Oral Presentation Abstracts
18th Annual Student Scholars Symposium
Panel Session Schedule
Session 1 —9am-10:20am
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
History: British Reform—Ogeechee Theater
Physical Therapy—Ballroom A
Psychology —Ballroom B
Music Compositions —Ballroom C
Art History —Skidaway Room
Session 2—10:30am-11:50am
6. Writing Competition Winners —Ogeechee Theater
7. Biology —Ballroom C
8. Art History: Mary Telfair —Skidaway Room
Session 3—1:15pm-2:35pm
9. Writing Competition Winners—Ogeechee Theater
10. Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Chemistry,
and Physics—Ballroom C
11. History—Skidaway Room
Session 4 —4:40pm-5:00pm
12. Chemistry and Physics—Ogeechee Theater
13. Criminal Justice, Political Science, Sociology, History—Ballroom C
14. Health Professions and English—Skidaway Room
Session 5—4:40pm-5:00pm
15. Education —Skidaway Room
Session I—9am-10:20am
Panel 1 History: British Reform—Ogeechee Theater
A Kindled Flame: William Wilberforce And The Motivations Behind His Stance Against
The Slave Trade
Presenting Author: Halton Thomson
My paper is an examination of a Member of Britain’s Parliament William Wilberforce,
particularly his motivations behind his stance for the abolition of the slave trade. After an
examination of Wilberforce’s life inside and outside the Parliamentary walls, one may attain an
understanding of what encouraged this man to start a fight against the slave trade and see to
its demise: “I trust a flame is kindled that will not be extinguished till it has done its work.” An
observation of his influence and support from friends and his conversion to Christianity suggest
his motivations to urge for the abolition of the slave trade. The paper highlights how he
understood his work against the slave trade as a mission that God placed before him, which
encouraged him to persevere through numerous times of struggle and failure. Also, his
encouragement and support from friends allowed him to believe that the seemingly impossible
task of abolition was possible. His talent of rhetoric and already established position in
Parliament benefitted his efforts toward abolition and made it more realistic in his mind. His
discoveries of the evils customary in the slave trade not only supported his Christian
convictions, but also encouraged his disgust and fueled his reasons for total abolition of the
slave trade.
Keir Hardie's Influence on the Women's Question
Presenting Author: Hugh McLaurin
James Keir Hardie’s name will be forever recognized as a Scottish patriot and British politician
who always put the needs of his constituents before his own. Hardie was no doubt a crusader
of the working class that strived for social and political equality between all men and women. A
redefined socialist by choice, Hardie never gave way to the temptation of wealth that a
Member of Parliament could receive or conformed to any political party but his own. He
decided to form his own party under intense Hardian socialist policies, ideologies that changed
British politics forever. Hardian Socialism could be interpreted as a mixture of social, Christian,
and somewhat transcendental ideologies that Hardie gathered throughout his life. This did not
consume Hardie’s entire political career because of his lasting influence on politicians for years
to follow. Hardie could be defined as a socialist, a Scottish nationalist, and a MP that came from
a lower than normal society than other MPs, but he was far more. He not only fought for lower
class representation but also strived for absolute adult suffrage. Hardie’s contribution to the
creation of the Independent Labour Party and his devotion to philosophical and Christian
religious teachings influenced not only the reform movement as a whole, but also the major
female characters in the British women’s suffrage, especially Emmeline Pankhurst and her
daughter.
Public Opinion and the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts
Presenting Author: Katherine Soule
For my presentation, I will focus on 19th century British moral reform-specifically related to
prostitution. My paper will aim to highlight how society viewed the campaign to repeal the
Contagious Diseases Acts as well as how and why these views were expressed. The focal point
of my research will be on those who were not in Parliament and who were not directly
campaigning for the repeal of the CD Acts-i.e., the prostitutes themselves, the medical
community, poor citizens, etc.
The Clapham Women: Feminine Support for Public Reformers
Presenting Author: Melissa Gibbs
In the small village of Clapham in Surrey a group of friends bound together by their common
evangelical beliefs had a significant impact on the face of nineteenth century Britain. Later
generations dubbed this circle of friends the Clapham Sect. They were known for their moral
and religious piety. William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton, James Stephen, and Zachary
Macaulay, were all core members of this so called sect. While abolition was their chief and
best-known cause, they championed social, moral, and evangelical reforms as well. These men
were upstanding public figures who fought for these causes in the political and public realm.
Much of the scholarship published on this topic has solely dealt with the men and their great
influence on British society, while neglecting to tell the story of the women of Clapham. The
question then becomes who are the women of Clapham and how did they contribute and
support the causes the men were publically fighting for.
Panel 2 Physical Therapy—Ballroom A
Effectiveness of low volume versus high volume upper extremity plyometric exercises
on the strength, power, and endurance of the shoulder
Presenting Author: Kimberly Arnsdorff , Sonya Anderson, Kristin Burton, and Daniel Voight
The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between a high volume versus a
low volume upper extremity (UE) plyometric (PLYO) program for the following outcomes:
dynamic strength, power, and throwing velocity. We hypothesized the high volume PLYO
training group would exhibit significantly higher improvements in all outcomes. Participants (15
males, 39 females) aged 18-30 years, volunteered to participate in this study. Isokinetic peak
torque, time to peak torque, single arm seated shot put throw, the Closed Kinetic Chain Upper
Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST), and throwing velocity were assessed pre- and post-training.
Participants were randomly assigned to either the high volume or low volume PLYO group.
Training consisted of 6 UE PLYO exercises performed 2x/week for 8 weeks. The high volume
PLYO group performed 50% more repetitions per exercise session. The 2 factor repeated
measures analysis of variance revealed significant differences within the main effects for the
overall “test” for the seated shot put throw (F = 38.255, p < 0.001), the CKCUEST (F = 174.112, p
< 0.001), isokinetic internal rotation (IR) peak torque at 300⁰/s (F = 4.501, p = .039), isokinetic IR
time to peak torque at 300⁰/s (F = 5.444, p = .024), and maximum throwing velocity (F = 11.352,
p = .002) for both groups. However, no significant differences were revealed between high and
low volume training .
Effects of Fatigue on Rotator Cuff and Scapulothoracic Muscle Performance
Presenting Author: Keily Hagan and Allie May
Research showed fatigue of the rotator cuff (RTC) muscles causes altered glenohumeral
kinematics, leading to shoulder pathologies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the
effects of fatigue on bilateral: RTC and scapulothoracic (ST) muscles using handheld
dynamometry (HHD), proprioception, and isokinetic testing. We hypothesized fatigue of the
dominant (D) RTC muscles would lead to bilateral weakness of RTC, ST muscles, and decreased
proprioception.
The Effects of Isolated versus Multiple Joint Exercises on the Knee Musculature.
