DOCSLIB.ORG

Newcomer Issues at the YMCA

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Newcomer Issues at the YMCA Newcomer Issues at the YMCA An Interactive Qualifying Project submitted to the Faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science by Dan Campbell Nithin Das Mitch Greene Patricia Swierk Date: 4 May 2015 Report Submitted to: David Connell Regional Executive Director of the YMCA John F. Zeugner Worcester Polytechnic Institute This report represents work of WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its web site without editorial or peer review. For more information about the projects program at WPI, see http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Projects. ABSTRACT Worcester, Massachusetts is home to thousands of immigrants that have struggled to make a better life for themselves in the United States. This study is aimed at identifying ways the YMCA in downtown Worcester can reach out to these newcomers. Using surveys, interviews, and engaging with the Y and Worcester communities, this study concludes that the YMCA should offer soccer as a regular program as well as other global sports. Additionally the Y could export many of their services directly to these new residents in places where they gather. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our Interactive Qualifying Project team would like to give a special thanks to advisor Professor John Zeugner for his expertise and never ending support. We would also like to thank the staff at the YMCA for supporting us throughout the entire process. We want to thank especially our sponsor Mr. David Connell for providing us with all the assistance and resources we needed for this project. We also want to thank Pam Suprenant for her assistance, positive attitude and constant enthusiasm. Special thanks to Sara Levy for her constant effort in helping us obtain data. And finally to Shereen Fahey for always being there to guide us, encouraging us in times of difficulties and giving us advice. Lastly, we would like to thank the countless number of people, organizations, and businesses that helped us along the way to complete our study. Without them we would not have been able to gather the information and data we needed. ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Worcester is a melting pot of all ethnic groups, with it becoming more diverse by the year. Each group has its own unique culture and celebrates its own tradition. These groups have encountered many different obstacles in coming to the United States. Often times their needs and interests are overlooked leading to isolation and depression. There are many organizations whose goal is to assist these immigrant groups and make sure they are cared for. An organization that is determined to have a positive impact in successful immigrant integration is the YMCA. We have been working with the YMCA Central Community branch located at 766 Main Street Worcester MA, which has been designated a Global Center of Excellence for their extensive work with people of all ethnic groups. The Y approached us with the purpose of defining who the newcomers are to the Worcester Community, identifying ways to interact with these groups so we can discover their needs and figure out points of entry to get them involved in Y activities. After preliminary research we concluded that we would focus on Iraqis, Vietnamese and Brazilians. We began by calling various charitable organizations around the city that are known for working with immigrants. As we progressed, we were able to set up interviews with directors of some of these organizations to ask questions based on our project and see if we could come back to interview and survey the populations that they work with. We discovered there were businesses that were run by these immigrant groups, and we interviewed the owners. We were allowed to come back to interview and survey their customers. By the end of the project we changed our targeted groups to Burmese, Vietnamese, Ghanaians and Iraqis based on the results that we were receiving. Through our interviews and surveys with these ethnic groups, the response to our inquiry of their favorite activity was soccer. Each person that we interviewed had the option to give us their top three favorite activities. Soccer was an overwhelmingly the majority choice, accounting for more than twenty percent. The second and third choices were for general exercise which would be working out or weight lifting; and swimming. Responses that received only one vote were grouped together in a section itself, since it would not have much meaning for the overall recommendations that we are relaying to the Y. iii Figure 1: Overall Favorite Activities From our findings we have formulated several recommendations for the YMCA that they can begin to implement in the near future as well as suggestions for how to handle the continuation of this study in the future. In terms of what the Y can do in the near future, we recommend that they begin to offer a soccer program for people of all ages, skills and ethnicities. The implementation of a soccer program can be handled in many different ways; either at the Y in the gym, across the street in the park, or at their Camp Blanchard in Sutton, MA. However, each option has pros and cons associated with it. Some considerations that need to be made are cost, transportation, and participation. We also recommend that the Y redirects their resources to the various ethnic organizations around Worcester by going to these new constituents rather than having them come to the Y. In speaking with directors of these organizations, we learned that many of these ethnic groups are hesitant to leave the comfort of their own culture and often have most of what they need at these locations. If the Y were to bring their programs to these places, we believe that it would raise awareness of the Y while making these ethnic groups more comfortable and familiar with what the Y offers. The Y could offer easily transportable services such as yoga and plyometrics as group activities at places like the Southeast Asian Coalition where large numbers of Vietnamese gather in the evening. The Y could also offer such a gathering place to the other ethnic communities that lack a common meeting space. In general, we believe that these partnerships will benefit both the Y and other organizations by bringing together their knowledge and resources. For future projects we have many recommendations that will allow for more effective usage of the project time. Such suggestions include beginning organization contacts during ID 2050 so that the target groups can be solidified before the project beings. This recommendation allows for the maximum amount of time for data collection during the project; a lack of time was an issue that we ran into during our study. iv AUTHORSHIP Our project was completed as a combined effort from literature review to final report. Each section of the report was written and reviewed equally by all four members of the team. Input for this project was consistent and collaborative for the entirety of this project. