Seeking Asylum Across the International Boundary: Legal Terms and Geopolitical Conditions of Irregular Border Crossing and Asylum Seeking Between the United States and Canada, 2016 - 2018

This thesis explores the acute surge in the irregular border crossings of asylum seekers across the International Boundary into Canada between late 2016 to early 2018. The goal of this project is to compile an account of the legal terms and geopolitical conditions that act to generate and shape this migration. The trajectory of this research necessitated study of the evolving nature of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States as well as the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) and its legal controversy. I explore how both respectively act to produce and structure these trends in irregular border crossing and asylum seeking. While the annulment of TPS is situated within a broader landscape of anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policy in the U.S. under the Trump administration, I place a particular focus on TPS because of the way in which its capacity for protection has been diminished by 75 percent[1] over the course of this research. This project considers how the problematizing of asylum seekers has eroded the refugee determination regime in North America as situated within unprecedented levels of forced displacement globally. The accumulating deficiencies of the U.S. asylum system, in particular, lead both the U.S. and Canada to fail to meet their obligations to international standards of protection under the ongoing application of the STCA. This is a distinct concern in consideration of the way in which the annulment of TPS under the Trump administration has swelled the ranks of vulnerable populations in need of protection within the U.S. While the deteriorating conditions of asylum and humanitarian protection simultaneously produce and criminalize vulnerable populations in the U.S., Canada seeks to deflect and deter access to their own asylum system. I explore how the intersection between the annulment of TPS and the antecedent conditions of the STCA act to generate the legal and geopolitical environment that produces and structures this particular contemporary migration event. [1] Immediately following the submission of this thesis to the Defense Committee on April 18, 2018, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security announced the termination of two additional TPS programs (DHS [Press Release], 2018a; DHS [Press Release], 2018b). Coupled with the terminations discussed in this paper, this collectively represents annulment of 98 percent of the program’s capacity for protection under the Trump administration. This statistic is current as of May 11, 2018

The Impact of Religious Beliefs on Professional Ethics: A Case Study of a New Teacher

This case study of a math and science teacher in a private religious school looks at the impact of a teacher’s religious beliefs on her experience of engaging with ethical issues in her practice. A Freirean ethical framework is used to analyze her struggles with differences between her own personal religious convictions and those of the school in which she teaches, avoiding undue influence on her students’ developing beliefs, and the inherent violence of schooling. This case provides an example of ways in which discussions with teachers about professional ethics might be broadened beyond codes and regulations to the everyday embodied, social milieu in which they work

Food Insecurity: Providers\u27 Perspectives Regarding Improving Food Access for Low Income Americans

Food is often seen as the common denominator that brings people together yet food-related issues often plague our society in negative ways. Food insecurity, defined as having limited access to food resources often, impacts individuals and households. The prevalence of food insecurity within a household can increase the risk of developing chronic health conditions and obesity. Food insecurity can also be a hard statistic to track because it is self-defined and self-reported. This qualitative research study was designed to investigate the impact of food insecurity from the perspective of providers that work within food resources programs. In total five participants were interviewed, four participants from community based food shelves and one participant from a community based free meal program. Participants of the study were asked to evaluate their perspectives on identifying the hardships and barriers that affect client populations facing food insecurity. In addition to identifying where gaps in receiving food services exist. Participants were also asked to explore ways that service providers could address service gaps and in order to impact food accessibility for their clients

Food Insecurity: Providers’ Perspectives Regarding Improving Food Access for Low Income Americans

Food is often seen as the common denominator that brings people together yet food-related issues often plague our society in negative ways. Food insecurity, defined as having limited access to food resources often, impacts individuals and households. The prevalence of food insecurity within a household can increase the risk of developing chronic health conditions and obesity. Food insecurity can also be a hard statistic to track because it is self-defined and self-reported. This qualitative research study was designed to investigate the impact of food insecurity from the perspective of providers that work within food resources programs. In total five participants were interviewed, four participants from community based food shelves and one participant from a community based free meal program. Participants of the study were asked to evaluate their perspectives on identifying the hardships and barriers that affect client populations facing food insecurity. In addition to identifying where gaps in receiving food services exist. Participants were also asked to explore ways that service providers could address service gaps and in order to impact food accessibility for their clients. Results of the research show that four major themes impacted food security rates. These themes were transportation barriers, the impact of household income, the under-representation of seniors, disabled individuals and some ethnic groups in accessing food programs and the increased need to improve food diversity. Implications for social work practice and policy implications are also discussed to emphasize, the importance of addressing food insecurity so that the larger society can understand the full impact of the issue

