Goshen College 13th Annual Undergraduate Student Research Symposium April 2, 2011 Abstracts Benjamin W. Baumgartner Department of History

Goshen College 13^th Annual Undergraduate

Student Research Symposium

April 2, 2011

Abstracts 
 

Benjamin W. Baumgartner

Department of History

Professor Jan Bender Shetler, Advisor 

Creating Cairo: How Power and Religion have Shaped a City's Landscape 

This paper looks at how the changing urban landscape of Islamic Cairo (642CE –1517 CE) reflected the concern rulers had for maintaining power as well as the moderating influences of Islam, which voiced concern for social solidarity and justice. In addition to taking examples from Islamic Cairo, the presentation will also include reference to modern-day Cairo based on first person observations while on SST in the fall of 2010 and reports on the revolution in January and February of 2011. 
 

Hannah E. Canaviri

Department of History

Professor Jan Bender Shetler, Advisor 

“The Tio Eats the Souls of Miners:” Potosino Miners’ Relationship with the Cerro Rico and El Tio 

Every day, Bolivian miners in the city of Potosi present offerings to El Tio, a deity they claim inhabits the mines. As both guardian and destroyer within Cerro Rico mines, El Tio exists as a link between silver miners’ labor and the supernatural.  To the miners, El Tio represents both the source of the mountain’s mineral wealth and a greedy fiend hungering after the miners’ souls. The spiritual connections the miners draw from the Cerro Rico and its reigning deity help them better understand the vulnerability of their lives in the mines and the environmental gamble they undertake daily as they search for veins of precious ore. From the earliest pre-Hispanic encounters with the Cerro Rico to current mine work, the indigenous miners of Potosi viewed mining not as mere mineral extraction but as a daily interaction with a capricious devil and the supernatural, profoundly influencing their beliefs, rituals and even mining practices as they labor beneath the mountain.  
 

 

Allison B. Christensen

Department of Nursing

Professor Sherry Wenger, Adivsor 

The Needs of Children with Asthma in Poverty 

The research in this article looks at the needs that asthmatic children have as a result of living in poverty. It looks at the demographic, economic, and sociologic factors negatively contributing to their asthma and asthma care. The first part of the research looks at the statistics of this aggregate and of asthma as a condition and how they integrate together. Next, it takes a look at all of the different factors in a poverty stricken child's life that makes it more difficult to treat and care for the disease. An interview was also conducted with Brenda Srof, one of the Directors of Nursing at Goshen College, about her research that she worked on regarding children in poverty with asthma. Lastly, the paper takes a look at the solutions and nursing interventions that could be significant and helpful to implement in aiding these children in managing this disease and the research that is in correlation. 
 

Frances Crum and Jessica Glassman

Graduate Program, Department of Nursing

Professor Brenda Srof, Advisor 

Community Assessment: Cardiac Disease in the Latino Population of Goshen, IN. 

This paper takes a community assessment and creates an intervention in order to improve the cardiac health of the Latino population in Goshen, Indiana. A “windshield” survey was done by car and foot. It includes local resources, organizations, community assets and problems. A database search was conducted using current literature to assess the risk of cardiac disease in the Latino population and is described in detail. Panel group and personal reflections were also included.

Community diagnosis are outlined including the primary diagnosis:  Risk of developing cardiovascular disease related to 1) possible knowledge deficit caused by language barrier 2) social isolation resulting in abnormal stress levels and 3) insufficient access to primary and preventative health care as manifested by a) input from the focus group b) Hispanics have worse rates of blood pressure control that Whites although they do receive the most counseling on diet and exercise (Mellen et al 2010).

      A literature review was conducted and the intervention outlined. The intervention, titled “Cardiac Latino”, centers on a web-based program that highlights risk factors and goals for community members to use to improve their cardiac health. This will be provided via laptop kiosks placed in central areas and made culturally relevant to the Latino population. Other methods of outreach include booklets and support groups for CVD. The Evaluation portion will be conducted using process impact and outcome evaluation methods.  During process evaluation, elements, goals and objectives will be evaluated, beginning about 3 months after initiation of the project. Impact evaluation will begin three to six months after the initiation of the project and will address behavior change. Outcome evaluation will address issues of QOL, morbidity and mortality rates, and if repeat users of the website indicates a 5% decrease of cardiovascular disease risks. 
 

