Divining Place in the Manawaka Fiction of Margaret Laurence: A Study of the Five Female Protagonists

The problem to be explored is to discover the reason(s) some of her readers find connections to place in the Manawaka fiction of Margaret Laurence. The problem also includes the determination of the meaning of place to Laurence, her female characters, and her readers, both casual and critical. This exploration includes the examination of her five Manawaka works of fiction, the review of critical analyses of her work, a consideration of reader-response and feminist theories, and a visit to Neepawa, Manitoba, the physical place after which the fictional Manawaka is modeled. Laurence defines place by geography and people. The physical place of Manawaka becomes a place of entrapment for the five female protagonists through its patriarchal institutions. They attempt an escape from the entrapment by leaving Manawaka and seeking a freedom to achieve individuation and to find their own voices. They, in fact, find freedom by making connections to others, particularly through their maternal heritage, and by returning physically or metaphorically to Manawaka, where they are able to reconcile themselves with their pasts. They are able to survive, to achieve a degree of individuation, and to find their own voices. In the process, they discover new meanings of place, including Alcoff\u27s woman as positionality --a place within, from which they can move forward and beyond. The connection some readers make to place in the Manawaka fiction of Margaret Laurence is derived from a response of recognition by reade/.s from a variety of backgrounds and education to the readily identifiable places, people, and situations presented in her work. As one of her enthusiastic readers, my response has been enhanced with new insights by adding life experience and the study of critical analysis and feminist theory to my transaction with Laurence\u27s narratives. It can be concluded that the reason many readers make a connection to place in Laurence\u27s narratives is that everyone has a Manawaka —a place within, a place to be divined and a divining place. The meaning of place must be discovered by each person, and each person has a place where discoveries are made

Paso Robles Police Department Shooting Range Shade Structure

The Paso Robles Police Department has a shooting range about ten minutes from their station next to the Paso Robles Regional Airfield. They have owned the property for years, making numerous improvements to the land and infrastructure to make it more conducive to shooting, much of the work has been done by other past Cal Poly students as well. With Paso Robles geographical location, it is regularly a windy place where the average high during the summer months is almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Naturally when spending hours shooting, shade breaks are needed which is where the necessity of a shade structure comes in, where the officers can relax, clean guns, take a lunch break or whatever they may need. The construction of the project was only part of the whole timeline and what needed to be done, as one knows preconstruction regularly needs a large allotment of time to be performed thoroughly. Lots of planning and preparation was required to perform this project efficiently and to make sure standard means and methods were used, but there were also different things that needed to be done to ensure the shade structure was going to hold up and be completed efficiently

Collaboration Between Departments of Education and the Disciplines: Making it Work

In an educational and political climate where subject matter is valued even more highly than teacher education in the preparation of “highly qualified teachers,” it is imperative that teacher educators and faculty in the content area disciplines work collaboratively in this preparation. Within the culture of higher education, such a positive relationship at many institutions is not always the case. This article explores the factors that have contributed to the forging of an effective partnership between the Secondary Education Program and the disciplines at one university, with the intent of helping others to foster a similar partnership at their institutions

Report card on school snack food policies among the United States' largest school districts in 2004–2005: Room for improvement

BACKGROUND: Federal nutritional guidelines apply to school foods provided through the national school lunch and breakfast programs, but few federal regulations apply to other foods and drinks sold in schools (labeled "competitive foods"), which are often high in calories, fat and sugar. Competitive food policies among school districts are increasingly viewed as an important modifiable factor in the school nutrition environment, particularly to address rising rates of childhood overweight. Congress passed legislation in 2004 requiring all school districts to develop a Wellness Policy that includes nutrition guidelines for competitive foods starting in 2006–2007. In addition, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently published recommendations for schools to address childhood obesity. METHODS: Representatives of school districts with the largest student enrollment in each state and D.C. (N = 51) were interviewed in October-November 2004 about each school district's nutrition policies on "competitive foods." District policies were examined and compared to the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for schools to address childhood obesity. Information about state competitive food policies was accessed via the Internet, and through state and district contacts. RESULTS: The 51 districts accounted for 5.9 million students, representing 11% of US students. Nineteen of the 51 districts (39%) had competitive food policies beyond state or federal requirements. The majority of these district policies (79%) were adopted since 2002. School district policies varied in scope and requirements. Ten districts (53%) set different standards by grade level. Most district policies had criteria for food and beverage content (74%) and prohibited the sale of soda in all schools (63%); fewer policies restricted portion size of foods (53%) or beverages (47%). Restrictions more often applied to vending machines (95%), cafeteria à la carte (79%), and student stores (79%) than fundraising activities (47%). Most of the policies did not address more comprehensive approaches to the school nutrition environment, such as nutrition education (32%) or advertising to students (26%), nor did they include guidelines on physical education (11%). In addition, few policies addressed monitoring (32%) or consequences for non-compliance (11%). No policy restricted foods sold for after-school fundraising or required monitoring physical health indicators (e.g. BMI). CONCLUSION: When compared to the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for schools' role in preventing obesity, none of the nutrition policies among each state's largest school district had addressed all the recommendations by 2004–2005. Nutritionists, nurses, pediatricians, parents, and others concerned about child health have an unprecedented opportunity to help shape and implement more comprehensive school district nutrition policies as part of the Congressional requirement for a "Wellness Policy" by 2006–2007