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... iii AUTHORSHIP ............................................................................................................................ v LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... xii INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................... 2 Immigrant and Refugee Information ....................................................................................... 2 Historical Demographics of Worcester, Massachusetts .......................................................... 3 Current Demographics of Worcester City ............................................................................... 5 History of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts ...................................................................... 7 Target Populations ................................................................................................................. 7 Burmese ............................................................................................................................. 7 Vietnamese ......................................................................................................................... 8 Ghanaian ............................................................................................................................ 9 Iraqi ....................................................................................................................................11 Brazilian .............................................................................................................................13 Immigrant Integration .............................................................................................................15
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Islamic Radicalization in the Uk: Index of Radicalization
    ISLAMIC RADICALIZATION IN THE UK: INDEX OF RADICALIZATION Anna Wojtowicz, (Research Assistant, ICT) Sumer 2012 ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to analyze the process of radicalization amongst British Muslims in the United Kingdom. It begins with a review of the Muslim population, demographics and community structure. Further presenting several internal and external indicators that influenced and led to radicalization of Muslim youth in Britain. The paper concludes that there is no one certainty for what causes radicalization amongst Muslims in United Kingdom. However, it is certain that Islamic radicalization and the emergence of a homegrown threat is a growing trend that jeopardizes the countries security, peace and stability. Radicalization in the United Kingdom is an existing concern that needs to be addressed and acted upon immediately. Misunderstanding or underestimating the threat may lead to further and long term consequences. * The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT). 2 I. Introduction 4 II. Background 5 History of the Muslim Community in the United Kingdom 5 Population 7 Geographical Concentration of Muslims 8 Ethnic Background 10 Age Estimate 11 Occupation and Socio-Economic Conditions 11 Religious and Cultural Aspects 13 Multiculturalism 17 Islamophobia 20 Converts 21 Case Studies –London, Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds, Leicester 22 III. Organizations 28 Organizations within the United Kingdom 28 Mosques, Koranic Schools and Islamic Centers 34 Student Groups 40 Islamic Websites and TV 43 IV. Radicalization in Britain 43 Theoretical Background and Causes of Radicalization 43 Recruitment and Radicalization: Overlook 47 Radicalization Process 49 Forms of Financing 51 Radical Groups and Movements in the UK 53 Influential Leaders in the UK 60 Inspiration and Influence from Abroad 67 Sunni 67 Shia 70 3 V.
    [Show full text]
  • Summary of Sexual Abuse Claims in Chapter 11 Cases of Boy Scouts of America
    Summary of Sexual Abuse Claims in Chapter 11 Cases of Boy Scouts of America There are approximately 101,135sexual abuse claims filed. Of those claims, the Tort Claimants’ Committee estimates that there are approximately 83,807 unique claims if the amended and superseded and multiple claims filed on account of the same survivor are removed. The summary of sexual abuse claims below uses the set of 83,807 of claim for purposes of claims summary below.1 The Tort Claimants’ Committee has broken down the sexual abuse claims in various categories for the purpose of disclosing where and when the sexual abuse claims arose and the identity of certain of the parties that are implicated in the alleged sexual abuse. Attached hereto as Exhibit 1 is a chart that shows the sexual abuse claims broken down by the year in which they first arose. Please note that there approximately 10,500 claims did not provide a date for when the sexual abuse occurred. As a result, those claims have not been assigned a year in which the abuse first arose. Attached hereto as Exhibit 2 is a chart that shows the claims broken down by the state or jurisdiction in which they arose. Please note there are approximately 7,186 claims that did not provide a location of abuse. Those claims are reflected by YY or ZZ in the codes used to identify the applicable state or jurisdiction. Those claims have not been assigned a state or other jurisdiction. Attached hereto as Exhibit 3 is a chart that shows the claims broken down by the Local Council implicated in the sexual abuse.