Joshua P. Delp

Department of English

Professor Julianne Bruneau, Advisor 

A Critique of the Study of Shakespearian Imagery 

This paper gives an over-view of the study of Shakespearian Imagery.  This type of Shakespearian criticism, first attempted by Caroline Spurgeon, seeks to support claims about Shakespeare and his works with data acquired by compiling all the imagery used by Shakespeare in his plays and Sonnets.  This report will focus on how this type of research has the potential to draw interesting and appropriate conclusions, but in many cases makes ridiculous and unfounded biographical claims about Shakespeare. 
 

Michael B. Fecher

Department of Biology

Professor James S. Miller, Advisor 

Membrane Transport in Red Blood Cells 

Cell membrane transport is a crucial component of drug design in modern medicine. The presence of a variety of proteins embedded in the cell membrane offers many complex approaches for treating disease at the cellular level. This research observed the lysis of red blood cells in the presence of various solutions to test for transport proteins and cell permeability. In addition efficacy of the drug amphotericin B was tested for its ability to permeabilize red blood cells. It was observed that amphotericin increased permeability and hemolysis rates. Sugar alcohols crossed the membrane faster than their sugar aldehyde analogs which may elucidate clues to drug mechanism. Dose/response experimentation showed linear correlation of rates with dose. 
 

David A. Harnish

Department of Economics

Professor Jerrell Richer, Advisor 

Taking It Back: Benefits of Carbon Sequestration at Goshen College 

Emitting excess carbon is a complex problem that has a variety of negative consequences. By reducing emissions Goshen College is able to reduce its carbon footprint. However, the college will have to go beyond reduction and look into sequestration, the intake and storage of CO2 by vegetation, as a viable option for working towards carbon neutrality. Goshen College needs to seriously look at ways in which carbon-sequestering capital can be used and obtained. Understanding the Chicago Climate Exchange and ways to measure carbon sequestration in typical plants and trees forms a foundation for future projects related to carbon sequestration. The costs and challenges associated with reducing one's carbon footprint are substantial. Fortunately, Goshen College has already taken some initial steps, easing the process of pursuing significant carbon sequestration. 
 

Matthew D. Helmuth

Department of Bible, Religion and Philosophy

Professor Jo-Ann Brant, Advisor 

Jesus in The Gospel of Thomas: Inclusive, Gnostic, Heretical 

This paper describes Thomas' gospel as one that presents inclusivity juxtaposed with Johaninne exclusivity. This paper explains how the Gospel was influenced by gnosticism, and why it was condemned as heresy during the early formation of the Church. It identifies aspects of the gospel that may have influenced its reception by the early church, principally its esoteric language and its inadequacy for use in the formation of identity markers and group solidarity. The author concludes by suggesting the Gospel of Thomas' potential for informing the course of the modern Church.  
 

Stephanie P. Hollenberg

International Education

Professor Keith Graber Miller, Advisor 

Crossing Religious Boundaries 

This paper, based upon interviews with recent converts to Christianity in Cambodia, examines the causes of conversion from Buddhism to Christianity. The paper consists of a brief overview of the two main Buddhist traditions, Theravada and Mahayana; explores Cambodia's history, and the affects of colonization and the Khmer Rouge genocide on its Theravadin tradition. The paper then tells the faith stories of three Cambodians who converted to Christianity, as well as the story of one North American young man’s interest in Buddhism. It ends with reflections on why Cambodians may be drawn to Christianity, and Christians to Buddhism.  
 

 

Lisa M. Horst

International Education

Professor Jeanne Liechty, Advisor 

Folk Songs of Nicaragua 

Music is a form of expression that takes on differing meanings and structures in varying parts of the world. While on SST in Nicaragua in 2010, I developed an interest in and documented Nicaraguan folk songs. I learned folk songs by rote and then transcribed them into standard music notation. I will present this preservation process and what can be done in the future to make folk songs in Nicaragua more accessible to the world.  
 

David Stoltzfus Jost

Department of History

Professor Steve Nolt, Advisor 

Mennonite Central Committee Thrift Stores in the U.S. 

