April 19, 2019 Warren Hunting Smith Library and Melly Academic Center SHARE YOUR PASSIONS Sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The eleventh annual Senior Symposium was made possible by the vision, leadership, and efforts of many in the Hobart and William Smith community: Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs Office of the President Offices of the Hobart and William Smith Deans Office of Communications IT Services

Center for Teaching and Learning Christen Davis, Susan Hess, Ingrid Keenan, Robert Lewis, Susan Pliner, Elizabeth Santin, Parke Schweiter, Ruth Shields, Jamie Slusser, Alexus Spann, Sam Vann

Abstract Writing and Presentation Workshop Facilitators Cait Finn, Amy Forbes, Amy Green, Sara Greenleaf, Alex Kerai, Kevin Lin, Drury Mackenzie, Scott MacPhail, Emily Perkins, Trevor Poisson, Ben Ristow, Jered Slusser, Katie Stiffler, Maggie Werner

Sincere thanks are extended to the students, faculty advisors, faculty moderators, staff, alumnae, alumni, and all who have contributed to the success of this year’s event.

RESEARCH SUPPORT AND AWARDS Symposium students have received generous support for their academic projects from the following organizations, programs, and funds:

Afro Latino Alumni and Alumnae Association Certificate of Cultural Enrichment Cohen Honors Fund for Psychological Research Dr. Edward Franks Grants Edward J. Tapper Science Research Fund Hobart Dean's Office Intercultural Affairs House Kathryn D. Cook Scholarship Mamie Phipps Clark Diversity Research Grant National Institutes of Health Grant National Science Foundation Grant Phoenix Players, Hobart and William Smith Colleges President's Office, Hobart and William Smith Colleges Rochester Academy of Science Research Grant SIFF Grant for Film Production Tanaka Memorial Foundation The Emerson Foundation The Jones Family Fund William Smith Dean’s Office

Senior Symposium 2019 Presenters

SENIOR SYMPOSIUM 2019 PRESENTERS

Presenter Department/Program Sponsor Panel Time Room Geoscience John Halfman Amejecor, Kely 3:00 - 3:55 Sanford Room Finger Lakes Institute Lisa Cleckner

Bange, Jacqueline Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 8:00 - 8:55 Geneva Room

Banta, Sarah Psychology Brien Ashdown 8:00 - 8:55 Geneva Room

Barry, Rachael Geoscience David Kendrick 11:15 - 12:10 Geneva Room

Barwick, Megan American Studies S. Ani Mukherji 10:10 - 11:05 Sanford Room

Bistodeau, Brandon Economics Warren Hamilton 11:15 - 12:10 Sanford Room

Bistodeau, Brandon History Matt Kadane 4:05 - 5:00 Sanford Room

Blackwell-Orr, Janeya Political Science Stacey Philbrick Yadav 4:05 - 5:00 Learning Studio 1

Blanchfield, Megan Psychology Brien Ashdown 1:55 - 2:50 Learning Studio 1

Blow, Saedra English James McCorkle 10:10 - 11:05 Learning Studio 1

Bruno, Michael Music Anna Fulton 1:55 - 2:50 Geneva Room

Bruno, Michael Music Mark Olivieri 3:00 - 3:55 Learning Studio 1

Burstein, Sarah Psychology Jamie Bodenlos 12:20 - 1:30 Sanford Room

Caglioti, Gemma Women's Studies Michelle Martin-Baron 12:20 - 1:30 Learning Studio 1

Camara, John Economics Judith McKinney 10:10 - 11:05 Sanford Room

Cantral, Lillian Sociology Jack Harris 8:00 - 8:55 Learning Studio 1

Chung, Charmaine Chemistry Kristin Slade 11:15 - 12:10 Geneva Room

Cook, Madeline Women's Studies Michelle Martin-Baron 12:20 - 1:30 Learning Studio 1 de Maillé, Mariana Biology Kristy Kenyon 1:55 - 2:50 Learning Studio 1

Dent, Sally Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 1:55 - 2:50 Sanford Room

DiPaola, Cassidy Women's Studies Michelle Martin-Baron 12:20 - 1:30 Learning Studio 1

DiPhilippo, Angelina Psychology Brien Ashdown 10:10 - 11:05 Geneva Room

Englert, Molly Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 3:00 - 3:55 Sanford Room

Ferrier, Alden Chemistry Erin Pelkey 8:00 - 8:55 Learning Studio 1

Ferry, Sydney Women's Studies Michelle Martin-Baron 12:20 - 1:30 Learning Studio 1 SENIOR SYMPOSIUM 2019 PRESENTERS

Presenter Department/Program Sponsor Panel Time Room

Flood, Gerry English Rob Carson 9:05 - 10:00 Sanford Room

Fowle, Adelaide Philosophy Karen Frost-Arnold 12:20 - 1:30 Sanford Room

Fox, Matthew Political Science Vikash Yadav 11:15 - 12:10 Learning Studio 1

Goodwin, Gabriella Entrepreneurial Studies Craig Talmage 3:00 - 3:55 Sanford Room

Gorelick, Molly Education Diana Baker 8:00 - 8:55 Geneva Room

Harper, Joshua Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 3:00 - 3:55 Geneva Room

Hayden, Donovan Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 8:00 - 8:55 Learning Studio 1

Media and Society Leah Shafer Hogan, Matthew 8:00 - 8:55 Sanford Room English Anna Creadick

Hopton, Andrew Philosophy Greg Frost-Arnold 4:05 - 5:00 Sanford Room

Howard, Katherine Religious Studies Richard Salter 10:10 - 11:05 Learning Studio 1

Hughes, Olivia Political Science Justin Rose 9:05 - 10:00 Learning Studio 1

Ireland, Erika Sociology Kendralin Freeman 10:10 - 11:05 Geneva Room

Jennings, Austin Theatre Heather May 1:55 - 2:50 Learning Studio 1

Karaul, Zachary Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 3:00 - 3:55 Geneva Room

Kennedy, Ned American Studies S. Ani Mukherji 8:00 - 8:55 Sanford Room

Kerai, Alex English Melanie Hamilton 11:15 - 12:10 Geneva Room

Center for Teaching and Kerai, Alex Susan Pliner 4:05 - 5:00 Learning Studio 1 Learning Center for Teaching and Kerai, Alex Susan Pliner 9:05 - 10:00 Sanford Room Learning

Kline, Maeve William Smith Deans' Office Lisa Kaenzig 11:15 - 12:10 Sanford Room

Lacey, Madeline American Studies S. Ani Mukherji 10:10 - 11:05 Sanford Room

Lasher, Caitlin Political Science Jodi Dean 9:05 - 10:00 Learning Studio 1

Le, Kristen Psychology Brien Ashdown 8:00 - 8:55 Geneva Room

Mathematics and Computer Lu, Qingyi Joseph Rusinko 4:05 - 5:00 Learning Studio 1 Science

Marquet, Franklin Economics Warren Hamilton 8:00 - 8:55 Sanford Room

Mastrangelo, Cailey Dance Donna Davenport 12:20 - 1:30 Sanford Room SENIOR SYMPOSIUM 2019 PRESENTERS

Presenter Department/Program Sponsor Panel Time Room

Mastrangelo, Cailey Psychology Brien Ashdown 3:00 - 3:55 Geneva Room

Matos, Jackeline Anthropology Jason Rodriguez 9:05 - 10:00 Sanford Room

McDaniels, Kahiya Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 9:05 - 10:00 Learning Studio 1

McFadden, Marissa Chemistry Erin Pelkey 1:55 - 2:50 Sanford Room

McKean, Meg Religious Studies Richard Salter 11:15 - 12:10 Learning Studio 1

Women's Studies Michelle Martin-Baron Minker, Julia 12:20 - 1:30 Learning Studio 1 LGBT Studies Melissa Autumn White

Morris, Dylan Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 8:00 - 8:55 Learning Studio 1

Murphy, Penelope Biology Meghan Brown 11:15 - 12:10 Learning Studio 1

Ngo, Amanda LGBT Studies Melissa Autumn White 12:20 - 1:30 Learning Studio 1

Geoscience Nguyen, Nhung John Halfman 3:00 - 3:55 Learning Studio 1 Environmental Studies

Noe, Bryce Music Anna Fulton 10:10 - 11:05 Geneva Room

Noe, Bryce Music Mark Olivieri 11:15 - 12:10 Geneva Room

Okeke, Ifunanya Dance Donna Davenport 1:55 - 2:50 Learning Studio 1

Okeke, Ifunanya Biology Kristy Kenyon 3:00 - 3:55 Learning Studio 1

Perez, Sergio Philosophy Steven Lee 4:05 - 5:00 Learning Studio 1

Randall, Alvin Biology Kristy Kenyon 1:55 - 2:50 Geneva Room

Reinharz, David American Studies S. Ani Mukherji 8:00 - 8:55 Sanford Room

Rosen, Alexa Media and Society Leah Shafer 10:10 - 11:05 Learning Studio 1

Rutledge, Elijah Religious Studies Michael Dobkowski 9:05 - 10:00 Sanford Room

Sanito, Alyssa Psychology Julie Kingery 12:20 - 1:30 Sanford Room

Schweiter, Parke Biology Elizabeth Newell 3:00 - 3:55 Sanford Room

Scott, Saoirse Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 9:05 - 10:00 Learning Studio 1

Sindoni , Mara Psychology Julie Kingery 12:20 - 1:30 Sanford Room

Sullivan, Liam Religious Studies Richard Salter 1:55 - 2:50 Geneva Room

Tamblin, Mackenzie Psychology Julie Kingery 12:20 - 1:30 Sanford Room SENIOR SYMPOSIUM 2019 PRESENTERS

Presenter Department/Program Sponsor Panel Time Room

Toupal, Jonas Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens 4:05 - 5:00 Sanford Room

Underwood, Sarah Dance Donna Davenport 1:55 - 2:50 Sanford Room

Walters, Sarah Religious Studies Richard Salter 10:10 - 11:05 Sanford Room

Walters, Sarah William Smith Deans' Office Lisa Kaenzig 11:15 - 12:10 Sanford Room

Webster, Nathan Chemistry Erin Pelkey 10:10 - 11:05 Sanford Room

West, Stephen Religious Studies Shalahudin Kafrawi 1:55 - 2:50 Sanford Room

Wiles, Sarah Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 3:00 - 3:55 Sanford Room

Zhuo, Swellar Sociology H. Wesley Perkins 3:00 - 3:55 Geneva Room

Senior Symposium 2019 Schedule

Geneva Room

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program Impact of Childhood

Moderator: Christine de Denus, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Different, Not Deficient: Misrecognized Bange, Jacqueline Sociology Language Skills of Lower-Class Youth

Banta, Sarah IPARTheory and Future Well-Being in Psychology Le, Kristen Guatemala 8:00 - 8:55

The Benefits and Challenges of Dual- Gorelick, Molly Immersion Programs within Bilingual Education Education

Questions & Answers

Goals and Dreams

Moderator: Brien Ashdown, Associate Professor of Psychology

Guatemalan Teenagers' Hopes and Dreams for the Future: A Qualitative DiPhilippo, Angelina Psychology Study of Goals and Characteristics for Future Selves

Exploring the Family Head Start Ireland, Erika Sociology Connection on Student Outcomes 10:10 - 11:05

Accumulative Wave of Texture in "Dream Noe, Bryce Music Wave": Accumulation and Expectation

Questions & Answers Geneva Room

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program Composition and Concentration

Moderator: Charlie Temple, Professor of Education

Microfossils from Chert Nodules of the Barry, Rachael Onondaga Limestone: An Example of Geoscience Organic Fossil Preservation

Effects of Macromolecular Crowding on Chung, Charmaine Chemistry Enzyme Kinetics

11:15 - 12:10 (The) Missing Piece(s): Collected Short Kerai, Alex English Fiction

Noe, Bryce Rock 'n' Roll Trombone Music

Questions & Answers

Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n' Roll

Moderator: Chip Capraro, Associate Professor of History

Bruno, Michael Cover Versions: The Alabama Song Music

Characterizing Heliothine Orthologs of Genes Required for Antenna Formation Randall, Alvin Biology and Sex Determination across 1:55 - 2:50 Lepidoptera and Diptera Orders

Navigating the Doors of Perception: Sullivan, Liam Religious Studies Ayahuasca and the Guide

Questions & Answers Geneva Room

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program Educational Impact

Moderator: Alex Black, Assistant Professor of English

Relationship between Parental Harper, Joshua Educational Background and Children’s Sociology Karaul, Zachary Academic Success

Adolescent Sexual Education in the Mastrangelo, Cailey Psychology Highlands of Guatemala 3:00 - 3:55

Breastfeeding and Children's Cognitive, Zhuo, Swellar Sociology Social and Emotional Development

Questions & Answers

Learning Studio 1

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program New Models

Moderator: David Mapstone, Assistant Dean of Hobart College

Cantral, Lillian Redesigning Food Systems Sociology

Ferrier, Alden Visualization and Synthesis Chemistry 8:00 - 8:55

Lost in the Food Desert: Knowledge and Hayden, Donovan Agency of Geneva Residents to Address Sociology Morris, Dylan Food Insecurity

Questions & Answers

Taking Action

Moderator: Justin Rose, Assistant Professor of Political Science

A Proposed Attack on Sexual Assault: Hughes, Olivia An Evaluation of Women’s Participation Political Science in Prevention Efforts

Action through "Marronage": How Does Lasher, Caitlin Everyday Resistance Imbue the Political Science 9:05 - 10:00 Definition of Political Movement?

McDaniels, Kahiya Homelessness and Social Isolation in Sociology Scott, Saoirse Ontario County

Questions & Answers Learning Studio 1

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program Challenging Myths

Moderator: Ricky Price, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science

Hidden History: Navigating the Blow, Saedra Complexities of Ancient Transgender English Narratives

Myth: Why Meaning Matters in Foreign Howard, Katherine Religious Studies Intervention Decision-Making 10:10 - 11:05

The Mammy in Media: The Liaison Rosen, Alexa between Post Civil War Racism and Media and Society Today

Questions & Answers

Juxtaposition

Moderator: Eric Klaus, Associate Professor of German Area Studies

Fox, Matthew Dubai: Neoliberal or Neopatrimonial? Political Science

Sacredness and Similarity at McKean, Meg Religious Studies Clonmacnoise and Newgrange 11:15 - 12:10

A Tale of Two Ponds: Why Two Murphy, Penelope Biology Neighboring Ponds Behave Differently

Questions & Answers Learning Studio 1

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program So What? Speaking to the Futures of Marginalized Fields Moderators: Michelle Martin-Baron, Assistant Professor of Women's Studies Melissa Autumn White, Assistant Professor of LGBT Studies

Caglioti, Gemma Women's Studies

Cook, Madeline Women's Studies

DiPaola, Cassidy Women's Studies Round Table Discussion 12:20 - 1:30 Ferry, Sydney Women's Studies

Women's Studies; Minker, Julia LGBT Studies

Ngo, Amanda LGBT Studies

Questions & Answers

Learning through Experience Moderator: Scott MacPhail, Associate Director of Health Professions Counseling and Fellowship Advising Effects of Developing a Global Perspective and a Cultural Identity on Blanchfield, Megan Psychology Students' Social and Health Behaviors while Studying Abroad

How Biotechnology Is Harnessing de Maillé, Mariana Innovation to Develop New Medical Biology Therapeutics: A Personal Experience

1:55 - 2:50 Bringing Hell to Life: A Novice Jennings, Austin Theatre Director's Experience

The Clinical Application of Dance as a Okeke, Ifunanya Dance Drug

Questions & Answers Learning Studio 1

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program Altering the Elements

Moderator: Joshua Newby, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Bruno, Michael To Buy a Fat Pig Music

DNA Methylation Profiling of Geoscience; Nguyen, Nhung Anthopleura Elegantissima Using Environmental 3:00 - 3:55 Nanopore Sequencing Studies

Does the Transcriptional Regulator Okeke, Ifunanya Teashirt-2 Function in Development of Biology the Xenopus (Frog) Retina?