    [Show full text]
  • A Widened Lens by Joan Killough-Miller | Photography John Mollura an Iqp in Namibia Inspired Donal Boyd ’13 to Pursue a Career Behind the Camera
    JOURNAL pi a Widened lens HOW AN IQP IN NAMIBIA INSPIRED DONAL BOYD ’13 TO PURSUE A CAREER BEHIND THE CAMERA The Alumni mAgAzine of WorcesTer PolyTechnic insTiTuTe SUMMER 2016 WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE VOL. 112, NO. 3 | summer 2016 [CONTENTS] 24 FEATURES 20 34 THE SPECIALIST THE STATS BEHIND THE STORY ALEXIA (BILILIES) RANTALA ’09 CAN’T REMEMBER A PASSION FOR NUMBERS TURNED INTO A NEW WHEN TRAVELING INTERNATIONALLY AND HELPING LANGUAGE OF SPORTS FOR JEFF BENNETT ’94. PEOPLE LESS FORTUNATE WEREN’T PART OF HER LIFE. BY TED FLANAGAN | PHOTOGRAPHY KATHLEEN DOOHER BY CATE COULACOS PRATO | PHOTOGRAPHY ERIC HASON 40 24 SEWING SPACE [ COVERstory] JINNY FERL ’83 HAS DESIGNS ON THE GALAXY. A WIDENED LENS BY JOAN KILLOUGH-MILLER | PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN MOLLURA AN IQP IN NAMIBIA INSPIRED DONAL BOYD ’13 TO PURSUE A CAREER BEHIND THE CAMERA. BY ANDREW FAUGHT | PHOTOGRAPHY DONAL BOYD COVER PHOTO DONAL BOYD WPIA_FOB_Summer_INF-19.indd 6 7/28/16 12:40 AM 64 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALUMNI RELATIONS Peter A. Thomas CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Amy M. Morton EDITOR Doreen Manning [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITORS Peggy Isaacson Joan Killough-Miller 34 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Judith Jaeger ART DIRECT0R DEPARTMENTS Caryl Guarino Buhler CONTRIBUTORS Michael Cohen Andrew Faught 02 32 Ted Flanagan LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Cate Coulacos Prato WPI INSIDER Julia Quinn-Szcesuil SOME STUFF YOU LIKED FROM THE SPRING JOURNAL, KATIE PICCHIONE ’16 IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF Jennifer Wyglinski AND SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT DIDN’T IMPRESS YOU. A WPI INSIDER. PRODUCTION MANAGER WE AREN’T SHY … WE SHARE IT ALL. Dianne Vanacore PHOTOGRAPHERS 45 Donal Boyd 03 Matthew Burgos ACROSS EARLE BRIDGE Kathleen Dooher MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT LESHIN MA FELLOWSHIP, ALUMNI AWARDS, #MYWPILEGACY, Leah Fasten Eric Hason AND ALUMNI WEEKEND SNAPSHOTS Steven King 05 John Mollura BYTE o’ 50 ILLUSTRATORS π Gabriela Zurda Corbarán A TALK WITH IMGD PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE DONOR IMPACT PJ Loughran LEE SHELDON JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS OF THE ALDEN TRUST CHALLENGE.
    [Show full text]
  • Pilgrimage and World Religions
    Pilgrimage and World Religions Professor Todd Lewis Office: Smith 425 Office Hours:; Tu/Thurs 1-2; Wed. 1:30—2:30 E-mail: [email protected] __________________________________________________ Course Description: Human beings have always sought the sacred in unusual or extraordinary places, and gone on pilgrimages to mountain tops, rivers, waterfalls and caves. This course explores traditional and modern examples of pilgrimage in places as different as India, Japan, China, and Tibet and as close as Walden Pond. Readings will include case studies of pilgrimage, pilgrimage literature and literary models of pilgrimage, and journey writing. Students will encounter the phenomenon of pilgrimage in context through texts, films, and lectures, as well as experience pilgrimage through planned course sojourns. These include visits to: a mosque, a Buddhist meditation center, a Hindu temple, and several sacred locations in the American landscape. Students will do weekly writing assignments and engage the pilgrimage experience as they study about it. The course will culminate in a final project in which students conduct and write the stories of their own pilgrimage. Seminar Approach: The course must oscillate between lectures on the background beliefs and practices of the world religions, and then anthropological/historical accounts of representative case studies. The seminar entails members making personal/group pilgrimage journeys to a mosque, Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, and sites “sacred” to those who follow the ideas of the American transcendentalists. Course Requirements: (Instructions for each assignment will be given) • Weekly Reading Response Journal – ideas/thoughts, pilgrimage response, evolving thoughts on site of personal pilgrimage and goals – that week’s question – uploaded to Google Drive, due on 3/1 (5 entries) and again on 5/3.