Volunteers and shoppers perceive MCC Thrift Stores to be institutionalized fund-raisers for the relief and development work of MCC.  Although this is true to an extent, the reality is that the challenges of running a store eat up a surprisingly high portion of thrift store income, because of a combination of day-to-day costs and extensive investments in growth to better support MCC.  The stores are grossly under-appreciated for their other roles, though.  Thanks to readily available space and labor, they are able to contribute to MCC in other lesser known ways while bringing together individuals and congregations in the U.S.  They also serve as a strong domestic complement to the work of MCC, serving as bases for local projects and providing resources to the needy in towns  
 

Allison R. Kauffman

Department of Nursing

Professor Sherry Wenger, Advisor 

A Public Health Perspective on the Health Needs of Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence in Elkhart County, Indiana 

As one in four American women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in her lifetime, serious attention must be given to this ugly, societal epidemic. As IPV deeply affects women on both a mental and physical level and costs our public health system $5.8 billion annually, it has been widely recognized as a serious public health concern, beckoning our nation’s attention and intervention. This research paper includes a thorough definition of IPV, detailing the multi-faceted origin of IPV throughout individual, interpersonal, community, and cultural contexts. Once a thorough understanding of IPV is established, ample attention is given to the diverse and widespread health effects of IPV and what interventions are necessary. On a more microscopic level, the issue of IPV is looked at in Elkhart County, IN, detailing the resources currently available for victims, interviews with local professionals that interact with IPV victims, and community diagnoses that strive to examine what could be improved in order to better meet the needs of IPV victims in the community. 
 

Chelsea M. Kaufman

Department of English

Professor Jessica Baldanzi, Advisor 

Pregnancy Loss and Visual Expressions of Grief:

An Examination of Frida Kahlo 

Although studying Kahlo’s paintings over the course of her miscarriages provides no definite answers to her grief process, some telling patterns emerge. These patterns can be grouped into themes that seem to reveal Kahlo’s grieving process after her miscarriages. Baby imagery, a desolate or claustrophobic use of space, the “floating Frida” effect, and the appearance of lines and vines, which draw strong connections to umbilical cords, all seem to represent different stages of the grieving process. Through this study, we can begin to map a visual vocabulary that may help women who have experienced pregnancy loss describe their grieving processes through images. 
 

Andrea J. Kraybill

Department of Art

Professor Kristi Glick, Advisor 

Intersections: Silk, Enamels, and reflections from Egypt 

Enameling and painting on silk fabric are two ancient art forms that at first glance seem like opposites, but have many intersecting points. This spring, I created a new body of work for my Senior Art Show, using both enamels and silk. Recently back from a SST semester in Egypt, I was impacted by the colors, patterns, and imagery of the country. In this presentation, I will demonstrate the techniques I employed, and explain how I connected the two both thematically and visually. Collectively, they reflect my processing of the shared religious and cultural symbols I observed while in Egypt on SST in the Fall of 2010. 
 

 

SaeJin Lee

Department of Bible Religion and Philosophy

Professor Regina Shands, Advisor 

Mark 7.24-30: Seeing the Human in the “Other” 

This paper is an exegesis of Mark 7:24-30, the interaction between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman, read and analyzed from my particular social locations: a woman, Korean, naturalized U.S. citizen, and Mennonite-Anabaptist. In contrast to other episodes of his ministry, here Jesus not only dismisses the Syrophoenician woman’s plea, but also otherizes her, saying, “it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Traditional interpretations have sought to redeem Jesus’ words by diminishing and redefining their meaning in less poignant ways. However, this paper argues that lessening the original force of his words does not provide a meaningful interpretation of the text. Rather, recognizing Jesus’ otherization of the Syropheonician woman, as well as a careful reading of the text from the particular social location of the woman, helps the reader to arrive at a more adequate interpretation. Mark 7:24-30 is ultimately about transformation—for both the Syropheonician woman and for Jesus.  
 

