Holy or unholy matrimony: does participation in a pre-college program influence the retention rate of African American males in college

Fifty percent of all students who enroll in college depart before earning their degree; this proportion is even higher among minorities during the first year of college (Tinto, 2006). Minorities have typically had fewer opportunities to gain a college education. Once enrolled in college, minorities have generally found it more difficult to succeed academically and graduate (Strayhorn, 2011). There is one group among the collective of minorities that are even further behind the rest, African American males. African American males are one of the most underrepresented populations of students on college campuses around the nation (Feagin, Vera, & Imani, 1996). Relatively few Black men enroll in four-year colleges and universities (Cuyject, 2006); in fact, of the approximate 15 million undergraduate students in the United States, less than 5% are Black men (NCES, 2009). In response to the trends and challenges faced by Black men, the federal government, as well as higher education institutions, have invested considerable resources in the development and implementation of programs and services that are designed to provide the necessary academic and social support researchers have found to be integral to the success of students in college (Astin, 1993; Swail, Redd & Perna, 2003 and Tinto, 1993). One of the federal government’s responses to this issue is the development of numerous pre-college programs. The aim of this study was to determine whether pre-college programs (i.e., Upward Bound, Talent Search & G.E.A.R. UP) are effective in realizing their goals for African American men, particularly as it relates to their college retention rates. Using the National Center for Education Statistics’ Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) guided by Tinto’s Student Attrition model, the researcher sought to determine: To what extent does participating in a pre-college program influence the first-year retention rates of African American males in college, controlling for differences in, background traits, academic preparedness and parental level of education? The findings from this study suggest that out of three federally funded pre-college programs Upward Bound, Talent Search and G.E.A.R. UP, only the Talent Search program has any impact on the retention rate of African American males in college

Testimony of Dr. George H. Baker, Senior Advisor to the Congressional EMP Commission

This is the script of testimony before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It offers a vision for a future in which our electric power systems will be able to operate through or quickly recover from catastrophic failure due to electromagnetic pulse (EMP), cyber, and physical attacks. The scope of the term ‘EMP’ used in this testimony includes both naturally occurring solar storms and the more energetic man-made EMP hazards. The vision has been discussed with members of the electric power industry, and prominent EMP/cyber/physical protection advocates who find it to be supportable and actionable. The nature of EMP, cyber, and physical threats to the United States’ electric power grid are severe, to be sure. Bounding consequences could include risk measurement units of millions of casualties (EMP Commission), trillions of dollars (Lloyds of London), and, dents in the history of civilization (Center for Policy on Emerging Technology). The good news is that well-known engineering solutions are available to counter these threats

Proposal for a DoD Combined Battlefield Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Initiative

The presentation emphasizes the growing importance of electromagnetic survivability and compatibility. Operation Desert Storm demonstrated the clear military advantage provided by sophisticated electronic weapon and communication systems. In addition, the offensive tactic of taking out the enemy\u27s eyes and ears during the air war paid off, giving our military decisive air superiority. The lessons for the future are clear. High-tech electronics now so dominates the battlefield that the outcome of future conflicts could well be decided by electronics attrition rather than human casualties. Our Desert Storm experience thus accentuates the importance of guaranteeing that our electronic systems will not be disabled either deliberately or accidentally by electromagnetic environmental effects. Factors which pose implementation challenges and problems are addressed. The increasing use of commercial equipment in military applications will require that commercial and military standards be integrated to some degree. While many technical questions will need to be resolved, the major challenges are associated with organization and process given the large number of technical disciplines and organizations involved in electromagnetic effects issues. The presentation concludes by proposing a top-level solution path. Recognizing the growing importance of electronics survivability, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J6) has requested and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition has tasked the development of Combined Battlefield Environmental Effects (CBEE)

Evolution and Rationale for United States Department of Defense Electromagnetic Pulse Protection Standard

The United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD) Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) protection standard offers a solid basis for protecting commercial communication, data, and control facilities. Because of the standard’s shielded barrier and test requirements, it is not surprising that there is a strong temptation within industry and government to dismiss the MIL-STD 188-125 approach in favor of less rigorous protection methods. It is important to understand that US DoD EMP protection standard for fixed facilities, MIL-STD-188-125, reflects an evolution by trial and error that spanned a period of decades beginning with the acquisition of the Minuteman Missile System in the 1960s. In fact, one of the main motivating factors for developing the standard was that system developers in the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Defense Communications Agency (now Defense Information Systems Agency) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency tried less technically-sound approaches that failed in their effectiveness, testability, and maintainability. This paper revisits the development of the US DoD standard and explains its provisions and underlying technical rationale. The paper’s objective is to enable the public officials and engineers involved in planning and implementing EMP protection for critical infrastructure facilities to avoid the pitfalls encountered in the past and use the best practices available to achieve low risk protection designs that can be maintained over the entire lifecycle of critical infrastructure systems

Beyond the Call of Duty: Supererogation Towards an Apologetic Approach in the US Navy

Members of the US Navy subscribe to common values outlined in the Sailor’s Creed, a shared dictum of foundational ideals that burdens all persons within the organization to follow. Honor, courage, commitment, excellence, and fairness are explicit organizational values written therein that codify the standard values expected of all Sailors regardless of rank or other designators. For Christians serving in the US Navy, how can they present the tenets of the Gospel in a manner appropriate, and legal, for a professional, secular work environment such as the military but are consistent with the biblical imperative to give a defense of Christianity to all who ask (1 Peter 3:15)? The answer lies in what John Rawls calls supererogatory acts, those actions in which there is no moral obligation to perform, and are above and beyond the standard ethical behavior the Navy expects; these are not only extraordinary acts of heroism but simple and small occurrences of humility and hospitality. Common moral intuition may lead any Sailor, Christian or not, to perform supererogatory acts but a follower of Christ can intentionally use these actions as part of a greater apologetic approach. In the language of public theology, the paper explores the Heart Before Head method, a combination of Blaise Pascal’s psychological apologetics and evidential apologetics, a two-step method that first appeals to an individual’s heart, the seat and center of human emotion, volition, and will, before moving to historical evidences for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ

Application of the Fisher Dimer Model to DNA Condensation

This paper considers the statistical mechanics occupation of the edge of a single helix of DNA by simple polymers. Using Fisher\u27s exact closed form solution for dimers on a two-dimensional lattice, a one-dimensional lattice is created mathematically that is occupied by dimers, monomers, and holes. The free energy, entropy, average occupation, and total charge on the lattice are found through the usual statistical methods. The results demonstrate the charge inversion required for a DNA helix to undergo DNA condensation

Faith after the Fight: Overcoming Doubts and Trauma from Warfare

In the aftermath of intense kinetic battlefield engagements where friendly, civilian, and enemy casualties occur, Christian combat veterans express difficulty reconciling God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and benevolence with their traumatic experience. The result has been prolonged episodes of despondence with God that presents itself as an impediment to continued faith or worse, an outright rejection of His existence. Exposure to the horrors of armed conflict can have a profoundly detrimental effect on a service member’s faith, but a person can begin the process to heal the invisible wounds of spiritual trauma by not abandoning their faith in God but instead clinging to it and finding a resolution to their doubts through an exercise in theodicy; all within a community context with genuine and consistent confidants who serve as mainstays throughout the introspective process