    [Show full text]
  • Youth Organizing
    INNER-CITY MUSLIM ACTION NETWORK 2008 ANNUAL REPORT 2008 ANNUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Letter from the Executive Director 2. Mission & Vision 3. Principles of Change 5. Staff & Board TABLE OF CONTENTS 9 . Community Organizing & Advocacy 17. Direct Services 23 Arts & Culture 27. Media Sightings 28. Outreach 29. Your IMAN Growing 31 Financials 33. Acknowledgements 35. Donor Recognition Dear IMAN Friends, THE INNER-CITY MUSLIM ACTION NETWORK Assalamu Alaikum and Peace Be Upon You. We live in paradoxical times where great opportunity and extraordinary challenges confront many of 2744 West 63rd Street • Chicago, Illinois 60629 ABOUT us organizing and working for positive change in the community. With the TEL 773.434.4626 • FAX 773.434.0260 blessings of the Most High and the leadership and support of so many of [email protected] • www.imancentral.org you, IMAN has done all it can to seize as much of this opportunity as we could over these last two years. In 2008 and 2009, we initiated new and strengthened existing programs. In 2009, with funding from the City of Chicago, we began a Green Reentry Project that is converting foreclosed and vandalized homes in Chicago Lawn into “green” housing. IMAN will use the renovations of these homes to provide on-the-job training for the formerly incarcerated, and to provide transitional housing for our brothers reentering the community. Also in 2009, through the generosity of an individual donor, we purchased a new building at 2747 W. 63rd St.; now we are exploring ideas on the use of this 15,000 square foot property for our operations and the benefit of communities we serve.
    [Show full text]
  • 01-Contents Page.Indd
    THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS = 2010 THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS = 2010 third edition - 2010 CHIEF EDITORS Dr Joseph Lumbard and Dr Aref Ali Nayed PREPARED BY Usra Ghazi DESIGNED AND TYPESET BY Simon Hart CONSULTANT Siti Sarah Muwahidah WITH THANKS TO Aftab Ahmed, Emma Horton, Ed Marques, Lamya Al-Khraisha, Mohammad Husni Naghawi, Kinan Al-Shaghouri, Farah El- Sharif, Jacob Washofsky, Mark B D Jenkins and Zahna Zurar Copyright © 2010 by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the prior consent of the publisher. Image Copyrights: #27 Andrew Medichine / AP (Page 78); #28 Bazuki Muhammad / Reuters (Page 79); #33 Ibrahim Usta / AP (Page 80); #38 Hussein Malla / AP (Page 84); #44 Amel Emric / AP (Page 87); #88 Ben Curtis / AP (Page 88); #48 Wang zhou bj / AP (Page 89) اململكة اﻷردنية الهاشمية رقم اﻹيداع لدى دائرة املكتبة الوطنية )2009/9/4068( يتحمل املؤلف كامل املسؤولية القانونية عن محتوى مصنفه و ﻻ يعبر هذا املصنف عن رأي دائرة املكتبة الوطنية أو أي ّ . جهة حكومية أخرى ISBN: 978-9975-428-37-2 املركز امللكي للبحوث والدراسات اﻹسﻻمية )مبدأ( the royal islamic strategic studies centre CONTENTS = introduction 1 the diversity of islam 7 the diversity of islam - chart 16 top 50 25 runners-up 91 the lists 95 1. Scholarly 97 2. Political 107 3. Administrative 115 4. Lineage 127 5. Preachers 129 6. Women’s Issues 133 7. Youth 139 8. Philanthropy 141 9. Development 143 10. Science, Technology, Medicine, Law 153 11. Arts and Culture 157 Qur’an Reciters, 163 12.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Program Handbook
    2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Program Handbook 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows 2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Program Program Office S3-104 Brian Lewis, Ph.D. Co-P.I. Pranoti Mandrekar, Ph.D. Co-P.I. [email protected] Linhelle P. Charles, Administrative Coordinator [email protected] Office 508-856-2444 Cell 508-797-7919 1 | P a g e Table of Contents Program Schedule 4 Program Description 7 Program Dress Code 7 Travel Guidelines 7 Healthcare and Emergency Contact 8 Guidelines for Disability Documentation 8 UMMS Email and Internet 8 Packages and Mail 8 Housing Information 9 Housing Security and Guidelines 10 Housing Checkout 11 Social Events 11 Bus Transportation 11 Parking at WSU and UMMS 11 First Day of the Program 12 Required Scheduled Events 12 Weekend Reporting Guidelines 12 Incident Reports 12 Poster Session 12 Closing Ceremony and Luncheon 12 Program Evaluations and Surveys 12 Housing Checkout 11 Items Prohibited in Residence Halls 13 Worcester State University Area Information 14 Supermarkets 14 Pharmacies 14 Transportation 14 Restaurants 15 Take Out / Carry Out 16 Banks 16 Churches 17 Movie Theatres 18 2 | P a g e Shopping 19 UMMS Campus Map 20 UMMS Plantation Street Parking Garage 21 UMMS Area Map 22 WSU Campus Map 23 WSU Area Map 24 Life in Worcester 25 Index 26 3 | P a g e 4 | P a g e 5 | P a g e 6 | P a g e Program Description The University of Massachusetts Medical School’s (UMMS) Combined Summer Undergraduate Research Program is a non-academic credit, ten-week, highly structured research experience.