Questions & Answers

Evolution Moderator: Joseph Rusinko, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Affairs

Changing to Stay the Same: A Look into Blackwell-Orr, Janeya How State-Civil Society Relations Shape Political Science Transitional Justice

Center for The Role of Student Newspapers in Kerai, Alex Teaching and Engaging Discussion and Change Learning

4:05 - 5:00 Machine Learning for Phylogenomics: Improving Statistical Binning Mathematics and Lu, Qingyi Techniques for Species Tree Computer Science Reconstruction

Perez, Sergio True Democracy Philosophy

Questions & Answers Sanford Room

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program Ways of Winning

Moderator: Leah Shafer, Associate Professor of Media and Society

How Should the Fighting Game Media and Society; Hogan, Matthew Community Grow and Change (or Not) English in the Current eSports Era?

Race, Media, Memory and the 1936 Kennedy, Ned American Studies Berlin Olympics

8:00 - 8:55 Quantitative Analysis and Valuation in Marquet, Franklin Economics Baseball

Navigating "No-Man’s-Land": Arthur Reinharz, David Ashe's Use of Celebrity Status to American Studies Engage in Social Activism

Questions & Answers

Voices

Moderator: Erin Pelkey, Professor of Chemistry

Antony, Brutus, and the Downfall of the Flood, Gerry English Republic in Julius Caesar

Center for Discovering and Making Films with a Kerai, Alex Teaching and Liberal Arts Education Learning

9:05 - 10:00 Matos, Jackeline English Education Program in India Anthropology

Voices from World War II and a Call to Rutledge, Elijah Religious Studies Resistance

Questions & Answers Sanford Room

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program Communities

Moderator: Christine de Denus, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Living on the Wrong Side of the Tracks: Barwick, Megan The Divided Neighborhood That American Studies Followed New York City's High Line

Ethnic Enclaves: Wage Premium or Camara, John Wage Penalty for Second Generation Economics Asian Americans

10:10 - 11:05 Open Seats, Closed Doors: Open Choice Lacey, Madeline Enrollment and Segregation in Fairfield American Studies County Schools

Confirming Community: Confirmation Walters, Sarah as a Community Building Practice in Religious Studies Secularized Lutheran Denmark

Questions & Answers

Optimimization

Moderator: Lisa Kaenzig, Dean of William Smith College

Hypothetical Investment Banking Bistodeau, Brandon Economics Model

Kline, Maeve PLEN: William Smith Engaged in Policy William Smith Walters, Sarah and Mentorship Deans' Office 11:15 - 12:10

The Synthesis and Optimization of Webster, Nathan Chemistry Reactions Leading to PY-340-D

Questions & Answers Sanford Room

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program Well-Being

Moderator: Emily Fisher, Associate Professor of Psychology

Facets of Mindfulness and Health Burstein, Sarah Among a Predominantly Low-Income Psychology Community Sample

Illness, Experience, and Trust: Fowle, Adelaide Epistemic Injustice in the Healthcare Philosophy System

12:20 - 1:30 Physical Trauma and Somatic Support Mastrangelo, Cailey Dance for First Responders

Sanito, Alyssa Sindoni, Mara Mindfulness and Health Psychology Tamblin, Mackenzie

Questions & Answers

Finding the Balance

Moderator: Nick Metz, Associate Professor of Geoscience

Detrimental to Childhood: An Analysis Dent, Sally of Correlations between Kindergarten Sociology Children and GPACE Scores

A Fine Balance: Utilization of McFadden, Marissa Protecting Groups to Synthesize 3,4- Chemistry Bisindole-Furan-2-Ones

1:55 - 2:50 Stop Fidgeting: A Research Study of On- Underwood, Sarah Dance vs. Off-Task Behavior

Discourses of Islamic Religious West, Stephen Religious Studies Authority and the American Context

Questions & Answers Sanford Room

Department/ Time Presenters Abstract Title Program FLX

Moderator: Craig Talmage, Visiting Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies

Phytoplankton Dynamics in the Finger Geoscience; Finger Amejecor, Kely Lakes using a FluoroProbe and Lakes Institute Fluorometer

Englert, Molly Downtown Revitalization: Case Study of Sociology Wiles, Sarah the Dove Block Project

3:00 - 3:55 The Golden Age of the Finger Lakes in Entrepreneurial Goodwin, Gabriella Danger? Climate Change and Other Studies Environmental Impacts on Tourism

Threats to Ash Trees and the Future of Schweiter, Parke the Understory at the Kashong Biology Conservation Area

Questions & Answers

What Do We Know?

Moderator: Nan Crystal Arens, Professor of Geoscience

The Naturalization of Profit-Maximizing Bistodeau, Brandon History Capitalism

Who Really Knows: Why It's Important Hopton, Andrew Philosophy to Challenge Facts 4:05 - 5:00

Remote Sensing Mapping of Mercury Toupal, Jonas Contamination in Vegetated Areas: The Geoscience Case of Tarkwa, Ghana, Africa

Questions & Answers

Senior Symposium 2019 Abstracts

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presenter Abstract Title Page

Phytoplankton Dynamics in the Finger Lakes using a Amejecor, Kely 1 FluoroProbe and Fluorometer

Different, Not Deficient: Misrecognized Language Skills of Bange, Jacqueline 2 Lower-Class Youth

Banta, Sarah IPARTheory and Future Well-Being in Guatemala. 3

Microfossils from Chert Nodules of the Onondaga Limestone: Barry, Rachael 4 An Example of Organic Fossil Preservation

Living on the Wrong Side of the Tracks: The Divided Barwick, Megan 5 Neighborhood That Followed New York City's High Line

Bistodeau, Brandon Hypothetical Investment Banking Model 6

Bistodeau, Brandon The Naturalization of Profit-Maximizing Capitalism 7

Changing to Stay the Same: A Look into How State-Civil Blackwell-Orr, Janeya 8 Society Relations Shape Transitional Justice

Effects of Developing a Global Perspective and a Cultural Blanchfield, Megan Identity on Students' Social and Health Behaviors while 9 Studying Abroad

Hidden History: Navigating the Complexities of Ancient Blow, Saedra 10 Transgender Narratives

Bruno, Michael Cover Versions: The Alabama Song 11

Bruno, Michael To Buy a Fat Pig 12

Facets of Mindfulness and Health Among a Predominantly Low- Burstein, Sarah 13 Income Community Sample

Caglioti, Gemma So What? Speaking to the Futures of Marginalized Fields 14

Ethnic Enclaves: Wage Premium or Wage Penalty for Second Camara, John 15 Generation Asian Americans TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presenter Abstract Title Page

Cantral, Lillian Redesigning Food Systems 16

Chung, Charmaine Effects of Macromolecular Crowding on Enzyme Kinetics 17

Cook, Madeline So What? Speaking to the Futures of Marginalized Fields 18

How Biotechnology Is Harnessing Innovation to Develop New de Maillé, Mariana 19 Medical Therapeutics: A Personal Experience

Detrimental to Childhood: An Analysis of Correlations between Dent, Sally 20 Kindergarten Children and GPACE Scores

DiPaola, Cassidy So What? Speaking to the Futures of Marginalized Fields 21

Guatemalan Teenagers' Hopes and Dreams for the Future: A DiPhilippo, Angelina Qualitative Study of Goals and Characteristics for Future 22 Selves

Englert, Molly Downtown Revitalization: Case Study of the Dove Block Project 23

Ferrier, Alden Visualization and Synthesis 24

Ferry, Sydney So What? Speaking to the Futures of Marginalized Fields 25

Antony, Brutus, and the Downfall of the Republic in Julius Flood, Gerry 26 Caesar

Illness, Experience, and Trust: Epistemic Injustice in the Fowle, Adelaide 27 Healthcare System

Fox, Matthew Dubai: Neoliberal or Neopatrimonial? 28

The Golden Age of the Finger Lakes in Danger? Climate Goodwin, Gabriella 29 Change and Other Environmental Impacts on Tourism TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presenter Abstract Title Page

The Benefits and Challenges of Dual-Immersion Programs Gorelick, Molly 30 within Bilingual Education

Relationship between Parental Educational Background and Harper, Joshua 31 Children’s Academic Success

Lost in the Food Desert: Knowledge and Agency of Geneva Hayden, Donovan 32 Residents to Address Food Insecurity

How Should the Fighting Game Community Grow and Change Hogan, Matthew 33 (or Not) in the Current eSports Era?

Hopton, Andrew Who Really Knows: Why It's Important to Challenge Facts 34

Myth: Why Meaning Matters in Foreign Intervention Decision- Howard, Katherine 35 Making

A Proposed Attack on Sexual Assault: An Evaluation of Hughes, Olivia 36 Women’s Participation in Prevention Efforts

Exploring the Family Head Start Connection on Student Ireland, Erika 37 Outcomes

Jennings, Austin Bringing Hell to Life: A Novice Director's Experience 38

Relationship between Parental Educational Background and Karaul, Zachary 31 Children’s Academic Success

Kennedy, Ned Race, Media, Memory and the 1936 Berlin Olympics 39

Kerai, Alex (The) Missing Piece(s): Collected Short Fiction 40

Kerai, Alex Discovering and Making Films with a Liberal Arts Education 41

The Role of Student Newspapers in Engaging Discussion and Kerai, Alex 42 Change TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presenter Abstract Title Page

Kline, Maeve PLEN: William Smith Engaged in Policy and Mentorship 43

Open Seats, Closed Doors: Open Choice Enrollment and Lacey, Madeline 44 Segregation in Fairfield County Schools

Action through "Marronage": How Does Everyday Resistance Lasher, Caitlin 45 Imbue the Definition of Political Movement?

Le, Kristen IPARTheory and Future Well-Being in Guatemala. 3

Machine Learning for Phylogenomics: Improving Statistical Lu, Qingyi 46 Binning Techniques for Species Tree Reconstruction

Marquet, Franklin Quantitative Analysis and Valuation in Baseball 47

Mastrangelo, Cailey Adolescent Sexual Education in the Highlands of Guatemala 48

Mastrangelo, Cailey Physical Trauma and Somatic Support for First Responders 49

Matos, Jackeline English Education Program in India 50

McDaniels, Kahiya Homelessness and Social Isolation in Ontario County 51

A Fine Balance: Utilization of Protecting Groups to Synthesize McFadden, Marissa 52 3,4-Bisindole-Furan-2-Ones

McKean, Meg Sacredness and Similarity at Clonmacnoise and Newgrange 53

Minker, Julia So What? Speaking to the Futures of Marginalized Fields 54

Lost in the Food Desert: Knowledge and Agency of Geneva Morris, Dylan 32 Residents to Address Food Insecurity TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presenter Abstract Title Page

A Tale of Two Ponds: Why Two Neighboring Ponds Behave Murphy, Penelope 55 Differently

Ngo, Amanda So What? Speaking to the Futures of Marginalized Fields 56

DNA Methylation Profiling of Anthopleura Elegantissima Nguyen, Nhung 57 Using Nanopore Sequencing

Accumulative Wave of Texture in "Dream Wave": Accumulation Noe, Bryce 58 and Expectation

Noe, Bryce Rock 'n' Roll Trombone 59

Does the Transcriptional Regulator Teashirt-2 Function in Okeke, Ifunanya 60 Development of the Xenopus (Frog) Retina?

Okeke, Ifunanya The Clinical Application of Dance as a Drug 61

Perez, Sergio True Democracy 62

Characterizing Heliothine Orthologs of Genes Required for Randall, Alvin Antenna Formation and Sex Determination across Lepidoptera 63 and Diptera Orders

Navigating "No-Man’s-Land": Arthur Ashe's Use of Celebrity Reinharz, David 64 Status to Engage in Social Activism

The Mammy in Media: The Liaison between Post Civil War Rosen, Alexa 65 Racism and Today

Rutledge, Elijah Voices from World War II and a Call to Resistance 66

Sanito, Alyssa Mindfulness and Health 67

Threats to Ash Trees and the Future of the Understory at the Schweiter, Parke 68 Kashong Conservation Area TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presenter Abstract Title Page

Scott, Saoirse Homelessness and Social Isolation in Ontario County 51

Sindoni , Mara Mindfulness and Health 67

Sullivan, Liam Navigating the Doors of Perception: Ayahuasca and the Guide 69

Tamblin, Mackenzie Mindfulness and Health 67

Remote Sensing Mapping of Mercury Contamination in Toupal, Jonas 70 Vegetated Areas: The Case of Tarkwa, Ghana, Africa

Underwood, Sarah Stop Fidgeting: A Research Study of On- vs. Off-Task Behavior 71

Confirming Community: Confirmation as a Community Walters, Sarah 72 Building Practice in Secularized Lutheran Denmark

Walters, Sarah PLEN: William Smith Engaged in Policy and Mentorship 43

The Synthesis and Optimization of Reactions Leading to PY- Webster, Nathan 73 340-D

Discourses of Islamic Religious Authority and the American West, Stephen 74 Context

Wiles, Sarah Downtown Revitalization: Case Study of the Dove Block Project 23

Breastfeeding and Children's Cognitive, Social and Emotional Zhuo, Swellar 75 Development PHYTOPLANKTON DYNAMICS IN THE FINGER LAKES USING A FLUOROPROBE AND FLUOROMETER

Kely Amejecor

Nutrient loading has stimulated the occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Finger Lakes of central and western New York, even in oligo- and meso-trophic lakes. In fact, detectable levels of microcystin were found in finished drinking water in the region in 2016. Since 2016 the research group with which I worked has used a bbe FluoroProbe (FP) to study and monitor phytoplankton community dynamics including the four major algal groups ‘green’ algae (Chlorophyta and Euglenophyta), ‘brown’ algae (Baccillariophyta, Chyrsophyta, and Dinophyta), ‘blue-green’ algae (Cyanophyta), and ‘red’ algae (Cryptophyta). I will present our analysis and interpretation of FP chlorophyll data collected in the summer of 2018 and compare results to fluorometric chlorophyll-a analysis to assess how this method compares. Data from a range of lakes representing low to high nutrient levels will be presented to show a comparison between both methods.

DIFFERENT, NOT DEFICIENT: MISRECOGNIZED LANGUAGE SKILLS OF LOWER-CLASS YOUTH

Jacqueline Bange

The nonnormative language skills of lower-class youth are often misrecognized and classified as deficient by mainstream school standards (Miller and Sperry 2012). However, these children’s language abilities may not be deficient, but are simply different than those of their higher-class peers. Indeed, certain narrative skills of lower- class children have even been found to be more highly-developed than those of higher- class children (Miller and Sperry 2012). Nevertheless, higher-class children commonly experience greater academic success because their normative language skills translate well into mainstream learning settings.

This research project seeks to explore potential correlations between socioeconomic status and language abilities of children in Geneva, NY using data from the PACE (Parental Appraisal of Children’s Experiences) survey. I hypothesize that higher-class children will have higher measures of reading and writing skills than their lower-class peers, while the latter will outperform the former in speaking and listening measures. While all of these skills are important for school success, graded assessments rely more heavily on the abilities to execute reading and writing tasks, which may explain current disparities in academic achievement. If language practices are identified as different but equally valuable, classrooms will become better suited to foster educational success for all students.

Miller, Peggy J. and Sperry, Douglas E., “Déjà vu: The Continuing Misrecognition of Low-Income Children’s Verbal Abilities”. 2012. 2 IPARTHEORY AND FUTURE WELL-BEING IN GUATEMALA

Sarah Banta and Kristen Le

This study explores the relationship between Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory) and future well-being in Guatemalan youth. IPARTheory suggests that the way people perceive they were parented (whether they felt as if they were rejected or accepted) has significant effects on their personality, future behavior, beliefs, attitudes, and options (Rohner, 2012). There is limited research about IPARTheory and future outcomes in a cultural context. Participants were 79 Guatemalan school aged students, ranging in age from 10-14. Participants completed nine surveys pertaining to IPARTheory and future- well-being such as resiliency, self-efficacy, locus of control, happiness, and future self- identities. Our hypotheses are that the perception of acceptance from parents and teachers in childhood will have significant and positive impacts on the child’s well-being. The implications of having this will be a better understanding of tools for schools and institutions that work with disadvantaged youth as well as better understanding cultural variations.