Jonathan C. Mark

Department of Peace Justice and Conflict Studies

Professor Joseph C. Liechty, Advisor 

The Myth of Christian Superiority:

Fostering Honest Inter-Religious Dialogue in a Pluralistic World 

This paper studies and critiques John Cobb's theology of inter-religious dialogue rooted in Christina absolution and relativism. Absolutism in Christianity means that Christians have an exclusive claim to universal truth and salvation. Other religions may have some truth, but absolutism claims that Christianity already has universal truth and cannot learn anything from these other religions. Relativism in Christianity is the other extreme; it means that all religions are equal, have some claim to the universal truth, and attain salvation through their own religious traditions. Cobb rejects both theologies, claiming that both are inadequate. Instead, Cobb offers a middle position, arguing that Christians should respect each religion’s claims as valid truths.  In addition, Christianity has its own superior unique claim of Jesus Christ.  Therefore, Cobb suggests Christianity should select parts of other religions to enrich our faith in Jesus. Cobb is correct that all traditions have a claim to a part of the universal truth; however, Cobb’s assumption that Christians have a superior truth claim through faith in Jesus Christ inhibits honest inter-religious dialogue. 

 

Jacob P. Martens

Department of History

Professor Steve Nolt, Advisor 

The Question of Isolation in Elkhart County During the 1920's 

While much attention has been given to the debate on whether or not the United States of America was an isolationist country during the 1920's, the focus has been almost entirely on the national level. Hardly anything has been written on the subject that deals with opinions on smaller scales. This paper will look at Elkhart County, Indiana from 1920-1929 via the medium of newspapers to examine whether or not isolationist attitudes prevailed. The author will argue that while there were differences in priorities between Elkhart and Goshen, the newspapers of both cities exhibit a well-developed interest in the world outside of America's borders and support for America's diplomatic engagements during this time, and a commitment to the Jeffersonian ideal of "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." I will argue that despite being opposed to America "interfering" in other countries' affairs, the people of Elkhart county still saw America as having a role to play in the international arena. 
 

Brian J. Martin

Department of Psychology

Professor Christine Noria, Advisor 

The Effects of Stereotype Threat On Religious Affiliation 

This study, undertaken with 2010 graduates Javier Rios, and Annali Smucker, intended to evaluate whether stereotype threats could be elicited based on religious affiliations. Stereotype threats are created when individuals fear their performance on a task will confirm a negative stereotype associated with a social group to which they belong, and results in the individuals doing worse on the task then they would have in the absence of the threat. Numerous studies have demonstrated stereotype threat effects with ethnicity, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. To date, no research has provided evidence that stereotype threats can be observed due to religious affiliations. In order to observe possible effects due to religious affiliation, Mennonite and non-Mennonite students enrolled in introductory Bible classes at Goshen College were given a Bible quiz and randomly assigned to control and stereotype threat conditions. Under the stereotype threat condition, students were made aware of their religious affiliation and were told Mennonites do much better on the given Bible quiz than non-Mennonites. No statistically significant interaction arose, suggesting the stereotype threat conditions were not sufficiently made salient. There was a main effect for religious affiliation.  Those who considered themselves religious scored higher on the test than those who did not. Future studies could focus on enhancing the stereotype condition in relation to religious affiliations.

Peter R. Martin

Department of Biology

Professor Andrew Ammons, Advisor 

Candidate Genes for Ethanol Sensitivity in Apis mellifera 

Bees are an excellent model for ethanol sensitivity because of their unique behavior and genetics. In this experiment, five candidate genes were selected, isolated and amplified in the honey bee. Gene primers that were viable were used to amplify DNA through PCR. After PCR, amplified DNA was visualized through the use of agarose gels. The gels indicate that there is not a polymorphism between bees of different ages, but that there could be a polymorphism between bees of different subspecies. In agarose gel visualization, there appeared to be a small size polymorphism in the aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme. 
 

Patrick T. Maxwell

Department of Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies

Joe C. Liechty Supervisor 

Hermeneutics of Violence: Rape in the Rwanda Genocide 

This paper represents an attempt to fully understand dynamics of violence and the differing avenues through which societal, historical, religious, and situational influences may effect the expression of aggression between individuals.  For an effort at sustainable peace to be a long-term success, the root causes of violence must be addressed and their mechanics understood.  This paper represents a step towards understanding, and eventually defeating, the structural causes of interpersonal violence. The paper begins with a description of a harmful act directed against a single individual – the 1994 gang-rape of a Rwandan Tutsi woman named Perpetue, committed by Hutu militamen – and analyzes the causes of that act through a variety of lenses.  Gendered, historical, racial-ethnic, Biblical, and international factors are examined, and the causal role of each is explained.  The immediate, surface-level dynamics of the genocide itself are examined, but a closer analysis reveals that the roots of violence stretch back for centuries: European colonization, longstanding Hutu-Tutsi ethnic relations, gendered power dynamics, and even passages from the book of Genesis can all be found to have played a role in creating the unique situation that gave rise to the Rwanda genocide.  In many ways, given the underlying causal factors of the genocide, the situation could not have unfolded in any other way.  For this reason, it is incumbent upon anyone professing to be a “peacemaker” to stay mindful of the causes of violence and to work against them when possible.  This paper represents a staggering first step in that direction, with the hope that further steps shall be taken in the future. 
 