    [Show full text]
  • Worcester Friends Meeting Religious Society of Friends (Quaker)
    Worcester Friends Meeting Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) 901 Pleasant Street Worcester, MA 01602 Tel. (508) 754-3887 e-mail: [email protected] www.WorcesterFriendsMeeting.org October - November 2012 ADVICE & QUERIES What in my present life distracts me from God? – Baltimore Yearly Meeting How do I discern what constitutes simplicity for me? – Earlham College Are you free from the burden of unnecessary possessions? – Northwest Yearly Meeting Do I choose with care the use of technology and devices that truly simplify and add quality to my life without adding undue burden to essential resources? – Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Do you take care that your spiritual growth is not sacrificed to busyness but instead integrates your life’s activities? – New England Yearly Meeting Clerk’s Corner by Clarence Burley For where your treasure is there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:34)” This text challenges me on two Quaker testimonies. God has given me the ability in health, talent, time, opportuni- - dance (well, relative abundance, relative to the real need of so many others.) ties, and a large measure of good luck to satisfy my immediate needs and fulfill my family responsibilities in abun So I wonder. Am I exemplifying Simplicity, my own personal brand of Simplicity? Is the money I spend simply leaking away, giving me only momentary satisfaction? Will I later look back and ask, “Why did I ever buy that thing? Did I really think I needed to have a moment of satisfaction in order to collect so much dust? It could have been used to help A wise old priest (yes, asking for money) once said, “You will never miss what you give away.” I have found that he others, to improve the world, to benefit the Society of Friends.” spoke truly.
    [Show full text]
  • Ti MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVI EW
    Ti MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVI EW, CONTENTS Missourians and the Nation During the Last Century Champ Clark Missouri Centennial Exposition Donald D. Davis A Guide to the Study of Local History and the Collec­ tion of Historical Material Jonas Viles and Jesse E. Wrench Missourians in Japan S. H. Wainwright The Missouri and Mississippi Railroad Debt E. M. Violette The Followers of Duden William G. Bek Shelby's Expedition to Mexico John N. Edwards Historical Notes and Comments Historical Articles in Missouri Newspapers STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY oF MISSOURI THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW Vol. XV April, 1921 No. 3 CONTENTS. Page Missourians and the Nation During the Last Century.... 433 CHAMP CLARK Missouri Centennial Exposition 449 DONALD D. DAVIS A Guide to the Study of Local History and the Collection of Historical Material 453 JONAS VILES AND JESSE E. WRENCH Missourians in Japan 468 S. H. WAINWRIGHT The Missouri and Mississippi Railroad Debt 487 E. M. VIOLETTE The Followers of Duden 519 WILLIAM G. BEK Shelby's Expedition to Mexico 545 JOHN N. EDWARDS Historical Notes and Comments 561 Historical Articles in Missouri Newspapers 580 FLOYD C. SHOEMAKER, Editor The Missouri Historical Review is published quarterly. The sub- scription price is $1.00 a year. A complete set of the REVIEW is still obtainable—Vols. 1-14, bound, $60.00; unbound, $30.00. Prices of separate volumes given on request. All communications should be addressed to Floyd C. Shoemaker, Secretary, The State Historical So­ ciety of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. "Entered as second-class matter at the postoffice at Columbia, Missouri, under the Act of Congress, Oct.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Doesn't Worcester Vote? Molly B
    Clark University Clark Digital Commons International Development, Community and Master’s Papers Environment (IDCE) 8-2016 Why Doesn't Worcester Vote? Molly B. Kazin Clark University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers Part of the American Politics Commons, and the Urban Studies and Planning Commons Recommended Citation Kazin, Molly B., "Why Doesn't Worcester Vote?" (2016). International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE). 