Rohner, R.P. (2016). Introduction to Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory) and Evidence. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 6(1). 3 MICROFOSSILS FROM CHERT NODULES OF THE ONONDAGA LIMESTONE: AN EXAMPLE OF ORGANIC FOSSIL PRESERVATION

Rachael M. Barry

Shallow, tropical seas covered much of North America during Devonian time (419-359 Ma). The lower Middle Devonian (Eifelian, 398-392 Ma) Onondaga limestone represents the broad carbonate bank environments that dominated the northern end of the Appalachian basin during this time. The Onondaga limestone was populated by a rich variety of marine macroinvertebrates; we know much less about the diversity of the marine microflora and microfauna from this formation. I used transmitted light microscopy of thin sections to investigate the microfauna and microflora preserved in chert nodules from two localities in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Acritarchs dominate the assemblage (69% of specimens); more than 20 morphotypes, including Veryhachium, Micrystridium, Stellinium, and Villosacapsula. Fungi (7% of specimens), chitinozoans (6%), meiospores (5%), scolecodonts (polychaete teeth, 3%), possible arthropod cuticle (3%), green and brown algae (<1%) and a single meiofaunal bryozoan colony, likely Orthopora regularis, represent most of the rest of the material.

Preservation in the Onondaga chert is of very high quality. Acritarchs and other organic remains are preserved in three dimensions; most show little or no post-depositional crushing, decay, or other damage, suggesting very early chert diagenesis. The Thermal Alteration Index (TAI) is approximately 3+/4-, which is consistent with regional thermal history. No calcite or aragonite is present. Any organisms with calcite skeletons preserve as organic “ghosts” – without mineral material.

A palynological-type statistical analysis is currently being performed; data includes the numbers of occurrences for specific morphotypes within thin section slides. Thin sections represent different areas within a host rock sample. Through generation of a taxa accumulation curve discerning taphonomic, ecologic, and/or geological differences in the host rock matrices is possible. This information will be used to better understand the environment of deposition for the samples and help assess fossil record biases.

My motivation for this project for Honors in Geosciences under the direction of Professor David Kendrick comes from the line of work I hope to go into: searching for signs of life on other terrestrial planets. By understanding the taphonomy of organic preservation, I aim to build a set of knowledge and analytical skills to help guide me toward working for NASA.

4 LIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS: THE DIVIDED NEIGHBORHOOD THAT FOLLOWED NEW YORK CITY’S HIGH LINE

Megan Barwick

What was once called “one of the greatest public improvements in the history of New York,”1 Manhattan’s West Side Elevated Line meant the departure of “Death Avenue:” in 1934, the street-level freight trains and railroad tracks were re-opened on an elevated structure as a way to avoid the disruption of street-level traffic and increase the efficiency of transporting dairy, produce, and raw manufactured goods to and from the city. The West Side Elevated Line was fully operational until the 1980s, when it was abandoned due to an increase of trucking throughout the United States. It wasn’t until 2003 that the Friends of the High Line, a non-profit organization, proposed the abandoned space should be preserved and used as a space for the public.

What used to be the West Side Elevated line is now a landscape urbanism project - a park that combines landscape architecture and urban planning. With the intention of improving the neighborhood of Chelsea for its community members, the High Line public opened its first section in 2009. Word of this historically rich urban park spread and the Chelsea neighborhood attracted global attention.

Ultimately, did the High Line has developed Chelsea into an area of greater socioeconomic divide between its residents? For my American Studies Capstone course, I have designed a study that uses both qualitative and quantitative methods for measuring urban growth and the subsequent divide that follows growth. The economic impact of the High Line on Chelsea is revealed in the increase of housing developments and the rise of real estate prices. Through quantitative analysis of the data behind these developments, I then examine the project through the eyes of the citizen. Qualitative analysis of interviews with residents living in Chelsea reveals how development and growth is lived. In this study, I intend to expose the successes and potential dangers of landscape urbanism on a neighborhood’s community.

1 “Mayor Dedicates West Side Project.” New York Times, June 29, 1934. ProQuest.

5 HYPOTHETICAL INVESTMENT BANKING MODEL

Brandon Bistodeau

Within the investment banking field, executing objectives must be done with efficiency and precision. This often includes building financial models and performing valuation in order to provide advisory services for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), leveraged buyouts (LBOs), initial public offerings (IPOs), and other financing endeavors.

To develop a technical foundation for my independent study project, I decided to create a hypothetical investment banking model. I chose to model the company Stryker, a medical technology company, in order to derive a valuation that would be symbolic of a real M&A deal. In order to derive this valuation, I used established techniques, including comparable companies analysis, discounted cash flow analysis, and leverage buyout analysis, to examine whether it would be possible for a financial sponsor to buyout the firm, and accretion / dilution analysis using Medtronic as the strategic buyer to see if the deal would be earning per share (EPS) accretive or dilutive. In order to guide my assumptions, I used real world equity research and sources, therefore arriving at a valuation range and conclusion that is consistent with my experience. Overall, this hypothetical project has real- world applicability and helped improve my technical foundation.

THE NATURALIZATION OF PROFIT MAXIMIZING CAPITALISM

Brandon Bistodeau

My project for Honors in History attempts to understand the deep assumptions behind the animating issues of the financial crisis—consumer debt, government bailouts, the authoritative numbers that conceal the human cost, and so on. But it does so by looking at developments much further back in time than those of the post-war history of the United States. Thinking about why arguments that question the fundamental premise of capitalism so easily fall on deaf ears led me to wonder what “naturalized” capitalism. That question took me back to the early modern era. Given the centrality of that era to the story, how did this transformation in thinking about the economy occur at a time when members of society rejected material excess and were fearful of the rising capitalistic practices? How important in the process were economic crises? Was it from these very moments of rupture that there emerged the idea of the naturally rational, self-interested, profit-maximizing individual?

I examine material came from seventeenth and eighteenth-century England, the most capitalistic early-modern economy, but I also considered the history of accounting going back to Medieval Europe, as well as crisis in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. There is much evidence to show the uneasiness, aversion, and outright fear that people in these societies felt during the early stages of capitalism. I uncovered, as well, a range of intellectual responses that ultimately led to capitalism’s triumph and the market becoming “a mechanism for sustaining and maintaining an entire society.”1 This project is intended to clarify the historical process behind the system we live in today: capitalism’s triumph was not inevitable based on human’s innate “propensity to truck, barter, and exchange.”2 Instead, capitalism has a past that it wants to forget, a past that is remembered precisely at moments of crisis, only to be rejected by the ideologues who gain from the market system.

1 Robert L. Heilbroner, Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times and Ideas of The Great Economic Thinkers, 7th ed. (New York, NY: Touchstone, 1999), 27. 2 Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Edinburgh, SCT: Edinburgh University Press, 1827), 6.

7 CHANGING TO STAY THE SAME: A LOOK INTO HOW STATE-CIVIL SOCIETY RELATIONS SHAPE TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE

Janeya Blackwell-Orr

How do state-civil society relations shape the opportunities for and function of transitional justice in post-2011 Middle East and North Africa? How can better understanding this relationship contribute to future post-conflict processes? This research aims to answer these questions through a diachronic, comparative historical analysis of Morocco, examining state-civil society relations and transitional justice initiatives following the Years of Lead (1990s-2000s) as well as the years leading up to and following the 2011 Arab Uprisings.

Transitional justice aims to address legacies of mass human rights abuses and repression through a multitude of strategies, including prosecutions and trials, amnesties, and/or truth commissions. It is broadly assumed that through either one or multiple of these mechanisms, the state will reconcile with its abusive and repressive past, moving towards a new set of moral and political objectives. The ability for transitional justice mechanisms to mobilize civil society hinges upon civic organization’s willingness to pursue an agenda and maximize its impact as well as the platforms that may or may not be available vis-à- vis the state. This study seeks to analyze how transitional justice strategies reflect different relationships between state and civil society by comparing two distinct moments in recent Moroccan history.

As a post-colonial constitutional monarchy, Morocco’s complex history of nation-state building has led to many political, economic, and social challenges that have had direct impact on civil society organization. Four main contextual factors – institutional capacity, nature of conflict, political culture, and socioeconomic structure – shape how the Moroccan state frames and influences the function of transitional justice. Pursuing this research through the case of a changing regime sheds light on the possibilities for (and limitations of) state-directed transitional justice in contexts in which political stability rests on the relationship between auto-reforming regimes and civil society.

8 EFFECT OF DEVELOPING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE AND A CULTURAL IDENTITY ON STUDENTS’ SOCIAL AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS WHILE STUDYING ABROAD.

Megan Blanchfield

Identity development during emerging adulthood has been widely examined in psychology and is of particular interest when thinking about studying abroad (Arnett, 2000; Azhar et al., 2014), while colleges and universities will often use their study abroad opportunities as a selling-point, as many students base their college decisions on campus life offerings and academics (Hoffa, 2007). Research involving studying abroad often uses the Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI) to measures students’ levels of global perspectives, personal growth, and academic exploration as a result of particular life experiences (Merill & Braskamp, 2012)

GPI results of prior HWS students (years ranging from 2008-2012) who studied abroad was examined to offer the researchers and Center for Global Education (CGE) critical information about the effect of studying abroad on global perspective development. In addition, current HWS students’ sense of cultural identity on their social and health- related behaviors while studying abroad was examined. Lastly, current HWS students’ pre-abroad intentions of drinking, drug use, sexual risk-taking. was evaluated to determine whether they have an effect on students’ actual behaviors when abroad. Participants completed a pre-departure and post-departure survey that includes the Student Social and Health Behaviors Survey and the Orthogonal Cultural Identification Scale (OCIS) in the Fall of 2018, and the results of the pre- and post-departure surveys were compared.

My study focuses on whether students’ results on the OCIS affects how often they report drinking, drug use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors. This data will help determine whether HWS’ study abroad programs are effective at fostering global perspectives in their students, and give the CGE insight into how to further improve their programs to.

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480. doi:10.1037/0003 066X.55.5.469

Azhar, Z., Manj, Y. N., Hashmi, A. H., Riaz, F., Ahmed, T., & Sohail, M. M. (2014). Impact of Globalization on Youth Cultural Identity. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(23), 2198-2210. doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p2198

Hoffa, W.W., (2007). A history of US study abroad: Beginnings to 1965. Carlisle, PA: Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad and the Forum on Education Abroad.

Merrill, K., Braskamp, D.L., & L. A. Braskamp. March/April (2012). Assessing individuals’ global perspective. Journal of College Student Development, 52(2), 356-360. doi:10.1353/csd.2012.0034.

9 HIDDEN HISTORY: NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF ANCIENT TRANSGENDER NARRATIVES

Saedra Blow

My presentation will focus on a section of my project for Honors on English, which focuses on connecting the past and present of transgender lives through poetry and research. The purpose of this project is to uncover hidden or often untold histories of transgender people which are not considered in the current narratives surrounding transgender people, and lived experiences, as well as creating a sense of collectiveness for transgender readers who can feel part of a global family of transgender people with a long and storied ancestry.

The research covers mythology and historical groups and events, as well as connection to current events and cultural attitudes towards transgender people. I used a mix of Sociological, Anthropological, Classical, Historical, Literary, and New Media texts as my sources of information, each providing different perspectives and information. The project’s global focus allows for a greater understanding of transgender history as a whole, instead of a history only told through certain cultural lenses. I hope to find more hidden stories in less represented countries in the mass cultural consciousness in order to show the vast history of transgender people, as well as its intentional destruction to hide our history from the public. The presentation will focus on several pieces of poetry, the research surrounding them, and demonstrating important social connection to the contemporary lives of transgender individuals.

10 COVER VERSIONS: THE ALABAMA SONG

Michael Bruno

Questions are always raised regarding appropriation and lack of originality when artists release cover versions of songs. This presentation will examine “The Alabama Song,” an original work dating back to the 1920’s composed by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht. This traditional song was covered most famously by the Doors on their premiere album in 1967, and by David Bowie in 1980.

I will examine how altering elements of the music like rhythm, instrumentation, and performers can drastically change the overall feel a song. The change in hearing Jim Morrison’s gritty voice on the Doors version as well as psychedelic sound of David Bowie’s voice make for some great contrasts in the overall styles of the songs. Kate Heidmemann examines how vocal timbre can extremely change the listeners perception of a song in her work “A System Describing Vocal Timbre in Popular Song” and these three examples are great to compare in that regard. The context each cover is drastically different as well, as the original was written for an opera in the 1920’s before the invention of the electric guitar, and David Bowie’s version was created in the era when synth music dominated. This presentation will also encompass how preserving certain elements of “The Alabama Song” allowed for all three versions of this piece to still be unified by some common themes like the context of the song in general, even though they are all drastically different in nature.

11 TO BUY A FAT PIG

Michael Bruno

My music composition piece, titled “To Buy a Fat Pig,” alters the elements of instrumentation and harmonic chord progressions that lends itself to a very diverse work of music. The piece is scored for flute, trombone, tenor saxophone, clarinet, double bass and piano and uses several different combinations of all of these instruments to invoke many different feels and styles. The instrumentation becomes sparse at times, which contrasts full texture at climactic points in the piece The adding and subtracting of instruments overall makes for interesting changes in dynamics to increase intensity to certain sections of the piece. Harmonically speaking, the heavy use of chromaticism at times contrasts with very smooth harmonic changes at other points in the song. The chromaticism is responsible for the piece beginning in the key of A major and eventually ending in F major and also for the piece sounding dissonant at intense points in the song, which eventually resolve to consonant chords and melodies at a lesser volume. The piece is supposed to resemble a person tip-toeing along, trying to not make noise, and then the volume builds with a section vamping on a slowly descending chromatic line in G minor. This presentation will describe where the harmonies come from and how each section leads into the next and how the dynamics of each section do the same in a piece that closely resembles a suite with many different sections and styles.

12 FACETS OF MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH AMONG A PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY SAMPLE

Sarah Burstein

Low-income populations are at a disproportionately high risk for various physical and emotional disorders. One factor that has received little attention in its link to health among low-income groups is trait mindfulness. Research has found that trait mindfulness is associated with better health in undergraduate and predominantly higher-income Caucasian samples; understanding the relationship between trait mindfulness and health among low-income populations may be helpful for developing new models and effective interventions and the purpose of the current study, conducted as part of my project for Honors in Psychology, was to assess the relationship between the facets of mindfulness and various health domains in a low-income community sample.

Participants were 256 community members (55.9% female) from a small town in upstate New York. Ages ranged from 18 to 91 (M = 45.57, SD = 17.93), and 51.6% of the sample had a household income less than $20,000 a year. After informed consent was obtained, participants completed the following questionnaires: Short Form Survey, Perceived Stress Scale, Luben Social Network Scale-Revised, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire.

After controlling for various health and psychosocial variables, there was a significant effect of the nonjudging (β =.17, t = 2.89, p = 0.04) and nonreactivity facets (β =.15, t = 2.42, p = 0.16) of mindfulness on emotional health accounting for 52.7% of the variance (R2 = .527, F(12, 242) = 23.46, p < 0.001). The “acting with awareness” facet of mindfulness was a significant factor for social functioning (β = 0.18; t = 2.80; p = .006), accounting for 35.3% of the variance (R2 = .353, F(12, 242) = 11.99, p < .000). These findings are consistent with previous research done in higher-income, predominantly Caucasian samples. Mindfulness-based interventions may be beneficial for low-income adults if focused on the enhancement of non-judgment, nonreactivity, and acting with awareness.