Presenting Author: April Jackson, Kristen Moreland, and Catherine Oddi
The purpose was to investigate Closed Kinetic Chain (CKC) multi joint or Open Kinetic Chain
(OKC) isolated joint exercises and effects on both lower extremity (LE) muscular strength and
functional performance tests (FPT). We hypothesized there would be a specificity training
response; CKC group would improve in functional outcome measures; OKC group would
improve in strength measures.
Intratester Reliability for Quantification of Forces with Accessory and Physiologic
Movements using Computerized Instrumented Shoulder Models
Presenting Author: Elise King
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the intra-tester reliability for
quantification of forces of accessory and physiological movements using computerized
instrumented shoulder models. We hypothesized the results would demonstrate good to
excellent reliability.
Panel 3 Psychology—Ballroom B
Influence of Caffeine on the Acquisition of Temporal Control
Presenting Author: Austin Esch, Joshua Lightfoot, and Rhiannon Pegan
Caffeine is widely consumed, yet its effects on temporal control have received little attention.
Temporal control is the sensitivity of behavior to adapt to the temporal organization of stimuli.
Effects of several drugs on temporal control have been mostly studied on stable responding,
not during acquisition. Three doses of caffeine were examined on stable temporal control; 30
mg/kg was established as an active dose that disrupted temporal control. To examine the
effects of caffeine during acquisition of temporal control, twelve rats were initially trained on a
fixed-interval (FI) 30-s schedule (first lever press after 30 s delivered a reinforcer) and then
exposed to a peak-interval procedure (PIP), a modified FI schedule. This PIP consisted of
intermixed FI 30-s trials, and 90-s peak trials (no reinforcers), each separated by 20-s blackouts.
Injections (ip.) occurred on the third day of every week of training on the PIP (three weeks
total). Preliminary analyses revealed that caffeine (30 mg/kg) consistently decreased overall
response rates, and flattened slopes of response lines of cumulative records, relative to saline.
These results replicated previous findings.
Evidence for non-visual spatial learning of array geometry via touch.
Presenting Author: Marshall Green
Humans and non-humans have been found to successfully orient themselves in an environment
following disorientation by using the geometric properties of the environment. Orientation
using geometric properties has been observed in environments where surfaces connect
locations and where there is an array of locations. However, the vast amount of research
testing orientation in a geometric environment has been done via the visual modality. We
designed an orientation task in which vision was eliminated and participants were only able to
feel the environment. Disorientated men and women were trained haptically to find a target
object hidden in one of four locations in a rectangular array. Each location consisted of a
freestanding post topped with a box that was covered in a texture unique to that location.
During testing textural cues were removed leaving only geometric properties of the
environment for orientation. Analysis reveals that array geometry is indeed encoded via haptic
perception. Further analysis is required to probe the extent of humans’ ability to encode array
geometry via haptic perception.
Rotate or Replace? Learning of spatial and tactile landmarks
Presenting Author: Alicia Evans
Most research conducted on spatial learning has been done using the visual modality. While
visual spatial research has shown that both humans and non-humans utilize visual landmarks;
there has been very little research as to whether other senses can be utilized for spatial
abilities. This current study looked into the utilization of key landmarks to find a desired object
using only the sense of touch. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions.
Both conditions had containers with four novel textures during training. After the participants
met criteria the test trial began. In the test trial for the “rotation” condition the containers were
rotated clock-wise one position. In the “replacement” condition three of the textured
containers were removed and replaced with three non-textured containers. The one container
that was not removed was at a non-trained, non-rotational equivalent location. Preliminary
results show that females tend to perform at chance during the rotation condition caused by a
tendency to continue with the trained tactile stimuli. In the replacement condition there seems
to be a slightly higher than chance performance to go to the correct corner and its rotational
equivalent.
Haptic spatial orientation using geometry, features, and conflict
Presenting Author: Katherine Gaskin and April Graves
The current study was a reconstruction of a previous experiment done by Sturz and Diemer
(2010), which looked at the learning of features and geometry via visual spatial learning.
However, the purpose of this reconstruction was to look at the learning of features and
geometry via the haptic modality rather than the visual modality. In this experiment human
participants searched in a rectangular enclosure containing four overturned pots, which were
placed at different locations in the enclosure depending on trial condition. Participants learned
to respond to rewarded features located along the principal axis of a rectangular enclosure and
to respond to rewarded geometry of a rectangular enclosure in separate training phases. These
training phases were followed by a single test trial, during which features and geometry were
placed into conflict by placing rewarded bins during feature training in unrewarded geometric
locations from geometry training. Unrewarded bins during feature training were placed in the
rewarded geometric locations from geometry training. The results of this experiment were
compared with predictions obtained from different theoretical accounts of spatial learning.
Panel 4 Art History: Mary Telfair—Skidaway Room
What is love? There is only sexual obsession.
Presenting Author: Tracey Witbeck
Questioning the “meaning” of artwork has been an ongoing mission throughout art history.
Many critics, viewers, spectators of Francis Bacon’s paintings may refer to his art asviolent,
dark, horrific, isolating, and disturbing. This paper will discuss specifically an underlying theme
that has not been emphasized in deciphering subject matter in Bacon’s paintings: his own
homosexual despair. Francis Bacon’s subject matter, specifically in paintings such as Two
Figures, Two Figures in the Grass, convey a personal message of abandoned but private
sexuality.
The Image Promotion of Madame de Pompadour
Presenting Author: Christine Patterson
Madame d’ Pompadour remains a notable figure in French history mainly for her role as the
favorite mistress of Louis XV. Indeed, she remained in the King’s good graces until her death in
1764. Many historians have acknowledged Madame d’Pompadour’s significance as a patron of
the arts during Louis XV’s reign. However, literature seldom mentions Madame d’Pompadour’s
motivations for her patronage or what particular paintings suggest about Pompadour’s position
in society. Francois Boucher, one of Pompadour’s favorite artists, painted numerous portraits of
Pompadour. He portrayed Pompadour in different settings and dress based on Pompadour’s
changing roles in Louis XV’s court. This study aims to reveal Pompadour’s motivations for
commissioning in 1751, the painting, The Toilette of Venus and what the piece suggests about
Pompadour’s relationship with Louis XV. My investigation reveals that Pompadour’s high status
and influence in Louis XV’s court relied heavily on her beauty and sexuality. Because of this,
Pompadour feared losing her high station in society when she lost her position as Louis XV’s
official mistress due to aging. Therefore, to secure her station, Pompadour commissioned
Boucher to create The Toilette of Venus in order to portray herself as an idealized female figure
to the King. In other words, Pompadour commissioned The Toilette of Venus in a desperate
attempt to remain in Louis XV’s favor. Ultimately, this study adds nuance to one’s
understanding of the relationship between Pompadour and Louis XV while also communicating
how Pompadour employed art as a tool for social advancement and security.
Originality and Anthony Goicolea
Presenting Author: Jessica Roche
Anthony Goicolea, a first-generation Cuban American artist, is best known for his digitally
altered chromogenic prints. His most recognizable series is You and What Army (1999), a
collection of twenty digitally altered prints featuring only one constant subject: himself.
