WSSA NEWS Volume 48, Issue 1 Spring 2016 Volume 46, Issue 2 Featured Article
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WSSA NEWS Volume 48, Issue 1 Spring 2016 Volume 46, Issue 2 Featured Article CHILDHOOD HUNGER IS A PROBLEM FOR ALL OF US Michèle Companion University of Colorado - Colorado Springs Hunger is not a game, especially for chil- dren. According to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, our partner for the an- Come to Reno! nual “WSSA Gives Back” fundraiser, which occurs during the Friday morning Note from the Editor : The article below, written by poster competition and breakfast every then-President-Elect Gil Fowler for the Fall 2009 Newsletter, was so good, and still so timely, that I year, one in every four children in Nevada just had to reprint it (with just a few small updates, is food insecure. This is a problem for all and shortened a bit. Thanks, Gil!!!). of us. While hunger threatens the future of a child, it threatens all of our futures Be Prepared as well, by inhibiting children from reach- TOP 10 Q’s & A’s “WHY” ing their full potential. YOU GOTTA Childhood food insecu- BE IN RENO IN APRIL 2010 rity impacts physical Inside this issue: health, educational at- While many of you may not have been tainment, workforce “boy scouts” or “girl scouts”, “brownies” or ViewingViewing thethe JournalJournal 2 participation, and job “cubs” you have probably heard the scout ElectionElection ResultsResults 5 readiness. Children who motto of “Be Prepared.” And we want to are undernourished are help you “get prepared” for the 58th Western AreAre YouYou FeelingFeeling Lucky?Lucky? 6 more likely to have Social Science Association Convention being WSSA Awards 2016 7 weakened immune sys- held in Reno, Nevada this spring. tems, making them NewNew SectionSection CoordinatorsCoordinators 10 And at that time more than 700 more vulnerable to colds educators and social scientists will gather at SeminarSeminar withwith ProfessorProfessor RobertRobert 12 and more serious ill- the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino Hotel in Boyer,Boyer, nesses. This can result in an increase in days Reno to share stories, learn about new areas NevadaNevada UrbanUrban IndiansIndians 12 (Continued on page 3) (Continued on page 4) SpectacularSpectacular LakeLake TahoeTahoe 13 Viewing the WSSA NEWS 2015 - 2016 PRESIDENT PRESIDENT-ELECT Journal Heather Albanesi Michèle Companion Univ. of Colorado, Colorado Springs Univ. of Colorado, Colorado Springs [email protected] [email protected] Membership in the Western VICE PRESIDENT PAST PRESIDENT Social Science Association includes Kristina Lybecker (2015) N. Prabha Unnithan a subscription to The Social Science Colorado College Colorado State University [email protected] [email protected] Journal. Members have always received their printed copy of the BOARD MEMBERS Journal at the address they gave Christina Medina (2017) when registering for the Barbara Bonnekessen (2016) New Mexico State University conference or paying annual dues. Pittsburg State University [email protected] Members will continue to [email protected] Jesus Ruiz Flores (2017) receive their printed copies, as Universidad de Guadalajara, at La Ciènaga Lynda Dickson (2016) usual. However, our publisher, [email protected] Univ. of Colorado, Colorado Springs Elsevier, gives members another [email protected] option. Debra Andrist (2018) Sam Houston State University William Schaniel (2016) [email protected] Members can log into Elsevier’s University of West Georgia (retired) [email protected] website and view The Social Science Mary Jo Tippeconic Fox (2018) Journal for free, using their University of Arizona Anthony Amato (2017) [email protected] Western Social Science Association Southwest Minnesota State University member ID number. [email protected] Stephen Mumme (2018) Now you can read the Journal Colorado State University on your laptop, tablet, or smart [email protected] phone, wherever you are. WESTERN SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION is a professional educational organiza- Your member ID number is the tion committed to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship, service, registration ID number that is on and collegiality. The Association’s mission is to foster professional study, to ad- vance research, and to promote the teaching of social science. Founded in 1958 your online receipt when you as the Rocky Mountain Social Science Association, WSSA draws on scholars and others in some 30 disciplines, or “sections,” from across the United States, and preregister. around the world; convenes an annual conference; conducts research competi- tions for faculty and students; and publishes The Social Science Journal, a juried, quarterly research journal, and WSSA News, the Association’s newsletter, four For those who register on-site, times a year. WSSA annual membership dues are included in the annual confer- ence registration. For those who will not be joining us at the conference, but a member ID number will be would still like to be voting members and to receive the publications, subscrip- assigned at the registration