Spain, Germany, and the Holocaust: Uniting Global Learning and Student Philanthropy through Transdisciplinarity

While the atrocities of the Holocaust have been well documented, this catastrophic event has been commonly studied through the lens of a single discipline. In a course co-taught by German and Spanish professors in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the liberation of WWII concentration camps, advanced students of German and Spanish at Northern Kentucky University engaged with this topic by analyzing, comparing, and contrasting the German-Dutch (Anne Frank) and Spanish-French (Jorge Semprún) experience. To deepen students’ cross-collaboration, the two classes engaged in a philanthropy project called the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project. The class received a $2,000 grant, researched and advocated for local nonprofits that addressed topics related to the Holocaust, and collectively decided on the final grant recipient. This article discusses the course structure, objectives, and outcomes of a transdisciplinary approach to literature, along with student feedback about the experience

Extending Grazing In Heifer Development Systems Decreases Cost Without Compromising Production

Three experiments compared heifer development systems. In Exp. 1, 299 heifers (253 ± 2 kg) from 3 yr were used to compare dry lot (DL) to grazing corn residue (CR) post weaning. Heifers in the DL consumed a common diet after weaning for 187 d until breeding. The CR heifers grazed for 145 d with a supplement (0.45 kg/d; 28% CP) and were then fed in the DL until breeding. In Exp. 2, 270 heifers (225 ± 2 kg) in 3 yr grazed Sandhills winter range (WR) or CR with a supplement (0.45 kg/d; 28% CP) post weaning. In Exp. 3, 180 heifers (262 ± 3 kg) in 2 yr grazed Eastern Nebraska WR or CR with a supplement (0.45 – 0.90 kg/d; 29% CP) post weaning. The CR heifers had lower (P \u3c 0.001) ADG before breeding compared to DL or WR heifers in Exp. 1 and 2, but WR and CR were similar (P = 0.66) in Exp. 3. The DL and WR heifers were heavier (P \u3c 0.003) than CR at breeding and pregnancy diagnosis in Exp. 1 and 2, but similar (P = 0.62) in Exp. 3. The percentage of heifers pubertal at breeding was greater (P \u3c 0.001) for DL than CR in Exp. 1, for WR than CR in yr 1 and 2 of Exp. 2 (P \u3c 0.01), but similar (P = 0.36) in Exp. 3. Pregnancy rate to AI was lower (P = 0.08) for CR than DL heifers in Exp. 1, but not different (P = 0.89) in Exp. 3. Final pregnancy rate was not affected (P ≥ 0.27) in Exp. 1, 2 or 3. In Exp. 2,, yr 2, CR heifers required (P = 0.01) more calving assistance than WR. Milk production of WR heifers was greater (P = 0.04) than CR in Exp. 3. Calf weaning BW, two-year old AI (Exp. 1 and 3) and final pregnancy rates (Exp. 1, 2 and 3) were not different (P \u3e 0.10). Development grazing CR reduced cost by $45/pregnancy compared to DL, but cost of WR was similar to CR. Development grazing CR reduces ADG before breeding without sacrificing final pregnancy rate. Development grazing WR increases milk production, but does not increase weaning BW. Grazing CR during heifer development reduces cost compared to DL. Grazing CR or WR is suitable for heifer development at similar cost

Evaluating Communication Tools and Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Vermont Head Start Classrooms

Introduction: We designed a program for four Head Start classrooms that aimed to: 1) Provide classrooms a tool that would facilitate communication with families about nutrition, 2) Educate families about the MyMeal tool, and 3) Increase fruit and vegetable consumption by providing families with fresh fruits and vegetables Fruit and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet, and sufficient consumption helps reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Eating behaviors during childhood are highly parentally influenced and function as the foundation for future eating patterns. Studies have shown that the extent to which fruits and vegetables are present and accessible in the home correlates with the amount of fruit and vegetables eaten by children.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1210/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, January 25, 1995

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1995/1001/thumbnail.jp

The Shakedown of Warm-Ups: An Assessment of Pre-Speech Exercises\u27 Impact on Public Speaking Anxiety

Academics have suggested that the use of warm-up exercises like those used by forensics competitors before a competition may reduce students’ public speaking anxiety (PSA). However, little empirical work has assessed these anecdotal claims. Thus, to assess the impact of using warm-up exercises in the foundational course, we developed and tested a uniform warm-up protocol for students enrolled in our standardized, multi-section public speaking course. This study sought to discover whether students who engaged in physical and vocal function exercises prior to speech delivery would have lower speaking anxiety over the course of the semester than students in the control group. Although this assessment found no significant difference in PSA reduction for students enrolled in designated warm-up sections compared to students within the control group, these findings can guide the next steps toward optimal, evidence-based best practices for warm-ups in the introductory speech course. In light of past research and robust instructor perceptions regarding the anxiety-reducing benefits of warm-up exercises, this assessment reveals the need to test alternative warm-up protocols to help mitigate PSA, to measure for changes in state as well as trait apprehension, and to determine the treatments’ effects on individuals with differing degrees of PSA

Constraining the properties of supermassive black hole systems using pulsar timing: Application to 3C 66B

General expressions for the expected timing residuals induced by gravitational wave (G-wave) emission from a slowly evolving, eccentric, binary black hole system are derived here for the first time. These expressions are used to search for the signature of G-waves emitted by the proposed supermassive binary black hole system in 3C 66B. We use data from long-term timing observations of the radio pulsar PSR B1855+09. For the case of a circular orbit, the emitted G-waves should generate clearly detectable fluctuations in the pulse-arrival times of PSR B1855+09. Since no G-waves are detected, the waveforms are used in a Monte Carlo analysis in order to place limits on the mass and eccentricity of the proposed black hole system. The analysis presented here rules out the adopted system with 95% confidence. The reported analysis also demonstrates several interesting features of a G-wave detector based on pulsar timing

Prospectus, November 30, 1994

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1994/1023/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, September 21, 1994

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1994/1013/thumbnail.jp