13 “SO WHAT?” SPEAKING TO THE FUTURES OF MARGINALIZED FIELDS

Gemma Caglioti

This roundtable brings together seniors graduating in LGBT and Women’s Studies to explore the following questions:

What are the defining concerns of these fields? How do we navigate the individual applicability of these two fields and forms of training in our lives to thinking about how we are mutually and collectively embedded in the futures of the disciplines? What do we plan to do with our degrees (i.e. skills, capacities, passions) after graduation? What kind of world(s) are we positioned to contribute to/resist through our training? How do we use/channel these skills, capacities, passions in our everyday life? What do we see in the future(s) of our disciplines? How do norms structure how we think about the future, and also the normative conceptions of our imagined futures? How does our training interrupt and reinvent life possibilities––as in, how we imagine the trajectories of our lives differently? What makes a “successful” life when interrogated through the lenses of queer and feminist theory? Is doing queer and feminist work a question of “being” or “doing”? What kinds of interventions can we make in the world? What has the degree taught us about ourselves and what new things has it allowed us to see? How do our degree(s) enable us to critique HWS, and social institutions more broadly?

The discussion of these questions is intended to serve as an opportunity to reflect on each student’s experience through their major programs in Women’s and LGBT/Queer Studies, while also serving as a space to build budding communities of insurgent knowledge producers, who live lives of consequence.

I aim to share how my Women’s Studies degree has shaped my way of both perceiving and navigating the world. I hope to share how my concentration in transnational feminism within the field of Women’s Studies complements my second major, Africana Studies, and minor, Public Policy. I would like to speak to the importance of intersectionality in academia.

14 ETHNIC ENCLAVES: WAGE PREMIUM OR WAGE PENALTY FOR SECOND GENERATION ASIAN AMERICANS?

John Camara

From San Francisco’s Chinatown to Virginia Beach’s Little Manila, ethnic enclaves have become staples of Asian immigrant life across the United States. Portes and Wilson (1980) developed the enclave hypothesis, which suggests that enclaves offer unique opportunities to newly-arrived immigrants, through which they will experience relatively better socioeconomic outcomes and high returns to capital investment than those who immediately enter the mainstream American economy and can only earn low-paying jobs with little prospect for social mobility. Prior research has focused on enclave effects for the first generation; my project for Honors in Economics contributes to existing literature by focusing on the second generation.

Utilizing a 2016 American Community Survey sample in California, I conduct an econometric analysis to determine the impacts of residing in an ethnic enclave on the labor market outcomes of second and beyond generation Asian Americans. My research centers on four specific Asian ethnic groups: Chinese, Filipinos, Indians, and Vietnamese.

As a second generation Filipino American myself, I wanted to examine the model minority stereotype that Asians are a homogeneous group with relatively higher incomes. I found that, because different types of enclaves exist, and the factors that impact socioeconomic outcomes affect the Asian ethnic groups differently. Overall, the answer to my original answer is complicated, and I suggest further research should take into consideration how ethnic enclaves differ from one another in the 21st century.

15 REDESIGNING FOOD SYSTEMS

Lilian Cantral

Food is so fundamental that most of us barely even think about it, yet our food system as it exists now simply cannot sustain itself. The current system in the United States undercuts economic and social systems and is a danger to the environment and human health. At the root of the problem is the very way we think about food before the plate, followed by the structure of the plate itself. Thus, instead of recreating the processes that have brought us here, we must reorder the entire system, down to its basic structure.

There’s an entire network that must be addressed in order to make a change: farming practices, food culture, economics, and the restaurant industry, among others, play major roles. Through extensive research into the farming and restaurant industries (and where they intersect), this research project seeks to provide an in-depth analysis of our food culture and where we’ve gone wrong, and make recommendations for a better future of food.

16 EFFECTS OF MACROMOLECULAR CROWDING ON ENZYME KINETICS

Charmaine Chung

Most of our understanding of how enzymes work is based on experiments conducted in dilute solution. However, these conditions do not accurately represent the crowded environment of the cell, which contains a substantially large total concentration (300- 400g/L) of various macromolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates and ribosomes.1 High concentrations of macromolecules reduce the available space for other molecules in the solution and has previously been shown to impact the behavior of enzymes.2

To study the potential consequences of crowding, in my project for Honors in Chemistry the activity of enzyme yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) was monitored under crowded conditions. The crowded condition of the cell was mimicked by adding crowding agents that are sugar polymers called dextran. Additionally, this study also explored the effects of mixed crowding by combining equal ratios of different sizes of dextran to better mimic the diversity of the cell’s interior.

Overall, the effects of crowding on YADH varied with size and concentration of sugar polymer. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that chemical interactions from crowding agents must also be considered. This study is important because it helps us to better understand how enzymes behave under crowded conditions.

1 Zimmerman, S. B.; Trach. S. O. Estimation of macromolecule concentrations and excluded volume effects for the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. J. Mol. Biol. 1991. 222. 599-620. 2 Minton, A. P. Influence of excluded volume upon macromolecular structure and associations in ‘crowded’ media. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 1997. 8. 65-69.

17 “SO WHAT?” SPEAKING TO THE FUTURES OF MARGINALIZED FIELDS

Madeline Cook

This roundtable brings together seniors graduating in LGBT and Women’s Studies to explore the following questions:

What are the defining concerns of these fields? How do we navigate the individual applicability of these two fields and forms of training in our lives to think about how we are mutually and collectively embedded in the futures of the disciplines? What do we plan to do with our degrees (i.e. skills, capacities, passions) after graduation? What kind of world(s) are we positioned to contribute to/resist through our training? How do we use/channel these skills, capacities, passions in our everyday life? What do we see in the future(s) of our disciplines? How do norms structure how we think about the future, and also the normative conceptions of our imagined futures? How does our training interrupt and reinvent life possibilities––as in, how we imagine the trajectories of our lives differently? What makes a “successful” life when interrogated through the lenses of queer and feminist theory? Is doing queer and feminist work a question of “being” or “doing”? What kinds of interventions can we make in the world? What has the degree taught us about ourselves and what new things has it allowed us to see? How do our degree(s) enable us to critique HWS, and social institutions more broadly?

My contribution to the panel will include a recent perspective on the raised questions pertaining to the major and its post-graduate purposes. My specific area of academic interest within the field of women’s studies focuses in on women’s health issues, including maternal health, reproductive justice, and disordered eating.

18 HOW BIOTECHNOLOGY IS HARNESSING INNOVATION TO DEVELOP NEW MEDICAL THERAPEUTICS- A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Mariana de Maillé

This presentation will describe my experiences interning at one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, Amgen (Cambridge, MA). In general, the biotechnology industry focuses on unlocking the potential of biology to develop human therapeutics. Amgen currently utilizes a dozen different modalities (types of drug technology), from proteins and small molecules to innovative antibody constructs to provide therapeutics. My work at Amgen focused on the modality known as the BiTE (Bi- specific T-cell Engager) platform.

I had an unprecedented opportunity to work for six-months within one of Amgen’s process development teams. Process Development transforms research discoveries into usable therapeutics by characterizing the unique properties of molecules and developing a reliable and efficient manufacturing process. My work at Amgen focused on understanding the physical properties Amgen’s BiTE molecules. Using knowledge and skills gained through coursework, such as physical chemistry, I utilized Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to gain an understanding of molecular level motions and interactions that play a role in the overall stability of BiTE molecules. They harness a patient’s immune system (T-Cells) to treat disease/cancer and characterization findings, such as mine, are used to optimize drug delivery for patients. BiTE technology drugs are a form of immunotherapy; in a way I was able to contribute to the ongoing battle against cancer.

On a personal level, through my day-to-day work environment I learned what it is like to be a member of multi-disciplinary team, and my experience at Amgen is a prime example of how the right work environment can enable a naïve college undergraduate to have a significant impact on drug process development worldwide.

19 DETRIMENTAL TO CHILDHOOD: AN ANALYSIS OF CORRELATIONS BETWEEN KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN AND GPACE SCORES

Sally Dent

How do Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACE scores, impact a child’s upbringing? Do certain background aspects of a child’s life factor into or predict ACE scores? To gain a better understanding of ACE scores within Geneva, the aim of this research is to conduct a secondary data analysis of Geneva’s Parental Appraisal of Children’s Experiences (GPACE) survey data from 2017 and 2018, provided by Success for Geneva’s Children, to draw correlations between kindergarten children’s circumstances and ACE scores, specifically focusing on the component of gender.

The ACE survey assesses the experiences of a child, taking into consideration questions pertaining to abuse and neglect: the higher the score of the child, the greater the risk for disadvantageous outcomes. Drawing from the specific questions embedded in the Geneva PACE survey data, this research seeks to measure correlations between the scores reported by the parents of kindergarten children and specific demographics of Geneva.

My qualitative research in examining these relationships within Geneva PACE survey data can prove beneficial to the greater community: families and schools will be provided with crucial knowledge pertaining to specific variables, whether characteristics of the child or general familial environment, and exercise these aspects as potential predictors of ACE scores based on correlational trends.

20 “SO WHAT?” SPEAKING TO THE FUTURES OF MARGINALIZED FIELDS

Cassidy DiPaola

This roundtable brings together seniors graduating in LGBT and Women’s Studies to explore the following questions:

What are the defining concerns of these fields? How do we navigate the individual applicability of these two fields and forms of training in our lives to thinking about how we are mutually and collectively embedded in the futures of the disciplines? What do we plan to do with our degrees (i.e. skills, capacities, passions) after graduation? What kind of world(s) are we positioned to contribute to/resist through our training? How do we use/channel these skills, capacities, passions in our everyday life? What do we see in the future(s) of our disciplines? How do norms structure how we think about the future, and also the normative conceptions of our imagined futures? How does our training interrupt and reinvent life possibilities -- as in, how we imagine the trajectories of our lives differently? What makes a “successful” life when interrogated through the lenses of queer and feminist theory? Is doing queer and feminist work a question of “being” or “doing”? What kinds of interventions can we make in the world? What has the degree taught us about ourselves and what new things has it allowed us to see? How do our degree(s) enable us to critique HWS, and social institutions more broadly?

In this panel I hope to challenge the notion that Women’s Studies is meant solely for women, and share the beautiful and transformative ways that women’s studies can help improve our institution, country, world, and our own personal lives. I hope to explain the skills that a degree in Women’s Studies has given me to navigate through the world in a feminist way. I will also share the ways that Women’s Studies has improved our campus community, and the times that it was absolutely necessary to have this degree.

21 GUATEMALAN TEENAGERS’ HOPES AND DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF GOALS AND CHARACTERISTICS FOR FUTURE SELVES

Angelina DiPhilippo

Exploring qualitative data provided by adolescents in order to investigate their perceptions of self has a long history in psychology. This tactic is particularly useful among youth and in places, such as Guatemala, where the population has relatively lower levels of literacy and may have less experience engaging with Western-style research surveys. By asking adolescents to list characteristics of future goals they have for themselves as they hope to be in 15 years, the research team with whom I worked was able to collect valuable data on issues such as the students’ desires for the future and what they see as possible for themselves.

Participants (N = 81, Mage = 14.56 years, age range = 12-17 years, 51.9% female, all from Jocotenango, Guatemala) also completed the MEIM-R (a measure of strength of ethnic identification) and a demographics form. Thematic analysis will be used to determine patterns and themes that are prevalent in the data; emerging themes include specific job/profession, trait values, ownership of material items (e.g., house, car, etc.), supporting current family and having a future family, economic success, education, and self- improvement. These themes will be evaluated in the context of demographic variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This data will help determine what type of futures these students hope for in order to ensure that schools and other institutions are providing the tools students will need for those futures.

22 DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION: CASE STUDY OF THE DOVE BLOCK PROJECT

Molly Englert and Sarah Wiles

Geneva, a small town in upstate NY, is one example of a town undergoing revitalization, a common phenomenon across towns and cities over the decades of the post-industrial era. Our research consists of investigating Geneva business leaders’ and residents’ opinions of the current downtown revitalization efforts, using The Dove Block Project as a case study. This project is an effort to restore the Dove Block, a vacant three-story building that sits on one of Geneva’s most important commercial corners in downtown. A group of Genevans were able to fundraise enough money to purchase the building, and have secured two major grants from the state of New York to fund the building’s reclamation. The goal of our research is to identify what these local actors – residents and business leaders – would like to see constructed in the Dove Block, hopefully influencing its development to reflect the citizens’ wishes.

While urban renewal is intended to benefit the citizens of the area, it sometimes can result in gentrification and displacement. As we continue to interview our sample of fifteen business leaders and twenty residents, we hope to compare and contrast these two groups’ views on the positive and negative effects of urban renewal, identifying the types of innovations these local members find valuable or disruptive. In addition to influencing the development of the Dove Block, our findings will be beneficial to revitalization efforts at large, for they will shed light on the types of urban transformations that various local actors find valuable.

23 VISUALIZATION AND SYNTHESIS

Alden Ferrier

Chemistry is vital to our everyday lives, from the food we eat to the processes in our body that allow us to live long and prosperous lives. One way chemistry impacts us in our everyday lives through the development of small molecules, which can be used to treat a variety of conditions. One group of small molecules, called indoles, have a tendency to be biologically active meaning they produce a response in the body.

I became interested in the synthesis of indole based targets using three-dimensional visualization of electron environments. By looking at the areas the electrons occupy using the free software Molinspiration, I have been able to investigate the structure and viability of these target molecules. With this, I am also able to predict binding capacity of these compounds for receptors within the body.

24 “SO WHAT?” SPEAKING TO THE FUTURES OF MARGINALIZED FIELDS

Sydney Ferry

This roundtable brings together seniors graduating in LGBT and Women’s Studies to explore the following questions:

I hope to contribute to this panel by providing a prospective of how my Women’s Studies degree has not only shaped my studies, but how I have integrated my major into my personal life. My main academic interests are public health, policy, and social justice.

25 ANTONY, BRUTUS, AND THE DOWNFALL OF THE REPUBLIC IN JULIUS CAESAR

Gerry Flood

In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, both Brutus and Antony give speeches at Caesar’s funeral. In some respects, their speeches are their attempts to win the support of the public for their own perspectives on the death of Caesar. Brutus, one of the conspirators who killed Caesar, explains that he did so for the sake of the Roman republic, while Antony strives to make Caesar a sympathetic figure. Ultimately, Antony wins this fight and gains the support of the public.

My project focused on how Antony outdoes Brutus. My close reading of both speeches, comparing and contrasting their different elements, looked at relevant stage directions and gestures, and focused on Antony's gestures toward Caesar's corpse, contrasting them with Brutus's more stoic, gesture-less speech. This important difference also brings theatrics into consideration, since Antony seems to be "performing" while Brutus is merely stating his beliefs.

My interest in this question stems from its importance in the plot of Julius Caesar. In essence, these speeches initiate Brutus’s—and the Roman Republic’s—downfall. By convincing the Roman people that Caesar’s death was a tragedy and not a necessary step for the survival of Roman “freedom,” Antony clears the way for the creation of the Roman Empire. And he does so not by appealing to pure logic, but by playing to the Romans’ emotions using Aristotle’s notion of “pathos.” This rhetorical victory, then, as Shakespeare interpreted it, would go on to change the course of Roman history.

26 ILLNESS, EXPERIENCE, AND TRUST: EPISTEMIC INJUSTICE IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Adelaide Fowle

“Epistemic injustice” is a term coined by philosopher Miranda Fricker, which describes the specific injustice experienced by individuals in their capacity as a knower. Epistemic injustice is experienced in two ways: a testimonial injustice occurs when a prejudice in a hearer causes them to offer a speaker a deflated level of credibility, whereas a hermeneutical injustice occurs when a gap in collective interpretive resources causes an individual to be hindered in their attempts to make sense of their social experiences1.