According to Guy Davenport, a critic for the Georgia Review, “Goicolea is not continuing the
aesthetic program of any school of photography in the United States ... his photography is
fiction ... the claim that he is wholly original holds up well.” When looking to contemporary art
today, originality is hard to come by. There is always another artist that has been there and
done that. This paper will examine the question of complete originality in regard to Goicolea’s
work. Drawing on a variety of scholarly statements pertaining to the uniqueness of Goicolea’s
work, this paper will question those assumptions. Through a visual analysis of selected pieces
by the artist, my research will suggest a variety of earlier visual sources that are reflected as
influencing Goicolea’s compositions.
The Use of Art in Interwar Italy for the Effective Creation of Fascist Propaganda with a
Prevalent Roman Influence
Presenting Author: Rhiannon Modzelewski
Throughout history art has been created for many purposes. After World War I, Benito
Mussolini realized that he could use art to his advantage in taking over the minds of the Italian
people. Italians were vulnerable and feared the rise of Socialism that had overtaken other
countries like Russia and Hungary. It was at this time that Fascism began to make it's true rise
to power. Mussolini would use this fear and vulnerability to raise the people up and attempt to
incite a strong sense of nationalism. Art is a powerful and influential tool when used and
expressed properly. It can incite deep emotions and feelings in a collection of people in ways
where other forms of media fail. This research will delve deeper into the propaganda created
during Interwar Italy for the Fascist regime and speak to its use of Roman art as a way to
penetrate the subconscious of the public and imprint Mussolini’s own ideals and ideologies.
Panel 5 Music Composition—Ballroom C
Composing for Two Single-Line Instruments
Presenting Author: Jake Parker
While developing the initial ideas for this piece, I first determined which instruments could
effectively express those ideas and in the simplest way. I wanted to have a sound that could be
delicate and smooth but also bright and articulate; therefore I decided to use two flutes. For
the introductory section I wanted a somewhat mysterious quality that led into a more lyric and
melodic section while still retaining the mildly dark and not quite consonant feeling. The two
main challenges for two part writing were producing a clear harmonic structure and generating
a balance of interest. Throughout the entire piece, and most frequently during the third
section, I utilized the tool of trading off parts and having them take turns with melody and
supporting lines. This gave each part more interest and action as well as improving the
playability of the piece, giving the performers plenty of chances to rest and play different lines.
Because of the use of varying registers and rhythms in the piece, it became clear that the choice
of two flutes was appropriate. Flutes can successfully play the lighter lyric parts as in section
two, but also play the quick, short notes as in section three. This piece has various rhythmic and
tone quality needs and because of the flute’s flexibility and agility, it was the best choice to
efficiently fulfill those needs and express its musical ideas.
From Paper to Production: The Process of a Musical Composition for Marimba.
Presenting Author: Stephen Medlar
To compose a piece of music for a solo instrument, a certain level of education and
understanding of the instrument’s construction and technique is necessary. The range,
intricacies, and physical limitations of the instrument must constantly be considered during the
compositional process. When composing for my instrument, the marimba, my level of
familiarity allows me to push and explore musical practicality further than I would be able to on
an instrument that I do not play. My intention was to create a piece that is not typical or
idiomatic to the instrument. I hypothesized that I could pair a complicated irregular meter with
a lack of a traditional tonal center and produce a piece that is rhythmically driven without
sacrificing coherence. The overall goal is to create a piece of music that can be performed by
any advanced percussionist and enjoyed by his or her audience. It is my job to give that piece
practical notation and musical accessibility.
Composing for Contrasting Instruments
Presenting Author: Brock McGarity
In music, certain instruments are associated with certain tone “colors” and attack envelopes
which, in composing a piece of music, is an important concept to keep in mind. Writing for
contrasting instruments can present problems beyond the usual creative, formal, structural,
and harmonic issues that arise. In this composition I was presented with the task of writing for
violin and marimba. The violin, a member of the string family, has a typically lyrical sound
quality that cuts through the texture of other instruments making it well-suited for playing
melody lines. Alternatively, the marimba, a pitched percussion instrument, has a strong attack
with little sustain and is often utilized as a chordal instrument. I was eager to explore the
possibilities and settled on two options: have each instrument emulate the other for a more
homogenous sound or write each instrument to its own strength and hope for a
complementary outcome rather than a conflicting one. The latter of the two options seemed
more interesting. I envisioned an awkward dance of sorts between the two instruments, and
structured the piece around a persistent rhythmic pulse in the marimba with sporadic
interruptions while, contrastingly, the violin is romantic and lyrical in its expression. From the
outset, the two instruments seem to be on different “dance floors”; however, as the piece
progresses, the instruments flirt back and forth and ultimately join for the climax finally moving
together before fading into the conclusion.
Construction of a Character Piece for Percussion Ensemble.
Presenting Author: Wade Stephens
A character piece is music based on a single idea or program. The task in place was to create a
piece for percussion ensemble under these criteria: the piece needed to satisfy the time
requirement for the recital, it had to be playable by the varying skill levels of the players, and
the piece was limited by the instruments available at the school. I wanted to elaborate on the
typical instrumentation and form of character pieces. This task was met using the tools
acquired through study, lecture, and experience; these tools include such as tonal harmony,
counterpoint, orchestration, and musical form - motivic development (augmentation,
diminution, modulation, etc.). These tools utilized in the process allowed me to construct a
large-scale ensemble piece within the two-month time frame. The end resulted in a piece that
had intellectual value, effectively met the requirements of the recital, and could be enjoyed by
the audience.
Session II—10:30am-11:50am
Panel 6 Writing Competition Winners—Ogeechee Theater
X3D in Urban Planning-Savannah in 3D
Presenting Authors: Faith-Anne Kocadag and Eckard A. Cabistan (undergraduate research)
Worldview and Realpolitik: Harry S. Truman and the Establishment of Israel
Presenting Author: Frank Oesterheld (graduate research)
Prisoners of the Mind
Presenting Author: Alejandra N. Reyes Sanchez (undergraduate expository)
Morton Avenue
Presenting Author: Nicole Bandyk (undergraduate creative)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Presenting Author: Darlene Rae Johnson-Jensen (Common Read Essay)
Panel 7 Biology Ballroom C
Identification of Residues that Specify Substrate Binding in the Aldo-keto Reductase,
YDL124w
Presenting Author: Cassandra Connolly, Madelyn Roush, Candace Poole, and Brandon
Stevenson
Chiral alcohols are highly desirable pharmaceutical building blocks, but their synthesis from
carbonyl compounds by chemical and industrial methods can be hazardous, difficult, and costly.