 

Caleb Paul Mechem

Department of Bible, Religion and Philosophy

Professor Paul Keim, Advisor 

The Yahwist’s Humans:

Human Nature, Uniqueness, and Origins in Genesis 2:4b–3:24 

The Yahwistic creation account in Genesis 2–3 is in part an exploration of what it means to be human.  This paper identifies several aspects of J’s notion of humanity and explores some of the contemporary theological and ethical implications of the text, particularly with regard to human interaction with nature.  The Genesis account is compared and contrasted with other Ancient Near Eastern texts, namely the Gilgamesh epic and the Adapa myth, and draws some parallels between the ancient texts and the contemporary scientific search for what it means to be human. 
 

Reuben Maldonado-Nofziger

Department of Nursing

Professor Sherry Wenger, Advisor 

Health Care Needs and Discrepancies among the Undocumented Latin American Immigrant Population in Elkhart County and Across The United States 

The undocumented immigrant population in the United States was estimated to be between 11.5 and 12 million people in 2006. Because of their illegal status, and the resulting substandard living conditions they must endure, many immigrants do not receive adequate health care. While some may argue that illegal immigration should not be condoned by providing accessible health care; health care is a universal right, as declared by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25. This right does not begin to address the contribution that this population provides to the greater U.S. population, estimated to be at least $500 billion to the social security program over 24 years, a contribution that will not be reciprocated. The most comprehensive date for information on Latin Americans in Elkhart County comes from the work of the Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition of Elkhart County, an organization that provides free yearly health screening to all Latin Americans who attend. Of those that attend, rates are considerably high for the chronic conditions of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and depression. Addressing the health issues of the Latin American immigrant population extends beyond the immediate cure of any ailment; it improves the quality of life of a population that has largely been ignored and exploited, who contribute to the quality of life that many within the U.S. have been experiencing for some time. 
 

Mallori R. Norris

Department of History

Professor Jennifer Hart, Advisor 

Islam Versus Secularization in France 

On April 11^th in France, a new law—dubbed the ‘burqa ban’ and aimed at Muslim women who wear the veil—will go into effect “prohibiting the concealment of the face in public space.”  Much controversy has surrounded this law even though a public opinion survey found that 82 percent of the French public approves of the law.  This religious conflict stems from France’s identity as a secular nation and an influx of French North African Muslim immigrants who threaten this identity with their refusal to assimilate to the government’s standards and as a result lose their own identity. 
 

Sarah Gotwals Rody

Department of Mathematics

Professor Patricia Oakley, Advisor 

Fractal Music 
 

The goal of the mathematics Maple Scholars project this past summer, undertake with 2010 graduate Lydia Short, was to find a connection between math and music. After researching the many facets of this connection, Lydia Short (GC grad, 2010) and I decided to study and create fractal music. Fractals are complex geometric shapes that retain their complexity and self-similarity as you get closer to the object. We looked in particular at fractals generated by iterated function systems. Two music-generating computer programs came out of the summer's project. One takes a series of notes and transforms them in the same way that a fractal is created and the second program takes the image of a fractal and maps the pieces of the fractal onto pitches.  
 

 

Cortney N. Quick, M. Brisa Peacock and Aradhana J. Roberts

Department of Biology

Professor Jodi Saylor, Advisor 

A Comparison of Pathogenic Bacteria Present in Household and Farm Animals 

The interaction between animals and humans is a common occurrence worldwide. A home is often shared by family and pets, but have we considered the numerous health impacts domestic animals have on the family? Even though the animals may have had all their vaccines, one should question whether they are truly protected from all the pathogens surrounding them. This experiment was conducted from November 11-15, 2010. We collected saliva samples from two farm animals, a horse and a pig, and from two household animals, a dog and a cat. All animals were pets. We did this in order to compare the diversity of pathogenic bacteria found in farm animals to that found in household animals. Many pathogens have hemolytic capabilities, so blood agar was used to culture the samples and measure biodiversity as well as pathogenic properties. Our hypothesis that household animals would contain a greater diversity of pathogenic bacteria was disproven and instead we found that farm animals contained a greater diversity of pathogenic bacteria. However, the household animals contained a greater number of beta-hemolytic colonies than the farm animals, suggesting the bacteria were more dangerous to humans. 
 