My Honors project in Philosophy explores the specific type of epistemic injustice that is experienced by patients. According to the definition of epistemic injustice presented by Fricker, the type of injustice that is experienced by patients does not constitute a central case of epistemic injustice. I argue that the concept of epistemic injustice should be expanded to include the systematic harms that occur when patient testimony is discredited, overridden, or ignored by doctors. I address how power differentials and implicit trust awarded to health care professionals perpetuate an institutional problem surrounding patient-physician communication and examine how intersecting social positions may further marginalize individuals from understanding, communicating and articulating their experiences with illness. I offer practical solutions to this problem that can be adopted by both patients and physicians.

This project was inspired by my studies in biomedical ethics, epistemology, and feminist philosophy. I have incorporated aspects of my own experiences with health care professionals to inform my analysis and attempt to create a concept that is useful to everyday patients.

1 Fricker, Miranda (2007). Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing. Oxford University Press. p. 1.

27 DUBAI: NEOLIBERAL OR NEOPATRIMONIAL?

Matthew Fox

Over the last 50 years, Dubai has transformed from a barren desert to be an international luxury destination. Dubai’s actions and mask of neoliberalism has suggested too many scholars that its governing structure is some type of neoliberal system, designed to allow the free market to help the country grow and become an international player. This is a grave mischaracterization, one which needs to be addressed.

The term of neoliberal, as initially intended by Austrian economist F.A. Hayek, portrays a system where there is value placed on individual liberty, free markets with minimal government interference, and generally a limited government.1 Dubai, which has been pushing to make itself into the luxury gateway to the entire Middle East region,2 about 50 years ago Dubai was an underdeveloped and poverty ridden area.3 The emirate began a range of economic, institutional, political, and cultural changes which have resulted in the current Dubai seen today.4 Using a review of Hayekian principles, my analysis reveals that Dubai’s embrace of free markets masks a Neopatrimonial system.

1 Daniel Stedman Jones, Masters of the Universe (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2012), 101. 2 Michael Hudson, “Arab Politics: The Search for Legitimacy 25; Nazih N. Ayubi, Over-Stating the Arab State: Politics and Society in the Middle East (London: I. B. Tauris, 1995), 164-69; Davidson, The United Arab Emirates, 19, 73-77; Clement M. Henry and Robert Springborg, Globalization and the Politics of Economic Development in the Middle East (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001 ), Chap 1.,” 1977, 58. 3 Martin Hvidt, “The Dubai Model: An Outline of Key Development-Process Elements in Dubai,” International Journal of Middle East Studies 41, no. 3 (2009): 397–418, 397. 4 Hvidt, 397.

28 THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE FINGER LAKES IN DANGER? CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON TOURISM

Gabriella Goodwin

The Finger Lakes may be in its “golden age:” the area is a top wine-producing region nationally, well-known for its unique geographical history, and home to more natural industry like beer, fruit, maple syrup and fish. Tourism in the Finger Lakes is now a $3 billion industry, supporting 58,242 jobs. After New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes is the fourth highest region for traveler spending.1 Tourism in the Finger Lakes in 2017 generated $925 million in direct labor income and $167,626 in state taxes as well as $225,868 in local taxes.2 This unique, nature-dependent region is especially susceptible to environmental problems. This presentation puts forth a model for to show how climate change and other environmental problems will impact the region and proposes strategies for how various sectors can adapt to and mitigate its impacts.

In my preliminary research, I analyzed diverse local data and concluded that harmful agricultural runoff, high greenhouse gas emissions, inconsistent extreme weather events, dryer summers, devastating algae blooms, bee shortages, water shortages, and invasive species are the most prominent threats to this area. I also researched pre-existing mitigation strategies, such as funds and grants given to local businesses, or sustainable production practices and assessed their success. My research suggest that the Finger Lakes’ environmental changes and problems are rooted in a larger social context that could be disruptive to the region’s tourism culture and economy. These problems threaten recreation, hospitality, production and service quality, jobs, and taxes.

Community members, political leaders, industry owners, scientists, and tourists are and will all be impacted by environmental changes; few have the power to both mitigate and adapt to these climatic changes. Fortunately, agriculturalists in this region are accustomed to extremes; therefore, they may have advantages over other U.S. agricultural regions. Advertising, communication, and education are also essential parts of public responses to climate change. I hope that my research and conclusions will help preserve the natural resources that the Finger Lakes region thrives on, and highlight opportunities for positive social and environmental change.

1 Tourism Economics, An Oxford Economics Company, “The Economic Impact of Tourism in New York, 2017, Finger Lakes Focus.” 2 Ibid.

29 THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF DUAL-IMMERSION PROGRAMS WITHIN BILINGUAL EDUCATION

Molly Gorelick

Immigrants entering the United States from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Central America, have increased the population of Spanish speakers within the United States. Challenging educators to establish ways to accommodate and integrate them within classrooms and schools. One model that has proven effective is dual-immersion, where a mixed group of native English speakers and native Spanish speakers are given instruction in both Spanish and English by two teachers during the regular school day. Usually, it is a 50-50 model, so half of the day is taught in English and the other half in Spanish.

I aimed to explore the dual-immersion model, within general Bilingual Education, specifically through the Geneva Public Schools. Through researching and analyzing pre- published literature, alongside the data that Geneva Public Schools has collected since they implemented a dual-immersion program, and my own involvement in a dual-immersion classroom, I hope to capture the benefits and challenges in order to create a useful tool that Geneva Public Schools can use when advertising the program for future enrolled students.

30 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTAL EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND AND CHILDREN’S ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Joshua Harper and Zachary Karaul

We will be studying the relationship between parental educational background, and how it influences their children’s academic success. We plan to use the Geneva PACE survey data, collected on behalf of Success for Geneva’s Children, to track child wellbeing and academic markers of incoming kindergarten classes.

We have defined parental educational background as their respective levels of educational attainment and whether assistance was utilized while being educated; a child’s academic success is defined as how a child expresses cognitive development along developmental benchmarks. The data will be further analyzed for correlations between the variables, as well as intervening variables that may impact the relationship we predict. We predict that more educated parents will have children with higher academic success, based on previous research. In a study of 7,525 children in Ireland, mathematics and reading test scores were assessed over time. The study found a positive correlation when comparing parental education to both math and reading scores, meaning children with parents with higher educational levels, received higher test scores (O'Connell 2018). Further studies in the United States have found that more educated mothers spent greater time caring for their child overall, especially in categories such as teaching. This trend was strongest among ages 0 – 2 years old, where college graduates spent 42% more on basic care and 94% more time on play. (Kalil et al 2012). Geneva’s uniquely high rate of poverty compared to other similarly sized cities in the region makes this an especially pressing issue.

Kalil, Ariel, Rebecca Ryan, and Michael Corey. 2012. “Diverging Destinies: Maternal Education and the Developmental Gradient in Time with Children.” Demography 49(4):1361–83. Retrieved (https://ezproxy.hws.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1149783428?accountid=27680).

O'Connell, Michael. 2018. "The Power of Cognitive Ability in Explaining Educational Test Performance, Relative to Other Ostensible Contenders." Intelligence 66:122-127 (https://ezproxy.hws.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy.hws.edu/docview/1976688111?accountid=27680).

31 LOST IN THE FOOD DESERT: KNOWLEDGE AND AGENCY OF GENEVA RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY

Donovan Hayden and Dylan Morris

The USDA defines a food desert as lacking access to both affordable and healthy food options, like fresh fruit and vegetables. Geneva, NY, like other cities experiences issues of food insecurity and food deserts, specifically in the impoverished areas of the city. The purpose of this study is to assess food security in Geneva, NY. In collaboration with AmeriCorps VISTA, we are exploring how the feelings of agency and knowledge of food options compare between people experiencing food insecurity and those who are not. Do their perceptions and knowledge of food options and security change? Do they feel that they have a sense of agency in addressing the issue of food insecurity?

We plan to gather data from in-depth interviews with 20 Geneva residents, roughly half experiencing food insecurity, regarding their experiences with food security in Geneva. We expect to find that those experiencing food insecurity will have less knowledge of healthy food options in their communities, whereas those not experiencing will be more knowledgeable. We also expect to find that those experiencing food insecurity will feel a lack of agency to address food insecurity, highlighting the divided that exists between those who are helping and those who are being helped. We hope that the city and organizations dedicated to solving Geneva’s food insecurity will be able to utilize our findings and analysis to develop more effective and realistic models to alleviate food insecurity.

32 HOW SHOULD THE FIGHTING GAME COMMUNITY CHANGE (OR NOT) IN THE ESPORTS ERA?

Matthew Hogan My honors project is examining how "eSports," the name I use to refer to the corporate entity that seeks profit in the broadcasting of competitive video game content, is infiltrating the fighting game community and changing the socio-political landscape of the independently sustained, arcade era, grassroots community. My project will outline the best way for the fighting game community to sustain its current growth economically, while also preserving its grassroots identity, and maximizing its inclusivity, which is a quality in which conventional eSports companies must seek improvement in.

Using a mixed-method approach and the lens of cultural theory, I will make a short documentary film which will take and make knowledge from history, and set a plan for the best possible course for the fighting game community into the near future. The first half of the documentary will focus on movements and stories involving the intersection of the fighting game community and the multi-billion dollar industries of eSports at the national level, and the second half of the documentary will specifically detail the story of my own local scene in the community, in Buffalo New York, and the changes observed in my region and in the events I attend.

Among these events is “Red Bull Conquest: Boston,” an event that merges the regional nature of the fighting game community with the big budget production style, sponsorship opportunities, and conventional presentability of eSports style events. By the end of the documentary, the viewer will find that the narrative of this event embodies the sociopolitical moment in the fighting game community, between independence and dependence, grassroots and eSports.

33 WHO REALLY KNOWS: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO CHALLENGE FACTS

Max Hopton

There is a tension between two “plausible ideas” in the academic classroom: how do we cultivate an environment where students who often are marginalized for race, gender, and sexuality feel prioritized and comfortable taking the lead in discussions? This fights against the idea some have that the actual ideal environment for cultivating knowledge is one where all are equal.

In this project for my Philosophy capstone course, I will look to more closely research the epistemological theories of Kristen Intemann, Patricia Hill Collins, Maria Lugones, Alvin Goldman and Anderson that question how best to build knowledge while acknowledging and incorporating the knowledge of different knowers. In the original portion of the project, I will analyze this tension, and design a theoretical model of an academic setting that highlights and empowers the voices of marginalized knowers, while integrating other students into such conversations in a way that allow for respectful collaboration.

The goal of my project is to put all students in positions where they will either share knowledge that can add vital information and key perspectives to complex problems, or become active listeners who question what they think they know, and so gain more understanding and compassionate perspectives.

34 NATIONAL MYTH: WHY MEANING MATTERS IN FOREIGN INTERVENTION

Katherine Howard

My Honors project uses theories in Religious Studies to explain, in part, the disconnect between policy and practice in U.S. foreign intervention. More specifically, my project addresses the question of how “myth” has framed U.S. foreign intervention decisions.

In his text, Myths America Lives By, Richard Hughes describes myth as an inextricable part of American national identity. If myth can be characterized as an authoritative and credible story that produces a sense of purpose and meaning, and also a story that permeates all facets of society, then we can assume that myth is an inextricable part of American national identity because it produces a sense of meaning for the American nation (Barthes, 1957/1972; Hughes, 2003, p. 2; Lincoln, 1989). If myth is an inextricable part of American national identity, then myth must also be an inextricable part of American foreign policy decisions.

In order to explore my central question on a broad scale, I employed the method of creating “ideal types:” at their most basic level, ideal types are a set of definitive characteristics created by historical phenomena that serve as a basis of comparison to define a particular phenomenon at present (Weber, 1978). For my project, I created three ideal types of U.S. foreign intervention decisions to examine how myth framed those decisions. I then examined the characteristics of each ideal type to show how myth framed that particular form of intervention decision.

My presentation will focus on the reasoning behind my project, my methods, and my findings, and ultimately conclude with an explanation of why my findings are important, but problematic if we, as a nation, are to consider myth as an influence in decision-making in the future.

References Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies. (A. Lavers, Trans.). New York: Hill and Wang. (Original work published 1957). Hughes, R. (2003). Myths America lives by. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Lincoln, B. (1989). Discourse and the construction of society: Comparative studies of myth, ritual, and classification. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Weber, M. (1978). Basic sociological terms. In G. Roth & C. Wittich (Eds.), Economy and society (p. 3- 62). Los Angeles: University of California Press

35 A PROPOSED ATTACK ON SEXUAL ASSAULT: AN EVALUATION OF WOMEN’S PARTICPATION IN PREVENTION EFFORTS

Olivia Hughes

The prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses is a national epidemic. This issue has continuously been at the forefront of public discussion, which has led to a multitude of state, national and institutional policies seeking to lessen the occurrences of sexual assault on college campuses. Despite the widespread attention, sexual assaults remain prevalent at American institutions of higher education.

This independent study, a continuation of research conducted for the Political Science seminar The Politics of Higher Education, explores the tension at hand: despite the national attention to this issue and the plethora of anti-violence programs, why are so many college females still subjected to significant amounts of sexual violence? More specifically, this research will examine how institutions of higher education understand sexual assault prevention and its accompanying programs, while also looking into women’s supposed re- sponsibility in prevention efforts.

This tension lies at the center of a debate about women’s participation in prevention efforts, in which two dominant paradigms have emerged. One narrative argues that women’s active participation is empowering and will provide female students with appropriate resources. The other argues that women’s participation in prevention is inconceivable and could have negative consequences on the victim. I will argue that by not adopting the former of these two paradigms, colleges and universities are failing to adequately combat sexual violence on campuses.

This research will also explore the different approaches that higher education institutions take when dealing with sexual assault prevention. Most schools understand this crisis as either and health issue or a legal issue, and the differences between these two approaches may account for difference in the prevention program adopted. I will take a look at how HWS and surrounding schools deal with sexual violence prevention on campus to study the variation in programs, and focus on one particular program, Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program, to supplement my analysis.

36 EXPLORING THE FAMILY HEADSTART CONNECTION ON STUDENT OUTCOMES

Erika Ireland

Families are the earliest form of socialization that children encounter, but when children are still very young, they often encounter childcare or an early childhood education program. Head Start is a government funded preschool program that focuses on enriching a child’s experience, from their cognitive and socio-emotional performance to their health, nutrition and parent involvement. Head Start emphasizes providing assistance for the family’s well-being such that the family is adequately supported to successfully raise a child.

While the literature demonstrates the impact of family socialization and Head Start on children’s eventual outcomes (Spera, 2005; Ishak, 2012; Dotterer, 2012), few scholars explore exactly how the connection between Head Start and the family impacts later student learning. This study utilizes a longitudinal data set of children enrolled in Head Start or a control group to compare experiences of children who were and were not exposed to Head Start to describe the family-Head Start connection and how it influences the early learning of children.

Dotterer, A. M., Iruka, I. U., & Pungello, E. (2012). Parenting, Race, and Socioeconomic Status: Links to School Readiness. Family Relations,61(4), 657-670. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00716.x Ishak, Z., Low, S. F., & Lau, P. L. (2012). Parenting Style as a Moderator for Students’ Academic Achievement. Journal of Science Education and Technology,21(4), 487-493. doi:10.1007/s10956-011- 9340-1 Spera, C. (2005). A Review of the Relationship Among Parenting Practices, Parenting Styles, and Adolescent School Achievement. Educational Psychology Review,17(2), 125-146. doi:10.1007/s10648- 005-3950-1 37 BRINGING HELL TO LIFE: A NOVICE DIRECTOR’S EXPERIENCE

Austin Jennings

The primary goal of my project for Honors in Theatre is to articulate a good answer to the question, “how can I improve as a director, collaborator, and theatre artist-scholar?”