One potential strategy to safe, easy, and cost-effective synthesis of these chiral alcohols is the
reduction of keto-esters by aldo-keto reductases (AKRs). It is laborious and time consuming
identifying the ester/enzyme combination that produces the desired stereochemistry required
for a particular medical compound. Our work seeks to characterize the stereoselectivity of a
model AKR, YDL124w, by identifying amino acid residues that are important for substrate
binding and orientation. We have targeted residues located in the reductase’s Substrate
Specificity Loop A (Loop A) for Alanine-scanning mutagenesis. Wildtype and mutant proteins
were expressed in bacteria as GST-chimeras. The resulting crude lysates were used to
characterize the reduction of several keto-ester substrates, of which mutant S123A3 exhibited a
reduced ability to convert the carbonyl substrate into the chiral alcohol.
Modeling the Feeding Biomechanics of Two Bilaterally Asymmetrical Flatfishes
Presenting Author: Cody Henson
The majority of bony fishes are characterized as being bilaterally symmetricalwithmost
observations made solely from the sinistral (left)side. However, flatfishes (Order
Pleuronectiformes) exhibit morphologicalasymmetry that results from the migration of one of
the eyes to the opposite side of the head. This study examined the feeding apparatus of two
species of flatfish, the southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, and the hogchoker,
Trinectes maculatus. Flatfishes were obtained by hook and line, by seine net, or
fromaquaculture facilities. Each fish was fixed in a formalin solution, stored in ethyl alcohol, and
subsequently dissected to reveal the muscles and bones of the head. The exposed lower jaw
and associated muscles of the ocular (eyed) and blind sides were digitally photographed,
extracted, and photographed isolated from the rest of the head. Biomechanically important
landmarks of the feeding apparatus were identified and measured from photographs. This data
was then entered into themodeling software MandibLever Simpleto predict the movements of
the lower jaw and properties of the jaw closing muscle, the adductor mandibulae. From these
measurements and calculations, comparisons were made of the feeding apparatus between
sides of the head. Results indicate a bilaterally symmetrical feeding mechanism in the southern
flounder and a bilaterally asymmetrical feeding mechanism in the hogchoker. For the
hogchoker, the ocular side moves with greater velocity while the blind side generates greater
force. Future research should examine additional species to understand the role of evolution
and ecology in shaping flatfish feeding mechanisms.
Molecular Characterization of Bacteria Present in Failed Loggerhead Sea Turtle Eggs
Presenting Author: Samantha Schwartz
Loggerheads are protected by U.S. Federal and Georgia state laws due to their status as a
threatened species. Hatch success is significantly lower in Georgia than for sea turtles globally
and is particularly low on Jekyll Island, a barrier island off of the coast of southern Georgia.
Bacterial contamination represents one explanation for why turtle eggs fail to hatch. In 2010,
failed loggerhead eggs were collected from nests located in three different regions along the
Jekyll Island coast (northern, central, and southern) that differed in the degree of human
impact. Twenty failed eggs from 7 nests were analyzed: DNA was extracted from fluid
aseptically collected from the eggs and 16S rRNA genes were amplified from the DNA extracts
using bacterial-specific primers. PCR products were cloned and 269 total sequences were
analyzed using BLAST. 16S sequences having at least 97% identity were grouped as an
operational taxonomic unit. Eight of the predominantly detected groups are >99% identical to
16S sequences of known or suspected pathogenic species, including members of Vibrio,
Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Hahella, Achromobacter, and Klebsiella.
Hahella species (99% identity) dominated the 16S sequences recovered from eggs containing
pink-red fluid. Characterized Hahella species are known to produce a diffusible red pigment and
have been suggested as a biological agent to control red tides. In conclusion, our findings thus
far suggest that multiple bacterial species may impact the development of loggerhead eggs on
Jekyll Island, Georgia.
Assessing and Expanding the AASU Herbarium
Presenting Author: Hunter Seabolt
Ecological research has been a growing field in past decades, partially due to the emphasis on
climate change and environmental preservation. One often overlooked yet incredibly useful
tool in floristic and ecological research is an herbarium. An herbarium is a collection of pressed,
dried and labeled plant specimens organized according to evolutionary relationships
(phylogenies). The AASU Herbarium has been in existence since 1967 and largely represents the
flora of coastal Georgia and the surrounding areas. Currently containing an estimated 5000
specimens, our herbarium was recently reorganized according to the most updated phylogenies
and a computer database is being established to digitize the collection. Since we are developing
this resource, it became important to know the taxonomic distribution of the specimens in the
herbarium with the goal of identifying families that were in need of further collection. The
specimens were examined and catalogued according to taxonomic order and family using an
Excel spreadsheet. Results show that a vast majority of the collection represents the flowering
plant clade (angiosperms) and reveal a deficiency in the fern clade (monilophytes) and in the
gymnosperm clade. Among the flowering plants, several families are well represented but some
require additional collecting efforts to increase the diversity preserved in the herbarium. The
Armstrong herbarium represents a new research program in its own right as well as a powerful
resource for related ecological and genetic studies.
Panel 8 Art History—Skidaway Room
Mary Telfair I: Preserving a Legacy Through Wealth and Education
Presenting Author: Shannon Vo
The Telfair family was a prominent family whose patriarch first arrived in colonial America in
the mid-1750s. Edward Telfair quickly established a very respectable reputation as a political
leader in the south. After his death, his legacy was left with his children. The Telfair sons
worked hard to establish their own prominent identities and expanded their wealth through
the ownership of plantations. They were well-educated from Princeton University. Mary Telfair,
one of the Telfair daughters, also received an elite education for a girl of her time. She grew
into a headstrong woman whose ultimate passions in life were rooted in education. She was a
well-ƒtraveled woman who experienced the world beyond the boundaries of the south. She
made frequent visits to the north to visit her beloved friend, Mary Few. The two women
maintained a lifelong friendship that filled the need for a companion. Mary Telfair, a woman
who lived her life in single blessedness, never married. At the end of her life, she held on to the
legacy of her name by never marrying. A woman of her academic and financial standing was
able to bypass the institution of marriage. As the last surviving Telfair, she wanted to preserve
the integrity of the name by bequeathing her wealth to various charities and organizations. In
Savannah, Georgia, the Telfair Museum of Arts and the Mary Telfair Women’s Hospital are two
of her memorable bequests.
Mary Telfair II: Architectural Changes to the Telfair Academy
Presenting Author: Daniette Owens
The Telfair Academy was originally the home of Mary Telfair. The day before she died she
signed a will stating the mansion, along with its contents, would be given to the Georgia
Historical Society to establish the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. My presentation will
consist of information regarding the architectural changes made to the Telfair Academy
throughout the process of the original Telfair mansion becoming the museum it is today. I will
cover two very important periods of construction dating 1819, and 1883-1886. I will also discuss
the two architects involved with the two construction periods. William Jay, an English trained
architect, was the architect involved with the 1st period of construction. His architectural
changes transformed the mansion into the Academy of Acts and Sciences. Detlef Lienau, the
architect responsible for the second period of construction, altered some of the original William
Jay design, and made major additions to the home. By displaying historical and contemporary
photographs, I will show specific architectural changes made by each architect during their time
of construction and how the changes have created the Telfair Academy we see today.