97. https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/97 This Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Master’s Papers at Clark Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE) by an authorized administrator of Clark Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. WHY DOESN’T WORCESTER VOTE? MOLLY B. KAZIN AUGUST 2016 A MASTER’S RESEARCH PAPER Submitted to the faculty of Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the department of International Development, Community, and Environment. And accepted on the recommendation of Kathryn Madden, Chief Instructor ABSTRACT WHY DOESN’T WORCESTER VOTE? MOLLY B. KAZIN This research presents findings from a study of voter turnout and registration in Worcester, Massachusetts and takes steps to examine possible reasons why turnout has been consistently low in municipal elections. Specifically, it assesses educational attainment, income, race and ethnicity, and types and function of municipal government as reasons for the minimal turnout. Drawing on literature, case studies throughout the United States, and census and city clerk data, this paper will discuss reasons for voters’ lack of involvement, a comparison of seven municipalities throughout Massachusetts, and recommendations for creating a more civically engaged community in Worcester.
    [Show full text]
  • Land, Spirit, Pilgrimage an Interdisciplinary Seminar in Creative Writing ＆ Religious Studies
    Land, Spirit, Pilgrimage An Interdisciplinary Seminar in Creative Writing ＆ Religious Studies Professor Todd Lewis Office Hours: Smith 425; Mondays 5:30-6; Tues/Wed. 1-2; E-mail: [email protected] Professor Leila Philip: Office Hours: Fenwick 315 Tues 2:30 – 3:30; Thurs 2:30 – 4:30 E-mail [email protected] __________________________________________________ Course Description: Human beings have always sought the sacred in unusual or extraordinary places, and gone on pilgrimages to mountain tops, rivers, waterfalls and caves. This course explores traditional and modern examples of pilgrimage in places as different as India, Japan, China, and Tibet and as close as Walden Pond. Readings will include case studies of pilgrimage, pilgrimage literature and literary models of pilgrimage, and journey writing. Students will encounter the phenomenon of pilgrimage in context through texts, films, and lectures, as well as experience pilgrimage through planned course sojourns. These include visits to: a mosque, a Buddhist meditation center, a Hindu temple, and several sacred locations in the American landscape. Students will do weekly writing assignments and engage the pilgrimage experience as they study about it. The course will culminate in a final project in which students conduct and write the stories of their own pilgrimage. Course Requirements: (Instructions for each assignment will be given) Weekly Reading Response Journal – ideas/thoughts, pilgrimage response, evolving thoughts on site of personal pilgrimage and goals – that week’s question – collected on 3/10 (5 entries) and again on 5/5. Entries are 2 pages each: Response to pilgrimage literature (1 page) Response to literary models (1 page) Pilgrimage Research Presentation: teams of 3 will make 10 minute presentations, including PowerPoint and handouts; Due: In Class, Monday, March 17 Pilgrimage Prospectus of Capstone Project – 2-3 pages (outlining place of pilgrimage, intent, duration, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • 2013-2014 Is Described in the Following Pages
    The Curriculum ............................................... 3 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Africana Studies.............................................. 3 Studies ...................................................55 Anthropology.................................................. 3 Literature .......................................................57 Art History...................................................... 7 Mathematics ..................................................68 Asian Studies ................................................ 11 Music .............................................................70 Biology .......................................................... 13 Philosophy .....................................................79 Chemistry...................................................... 15 Physics ...........................................................81 Classics.......................................................... 17 Politics ...........................................................83 Computer Science ........................................ 17 Pre-Health Program (see Science and Dance ............................................................ 20 Mathematics).......................................102 Design Studies............................................... 24 Psychology .....................................................87 Economics..................................................... 24 Public Policy ..................................................97 Environmental Studies ................................
    [Show full text]