Practice, theory, and research inform my search for that answer: I directed the play No Exit during the end of the fall 2018 semester, and am analyzing the experience with a comparison to the styles and techniques of a professional theatre director of my choosing, JoAnne Akalaitis.

My interest in this project comes from my passion and love for theatre and desire for one final challenge in my field before I left HWS. The knowledge that I gained about directing from experiential learning was invaluable. From the early days of script analysis during the summer, to my communication with rights holders, to my collaboration with actors and designers, to the deconstruction of the set after the final performance, every moment brought me one step closer to understanding how one can fulfill the role of director most effectively.

38 RACE, MEDIA, MEMORY, AND THE 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS

Ned Kennedy

The story of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, is often told as a united America lead by Black track star Jesse Owens “crushing Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy.” My project examines this halcyon memory to ask: did the American people truly come together during a time of great national pride and was this reflected in the way African Americans were treated and represented after the Olympic Games in America? How did the mediation and memory of the 1936 Olympics impact race relations in the United States?

By exploring newspaper articles during the time period, oral histories created in the 1980’s, and the national propaganda associated with the Olympics through posters, films and speeches, my project will be able to determine whether race relations in the United States changed during the summer of 1936. I will look at newspapers spanning from August 1935 to August 1937 such as the New York Times the Chicago Defender as well as local southern newspapers such as the Anniston Star. I will also interpret oral histories conducted from 1987-1988 of former Olympic athletes who participated in the Berlin Olympics; this will allow me to see the difference between the way the 1936 Olympics are remembered and the way they were mediated. Finally I will research Nazi propaganda associated with the games, from Leni Riefenstahl’s film Olympia to magazines and pictures depicting the theme of the “Aryan race,” to demonstrate how Nazi nationalist propaganda played a major role during the 1936 Olympics.

39 (THE) MISSING PIECE(S): COLLECTED SHORT FICTION

Alex Kerai

One piece of the author’s practice is to remember. It can be as varied as remembering history for textbooks or an idea from the previous night for the next novel, but memory itself is a piece of the material that drives an author’s creation through application and practice. Memory in this case broadly refers to any thoughts emanating from the subconscious mind; to be more specific, it is the recollection of events, real or imagined, from the past, present, or future. This sort of memory is what allows for varied synaptic connections within the brain; it creates neural pathways that aim to emulate life. It is true that, as the late author Saul Bellow once wrote, “memory is life.”

For my Honors project this year, I have curated a collection of short stories centered around the theme memory. Short stories are in the unique position of both telling a complete story and also being able to do so quickly – it is, of course, in their name – but that facet allows for a more complete examination of memory. In this project, I ask this question: is it possible to capture fleeting, ephemeral moments of memory in the short story, ones that invoke similar feelings in readers?

In my presentation, I will discuss the process of writing and curating a collection of short stories over the course of my year-long Honors project. I will also focus on how I created a universe for all these stories to exist within, after having written six of the seven pieces. In exploring the universe created for this collection, I will discuss the intercalary chapters, the new story that was added, and the rules governing the universe as a way to show what is possible when writing fiction.

40 DISCOVERING AND MAKING FILMS WITH A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION

Alex Kerai

At a liberal arts institution like Hobart and William Smith Colleges, can a student follow passions that appear to require additional education or facilities, like robotics, dentistry, or film? In my presentation, I hope to illuminate a process of discovery through which I was able to develop a passion for film and then create my own films at HWS using a variety of departments and resources.

This presentation showcases both a roadmap of my own self-discovery and the manifestation of, as Professor Les Friedman noted, “truly interdisciplinary work made flesh” through film. The skills and knowledge base from my liberal arts education allowed me to pursue filmmaking by engaging in multiple disciplines with a variety of advisors across departments to analyze scripts, create schedules, and light scenes using knowledge from multiple courses. This presentation will aim to encourage students to pursue their own passions at HWS by meeting new advisors in different departments who can help foster crazy, independent work (like a 30-minute short film project) into existence.

Finally, this presentation will examine my own evolution as a filmmaker and how the liberal arts has allowed me to continue to pursue my passion in a variety of different fields, like theatre, that did not initially utilize film in their programs. I hope to encourage students to pursue their liberal arts education as a means to engage in a variety of different disciplines and learning environments.

41 THE ROLE OF STUDENT NEWSPAPERS IN ENGAGING DISCUSSION AND CHANGE

Alex Kerai

In the last two years, the Herald at Hobart and William Smith Colleges has undergone radical changes in an effort to reinvigorate the community and provide a voice for the students. A lot of that work occurred behind the scenes, with the Editorial Board and a group of committed writers. This project will explore how the Herald reinvented itself in the lead-up to an issue that radically changed HWS, and has continued that work moving forward.

With the integrity of journalism under near constant attack and threat of discredit, it is more imperative than ever that the work of journalists is understood and protected. Utilizing a few case studies along with the Herald’s Journalism and Ethical Policies, this presentation will explore how the Herald chooses stories and ensures that all of its news work is fact- based, impartial, and fair. This presentation will focus on pieces including the allegations against former President Gregory J. Vincent, the Coordinate System edition, the sexual misconduct investigation, and the coordinated coverage on President-elect Joyce P. Jacobsen. It will explore how anonymous sourcing, breaking news, and review teams ensure accuracy in reporting and avoid editorializing.

Newspapers can only do so much: they provide a voice for communities and report on issues, but they can only succeed with a community’s backing. My goal is to provide insight into the Herald’s processes, encourage students to remain engaged in their community, and to reduce apathy by encouraging action based on reporting.

42 PLEN: WILLIAM SMITH ENGAGED IN POLICY AND MENTORSHIP

Maeve Kline and Sarah Walters

The Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) is a national organization devoted to introducing women to role models, career paths, and skill training before they enter the workforce, to increase the number of women in top leadership positions, specifically in policy fields. Over the past four years, several groups of William Smith students have worked together to create an active on-campus PLEN Chapter that provides space and resources for leadership, mentorship, and concurrent opportunities for female-identifying leaders at William Smith.

The goals for the Chapter are two-fold: our PLEN Chapter promotes an inclusive environment for all William Smith students and creates a space where these students can discuss a wide-range of issues related to female-identified leadership. The Chapter aims to help and encourage female students to build a network with one another as well as female faculty and staff members. The Chapter hosts bi-weekly breakfasts, and also newly hosts events, from movie nights to self-care workshops, which have created a large “PLEN community” of women interested in leadership and mentorship. To maintain and enrich our network, we invite alumnae, student, and guest speakers to our breakfasts and general events. Our hope is to inspire students with the stories these women share of their triumphs and obstacles conquered.

On a larger scale, the Chapter hopes to introduce students to PLEN national seminars; the Chapter also communicates with the national organization to provide feedback from students and to assist in outreach to alumnae and other schools.

43 OPEN SEATS, CLOSED DOORS: OPEN CHOICE ENROLLMENT AND SEGREGATION IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY SCHOOLS

Madeline Lacey

Sixty-five years after Brown v. Board of Education (1954) set precedent for public school desegregation, schools across the United States are more segregated now than they were in the early twentieth century. Trends of discriminatory real estate practices that date back to the New Deal remain evident today and provide a base for unequal access to resource abundant schools, especially in urban areas. Open choice enrollment is a product of Connecticut legislation that intended to reduce racial and economic segregation in public schools. However, students who are left behind in urban public schools may not receive the same equitable education.

I have chosen to use Fairfield County schools as a case study for this specific project as both urban and suburban schools participate in the open choice enrollment program. I examine data collected by the Civil Rights Data Collection and Department of Education to determine to what extent open choice enrollment in Fairfield County schools has promoted segregation in the Bridgeport Public Schools district. I examine patterns of segregation in schools using data on property taxes in participating districts and compare that to the Civil Rights Data Collection Educational Equity Report from the Department of Education per pupil expenditures. I will also look at students who qualify for Free and Reduced-Price Lunches in the Bridgeport Public School district and compare that to the visualizations of those living below the poverty line to determine how this impacts enrollment in the open choice program. I also examine legislation as it provides a base for educational equity within Connecticut schools. My research suggests that students in the Bridgeport Schools are being left behind due to the lack of open seats in properly funded schools.

44 ACTION THROUGH "MARRONAGE": HOW DOES EVERYDAY RESISTANCE IMBUE THE DEFINITION OF POLITICAL MOVEMENT?

Caitlin Lasher

In March of 2017, the twitter hashtag #SmallActs began to trend seemingly overnight. As a response to the election of Donald Trump, author Celeste Ng created #SmallActs to share her every day, small acts of resistance against the Trump administration (Ruiz-Grossman, 2017). Since then, thousands of people have used the hashtag, sharing their acts of “resistance” such as reading Hidden Figures, or hanging the LGBTQIA+ flag outside their home (Ruiz-Grossman, 2017). But this fascination with everyday politics is not new. This trend of #SmallActs is reminiscent of the subtle forms of rebellion historically employed by subordinate groups. Focusing on the debate on the role of everyday resistance between five books, I argue that acts of everyday acts of resistance, which will be referred to as “marronage,” using Roberts (2015) definition of the term cannot be considered their own political movement, rather, they have varying radical potential to help fuel larger political movements.

My investigation focused on two main debates that arise: Can marronage be considered a political movement? What is the radical potential of acts of marronage? I distinguished the different definitions of what a political movement is for each author, and then exemplify how these different definitions aid the respective author's argument regarding the role of marronage. By juxtaposing these definitions to show how each individual assertion helps challenge, imbue, and change the two debates, show that marronage serves as part of the framework for greater mobilization of subordinate groups.

Roberts, N. (2015). Freedom as Marronage. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Ruiz-Grossman, S. (2017, March 07). “19 Small Acts To Resist Intolerance In Trump's America”. Retrieved December 9, 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/small-acts-resistance-celeste- ng_us_58bef413e4b0d841663e2b99. 45 MACHINE LEARNING FOR PHYLOGENOMICS: IMPROVING STATISTICAL BINNING TECHNIQUES FOR SPECIES TREE RECONSTRUCTION

Qingyi Lu

Phylogenetics studies the evolutionary history which plays an important role in biology among a set of individuals, genes or species. Because past evolutionary events cannot be directly observed, statistical models are needed to estimate the phylogenetic trees. Consequently, accurate estimations of phylogenetic trees could provide effective evidence for studies in biology.

Statistical binning is a method for species tree reconstruction, introduced by Mirarab et al.1 and Bayzid et al.2. In this method, phylogenetic trees on different genes are estimated and then placed into bins by comparing the compatibility of each pair of gene trees. Each bin can construct a new tree and then a species tree is estimated based on these new trees. In my Honors project I am working with Professor Joseph Rusinko to reduce estimation errors within the statistical binning process. We are directly using the pairs of DNA sequences as input data, instead of only using the estimated gene trees. In order to prepare the phylogenetic data for Machine Learning Algorithm, we compute k-mers from DNA sequence and use the k-mers to find the similarities between pairs of species trees. Four Machine Learning Techniques (K-Nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest and Neural Network) are implemented to further improve the binning decisions. We use the results classified by the Machine Learning Techniques to analyze whether the pairs of DNA sequences should be concatenated.

By comparing to statistical approaches based on human intuition, the Machine Learning Technique has higher efficiency by evaluating the input data with trained algorithms. Additionally, these methods solve problems by learning, and can automatically build models based on problems, so they can be applied to various problems, rather than limited to a fixed problem.

1.Mirarab, S., Bayzid, M.S., Boussau, B., Warnow, T.: Statistical binning enables an accurate coalescent- based estimation of the avian tree. Science 346(6215), 1250463 (2014) 2.Bayzid, M.S., Mirarab, S., Boussau, B., Warnow, T.: Weighted statistical binning: enabling statistically consistent genome-scale phylogenetic analyses. PLoS One10(6), 0129183(2015)

46 QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS AND VALUATION IN BASEBALL

Franklin Marquet

In baseball, there is something known as “sabermetrics” that has largely gained notoriety from the 2011 film Moneyball. Sabermetrics is the study of baseball analytics and data from the Society for American Baseball Research. Sabermetrics looks beyond common statistics such as batting average and ERA to better quantify and evaluate the game of baseball. Major League Baseball teams have allocated significant resources towards analytics, and the field has seen significant growth since the 1980s.

In this project, I will develop a model to analyze an array of Major League Baseball players through various sabermetric techniques. This model will allow me to value players, and compare them to others around the league in terms of salary and performance.

47 ADOLESCENT SEXUAL EDUCATION IN THE HIGHLANDS OF GUATEMALA

Cailey Mastrangelo

A lack of sexual education, especially in adolescents, can lead to many life altering experiences, varying from adolescent pregnancy to sexual violence in relationships, and supportive resources are not always accessible. My study for Honors in Psychology primarily focused on analyzing the impacts of a sexual education program in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala that has been implemented in hopes of decreasing the amount of these consequences for adolescents and to increase the overall knowledge of sexual health among the students. There have been seven waves of data collected from various schools in this region since 2014 via surveys passed out to students during class time, which were administered and collected by staff and administrators of the program.

I looked at one year of data (Wave 5 to Wave 6) in three grades at the school: 4th primaria, 5th primaria, and 1st básico. I expected to find an overall increase in sexual knowledge while also looking for gender differences, if any. The results showed significant differences in both sexual rights knowledge and overall sexual knowledge for the 4th and 5th primaria students over the year, but no gender differences were found in any of the three grades.

48 PHYSICAL TRAUMA AND SOMATIC SUPPORT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

Cailey Mastrangelo

The mental health of first responders is a clinical topic that has been studied often and intensely. Due to the life-and-death challenges of their jobs and the immense stress of catastrophic events, first responders are scrutinized continually and offered mental health support. In contrast, the general public does not tend to consider the mental and physical trauma first responders endure. My research project for my Senior Seminar in Dance investigated the effects that mental and physical trauma can have on first responders’ experiences within their work and in their daily lives.

My goal of this research was to create a new way to support first responders, focusing specifically on their physical traumas through the application of somatic protocols. My research demonstrates how Somatic Psychotherapy, which incorporates treatment for both the mind and body, can positively influence and generate improvements to balance individuals’ coping strategies and reduce the negative effects after traumatizing experiences. By implementing more somatically-based protocols, first responders would be devoting equal attention to their mental and physical traumas and the effects these two distresses can have on one another.

49 ENGLISH EDUCATION PROGRAM IN INDIA

Jackeline Matos

Last summer of 2018, late July to Mid-August, I had the opportunity to work at a non- profit organization in southern Mumbai, called Vidya Education and Empowerment program, as an assistance teacher in charge of improving the English skills of secondary school students.

To ensure that I would succeed in helping with the student’s English comprehension and speaking skills, I spent time learning the Hindi language. I wanted to make sure I had some local knowledge about the culture and its people, and also had taught myself about cultural activities, norms, and practices.

When I arrived to the school for the first couple of weeks, I realized that my Hindi was useful to an extent: I was able to communicate and better comprehend how things flowed in the school programming. When I realized during the vocabulary activities students did not understand how to the usage of some new vocabulary words and the sentence structure for them, and proposed that we say the word in the native language so that the students are able to understand how to use the words rather than its simple meaning, I came into conflict with the school’s number one rule classroom rule: to only speak in English. I had to strictly speak in English to the children because the school believed that speaking their native language was restricting students from succeeding in English.

I had to realize that I was there to assist the school in any way they needed me; unable to use my Hindi in the classroom, I took the visual learning approach, drawing out pictures that would illustrate the word and how it should be used.

50 HOMELESSNESS AND SOCIAL ISOLATION IN ONTARIO COUNTY

Kahiya McDaniels and Saoirse Scott

In January of 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that approximately 553,000 individuals experienced homelessness on any given night in the United States. In the Ontario County alone, Family Promise of Ontario County identified 345 homeless school-aged children in the last year.