Mary Telfair III: Selections from the Telfair Permanent Collection
Presenting Author: Caralea Wilson
Mary Telfair had a deep appreciation for visual art. The Telfair Museum houses many paintings,
works on paper, sculptures, furniture, and decorative arts. After Telfair’s death, the Georgia
Historical Society was left uncertain about how to carry out her legacy through the
establishment of The Telfair Museum of Arts and Sciences. The first museum director, Carl
Brandt, successfully established the first works of art for the permanent collection. Of the many
works selected by Brandt, Beulah Strong’s piece was the only one by a woman artist. Her Still
Life with Apples and Nuts is an outstanding study in textures. The next artist, Olga Boznanska
was the best-known Polish female artist in Europe, during the late 19 th century. Boznanska
strove to accurately depict features and form in her portraits and did so through a study of
outward appearance and structure. Her work was added to the collection through Gari
Melchers, who served as artistic advisor after the death of Carl Brandt. A piece by Andrée
Ruellan gives us a glimpse of life in Savannah in the early 20th century. Her work, Savannah is a
view of the Barnard Street ramp leading down to the river in 1942. These pieces, along with a
few other selections from the collection are a great representation of how a legacy that began
in the late 18th century has spanned into the 21st century. The variety of works collected has
connected young generations with a lasting institution.
Session III—1:15pm-2:35pm
Panel 9 Writing Competition Winners—Ogeechee Theater
Fourteen Billion Years in the Making: The Illusion of Free Will Unmasked
Presenting Author: David Hoover (undergraduate persuasive)
Head and Neck Clinical Case Study
Presenting Author: Courtney M. Howett (undergraduate professional)
The Cartographer
Presenting Author: Jennifer Duprez Mincey (graduate creative)
Henrietta Lacks’s Duality: Her Mortal Life within Jim Crow and Her Immortal Life
outside Jim Crow
Presenting Author: C. Halton Thomson (Common Read Essay)
Panel 10 Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering,
Chemistry, and Physics—Ballroom C
Designing Computer Mazes: Elegance supporting Function
Presenting Author: Dakota Brown
This past spring semester in CSCI 5100 Object-Oriented programming, the class was tasked to
individually implement fully-functional applications for building mazes that would support
effective graphical displays and sophisticated path-finding algorithms. The focus of the project
was on elegance and simplicity of the design, thereby allowing seamless integration of
components developed by individual developers who worked separately. In order to be flexible
enough to support different types of mazes, my design for the project adheres to characteristic
principles of a programming style known as Object-Oriented System Design. This style of
programming requires a thoughtful and creative grouping of parts and components of the
maze, much like that found in a work of art. Furthermore, the project design demonstrates the
recognized software engineering principle that the more care that is put into the design, the
less effort that is required for implementing and altering the end product. A key aspect of the
design process is the decomposition of the whole system into a set of components exhibiting
well- understood relationships and responsibilities. Because of the care taken in the design
process, producing 1050 lines of code needed to make the project work became an
afterthought. Breaking down the problem using a ìdivide-and-conquerî methodology results in
bite-sized tasks that a layman can appreciate. This is the basis of elegant programming-simplicity through design.
Use of Video Game hardware in scientific education
Presenting Author: Akash Mathew
The purpose of this research project was to develop software that interfaces between an easily
obtainable real world apparatus and a personal computer (PC) to enhance scientific education
in a typical high school or college level classroom setting. This software should be simple
enough so that it can be used by a student. The first phase of this project was to develop a
program so that a Wii remote could connect to a personal computer via Bluetooth technology,
display kinematic data and then write and store the kinematic data to a text file. This was done
to accompany an existing research project in the physics department at Armstrong. The
immediate objective was to analyze the feasibility of developing software for the different
personal computing platforms.
A Comparison of Femoral Mechanical Response in Golfers who have undergone Total
Hip and Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty
Presenting Author: Nakera Seals and Rachel Waller
In a healthy biomechanically unaltered golfer, the transfer of the impact load from the golf ball
as well as the golf swing itself may introduce sudden loads that affect soft and hard tissue
biomechanical response, leaving the golfer more susceptible to certain hip injuries and back
injuries. How will the mechanical response at the hip joint differ if a golfer has a Total Hip
Replacement (THR) versus a Hip Resurfacing System (HRS)? This work addresses this question
by developing 3D Finite Element Models of the femoral component of the THR and HRS systems
as well as an unaltered femur. Euler’s laws are used to calculate hip loads based on golfer knee
loads presented in the literature, which are then used in the simulation. Biomechanical
differences in the femoral response for the golfer or the athlete involved in sports with similar
twisting actions are then quantified. The 3D FE model predicts that the HRS will consistently
result in lower or comparable Von Mises stresses (to the THR) along closed paths on planes
located at 15% and 30% of the proximal distal axis. THR and HRS Von Mises stresses also
consistently differ by approximately 12% as we move radially outwards on these same planes
between 0% and 50% bone thickness, this difference then decreases between 50% and 100% of
the bone thickness.
Measuring Vibrations: A Capacitance-based Approach
Presenting Author: Pranav Godbole and Nicholas Kratzer
The ability to measure vibrations is fundamental to the fields of physics and engineering. Here,
we measure vibrations using an aluminum mass attached to a pendulum juxtaposed to an
identical stationary mass. The capacitance between the two masses is measured using a sensor.
This approach allows us to reliably measure a wide array of vibrations from earthquakes to
footsteps. Since the Earth and Moon are in free fall about a common point, an earlier idea to
detect the moon's position through its gravitational influence proved to be unworkable.
Panel 11 History—Skidaway Room
Market Women: Gleaning from the Fruits of their Labor
Presenting Author: Brenda Detreville
As scholars Max Edelson, Betty Wood, and Judith Carney have shown that many enslaved
African women, and free women of African descent were able to sell a significant amount of
fresh food and other wares through Savannah's City Market and surrounding areas. During
antebellum Savannah there was a thriving, industrious, and determined group of hawkers who
were at the center of political, social, and economic conflict. This paper seeks to determine why
hawkers were able to assert long- term defiance to city ordinances, Victorian social norms, and
economic regulation.