Jeffrey L. Stoesz

Department of Peace Justice and Conflict Studies

Janna Bowman, Advisor 

The Global Capital Culture Clash, or Why Don't the Indigenous Want Our Stuff? 

This paper explores the particular conflict between the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN)  and the Mexican government that began with a two-week armed struggle in 1994. The EZLN has worked to organize the indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico against land monopolization by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) by establishing autonomous indigenous regions and garnering international support through online campaigns. They have acquired significant support despite numerous similar articulations of the injustice faced by indigenous communities in the Americas over the past few centuries.  I argue that this conflict is not specific to Mexico, however, but characterizes a broader trend of indigenous communities that wish to retain their ways of life against the privatizing and monopolizing forces of international free trade and capital globalization. 
 

 

Subhekchya Sharma and Bill Lederman

Graduate Program, Department of Nursing

Professor Sherry Wenger Advisor 

Developing a Culturally Sensitive Intervention for Mental Health of Latino Women 

There has been a significant growth in the Latino population in Elkhart County. This calls attention to the fact that we need to increase healthcare access to this group. One major area of healthcare concern is mental health in the Latino population. Latinos have been identified as a high-risk group for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Especially Latino women are seen to be at higher risk for depression than men. Therefore, the proposed intervention for the Latino women in Elkhart County is the use of the Spanish version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that stresses the important role of thinking how we feel and how that affects our actions and behaviors. The benefit of using this intervention is that one can change the way one feels even if the situation itself does not change. CBT has shown positive outcomes in socioeconomically vulnerable groups with depression. 
 

Andrew T. Shenk

Department of English

Professor Ann Hostetler, Advisor 

African American Musical Tradition in Toni Morrison’s "Beloved" 

This presentation attempts to combine several different critical perspectives on the role African-American musical tradition plays in Toni Morrison’s Beloved, in order to understand possible interpretations of both Morrison’s musical approach to story and her characters’ experiences with song within the text. Articles examined discuss music’s power in characters’ humanization or dealings with the past, in “womanist” empowerment, in historical allusion, and in the song-like structure and style of the text. In connecting these texts, the presentation discusses song’s ability in each of these interpretations to open up the self and the past, whether for Morrison’s characters or for herself in writing the novel. The presentation concludes that Morrison’s use of song aids her in finding the self where it had previously been denied or discouraged, in the institution of slavery and in the stories that deal with this institution.  
 

 

Benjamin E. Sutter

Department of Communications

Professor Patricia McFarlane, Advisor 

A New Medium: An Investigation into the Creation of GC Journal 

Goshen College Television (GCTV) won the 2010 Indiana Television School of the Year from the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters. GCTV is also closing in on 20 years from its first broadcast. With both of these landmarks in mind, preservation of early GCTV broadcasts and of the stories behind its student-driven creation are important. GCTV started with many struggles and many late nights as students aimed at creating a relevant and news-worthy live student-produced broadcast. However, technology was limited, creating set backs and malfunctions. Lack of student and faculty interest began to take its toll on the program, as founding members of the station began graduating. Still, almost twenty years later, the station is still up and running. The story of the beginning of GCTV adds new voices to the rich history of Goshen College and of the Goshen College communication department. 
 
 

Kristen Szappanos

Department of Education

Professor Kathy Meyer Reimer, Advisor 

School-Based Functional Behavioral Assessment

and Behavioral Intervention Plan 

A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) is an evaluation of a student's target behavior which examines the antecedents, consequences, and possible motivators for it and proposes an intervention to address each area.  A Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) describes in detail the procedure needed to carry out the plan to positively mold the student's inappropriate behavior.  The FBA and BIP for this study were conducted on "Cody Smith," which is a pseudonym for a seventh grader in the Concord school district with a diagnosed Emotional Disability, and his target behavior studied was labeled as "Inappropriate Verbalizations DIrected at Peers (IVP)."  The BIP proposed is a multi-step process to address the various elements involved in Cody's life that likely contribute to his inappropriate target behavior. 

