allows Aronofsky to comment on mental disorders, sexism within the community of ballet, and the overall mood for the film as a thriller as opposed to only a drama.

Illegitimate Control: An Acknowledgement Of False White Supremacy (2020-2021), Whitman Ives

CPN 101: Researched Inquiry

This research inquiry introduces a timely conversation on racism, cultural appropriation, and white supremacy. Ives’ argument is that the root cause of cultural appropriation and racism can be traced to a negative and false history of white supremacy. In other words, white culture has been founded and perpetuated based on power-seeking behavior, of which racism is more a symptom. Ives asserts that it is important to acknowledge that white culture is based on false assumptions of supremacy and to address that more systematically rather than addressing only individual events or instances of racism.

Stand By Me As My Words Write The Way (2020-2021), Gianna Wheeler

CPN 101: Remix

In this example of a remix assignment, Wheeler uses poetry as a means to translate her research inquiry project into a new form for a new audience and purpose. She remixes aspects of her film analysis of Stand By Me with a reimagined focus on her research process. Wheeler considers aspects such as source selection, revision, and incorporating feedback into the final research inquiry paper. Throughout the poem, “Stand By Me” is both the title of the film on which Wheeler is conducting research and also a repeated phrase marking the progress that she makes through various stages in …

My Quest For Confidence (2020 - 2021), Tai Tran

Critical Evaluation

In this critical evaluation Tran discusses the need for confidence in writing and not simply relying on summarizing or explaining sources, but connecting back to one’s main argument and extending, commenting on, or even critiquing those sources. Along with the narrative essay that Tran provides, there is also a list of “author notes” or a cover letter that accompanies the main essay. This first list of eight points helps to frame the reader’s understanding of the critical evaluation essay.

Ua19/16/1 Hilltopper Volleyball Media Guide, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Athletic media guide for volleyball team.

Ua35/3 Memoranda, Wku Provost

WKU Administration Documents

2020 memoranda issued by the WKU Provost to faculty & staff via email.

• Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning January Workshops
• Fall to Fall Retention of All FFY as of Census by Selected Categories
• Updates fromt the Provost
• COVID-19
• COVID-19 or Coronavirus Update
• COVID-19 Update from the Provost's Office
• Announcing the 2020 College Faculty Award Winners
• WKU Announces New Associate Provost for Research & Graduate Education
• Budget Communication
• Summer School Updates from the Provost
• Amendment to PDF Policy
• FY2020-21 Budget Executive Committee Recommendations
• Provost's Message

Ua19/16/1/5 Lady Topper Golf 2019-20 Season Statistics, Wku Athlteic Media Guide

WKU Administration Documents

Statistical analysis of the 2019-20 women's golf team season.

Work Values: A Comparison Study Between Russia And The United States, Jacqueline Schmidt, Deborrah Uecker

2020 Faculty Bibliography

Understanding what motivates people to work is a critical concern for management. In preparing students for a global economy, awareness of cultural differences is motivation is important. Researchers have studied the effect of cultural values and most recently generational cohorts in identifying motivational values. This study examines motivational work values of Russian and US. millennials/Generation Z. While the findings show that US. and Russians have become more similar in motivation than in earlier studies supporting research on generational cohorts, there are still important cultural differences separating the cohorts. Implications for business and suggestions for classroom use are given.

Scotchwhisky101.Com: A User-Friendly, Persona-Driven Website, William Dillon Miller

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Within the realm of web design and marketing, it is easy for the designer to get caught up in what he/she thinks the site needs to look like. The problem is that web users are trying to accomplish specific tasks, and websites need to be tailored towards these users, not towards the designer. To work on this problem, I chose to make a website entitled “scotchwhisky101.com.” Most websites about single malts are too information-heavy and/or outdated. I used this problem to learn methods of user-oriented web design. To achieve this end, I gathered data through a survey. I then took …

First Past The Poll: A Blog About Political Statistics, Bradley Wascher

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This Capstone Experience project details my efforts to become a political data journalist. I took the first major step in August 2018, starting First Past the Poll, my politics blog. For three semesters, this website was frequently updated with nonpartisan reports on the latest elections, deep dives on long-term polling trends, and commentary on political numbers more broadly. Hoping to buck the trend of the stodgy prose prevalent throughout politics, my stories combined academic rigor with accessible writing.

As I began to find my footing in the field, First Past the Poll put me in the position to become …

Listening Back: A Podcast About Encouraging Social Change Through Theatre Of The Past, Madison Rose

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This CE/T explores the nature of theatre as a tool to encourage social change. Theatre is an important art form that can influence audiences into considering contemporary societal concerns and taking action. This capstone specifically addresses theatre prior to the 2000s as effective commentary on modern issues in America, such as police brutality, discrimination, reproductive rights, and religious hypocrisy. I have created a podcast as a resource for young dramaturgs and activists about existing and accessible plays that can be used to address important societal issues. This project is a culmination of my interest in theatre, history, communication and social …

Audience Segmentation Ethics In Health Promotion, Uyen Lili Le

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Audience segmentation is a crucial component of health promotion campaigns as it is believed to support health-related campaigns to achieve greater benefits. However, there are numerous concerns about the ethicality of audience segmentation. For instance, Newton, Newton, Turk, and Ewing (2013) stated that audience segmentation can create inequalities between different groups of audiences. In addition, unintended audience and consequences are often excluded from health campaign planning and execution. These factors can negatively affect the campaign by creating adverse impacts. As a matter of fact, the prominent challenge of health promotion is sustaining the connection between ethics and effectiveness for promotional …

Performing Ir, Charles Darwin Lulevitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is an attempt to create a new way of understanding international relations, which is defined here as knowledge and practice that informs us of the nature, goals, and actors of international politics. At the core of the research is a simple concern, but one I am still rather unsure I have thought of enough: what does it mean to create a different discourse? The argument made is that international relations as we know it, is a discourse centered on state, sovereignty, and anarchy, and also white, hegemonic masculine culture, which forces us to maintain that culture’s social dominance. …

Performances Of An Able, Academic Mind, Caleb Green

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Western culture individualizes issues of public health. This is especially clear in academic life, where the structures of the university disable atypical bodies and minds in order to force them to simultaneously perform the roles of scholar, teacher, and colleague. The university not only fails to accommodate afflicted minds and bodies, it also produces more precarity in the process. This project is a performance ethnography of my time in the academy, starting with my life as an undergraduate being disciplined into academic life, moving toward recruitment for graduate school, and ending with events surrounding the construction of this very project. …

Introduction, Antonio Medina-Rivera, Lee F. Wilberschied Ph.D.

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

No abstract provided.

Ua25 Memoranda, Wku Strategy, Operations & Finance

WKU Administration Documents

Memoranda issued by WKU Strategy, Operations & Finance to faculty & staff via email.

• Bookstore
• Staff Excellence Awards
• Campus Update

Ua19/16/2 Tennis Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU tennis teams in 2020.