Federal Policy Advocacy Handbook, 2007 Edition

This handbook contains basic information about the policy process to enable its readers to become more effective advocates for community food security and related issues. Contains two main sections: the basics of the Federal Policy Cycle and the basics of effective participation in the federal policy process. Also includes a glossary of policy-related terms and a tip sheet for lobbying

Quinine blocks 5-HT and 5-HT3 receptor mediated peristalsis in both guinea pig and mouse ileum tissue

Introduction. Quinine is commonly used to treat malaria; however one of the principal side effects is gastrointestinal disturbances (White, 1992). 5-HT3 receptors modulate gut peristalsis (Chetty et al., 2006), and, as quinine has been shown to act as a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (Thompson and Lummis, 2008) it is possible that these side effects result from actions at gut 5-HT3 receptors. To address this question, we examined the ability of quinine to antagonise 5-HT and 5-HT3 mediated peristalsis in guinea pig and mouse ileum. Methods. Ileum was excised from male guinea pigs (200-300g) and C57BL/6 mice (25-35g) following cervical dislocation. Ileum segments (3-5 cm) were mounted in 50 ml organ baths containing Tryode’s solution at 35-37 °C. Concentration-response curves were constructed for 5-HT and the selective 5-HT3 agonist 2-Me-5-HT (non-cumulative doses). Quinine was pre-applied for 10 min and inhibition measured using agonist concentrations that elicited a submaximal response. Results. Concentration-dependent contractions produced by 5-HT (pEC50 = 5.45 ± 0.17, n = 8) and the selective 5-HT3 agonist 2-Me-5-HT (5.01 ± 0.17, n = 11) were not significantly different (Student’s t-test, t = 0.619, df = 17, p = 0.544) in guinea pig ileum. Increasing concentrations of quinine were able to antagonise the activities of both 5-HT (pIC50 = 5.03 ± 0.2, n = 6) and 2-Me-5HT (pIC50 = 4.59 ± 0.26, n = 4). At mouse ileum, 5-HT (pEC50 = 7.57 ± 0.33, n = 9) was more potent (Student’s t-test, t = 3.6, df = 12, p = 0.004) than 2-Me-5-HT (pEC50 = 5.45 ± 0.58, n = 5). Quinine antagonised both the 5-HT (pIC50 = 4.87 ± 0.31, n = 7) and 2-Me-5-HT-induced (pIC50 = 6.18 ± 1.14, n = 4) contractions. Conclusions. These results support previous electrophysiological studies that identified quinine as an antagonist at recombinant 5-HT3 receptors with IC50 values comparable with those reported here (pIC50 = 4.87, Thompson et al., 2007). Further, we found that quinine completely blocked 5-HT induced contractions in mouse and guinea pig, raising the possibility that quinine targets other 5-HT receptors in the gut (e.g., 5-HT4 receptors) and may influence intestinal function

So You Want to be a Leader? Examining Pathways to Special Collections Administration

This article seeks to understand the current state of the field of special collections library administration in the United States. Using a dataset gathered through publicly available information about special collections directors from the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), Independent Research Libraries Association (IRLA), and the Oberlin Group institutional members, the authors explore the educational backgrounds of directors, the types of positions they held prior to taking on their current roles, and the effect of gender on leadership advancement. This article also discusses the similarities and differences between institution types as well as promotions within institutions and across types of institutions

Choral Ensemble

Kennesaw State University School of Music presents: Choral Ensembles.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1561/thumbnail.jp

Beyond the Lone Hero: Providing Supports for New Teachers in High-Needs Schools

This essay examines the activities and challenges encountered in a partnership between a faculty of education and a local school board in Toronto, Canada. The goal was to address concerns over a 40% drop-out rate amongst Black students in the Toronto District School Board. Teachers were to identify areas of concern, and to use university resources to investigate and improve work with students. Initially, findings were disappointing, teachers often felt isolated working on their own, and some administrators perceived the project as disruptive to the overall running of the school. Faculty came to the realization that to help support their own graduates they needed to shift priorities from research to providing opportunities for dialogue, and to acknowledge the positions and perspectives of a variety of participants in the system