Winter with the Writers: The Colossus of Home

Although authors Esmeralda Santiago and Colson Whitehead come from divergent backgrounds and writing styles, one theme remains congruent. In their respective novels, When I Was Puerto Rican by Santiago, and The Colossus of New York by Whitehead both revolve around a theme of what it means to be at home—with one’s society and with one’s self. Not only does a sense of home formulate man’s inner conflicts and triumphs, but it also provides a sense of imperfect comfort and nostalgia. The overall message of their stories is achieved through character usage, imagery and tone; however, each author utilizes these literary techniques to a different advantage. Both authors find unique paths to arrive at the same message; although one may relocate and assimilate with new worlds, any effort to abandon the resounding melody of one’s home would be fruitless. This work examines the comparisons and differences between both authors\u27 views on home, and the literary methods through which these views are achieved. Through examination of the two key works, it can be determined that despite their divergent backgrounds, characters of both authors find a sense of peace, acceptance, and sorrow through their views of home. These emotions develop not only their sense of self, but also their direction throughout their lives

The World Trade Organization: Equity Values in a Global Economic Community

Still in its youth, the World Trade Organization is struggling to deal with the rapid changes of the global community while remaining true to its key equity values. Its focus on economic integration for the world has created its share of critics and supporters, placing more pressure on the organization to complete its goals. This work examines how the organization\u27s fundamental equity values—utilitarian efficiency, society opportunity, and individual liberty of states—has affected their policies and actions. It also examines the opposing opinions of the World Trade Organization, including the views of Bruce E. Moon, author of Dilemmas in International Trade, and Jagdish Bhagwati, author of Don\u27t Cry for Cancun. These views demonstrate the organization\u27s need to address the groups lobbying against its policies in order to live up to its primary equity values. The issue most hindering the organization\u27s pursuits is the dichotomy between developing and developed nations within the organization, which is a problem that must be confronted for utilitarian efficiency and societal opportunity to exist. Developing countries must be given a chance to utilize their capital and succeed within the global economic system in order for free and open trade to be established amongst its members. These overdue improvements will aid the organization in staying true to its views on equity

Fires in the Rough: A Close Examination of the Fire Hazards in the Rural-Urban Fringe in Kelowna, B.C.

Fire hazards in the rural-urban fringe have been a cause of concern for several decades. During the hot, dry summer months, risks for fires increase dramatically. This is due in part to the low level of maintenance in these areas when compared to their urban counterparts, as well as the issues of weather, lack of adherence to policy regarding environmental management, and the emergency response of the region. These issues have been thoroughly investigated using a deep literature review using peer reviewed articles, newspaper articles, regional data from statistics Canada, and this paper includes an examination of wildfire events in the Kelowna area, exploring the potential improvements from the perspectives of management, policy, and individual responsibility. We found that the probability of fires occurring is greater in the rural- urban fringe, the response time by regional district is slower, and there is a greater susceptibility of the landscape to hazardous weather conditions. In conclusion, the social and physical characteristics of the rural-urban fringe in Kelowna promote an environment that is particularly vulnerable to wildfires, and the city is continuing to improve land-use patterns in the area to ensure a decrease risk of fire hazards

Utilizing Guided Simulation in Conjunction with Digital Learning Tools in Air Traffic Control Training to Enhance Learning at the Collegiate Level

Students in an air traffic control program are required to learn and apply advance knowledge and skills in a limited time frame. All students learn at different rates as well as through different learning styles. Swivl is a video capture tool designed to enhance student learning by allowing students to refer back to their individual classroom lab training session videos via an online portal. Swivl is being utilized in two ATC lab courses. During this research, two technological shortcomings were discovered: (1) Swivl lacks the ability to capture audio from the COA’s existing communication software and (2) Swivl cannot focus on the radar display. As a result, the videos have lacked visual clarity when reviewing the session. Consequently Swivl has been shown to be an ineffective digital learning tool for this situation. Swivl, used in conjunction with a simulated ATC tower, has proven to be effective in enhancing overall learning due to the visual nature of the tower learning environment. The nature of the tower simulator allows for better visual acuity and effective communication exchange within the Swivl videos. Once these two issues are resolved, Swivl will have the potential to be an effective tool in ATC training, and may enhance learning by allowing students to sharpen those skills necessary for advancement in the field of air traffic control