Monolithic Stones, Manpower and Human Ingenuity
Presenting Author: Tannie Arnsdorff
The New Kingdom Period in Egypt, roughly 1550-1075 B.C.E., was the height of the Egyptian Empire. The public works projects undertaken by the pharaohs of this period have been awe
inspiring to every great power in the world. The monolithic stones of this period that were used
in the constructing of obelisks were one of the greatest engineering achievements that have
been difficult if not impossible for modern empires or societies to duplicate. This project will be
an examination of the multitude of theories involving how the Egyptians carved and
transported the stones. By comparing the well-documented modern attempts of Pope Sixtus V
in 1585, American Commander Henry Gorringe in 1879, and Ali el-Gasab working with the Nova
team in 1999 with other cultures around the world and the accepted theories the Egyptians
used, a reasonable and singular technique should arise. The most accepted technique for
carving of these monolithic stones is the use of harder stones such as dolerite and jewel tipped
bronze chisels. I will attempt to carve a granite obelisk using this method as well as testing
theories such as Petrie’s that the Egyptians possessed jewel tipped chisels and possibly the
lathe and a saw utilizing crushed media made from dolerite or jewels.
Snuffed Out: An Analysis of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Life and Works in Relation
to the Conflict Between the Emerging Modern State and Papacy in Italy
Presenting Author: Michael Page
Humanism was a Renaissance philosophical movement. Renaissance Humanism strove to
accomplish four basic goals: study ancient knowledge using reason; assert the importance of
mastering the art of human interactions and understanding; assert the importance of
individuals; and advocate skepticism and liberalism, which is closely associated with
individualism. While Renaissance Humanism was based upon the realization of these goals, it
was still a religious movement, best understood as an extension of Christianity or a method by
which one could become a better, more educated, Christian.
Giovanni Pico’s life began on 24 February 1463 in Mirandola, a small patch of imperial territory
in northern Italy controlled by his family. It ended with his murder on 19 November 1494 while
he was living in Florence. Though Giovanni Pico’s life was short, only thirty one years, he
achieved much notoriety during his lifetime. The fame Pico had received in life from the
publication and defense of Humanist works led to a public image of Pico as a truly remarkable
intellectual; his contemporaries referred to him as “prince flawless of knowledge” and “the
Phoenix of the wits” as well as referring to him as a marvel of their age.
A Tale of Two Cities: The Rise and Transformation of the Black Middle Class in
Savannah and Durham, 1920-1945
Presenting Author: Larrysha Jones
After the failure of Reconstruction, Americans, specifically Republicans, abandoned the cause of
establishing civil rights for African Americans. The disenfranchisement of blacks and the
murderous rampages of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups caused African
Americans to retreat away from the scrutiny of white society. This retreat from public view
allowed African-American communities to flourish with little threat from outsiders. The years
between presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and Woodrow Wilson represented decades of political
and social setbacks for African Americans. The end of Wilson’s presidency signified the end of
the “nadir” or the low-point in African-American life.This period also represented a
demographic change as African Americans began to relocate to the cities away from the farms
of the rural South. From this low-point, black communities emerged from social isolation as
solid communities with a clearly identifiable system of class stratification in place. This study
examines the rise and transformation of the black middle class from 1920-1945 in two southern
cities: Savannah, Georgia and Durham, North Carolina. Comparing and contrasting the two
cities magnifies their differences as Old South and New South cities, and it is in their differences
that one is able to ascertain the conditions that produced and transformed a successful black
middle class.
Session IV—2:45pm -4:25pm
Panel 12 Chemistry and Physics—Ogeechee Theater
Photodegradation of Brominated Organic Pollutants by Nanoparticles
Presenting Author: Kathleen McCormac and Davey Fernandez
We have been examining the potential for both Au and ZnS nanoparticles to degrade various
brominated pollutants using UV and visible light. Our previous work showed that various
nanoparticles such as Au, ZnS, ZnO and CdS were capable of fully defluorinating or
dechlorinating various organic compounds, especially fluorophenols and chlorinated benzenes.
These processes were easily monitored by 19F NMR or SPME followed by GC-MS. We have now
been examining Au and ZnS nanoparticles for debromination reactions. The nanoparticles are
synthesized using literature preparations that produce nanoparticles under 10 nm in size. The
particles are mixed with low concentration, aqueous solutions of tetrabromobisphenol-A,
hexabromocyclododecane, 4-bromophenol, and other brominated compounds and exposed to
light at different wavelengths, above 400 nm for Au and above 330 nm for ZnS. Samples are
analyzed for the step-wise loss of bromine over time by LC-MS-TOF. LC-MS is required due to
the low concentrations of brominated species in the solutions, the low volatility and high
stability of these molecules relative to the previously examined fluorinated and chlorinated
species. Data presented will include rates of degradation and identification of products
produced.
Applications of Thermography in Medical and Laboratory Settings
Presenting Author: Caleb Richards
While infrared cameras have seen numerous uses in law enforcement and industrial settings,
there has been little investigation into the potential usage of these devices for healthcare. The
infrared camera is also helpful in confirming a variety of physical concepts which are often
explored in the laboratory. Studies exploring these topics will be discussed, with emphasis on
diagnostic applications and usage of thermal imaging to confirm the laws of thermodynamics.
Studies on the Catalytic Dehalogenation of Environmental Contaminants
Presenting Author: Ryan Groom
The purpose of this research project was to dehalogenate Hexachlorobenzene, a known
environmental contaminant, by means of photochemistry. Photochemical activity occurs when
to the nanoparticle’s valence electrons to go from being in a ground state to an excited state
(HOMO to LUMO), which can be mediated by the use of ultraviolet light. In order to perform
the experiment, Cerium Dioxide (CeO2) was synthesized. It was prepared by combining 0.0375
M Cerium Nitrate (Ce(NO3)3) and 0.500 M Hexamethylenetetramine ((CH2)6N4), while stirring at
room temperature. The nanoparticles were then allowed to stir for 2 hours before being
centrifuged, washed and re-suspended. The product was then combined, in equal parts, with
the environmental contaminant, hexachlorobenzene, prior to being subjected to ultraviolet
light for varying lengths of time (1 to 24 hours). This was followed by instrumental analysis (GCMS) of the resulting solution. The preparation of doped CeO2 was additionally preformed by
adding various salts (NaCl, NaF, NaBr, NaI, CN-, NH4+, SO42-, HPO42-, CO32-) to the solution after
re-suspension. Upon analysis of the data, it was determined that CeO2 was able to mediate the
dechlorination of Hexachlorobenzene to produce Trichlorobenzene in substantial quantity after
24 hours. The addition of salt had varying results on the effectiveness of the nanoparticle to
dehalogenate.
SNOLAB Proto-Computer Farm
Presenting Author: Isaac D’Agostino
In Canada, there is a particle physics laboratory called SNOLAB that specializes in projects that
explore neutrino and dark matter physics. Two such projects currently under construction are
HALO (Helium And Lead Observatory), a supernova neutrino detector, and SNO+ (Sudbury
Neutrino Observatory), a new neutrino experiment that makes use of the equipment from the
original SNO experiment. Up to this point, the computations for these experiments have been
constrained to the available computers at UPenn, Queen’s University, and at SNOLAB. It would
be advantageous to break such a dependency, and as such, a large-scale Computer Farm would
be a step in the right direction. For the purposes of the experiments, it would also be
advantageous to run the simulations and data put to a Computer Farm in parallel, rather than
in series. The benefits of an independent computer farm would include complete control over
the software used, code upgrades, and frozen code, and the resulting stability of such a system.