 

Lisa D. Weaver

Department of Peace Justice and Conflict Studies

Professor Joseph Liechty, Advisor 

The Fallen Power of Robert Mugabe  

The Zimbabwean government and the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe have become increasingly infamous for corruption, violence, and devastating economic failure in the past two decades.  Mugabe’s use of violence in his quest for power is a particularly controversial topic because Zimbabwe under rule of Robert Mugabe was initially seen as a promising source of peace and prosperity; therefore, there is much debate about precisely when Mugabe’s decline in political leadership began.   Regardless, it is evident that Mugabe’s violent campaigns and terror tactics are a reaction to the structural and physical violence that dominated British colonialism prior to Mugabe’s rule.  My research examines the cyclical nature of violence and the inextricable relationship between violence and power as depicted throughout Zimbabwe’s political history. 

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Bethany S. Yoder

Department of Nursing

Professor Sherry Wenger, Advisor 

Assessing the Health needs of Hispanic Women at Risk of Gestational Diabetes 

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2008), nearly 200,000 women are affected each year by the only temporary diabetes, known as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This represents about 7% of all pregnancies; however Hispanic women are diagnosed with GDM two to four times more than non-Hispanic white women, making this ethnic group at higher risk for several other acute and chronic health complications. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to describe my understanding of the health needs specifically for Hispanic women at risk for gestational diabetes within the Elkhart community and broader.  Discussion includes data currently present for this aggregate, characteristics that place these women at risk, as well as diagnoses and interventions for these women that are applicable to clinical practice. 
 

 

Matilda K. Yoder

Department of History

Professor Steve Nolt, Advisor 

An Examination of the Religious Issues in Middle Eastern Migration 

Migration from the Middle East to the United States has long been influenced by religion, which has been an integral part of migrant identity as well as a factor in the decision to emigrate. Prior to World War Two and the creation of the State of Israel, Christians from the Western Ottoman Empire (broadly categorized as “Syrians”) and Egypt made up the vast majority of migrants from the region. However, following the restructuring of the region and American immigration reform in 1965, the stream of immigrants has consisted predominantly of Muslims from a variety of countries. The rise of tensions between the Middle East and the United States, both in the past decades and within recent months, has implicated immigrants and their descendants in a variety of ways. As a result, many cultural and religious enclaves that have traditionally resisted acclimation have forged common links across nationality and faith to celebrate shared customs in spite of pressure to westernize. 
 

Luke N. Zehr

Department of Biology and Environmental Science

Professor Ryan Sensenig, Advisor 

Effects of Large Mammal Grazing on Tallgrass Prairie Flora 

Historically, a significant portion of North America consisted of savannah-like assemblages of grasses, forbs, trees, and large mammals.  Ten to twelve thousand years ago, during the Pleistocene epoch, a multitude of mammal species functionally similar to those currently living in East Africa inhabited North America.  Research in modern grasslands in East Africa suggests that the coexistence of grazers of varying body size is because each species has a unique forage quality preference related to its body size.  In North American tallgrass prairies, this should mean that smaller herbivores, such as deer, should prefer high quality forbs, while larger grazers, such as cattle or bison, should forage on poor quality, but abundant grasses.  These grazing preferences likely have large effects on plant diversity. 

      Prairie restoration is an expanding goal in North America, but rarely does it intentionally incorporate large herbivores.  Therefore, we lack an understanding of how a functional assemblage of grazers of varying body sizes may have structured North American prairies.  Currently in North America, domestic large grazers are widely kept for food production. These grazers are primarily pastured in fields with a low diversity of non-native grasses. 

      Along with 2010 graduates Chase Snyder, Jeremy Good and Adie Gerig, I used exclosures/enclosures with control plots and 1 m² quadrats along 20 m transects to collect data.  The results of this research have begun to construct an understanding of the composition of the prairie being studied and the preferential grazing behaviors of white-tailed deer, domestic goats, and cattle.  Our ongoing research aims to investigate further whether large domestic grazers in a reconstructed grassland will exhibit resource partitioning behavior comparable to that which has been observed in the African savannah and how plant diversity and distribution might be affected.