“Tell Us about Your Digital Archives Workstation”: A Survey and Case Study

Archival staff in the Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) at Princeton University Library lacked a fully-equipped digital processing workstation to capture, transfer, and secure born-digital and digitized archival content for long-term preservation and access. Staff recently conducted a survey that included information about the digital processing workstations of twenty institutions. The results of this survey informed a successful proposal to acquire a Forensic Recovery of Evidence Device (FRED) to serve as our digital processing workstation. The article will share details about the survey and considerations that went into our decision-making process, as well as introduce a collaborative tool to assist archivists in sharing specifications about their workstations across the field

Incorporating Digital Learning Tools in Conjunction with Air Traffic Control Simulation

Learning and applying complex information at a fast rate can be challenging for students within an air traffic control - training program. Incorporating digital learning tools into an air traffic control training programs may increase student learning and success rates. Swivl is a digital learning capture tool designed to enhance student learning by allowing students to refer back to their individual classroom lab training session videos via an online portal. Embry Riddle’s air traffic program has started using Swivl in two separate ATC courses in order to determine if it is a viable solution to increase learning. During our research, we have come to the conclusion that Swivl is most useful in the air traffic control tower simulator, and has shown to be an effective learning tool thus far from the teacher’s perspective. Additional student feedback and analysis is forthcoming . Swivl has the potential to be an effective tool in ATC training and may enhance learning by allowing students to sharpen skills that are necessary to advance in the field of air traffic control. The air traffic control - training academy (used to train air traffic controllers hired by the federal government) has a high failure rate. Incorporating digital learning tools in that setting may increase success rates as well

A Deeper Look at the New Milky Way Satellites: Sagittarius II, Reticulum II, Phoenix II, and Tucana III

We present deep Magellan/Megacam stellar photometry of four recently discovered faint Milky Way satellites: Sagittarius II (Sgr II), Reticulum II (Ret II), Phoenix II (Phe II), and Tucana III (Tuc III). Our photometry reaches ~2-3 magnitudes deeper than the discovery data, allowing us to revisit the properties of these new objects (e.g., distance, structural properties, luminosity measurements, and signs of tidal disturbance). The satellite color-magnitude diagrams show that they are all old (~13.5 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H]$\lesssim-2.2$). Sgr II is particularly interesting as it sits in an intermediate position between the loci of dwarf galaxies and globular clusters in the size-luminosity plane. The ensemble of its structural parameters is more consistent with a globular cluster classification, indicating that Sgr II is the most extended globular cluster in its luminosity range. The other three satellites land directly on the locus defined by Milky Way ultra-faint dwarf galaxies of similar luminosity. Ret II is the most elongated nearby dwarf galaxy currently known for its luminosity range. Our structural parameters for Phe II and Tuc III suggest that they are both dwarf galaxies. Tuc III is known to be associated with a stellar stream, which is clearly visible in our matched-filter stellar density map. The other satellites do not show any clear evidence of tidal stripping in the form of extensions or distortions. Finally, we also use archival HI data to place limits on the gas content of each object.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Minor updates to match accepted versio

Spanish program for the twenty-first century

Spanish language programs at colleges and universities must be restructured so that they meet the needs of both students and corporate America. In this thesis I plan to show the strengths and limitations of some current undergraduate Spanish programs of the Peer 11 land-grant institutions. In addition, I will present an ideal Spanish language program that will better meet the needs of students entering the work force in the twenty-first century by offering three concentrations from which to choose. Finally, I will elaborate on a business Spanish concentration that should be a part of all Spanish programs that will graduate students entering the work force in the twenty-first century