desk. tion only memberships can be purchased from our website. Prices are $45 (individual); $60 (includes spouse); $35 (student); $30 (retired). For information, Membership years begin on contact Larry Gould, Executive Director, WSSA, 2307 Chof Trail, Flagstaff, AZ April 1 of each calendar year and 86005. (Phone: 928-606-2248) E-mail: [email protected]) WSSA News is published quarterly by the WSSA. Editor: Kate Herke. For end on March 31 of the following more information about WSSA News, contact Larry Gould, Executive Direc- tor, WSSA, 2307 Chof Trail, Flagstaff, AZ 86005. (Phone: 928-606-2248) E-mail: year. [email protected]) (Childhood Hunger - Continued from page 1) The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is seeking to make a permanent change to this economic landscape by simultaneously engag- ing in strategies to reduce hunger in the short term and creating innovative programs to pro- vide long-term, sustainable solutions to this issue. Their focus on immediate relief includes children’s feeding programs, such as the Kid’s Café afternoon and summer meal program, school food pantries, and the Back-Pack pro- gram, which sends food home. Their long- term, sustainable programs focus on empow- erment, capacity building and education. Nu- missed from school. High rates of absenteeism trition education for children and adults is a are associated with lower educational attain- ment (kids fall behind, receive lower grades, cornerstone of this approach. Participants and are ultimately more likely to drop out) and learn about nutritious food choices, simple problems socializing with peers. This has di- food preparation techniques, and getting the rect and indirect impacts on the economic sys- most nutrition with a limited food budget. tem, including a drop in parent work produc- tivity. A parent must often skip work to look The Food Bank of Northern Nevada also recog- after the child, resulting in lost work days and nizes that hunger is a symptom of pov- drags on productive labor when parents of sick erty. Providing immediate relief measures will children are at work. Children who are sent to not solve the problem of chronic food insecuri- school sick have reduced attention spans, low- ty. To address the root causes of hunger, they er energy, and poor memory recall, impacting offer Bridges to a Thriving Nevada, a program overall educational attainment and perfor- that uses the Bridges Out of Poverty frame- mance, again increasing the risk of dropping work and community collaboration. The pro- out. gram employs a three-pronged approach: Training for individu- als and community or- ganizations which work with, employ, or provide services to those in pov- Children who drop out of school will earn erty, to make services more impactful; about $500,000 less over the course of their Strategies for making systemic changes in working careers than a high school graduate the community which remove barriers to and $2 million less than a college graduate. economic mobility; They also create a workforce pool that is not Offering “Getting Ahead, “ a 16-week educa- competitive for jobs with higher pay or better tional course for individuals living in poverty. benefits. Instead, drop outs are relegated to It helps them develop eleven resources needed those jobs that can be acquired with lower lev- for personal and family stability. Graduates els of education and technical skills. Our soci- receive ongoing support through monthly ety experiences this impact through lost tax meetings, continuing education, and personal revenue, as individuals achieve and earn less, connections with allies. increased likelihood of long-term health prob- lems, increasing demand on the health care What can we do to strengthen the future of system, and lost worker productivity. America’s children? (Continued on 4) (Childhood Hunger - Continued from page 3) We can the Food Bank of Northern Nevada on Face- book or visit their website for more information about their pro- grams (https://fbnn.org/). We can educate ourselves about who the hungry are. Did you know that, in Northern Nevada, fami- lies need to make very difficult choices? And, we can support our hard working FBNN partners (a 501c3) at the WSSA Gives Back fund raising drive! Here are some of our partners with a giant orange spoon celebrating “Spoontember,” Hunger Action Month! Spoontember is a na- tional campaign to raise awareness about hunger. I will be at the fundraising table to greet them. Will you? I hope to see you!!! (Come to Reno! - Continued from page 1) some of the largest rooms in the industry and each room features amenities to include: free parking; free airport of interest and concerns, and to just enjoy collegial shuttle; dry cleaning with 24-hr turnaround; iron and fellowship. And we want to help you get ready for that ironing board and hair dryer; turn-down service; cable/ experience. satellite TV; and voice mail. The resort also has a pool, Reno, the third largest city in the state, lies 26 miles health club and numerous entertainers and entertainment north of the Nevada state capital, Carson City, and 22 events on a daily basis.