In conjunction with Family Promise of Ontario County, we will investigate the relationship between homelessness and social isolation using in-depth interviews with the heads of their family unit who were or are currently experiencing homelessness. We will use this methodology in order to garner a better understanding of which support these families rely on and seek out before, during, and after periods of homelessness: Emotional (expressions of empathy, love, trust, and care), Instrumental (tangible aid and service), and Informational (advice, suggestions, and information). We will be coding these interviews to uncover common themes in individuals’ stories of how homelessness affected their family and ultimately their connection with their community, and give our analysis to Family Promise of Ontario County, an organization who works with homeless families in the area, so they can structure their services to best fit the needs of current and future families. We will also be gathering quantitative data on eviction in Ontario County to support our qualitative research.

51 A FINE BALANCE: UTILIZATION OF PROTECTING GROUPS TO SYNTHESIZE 3,4-BISINDOLE-FURAN-2-ONES

Marissa McFadden

Staurosporine has shown to be a molecule of great biological interest: Isolated from the bacterium Streptomyces staurosporeus, it is a potent Protein Kinase C inhibitor and can be used to induce apoptosis in cancerous cells, making it a novel anti-cancer reagent. Previous attempts have been made to synthesize the pyrrolinone based staurosporinone, a derivative of staurosporine, but have been largely unsuccessful. Within recent years, an attempt has been made to produce furanone analogs of staurosporinone, which have demonstrated a greater potency against cancerous cells as compared to their pyrrolinone counterparts.

Prior research has been completed to produce protected bis-indole furan-2-ones, which may function to limit the potency of these molecules against cancer cells. It was my endeavor to produce an unprotected bis-indole furan-2-one, which is hypothesized to be a more potent anti-cancer reagent. Due to the inability of unprotected indoles to undergo BF3•Et2O mediated electrophilic aromatic substitutions of protected 3-indoltetronic acids, the utilization of stable, yet removable indole protecting groups was investigated without much success. The complexity of the compounds synthesized requires the utilization of hardy and durable protecting groups that can withstand harsh reagents; the hardier and more durable the protecting group is, the more difficult it is to remove (and vice versa). Due to the intense reactivity of the Lewis acid utilized in this substitution, alternative approaches to the BF3•Et2O mediated substitution of protected 3-indoltetronic acids are to be investigated to synthesize the compound of interest.

52 SACREDNESS AND SIMILARITY AT CLONMACNOISE AND NEWGRANGE

Meg McKean

This project explores how the feeling of sacredness is created similarly in the spaces of Clonmacnoise and Newgrange, two sacred spaces in Ireland, despite the different religious origins of each location. Using Mircea Eliade’s1 theories of the sacred and profane, as well as his definition of religion, I break down the elements of sacred space in each location that produce the feeling of sacredness. Because there is very little previous research done on this topic, I use my personal experience from each site to draw out what I experienced as sacred in each location. Then, using comparative analysis, I explore significant themes at each site. Using the work of Mircea Eliade, augmented with the work of Victor Turner2, I explore the existence in each space of heirophanies, axis mundi, sacred time, and liminality.

In my research I find that while the sites have vastly different histories, they share similar patterns of symbolism through unique presentations. Through these symbols, Clonmacnoise and Newgrange create sacred space and foster a feeling of sacredness.

1 Eliade, Mircea. The Scared and The Profane: the Nature of Religion. Harcourt, Brace & World, 1959. 2 Turner, Victor. “The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure.” Symbol, Myth, And Ritual Series. Cornell University Press, 1966. Pp. 94-203.

53 “SO WHAT?” SPEAKING TO THE FUTURES OF MARGINALIZED FIELDS

Julia Minker

This roundtable brings together seniors graduating in LGBT and Women’s Studies to explore the following questions:

What are the defining concerns of these fields? How do we navigate the individual applicability of these two fields and forms of training in our lives to thinking about how we are mutually and collectively embedded in the futures of the disciplines? What do we plan to do with our degrees (i.e. skills, capacities, passions) after graduation? What kind of world(s) are we positioned to contribute to/resist through our training? How do we use/channel these skills, capacities, passions in our everyday life? What do we see in the future(s) of our disciplines? How do norms structure how we think about the future, and also the normative conceptions of our imagined futures? How does our training interrupt and reinvent life possibilities–– as in, how we imagine the trajectories of our lives differently? What makes a “successful” life when interrogated through the lenses of queer and feminist theory? Is doing queer and feminist work a question of “being” or “doing”? What kinds of interventions can we make in the world? What has the degree taught us about ourselves and what new things has it allowed us to see? How do our degree(s) enable us to critique HWS, and social institutions more broadly?

A double major in Women’s Studies and LGBT Studies, my focus is the production of nationhood and humanhood through biopolitics, global capitalism, and the resistance to these institutions.

54 A TALE OF TWO PONDS: WHY TWO NEIGHBORING PONDS BEHAVE SO DIFFERENTLY

Penelope Murphy

Ponds are hotspots for diversity that provide important habitat for wildlife. They also serve as models for larger bodies of water, and make good sites for exploring questions about food webs. I studied two neighboring ponds on the Hanley Biological Preserve. Despite the ponds’ similar terrestrial surroundings, management strategies, and human construction, the ponds differ in their appearance and trophic status—one is murky green because it supports abundant algal growth and the other is much less productive, with visibility to its deepest depths.

I traced how the isotopes of carbon and nitrogen move among members of the pond communities to test the hypotheses that (1) the food webs of these ponds vary in their utilization of primary producers, such as degrading leaves from trees, macrophytes (aka seaweed), and algae and (2) energy flowed differently as it moved up the food web of the ponds to consumers of the primary producers and their predators. As expected, the consumer communities of both ponds exploited terrestrial-based carbon but differed in the dominant source of primary producers within the ponds. The less productive of the two ponds appeared to incorporate more carbon sources from the pond bottom into its food web. The more productive pond, on the other hand, appeared to rely more heavily on carbon sources suspended in the water column, such as algae. There were also differences at higher trophic positions, including the types of fish and their diets.

This study adds to the growing body of work dedicated to understanding the factors that dictate primary productivity and energy flow of freshwater systems. This information is also valuable for informing ecosystem management strategies and conservation efforts.

55 “SO WHAT?” SPEAKING TO THE FUTURES OF MARGINALIZED FIELDS

Amanda Ngo

This roundtable brings together seniors graduating in LGBT and Women’s Studies to explore the following questions:

My contributions to the panel will be focused on speaking to the future of LGBT Studies, and to its applications in political and legal fields, describing how LGBT Studies asks about our positions present and future with an emphasis on how these understandings of relations of power shape our ability to engage and dismantle what is unproductive. In representing the anti-normative disposition of the discipline. I hope to share how the field is evolving and impacting our understandings and attitudes towards knowledge production centered on activist discourses like LGBT Studies.

56 DNA METHYLATION PROFILING OF ANTHOPLEURA ELEGANTISSIMA USING NANOPORE SEQUENCING

Nhung Nguyen

Epigenetic modifications are biochemical processes that do not alter the genetic code but regulate gene expression. DNA methylation is an epigenetic process that influences phenotypic plasticity -- the ability of an organism to alter its phenotype in response to environmental factors. Relatively little is currently known regarding how DNA methylation influences invertebrates or symbiosis.

In this study, we utilized contemporary nanopore sequencing methods to profile DNA methylation of Anthopleura elegantissima. We found that the genome of A. elegantissima is sparsely methylated, with a fraction of the genome that is highly methylated. We also calculated CpG O/E using a published transcriptome and compared the nanopore sequence methylation frequency to this evolutionary estimate of methylation. A negative correlation was found, further suggesting that A. elegantissima experiences low levels of methylation due to the mutagenic potential of DNA methylation at the evolutionary scale. These results contribute to the current understanding of invertebrate methylation by supporting other studies in the field that identify invertebrates as being infrequently methylated. They also indicate that nanopore sequencing is a viable method for profiling methylation. Additionally, these results offer a basis for future studies regarding symbiotic phenotypes of marine invertebrates.

57 ACCUMULATIVE WAVE OF TEXTURE IN “DREAM WAVE”: ACCUMULATION AND EXPECTATION

Bryce Noe

My project is an analysis of “Dream Wave (ABC-002)” by Brian Ellis. This song has a sixteen-bit feel that is produced by the upbeat synthesizers. The main feature of this song is its accumulation form, which refers to the process of instruments gradually entering into the texture of a song until a groove is made. To do the analysis, I will break down the texture of the song by transcribing each instrument by itself to give a visual representation of what is happening. Then, I show how the entrance of each instrument takes part in the buildup of the groove.

I hope to discover that accumulation is not just a part of the song, but also the foundational aspect the song is built around, and whether the accumulation of parts in “Dream Wave ABC-002” helps us predict the arrival of new events in the song. This project shows an aspect of how much of the music we listen to and appreciate is constructed, an aspect so commonplace that we as listeners often take it for granted.

58 ROCK ‘N’ ROLL TROMBONE

Bryce Noe

I will present a piece of my composition, “Space Launch,” for trombone and piano. My piece pulls from other musical styles that have shaped me as a musician, such as rock and roll, jazz, and classical. My composing process took musical ideas and develops them through a series of transformations. For instance, I used a bass motif that repeats with subtle variations throughout the piece. In one of the melodic lines played by trombone, I present a single musical phrase that I develop in a number of ways by employing various compositional techniques.

My project suggests that making music does not have to be a complex procedure, and showcases the melodic quality of the trombone.

59 DOES THE TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATOR TEASHIRT-2 FUNCTION IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE XENOPUS (FROG) RETINA?

Ifunanya Okeke

Eye field specification is a process whereby embryonic cells become designated to form specific tissues, such as the retina (Gilbert, S.F., 2010). The determination of cell state, whether it is undifferentiated or differentiated, and cell fate (e.g., neuron vs. interneuron) depends upon complex molecular and cellular interactions. Transcription factors are proteins that regulate how and when specific genes are expressed within embryonic cells. For example, the Rx protein is an important regulator of eye cell fate specification in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Though much is known about Rx and other factors, identifying new transcription factors will allow for a more thorough understanding of the molecular processes that control eye development.

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether the gene known as Teashirt-2 (Tsh2) is active during eye development (Elkouby, Y. M., et al. 2012). In the fall of 2018, I worked with Professor Kenyon to test whether Tsh2 was expressed at different stages of frog development using in situ hybridization. This method uses labeled genetic sequences to identify whether a messenger RNA sequence of interest is present within embryonic cells and tissues. The detection of mRNA suggests that the corresponding protein may play an essential role in retina formation. A clear pattern of Tsh2 expression was not observed in Xenopus stages 12, 16, 23, and 26. Future experiments will determine whether Tsh2 is expressed during later stages of organogenesis.

60 THE CLINICAL APPLICATION OF DANCE AS A DRUG

Ifunanya Okeke

The purpose of this research project is to begin to understand how dance can be used as medicine. Recent studies have proven dance to be a beneficial alternative to traditional exercises for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. In recent years, several organizations, including Dance for PD, have developed movement programs for Parkinson’s patients who demonstrate ongoing benefits of dance to prolong motor coordination and the love of moving one’s body in space.

Understanding the biomechanisms of how dance correlates with this disease can provide insight on long-term effects of dance on Parkinson’s patients. I am interested to learn about the implications and effects dance may have on individuals prior to diagnosis. Are dancers less likely to become diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease? Dance as a therapeutic remedy has influenced my interest in this field of study, and this research inquiry combines my two degrees at the Colleges as well as my academic passions.

61 TRUE DEMOCRACY

Sergio D. Perez

Is integration possible within a capitalist system? One might suspect that these two things are incompatible because integration seems to require that one care about out-groups, whereas capitalism rewards and sustains maximizing gains for oneself and one’s in-group. Capitalism causes segregation and not integration, which positions it in opposition to true democracy. True democracy is where collective inquiry, accountability, and equality exist. Today, our capitalist system in the United States is creating inequalities.

This project intends to provide arguments for the idea of a political ideal control or shape the economy and not have the economy shape democracy. Moreover, this project will explore and will conclude on the best criteria that one can use when evaluating an economic system that will never shape true democracy, but instead will allow itself to be modified by the following three democratic themes: collective inquiry, accountability, and equality. I hope that this project will serve as a point of reference to ensure that true democracy is preserved, a democracy where people will be united and equal.

62 CHARACTERIZING HELIOTHINE ORTHOLOGS OF GENES REQUIRED FOR ANTENNA FORMATION AND SEX DETERMINATION ACROSS LEPIDOPTERA AND DIPTERA ORDERS

Alvin D. Randall

Heliothis virescens is a moth species native to the Americas, yet it is considered a major pest, as infestations can cost farmers their entire crop revenue. Common pest removers such as pesticides have proven ineffective in combating this problem. Developing new ways of managing moth populations requires a deeper understanding of moth reproduction.

Mating behaviors are controlled by sex-specific pheromones released by females and detected by males (Teal et al., 1981). Sex-specific behaviors of H. virescens reflect sex differences in the sensory cells found within the antennae of the adults (Schneiderman et al., 1982). Other studies have shown that female moths with transplanted male antenna respond to male-specific pheromones, indicating that mating behaviors may be altered (Kalberer et al., 2010; Schneiderman et al., 1982). Understanding the origins of sex- specific differences at the level of cells and tissues is an important goal for those working to better understand H. virescens.

Based on studies of D. melanogaster (fruit flies) we know that certain genes play a role in antenna development and other genes code for proteins that determine sex-specific characteristics. My research has taken the first steps into characterizing the H. virescens versions of fly genes such as atonal and distal-less, which are known regulators of antenna formation (Jhaveri et al., 2000; Plavicki et al., 2012). This work involves cloning and comparing moth sequences (cDNA) to sequences published in GenBank (National Center for Biotechnology Information). In the future, these sequences can be used to test ideas about the embryonic differences that lead to the sex dimorphism in moth antennae.

Jhaveri D., Sen. A, Reddy G.V., Rodrigues V. (2000). Sense organ identity in the Drosophila antenna is specified by the expression of the proneural gene atonal. Mech Dev 99: 101–111. Kalberer N.M., Reisenman C.E., Hildebrand J.G. (2010). Male moths bearing transplanted female antennae express characteristically female behaviour and central neural activity. Journal of Experimental Biology 213: 1272–1280. Plavicki J., Mader S., Pueschel E., Peebles P., Boekhoff-Falk G. (2012). Homeobox gene distal-less is required for neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth in the Drosophila olfactory system. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109: 1578–1583. Schneiderman A.M., Matsumoto S.G., Hildebrand J.G. (1982). Trans-sexually grafted antennae influence development of sexually dimorphic neurones in moth brain. Nature 298: 844–846. Teal Pea, McLaughlin J.R., Tumlinson J.H. (1981). Analysis of the Reproductive Behavior of Heliothis virescens (F.) under Laboratory Conditions. Ann Entomol Soc Am 74: 324–330. 63 NAVIGATING “NO-MAN’S-LAND”: ARTHUR ASHE’S USE OF CELEBRITY STATUS TO ENGAGE IN SOCIAL ACTIVISM David Reinharz In tennis, “No-Man’s-Land” is a place on the tennis court players never want to find themselves: center of the court and most vulnerable. Arthur Ashe, top-class tennis player and winner of the US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon, was rarely caught in “No- Man’s-Land” on the tennis court. However, he was often caught in this inopportune location in the eyes of the public when it came to his positions on social activism. As part of a broader examination of how Ashe used his celebrity status to advance political causes, I will analyze Ashe's anti-apartheid activism. I will be looking at the following question: How did Arthur Ashe use his status as a Black celebrity athlete to implement social change, particularly the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa? I plan to explore how Ashe’s opposition to apartheid was perceived by the public, as well as compare Ashe’s view on social activism to other socially conscious athletes from his era. I will analyze a variety of primary sources: African-American newspapers, athletic magazines, interviews, and advertisements. Preliminary analysis suggests that Ashe was scrutinized by some for aligning himself too much with political activism; others criticized him for not doing enough to support social injustices happening globally. The White tennis world was uncomfortable with his positions and people of color criticized his methodology despite his ultimate success of exposing the ugly world of apartheid. My study suggest that that “sports and politics [are] inseparable,”1 but that Ashe was simply unable to satisfy anyone.