For my term, my advisor and I have started work on a prototype for the Computer Farm. I
started work on a Linux computing cluster with one computer to act as a server and two clients.
This required installing NFS (Network File System), ROOT, GEANT4, SNOGOGLES, HALO
simulation code, and figuring out the codes for propagating installed software across the
internal network.
Cerium Dioxide: The Living and The Dead
Presenting Author: Mark Tanner
I completed the following research at Armstrong Atlantic State University. This research was
part of the S.T.E.P program (Science and Technology Expansion program), where students are
accepted to spend the summer before their freshman year researching and getting to know the
professors. My research included the creation and testing of Cerium Dioxide nano particles with
various Sodium and Potassium based salts. The main objective of this research was to see how
long the Cerium Dioxide nano particles would stay active while in solution with various, Sodium
and Potassium, based salts. My findings have been extraordinary, and I have found that even
after numerous amounts of testing, the hypothesis of the allotted activity time has remained
true.
Panel 13 Criminal Justice, Political Science, Sociology & History—
Ballroom C
Does Feminism Matter?: Contemporary Views of Feminism and Women's Issues at
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Presenting Author: Kristen Sprauve-Harris
What is the belief-of fellow Armstrong students-in regard to feminism, rape, intimate-partner
violence, slut-shaming, and reproductive rights? Armstrong Atlantic State university is a liberal
arts university in a Republican led state-Georgia. The belief that women are equal and have no
“important” problems is a fallacy that travels on the lips of students at this university.
Patriarchal norms and sexism shape the majority of student thinking and creates a less
progressive dialogue in classrooms outside of the College of Liberal Arts. Institutionalized
sexism has been so engrained in society that individuals, often times, do not know how to
recognize issues that plague women. Feminism advocates for the rights and betterment of
women; this view is criticized because it is the current belief that women have rights and the
feminist movement is “dead.” This is detrimental to women. The use of a questionnaire
distributed to 50 students in entry-level non liberal arts classes will determine a small
percentage of results regarding these views on women and feminism. The belief that the
majority of students on campus are behind in their thinking, regarding women’s issues, is a
pertinent one that needs to be proven true or false. This research will provide results on this
matter for a small group of students.
America’s New Epidemic: The Escalation of School Violence
Presenting Author: Ashley Counts
The escalation in school violence, particularity gun related violence, has become an epidemic in
America. A series of high profile incidents rampaged American news media in the late 1990s,
culminating in the Columbine massacre of 1999.The public concern has not been abated and
the fear continues to grow. The number of school shootings will serves as the dependent
variable. It should be noted that while this study is primarily concerned with gun violence,
violence of all types is on the rise in American schools. The Columbine Massacre will serve as
the catalyst for the escalation of school shootings, patient zero. The ‘contagion’ theory or
rather the effects of the shootings and how they contribute to the rate of increase is derived
from Edwin Shneidman's approach toward suicide. Shneidman proposes the concept of suicide
as social logic where in a social environment one example of suicide sparks the onset of more
suicides. I apply Shneidman’s theory on suicide and expand it to mass murder. In examining
twenty cases of school shootings that followed the tragic wake of Columbine, a pattern of social
imitation emerges. The research suggests that this violence is socially contagious. One act
spirals into several, by planting the idea in minds of new offenders and removing the inhibition
caused by implausibility. It is social imitation, in its darkest form.
Serial Killers: Aggression by Sex
Presenting Author: Samantha Wilcox
The point of this research paper is to identify why there have been more male serial killers than
female serial killers in the United States of America between 1900 and 2009. The author
hypothesized that men are typically more aggressive than their female counterparts, they are
more likely to target female victims and they are more likely to use aggressive weapons in their
murders. The sample for this study was serial killers convicted of killing three or more people in
the United States between 1900 and 2009. Data was collected via internet database searches
about the number of male and female serial killers in each decade, their method of killing and
the sex of their victims. There were 286 male serial killers and 37 female serial killers in this
study. There were spikes in the number of male serial killers throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
While there were not nearly as many female serial killers, there were similar spikes during the
same time frame. The data showed that most male serial killers used more than one method in
their killings, the method was not listed or they changed murder weapons in between murders.
Also, their victims were mostly female. The female serial killers’ preferred method of killing was
poison. They killed males and females, but no female serial killer killed only females.
SOPA/PIPA: Congress’s Constitutional Authority to Legislate the Internet
Presenting Author: Matthey Bryarly
This paper is driven by the following question: Do Internet censorship and regulation violate the
freedoms of assembly, speech and religion as found in the First Amendment of the
Constitution? The explosion of the Age of Technology has moved the exchange of public and
private information from the physical world to the virtual realm. With this movement a growing
concern has developed as to how, or even if, these interactions should be monitored. The
purpose of this paper’s research is not only to examine the constitution-ality of Internet
censorship and regulation, but also to look at the long term, unintended consequences of
restricting actions on the Internet. But before examining the constitutionality of these actions,
the question must be asked of whether or not the aforementioned freedoms exist on the
Internet. Freedom of assembly exists on the Internet because it is impossible to utilize the tools
of the Internet without assembling. Therefore the Constitution protects the right to virtually
assemble. The existence of virtual freedom of speech necessarily follows from this assumption.
Speech is the integral element of Internet assembly
The Dark Side of Sugar
Presenting Author: Deana Rausch
Millions of people worldwide consume sugar on a daily basis, but very few think about the
early days of sugar production and slavery. Of the at least thirteen million individuals who
were thrown into slavery, over six million were forced to work within the sugar industry.
Through the trials and tribulations of strenuous and often debilitating work, an individual
had to be strong in order to survive the horrendous situation. Every day slaves on sugar
plantations faced fear of being whipped and not knowing when their next meal would
arrive. Many worked sixteen hours a day with only short breaks for food. For years they
faced these situations until relief seemed imminent with the abolition of slavery. Without
slaves, the sugar industry had to find new ways to prosper without unpaid labor. Based on
narratives of both slaves and slave owners, I will show that no human being should be
placed in a situation where they are forced to risk their life doing a task outside of their
choosing.