Immigrant families' perceptions on walking to school and school breakfast: a focus group study

Background: Immigrant children face an increased risk of being overweight. Little is known about how immigrant families perceive school programs that may help prevent obesity, such as walking to school and school breakfast. Methods: Six focus groups (n = 53) were conducted with immigrant parents of school-aged children, two each in three languages: Vietnamese, Spanish, and Somali. A facilitator and translator conducted the focus groups using a script and question guide. Written notes and audio transcripts were recorded in each group. Transcripts were coded for themes by two researchers and findings classified according to an ecological model. Results: Participants in each ethnic group held positive beliefs about the benefits of walking and eating breakfast. Barriers to walking to school included fear of children's safety due to stranger abductions, distrust of neighbors, and traffic, and feasibility barriers due to distance to schools, parent work constraints, and large families with multiple children. Barriers to school breakfast participation included concerns children would not eat due to lack of appealing/appropriate foods and missing breakfast due to late bus arrival or lack of reminders. Although some parents acknowledged concerns about child and adult obesity overall, obesity concerns did not seem personally relevant. Conclusion: Immigrant parents supported the ideals of walking to school and eating breakfast, but identified barriers to participation in school programs across domains of the ecological model, including community, institution, and built environment factors. Schools and communities serving immigrant families may need to address these barriers in order to engage parents and children in walking and breakfast programs.Group Health Community Foundation (JC), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Injury Free Coalition for Kids Obesity Synergy Grant (KB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) NRSA fellowship (MG)

An analysis of induction motor applications

Thesis (B.S.)--University of Illinois, 1913.Typescript and ms.Leaves of plates are numbered as "5a", "7a", "7b", "7c", "7d", "10a", "15a", "15b", "15c", "15d", "15e", "15f" and "15g"

Comparative Study of the Effects of Different Growth Hormone Doses on Growth and Spatial Performance of Hypophysectomized Rats

This study was designed to examine the effects of recombinant human growth hormone replacement on somatic growth and cognitive function in hypophysectomized (HYPOX) female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats (5 per group) were randomized by weight to 3 experimental groups: group 1, administered 200 µg/kg of GH once daily for 9 days; group 2, administered 200 µg/kg of GH twice daily; and group 3, administered saline daily. Somatic growth was evaluated by measurement of body weight daily and of the width of the proximal tibial growth plate of the HYPOX rats. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The results indicated that GH replacement therapy in HYPOX rats promoted an increase in the body weight and the width of the tibial growth plate in a dose-dependent manner. On the third day of the MWM test, the escape latency in the GH-treated groups 1 and 2 was significantly shorter than that in the control rats (P<0.001 and P=0.032, respectively), suggesting that rhGH improved spatial memory acquisition in the MWM test. Therefore it is concluded that rhGH replacement therapy in HYPOX rats stimulates an increase in somatic growth in a dose-dependent manner and also has beneficial effects on cognitive functions

Multiple Levels of Social Disadvantage and Links to Obesity in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

BACKGROUND The rise in adolescent obesity has become a public health concern, especially because of its impact on disadvantaged youth. This article examines the role of disadvantage at the family‐, peer‐, school‐, and neighborhood‐level, to determine which contexts are related to obesity in adolescence and young adulthood. METHODS We analyzed longitudinal data from Waves I (1994‐1995), II (1996), and III (2001‐2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative population‐based sample of adolescents in grades 7‐12 in 1995 who were followed into young adulthood. We assessed the relationship between obesity in adolescence and young adulthood, and disadvantage (measured by low parent education in adolescence) at the family‐, peer‐, school‐, and neighborhood‐level using multilevel logistic regression. RESULTS When all levels of disadvantage were modeled simultaneously, school‐level disadvantage was significantly associated with obesity in adolescence for males and females and family‐level disadvantage was significantly associated with obesity in young adulthood for females. CONCLUSIONS Schools may serve as a primary setting for obesity prevention efforts. Because obesity in adolescence tracks into adulthood, it is important to consider prevention efforts at this stage in the life course, in addition to early childhood, particularly among disadvantaged populations.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96235/1/josh12009.pd