1 Harry Edwards. “Reflections on Olympic Sports Politics: History and Prospects.” The Crisis, May 1983, p. 20.

64 THE MAMMY MEDIA: THE LIAISON BETWEEN POST CIVIL WAR RACISM & TODAY

Alexa Rosen

The image of the mammy historically and today is a large, fat black woman. The mammy is warm, smiling, happy, content, full of laughter, and a family maternal figure. Importantly, the mammy was a maternal figure but only for the white family she was employed by. The image of the mammy began to spread after the Civil War as a form of nostalgia towards slavery, just as slavery ended. The mammy image has not gone away but has taken on new forms; in fact, the mammy has been able to maintain its popularity in American media and pop culture for as long as America has been racist.

This project traces the history of the mammy in different media forms. I investigated images from films, memorabilia, advertisements, and literature from the end of the Civil War to today, and I have examined the work of multiple media, history and American studies scholars who have all developed theories on the shifting image of the mammy. I use these myriad sources to argue that after the Civil War, white Southerners and Northerners alike were fearful of their new country and shifting politics. The mammy was created and used as a coping mechanism, instilling the idea that black people enjoyed lives of serving white families and domestic work. This image was in turn comforting because it meant black people were not a threat to the current social order and way of life. Nostalgia continues to perpetuate and reproduce the mammy image in our society, as well as bolstering racism and racist politics in the United States.

65 VOICES FROM WORLD WAR II AND A CALL FOR RESISTANCE

Elijah Rutledge

The project seeks to elucidate the resistance in both Apartheid South Africa and the Holocaust, while emphasizing the importance of resistance today. Published records of resistance against British colonial encroachment and the Nazi regime in conjunction with testimonies from six individuals who survived World War II will reinforce the need for collaborative resistance if, and when, human rights are challenged or violated. I am interested in the project because of the courses, professors and experiences I have had at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, especially The March: Bearing Witness to Hope.

To understand the resistance during Apartheid and the Holocaust, I use a mixed-methods approach, examining several books and articles by Shirli Gilbert, as well as Philippe Sand’s book East West Street to understand the progression of human rights since World War II, which traces the history of human rights law in a Polish town with the intersection of two human rights lawyers, Raphael Lemkin and Hersch Lauterpacht. Finally, I will interview six people who have been impacted by WWII in some way; three escaped to the US with their families, a young girl who stayed in France during the War, another young girl from Finland who was a refugee for six years in Western Lapland and Sweden, and an American G.I. who landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and helped liberate the slave labor concentration camp at Nordhausen.

This research illuminates forms of resistance seen during Apartheid and the Holocaust, and the development of human rights since. The interviews provide the powerful stories of these individuals’ experiences as well as a strong urge for people to hold on to these memories, speak out against injustice, and refuse to let history repeat itself.

66 MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH

Alyssa Sanito, Mara Sindoni and Mackenzie Tamblin

The purpose of our study was to examine dispositional (trait) mindfulness and its relationship to psychological well-being, physical health, and social adjustment in college students. To investigate this relationship, we recruited 318 students from Introduction to Psychology courses. We administered self-report measures such as the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale-Short Form, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Similar to research conducted by Bodenlos, Wells, Noonan and Mayrsohn (2015) we predicted that higher levels of dispositional mindfulness (such as non-judging ) would be related to lower levels of depression and anxiety, and better physical health in college students.1 Based on research by Neff (2012) we hypothesized that the mindfulness trait of self-compassion would be associated with lower levels of rumination and depressive symptoms.2

Additional research on gender differences pertaining to dispositional mindfulness and psychological well-being is needed in the current literature. For example, a literature review conducted by Bodenlos, Strang, Gray-Bauer, Faherty and Ashdown (2017) showed that males are highly underrepresented in mindfulness-based clinical trials.3 A recent study examining gender differences in mindfulness found that males scored significantly higher than females on total mindfulness, as well as on non-judging and non-reactivity specifically (Kingery, Bodenlos & Lathrop, 2019).4 As a result, we predicted that males in this sample would also demonstrate higher scores on each of these domains. Finally, Kingery et al. (in press) found that females had higher perceived stress and lower emotional well-being than males. These findings led us to predict that females would score higher on both depression and anxiety, as well as on perceived stress.

1 Bodenlos, J. S., Wells, S. Y., Noonan, M., & Mayrsohn, A. (2015). Facets of dispositional mindfulness and health among college students. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 21(10), 645- 652. 2 Neff, K. D. (2012). The science of self-compassion. In C. Germer & R. Siegel (Eds.), Compassion and Wisdom in Psychotherapy (pp. 79-92). New York: Guilford Press. 3 Bodenlos, J. S., Strang, K., Gray-Bauer, R., Faherty, A., & Ashdown, B. K. (2017). Male representation in randomized clinical trials of mindfulness-based therapies. Mindfulness, 8(2), 259-265. 4 Kingery, J.N., Bodenlos, J.S., & Lathrop, J.A. (in press). Facets of dispositional mindfulness versus sources of social support predicting college students’ psychological adjustment. Journal of American College Health.

67 THREATS TO ASH TREES AND THE FUTURE OF THE UNDERSTORY AT THE KASHONG CONSERVATION AREA

Parke Schweiter

Agrilus planipennis, or the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), is an invasive species that has emerged to pose threats to local upstate New York habitats, specifically within the Kashong Conservation Area (KCA). The EAB targets and infects ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) by laying their eggs within the bark, resulting in the tree’s death within two to four years. The KCA was studied for EAB infestation in the fall of 2017 by Jonathan Spaan (HWS ’18), but no signs of infection were observed. In order to establish a long-term study of EAB infection at the KCA, Spaan developed three central hypotheses regarding which trees would be the first to show signs of infection. He hypothesized that ash trees would show varying probabilities of infection based on their size, distance from the road, and density within a plot.

In this follow-up study during 2018, ash trees at the KCA were revisited and assessed for signs of infection. Statistical analysis suggests that the probability of EAB infection increases as ash density per plot increases. Additionally, a second long-term study to monitor future changes in the understory composition of native and non-native species as a result of ash tree infection was established. For this part of the study, woody seedlings and saplings were assessed within subplots of the forest understory and identified as tree, shrub, or vine species, as well as being either native or non-native.

As ash trees die and create canopy gaps, management of the understory will be a crucial factor for ensuring native species outcompete non-natives for a spot in the canopy. The subplot study demonstrated that while there are many seedlings and saplings of native tree species in the understory, there are also many non-native species. Protection of native tree saplings from deer and removal of non-native species is the recommended management strategy. Overall, this research provides insight to the trends of EAB infestations at the KCA while also supporting the need for management efforts in the near future to uphold the future well-being of the ecosystem.

68 NAVIGATING THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION: AYAHUASCA AND THE GUIDE

Liam Sullivan

Psychoactive substances have been used for millennia for the purposes of religious ritual. One contemporary use of psychotropics has been in the treatment of addiction and depression. In both of these contexts, the role of the guide (which is fulfilled by either a shaman, priest, or psychiatrist) is what modifies the experience for the user, and ultimately what allows for either religious or therapeutic experience. I will examine the nature of the guide within the context of an ayahuasca experience.

My motivation for this project arises primarily from my own readings on entheogenic substances by such authors as Terence McKenna, Timothy Leary, and Aldous Huxley, as well as in reaction to the stigma applied to these substances, despite the fact that they have been used both ritually and medicinally for millenia. I hope that by examining how the guide affects the experience of ayahuasca, the stigma of being a “drug” can be removed from the various sacred substances used on earth.

I will refer to the works done by Miroslav Horak in his work with ayahuasca users in the Czech Republic, as well as his work within the context of a research team that intensely examines the nature of ayahuasca, as well as various other authors such as Carl Jung, William James, M.V Uthaug, Martin Lajoie, and Robert Segal to clearly define the modifying nature of the guide in the context of the ayahuasca experience.

69 REMOTE SENSING MAPPING OF MERCURY CONTAMINATION IN VEGETATED AREAS: THE CASE OF TARKWA, GHANA, AFRICA

Jonas Toupal

Mercury pollution is a serious threat to ecosystem and human health. In some regions, significant environmental mercury contamination comes from artisanal, commonly illegal, gold mining. The remote and unregulated nature of small-scale artisanal gold mining in developing regions makes monitoring mercury contamination difficult. A remote method for assessing mercury contamination would be a step forward.

Previous work showed that vegetation on mercury contaminated soils reflects less in IR and green wavelengths due to Hg replacing Mg in chlorophyll. We used this plant physiological phenomenon and Landsat TM data from 2004 and 2015 to detect and map mercury contamination associated with artisanal gold mines near Tarkwa, Ghana. This site provides a useful test case because mercury contamination in soils has been measured on the ground, allowing us to calibrate our satellite-based measurements. We tailor an index for mercury detection in vegetation (MI) and correlate it with soil measurements (N=13, r=-0.67, p=0.013, R2=0.39). To determine that we could distinguish contaminated from uncontaminated vegetation using the MI, we sampled 300 pixels in each of five substrates with varying contamination level: 1) uncontaminated primary forest, 2) secondary forest over 5 km away from the larger mining sites and presumed to be uncontaminated, 3) secondary forest 1–2 km from the mining site, 4) secondary forest within 500 m of the mining site that sampling showed to be contaminated, and 5) contaminated bare mining soil. Our proposed index distinguished contaminated from uncontaminated secondary forest at α < 0.001. We then developed regression models to map mercury contamination and reconstruct changes in estimated soil contamination between 2004 and 2015, years for which clear images were available.

In 2004, the contamination was significant but localized to the area around large mining operations. In 2015, contamination was widespread, likely due to documented expansion of small-scale mining.

70 STOP FIDGETING: A RESEARCH STUDY OF ON VS. OFF-TASK BEHAVIOR

Sarah Grace Underwood

Off-task behaviors, such as stretching, balancing, or fidgeting, are a common classroom management challenge teachers face. However, many off-task behaviors may be a way for students to generate interest or focus energy to allow them to concentrate in the moment and are in fact beneficial to their learning. The challenge is to distinguish between productive and unproductive behaviors.

The goal of this study is to examine how students use somatic awareness and movement in the classroom and how they relate to teacher perceptions of off-task behavior. Somatic awareness is the ability to read your body’s cues and may be a tool for students to use in deciding if their behavior is productive or not. For this study, methods include a literature review and pilot study of observation of a local second grade classroom. I conducted behavioral observations where I noted any off-task or prominent movement. When possible, I also noted the antecedent to the behavior and what teachers did in response. To analyze the data, any patterns will be noted and possible explanations given.

While this study is still ongoing, it has important implications for educators. Preliminary research has shown that some off-task behaviors may be used to redirect students to be on- task. Teachers should be careful to not dismiss movement as off-task behavior and instead should be looking at the function of the behavior to determine if it is actually off-task.

71 CONFIRMING COMMUNITY: CONFIRMATION AS A COMMUNITY BUILDING PRACTICE IN SECULARIZED LUTHERAN DENMARK

Sarah Walters

In a world that thrives on the creation and maintenance of society, the ways in which we as individuals invest in communities become almost solely important to who we are and how we live. Worldwide, communities are enacted, upheld by rituals, by cycles, and by rites of passage; members of a community strive to be exactly that, members, and in doing so they often partake in the path set forth for them by that community. What happens when adamant religion and religious commitment is not the sole force acting upon a community? Do these rites remain the same? Do they fade or shift? In Lutheran Denmark since the protestant reformation, religious practice has existed at the heart of the Danish community, enacted as society itself. Hundreds of years later, we still see the religious practices heralded into the country at the time of reformation, but through a new Demark: a secularized Denmark.

My intensive study during the Fall 2018 semester centers on history of religion and its interplay with community within Denmark over the past 200 years. Upon defining the Danish concept of religion, digging deeply into the history of religion and ritual, and creating a viable lens for the understanding of modern Danish community life, I look strategically at the significance of Confirmation as a community-building process in a new Denmark, and seek to provided plausible reasons if not answers to the question “How has the significance of Confirmation shifted or been impacted by the secularization of and shift in conceptualization of religious observance in Denmark over the past 200 years”?

72 THE SYNTHESIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF REACTIONS LEADING TO PY-340-D Nathan Webster

PY-340-D is a compound that is an oxygen analog to the compound known as Staurosporinone, which is the main motivation for my project as part of the Pelkey Research Group. Staurosporine, the precursor molecule to Staurosporinone, was discovered in the 1970s by scientists at the Kitasato Institute in a culture of Actinomyces and was shown to have protein kinase C activity. From this discovery many indolocarbazole analogs have been shown to have anticancer properties.

My role for the project in the summer of 2018 was to optimize the synthesis of PY-340-D and make a final pure product to be used in testing against cancer cells. PY-340-D is an important compound because it is one of the analogs that most closely represents Staurosporinone that was produced previously. They differ in three spots and this product can show us how changing the structure affects the potency.

The synthesis of esters, tetronic acids, 3,4-diaryl substituted furan-2-ones, and the fusion of the ring systems were all major aspects of the process that each needed to be optimized individually to bring the overall yield of the product up. The outcome of the research showed that very pure product was made but in low quantities. The optimization of the beginning steps is nearly done but optimization of the harder reactions, at the end, have yet to yield a significant positive impact. I will highlight the steps taken to reach PY-340-D, and the outcomes it has produced.

73 DISCOURSES OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY AND THE AMERICAN CONTEXT

Stephen West

My project for Honors in Religious Studies unpacks a fundamental questions facing the American Muslim community: “Who has the authority to speak for Islam in the American context?” My interest in this project comes from coursework in my Religious Studies major and Islamic Studies concentration, which has culminated in my honors project conducted under the supervision of Professor Kafrawi.

Beginning with the construction of Islamic religious authority from the religion’s inception to the modern day American context, I explore how adapting systems of authority have allowed the religion to survive across changing cultural and political landscapes and remain relevant despite the passage of time. I focus on the formation of Islamic legal schools in the generations following the death of Muhammad and the complex relationship formulated between political rulers, religious scholars and Islamic law.

I argue that the implementation of Islamic law in unique socio-political contexts requires voices of authority to negotiate the rulings contained in religious texts and the context in which those rulings are being applied. I assert that in the modern American context, authority is established when religious voices can show not only a mastery of religious scholarship but an ability to apply Islamic knowledge to Muslim Americans’ lives and the unique problems they face living in America. The historic Islamic tradition is brought into the modern American context by custodians of tradition who find creative ways, using their authority in religious circles to help the Muslim American community to live lives which promote Islamic ethical and religious values.

74 BREASTFEEDING AND CHILD’S COGNITIVE, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Swellar Zhuo

Previous studies suggest that a relationship exists between breastfeeding and a child’s cognitive, social and emotional development. However, it is difficult to claim that this relationship is direct, due to confounding variables, such as the duration of breastfeeding, socioeconomic status and family’s characteristic.

My study, for my capstone course in Sociology, analyzes the data from the Geneva Parent Appraisal of Children’s Experience (PACE) survey distributed to parents and guardians of incoming kindergarteners in 2017 to 2018. I use bivariate analyses to examine whether the correlation between breastfeeding and several aspects of a child’s cognitive, social and emotional abilities, and trivariate analyses to examine if the relationship exists when controlling for the duration of breastfeeding, the family’s socioeconomic background and some of the aspects of the child’s lived experiences. I hope to find a relationship between breastfeeding and a child’s cognitive, social and emotional development, and a relationship when controlling for other cofounding variables. I hope to use these findings to develop solutions to support mothers nursing their child.