Panel 14 Health Professions and English—Skidaway Room
Shoulder Muscle Activation of Novice and Weight-Trained Females During Push-Ups on
an Unstable Surface
Presenting Author: Brittany Russell + 1
Performing closed kinetic chain exercise on an unstable surface increases the muscle stability
demands. There is a lack of research on the upper extremity when training on an unstable
surface. Furthermore whether acute responses differ between experienced versus novice
weightlifters is unknown.To compare shoulder muscle activation during three push-up
variations. Muscle activity of the dominant arm biceps brachii (BI), triceps (TR), upper trapezius
(UT), anterior deltoid (AD), sternal (SPM) and clavicular (CPM) portions of the pectoralis major,
and serratus anterior (SE) were measured by surface electromyography (EMG) in 12 novice and
12 experienced weightlifters. Subjects performed five repetitions of three push-up variations:
stability discs under hands, under feet, no stability disc. Average EMG amplitude during the
concentric phase of each push-up variation repetition was computed and averaged across the
five trials. Separate group by push-up variation analysis of variance was used for each muscle
with statistical significance considered at P<.05.With the exception of the BI, exercise had
significant effects on muscle activity. SPM, CPM, AD and TR, demonstrated significantly higher
activity during PUH and SPU compared to PUF. UT demonstrated significantly greater activity
during PUH compared to SPU and PUF. SA demonstrated significantly greater activity during
SPU compared to PUH. SPM, CPM, and TR, demonstrated group effects with the novice group
eliciting significantly greater activity than the experienced lifters.
Ground Reaction Force Analysis of the Anterior and Crossover Single Leg Hop Tests
Presenting Author: Michael Nelson
Little research has examined the propulsion phase of the single leg anterior (AHT) and cross
over (COHT) hop tests. Also, there is no objective support for using 15cm for the COHT. To
compare propulsive ground reaction forces (GRF) between AHT and COHT. Thirty-eight male
athletes (88.3 ± 12.3 kg; 183.9 ± 6.0 cm; 20.6 ± 1.4 years) completed both hops in a
counterbalanced order. One week prior to data collection, participants completed a practice
hop session. GRF data was collected during the propulsive phase of each test. Vertical, anterior
and lateral peak force and impulse were computed. The composite impulse was computed as
the sum of the three impulses. Acceptable trials were defined as being within ±5% of the
practice session distances. Paired t-tests statistically compared dependent variables between
variations. There was no significant difference in the distance hopped (P=.550) or in the
composite impulse (P=.348). The lateral impulse was significantly greater for the COHT (P<.001).
There was no significant difference for the vertical (P=.890) or anterior impulse (P=.176).
Vertical and anterior (P<.001) peak forces were significantly greater for the AHT. The lateral
peak force (P=.045) was significantly greater for the COHT. Despite peak force and impulse
differences, hop distances and composite impulses showed total propulsive effort to be equal
between variations. These data support the use of 15cm distance to stimulate greater lateral
force production demands.
Shoulder Muscle Activation of Novice and Experienced Weightlifters During Dumbbell
Bench Press Exercises
Presenting Author: Adrianne Phillips
Bench press exercises are commonly used for development of chest and shoulders muscles.
Altering the trunk inclination angle changes the angle of the resistive force relative to the body
and therefore changes the resistive force line of action. Whether the effects occur similarly for
both experienced and novice weightlifters remains unknown. To compare muscle activity of the
anterior deltoid (AD), clavicular (CPM) and sternal (SPM) portions pectoralis major, and upper
trapezius (UT) by surface electromyography (sEMG) between horizontal (HBP), incline (IBP), and
military (MBP) bench press. sEMG data were recorded at the dominate arm UT, AD, CPM and
SPM for 12 experienced and 12 novice female weightlifters. Five repetitions each were
performed at HBP, IBP, and MBP. Average sEMG amplitude for each repetition phase
(concentric, eccentric) was computed and averaged across the repetitions. Separate group by
exercise by phase analyses of variance were conducted. No significant differences were found
between groups. For both UT and AD, within both phases, MBP was significantly greater than
IBP which was significantly greater than HBP. For SPM during both phases HBP and IBP were
significantly greater than MBP. For CPM, during the concentric phase HBP was significantly
greater than IBP which was significantly greater than MBP
Encouraging Maternal Awareness of Evidence Based Practice to Improve Delivery
Outcomes
Presenting Author: Amber Kay Palmer
Reducing maternal trauma is a goal of many interventions during labor and delivery and has
been addressed in the literature. There is increasing evidence against the routine use of
episiotomy in order to reduce maternal trauma. However, routine episiotomies are still being
performed at alarmingly high rates. In contrast, nonpharmacological interventions such as
changing position and perineal massage have shown positive impacts on reducing maternal
trauma. Many physicians will not address these options with women unless they are asked
directly, and many women are never made aware of these options. This study was conducted in
an effort to answer the following research question: Will women on a college campus have
increased awareness regarding episiotomy, birthing positions, and perineal massage, as well as
increased confidence to communicate with their healthcare provider about these birthing
options after being provided with a brief flyer by a nursing student? Flyers were provided to
women on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State University, along with a pre- and postquestionnaire. Analysis of the data revealed that women on a college campus did in fact have
increased awareness regarding episiotomy, birthing positions, and perineal massage, as well as
increased confidence to communicate with their healthcare provider about these birthing
options after being provided with the flyer.
Nobody Dies. Well, Not Really Anyway
Presenting Author: Kate Ng
I chose to write about how my friends really helped me deal with the death of our friend,
Jordan, who unfortunately passed away abruptly about 3 years back at 19 years of age. Though
we were informed of his parents’ decision to turn off life support a day beforehand, I still had
difficulty accepting the news. It was the first time I had to deal with the concept of not being
able to say my final goodbyes. Many obsess with ‘getting over’ a person’s death, but fail to
understand that when someone close to us passes away, only one way to move on with life
proper: Acceptance. To accept that sometimes feelings and thoughts have to be left unspoken;
that whatever has happened is in the past and blaming or denying past actions just causes
more heartache. By acknowledging his death, I allowed his memories to continue living in my
heart, and someone doesn’t truly die until the last person has forgotten him or her. I still took
many months after this incident to get used to him not being around anymore, but this event
was a huge leap forward for me in terms of coming to an understanding about my relationship
with death. I used to think that when someone dies, it is like hitting a road block, but I have
since realized that it is more like sizing down from a two-way to a one-way road rather than
hitting a road block.
Session V—4:40pm-5:00pm
Panel 15—Education
Using Facebook to Develop Classroom Community
Presenting Author: Nicole Nolasco
This study explored the question: How does using social networking as a tool for
communication between student, their teacher, and their classmates impact classroom
community? Sixty seven students in tenth and eleventh grade English classes were invited to
join a classroom Facebook group at the onset of the semester. They were surveyed at the
beginning of the semester regarding their use of Facebook, and surveyed two months later
regarding their use of the classroom Facebook page. Upon conclusion of the study, the data
showed that although the majority of the students used Facebook on a daily basis, very few
joined the classroom Facebook group. Students cited numerous reasons for not joining: they
forgot about the page; they were not interested in communicating with the teacher/other
students outside of the classroom; and/or they believe Facebook has no place in school.
Students who did join the Facebook group found it helpful to see homework assignments
and/or notes on the page and enjoyed seeing the teacher’s and classmates’ funny/entertaining
posts. The conclusion of this study leaves the field open for further research, primarily on how
Facebook in an educational setting can be made attractive to students.