The Rise and Impact of High Profile Spectator Sports on American Higher Education

Intercollegiate athletics at colleges and universities have been referred to as “American higher education’s ‘peculiar institution.’ Their presence is pervasive, yet their proper balance with academics remains puzzling” (Thelin, 1994, p.1). Scandals such as the one at the University of Colorado at Boulder involving improper conduct of athletes and improper recruiting practices highlight the problems in athletic departments all over the country (Jacobsen, as cited in Umbach, Palmer, Kuh and Hannah, 2006). Organizations such as the Knight Commission, Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA), and the Drake Group dedicate much of their resources toward examining reform in intercollegiate athletics. This all begs the question: How has the rise of high-profile intercollegiate athletics impacted post-secondary education? The purpose of this literature review was to examine the acceleration and impact of high profile spectator sports on American higher education. Specifically, the purpose is to serve as a primer for those unfamiliar with intercollegiate athletics at postsecondary institutions. The researchers sought to examine the rise of intercollegiate athletics at Division I schools, the use of “brand equity” as an institution, the commercialization of big time college sports, and the impact these have on the athletes, faculty, and higher education as a whole. Lastly, the researchers provide recommendations to those involved in setting policy for higher education athletics in order to help combat the current trends in intercollegiate athletics in the hopes of eliminating the negative actions that have become the norm in college athletics. Intercollegiate athletics at colleges and universities have been referred to as American higher education’s “peculiar institution.” Their presence is pervasive, yet their proper balance with academics remains puzzling” (Thelin, 1994, p.1). In A Larger Sense of Purpose, Harold Shapiro (2005) opined, “Why should an institution whose primary devotion to education and scholarship devote so much effort to competitive athletics?” (p. 29). Recent scandals in intercollegiate athletic give one pause: at the University of Colorado at Boulder, improper conduct of athletes and improper recruiting practices were cited after an 18 year old recruit was taken to a strip club; The president of Auburn University recently took a trip on a booster’s private jet to “woo” a football coach at another university when they already had one under contract; and at Purdue University, the women’s basketball team is serving out a two year suspension after allegations that a former assistant coach made over 100 impermissible recruiting calls (Brunt, 2007). These problems highlight the issues in athletic departments all over the country (Jacobsen, as cited in Umbach, Palmer, Kuh and Hannah, 2006). Faculty members at institutions with some of the nation’s largest athletic programs gathered recently to discuss what role they should play in their schools’ athletic programs. They grappled with such issues as how and whether faculty should be involved, and how professors, coaches and sports administrators can collaborate to help athletes perform well in the classroom and on the field (Sander, 2007). This all begs the question: How has the rise of high-profile intercollegiate athletics impacted post-secondary education

Spondylolysis and Spinal Adaptations for Bipedalism: The Overshoot Hypothesis

Background and objectives The study reported here focused on the aetiology of spondylolysis, a vertebral pathology usually caused by a fatigue fracture. The goal was to test the Overshoot Hypothesis, which proposes that people develop spondylolysis because their vertebral shape is at the highly derived end of the range of variation within Homo sapiens. Methodology We recorded 3D data on the final lumbar vertebrae of H. sapiens and three great ape species, and performed three analyses. First, we compared H. sapiens vertebrae with and without spondylolysis. Second, we compared H. sapiens vertebrae with and without spondylolysis to great ape vertebrae. Lastly, we compared H. sapiens vertebrae with and without spondylolysis to great ape vertebrae and to vertebrae of H. sapiens with Schmorl’s nodes, which previous studies have shown tend to be located at the ancestral end of the range of H. sapiens shape variation. Results We found that H. sapiens vertebrae with spondylolysis are significantly different in shape from healthy H. sapiens vertebrae. We also found that H. sapiens vertebrae with spondylolysis are more distant from great ape vertebrae than are healthy H. sapiens vertebrae. Lastly, we found that H. sapiens vertebrae with spondylolysis are at the opposite end of the range of shape variation than vertebrae with Schmorl’s nodes. Conclusions Our findings indicate that H. sapiens vertebrae with spondylolysis tend to exhibit highly derived traits and therefore support the Overshoot Hypothesis. Spondylolysis, it appears, is linked to our lineage’s evolutionary history, especially its shift from quadrupedalism to bipedalism. Lay summary: Spondylolysis is a relatively common vertebral pathology usually caused by a fatigue fracture. There is reason to think that it might be connected with our lineage’s evolutionary shift from walking on all fours to walking on two legs. We tested this idea by comparing human vertebrae with and without spondylolysis to the vertebrae of great apes. Our results support the hypothesis. They suggest that people who experience spondylolysis have vertebrae with what are effectively exaggerated adaptations for bipedalism

Boxes, Boosts, and Energy Duality: Understanding the Galactic-Center Gamma-Ray Excess through Dynamical Dark Matter

Many models currently exist which attempt to interpret the excess of gamma rays emanating from the Galactic Center in terms of annihilating or decaying dark matter. These models typically exhibit a variety of complicated cascade mechanisms for photon production, leading to a non-trivial kinematics which obscures the physics of the underlying dark sector. In this paper, by contrast, we observe that the spectrum of the gamma-ray excess may actually exhibit an intriguing "energy-duality" invariance under $E_\gamma \rightarrow E_\ast^2/E_\gamma$ for some $E_\ast$. As we shall discuss, such an energy duality points back to a remarkably simple alternative kinematics which in turn is realized naturally within the Dynamical Dark Matter framework. Observation of this energy duality could therefore provide considerable information about the properties of the dark sector from which the Galactic-Center gamma-ray excess might arise, and highlights the importance of acquiring more complete data for the Galactic-Center excess in the energy range around 1 GeV.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX, 5 figure

Lines and Boxes: Unmasking Dynamical Dark Matter through Correlations in the MeV Gamma-Ray Spectrum

Identifying signatures of dark matter at indirect-detection experiments is generally more challenging for scenarios involving non-minimal dark sectors such as Dynamical Dark Matter (DDM) than for scenarios involving a single dark particle. This additional difficulty arises because the partitioning of the total dark-matter abundance across an ensemble of different constituent particles with different masses tends to "smear" the injection spectra of photons and other cosmic-ray particles that are produced via dark-matter annihilation or decay. As a result, the imprints of the dark sector on these cosmic-ray flux spectra typically take the form of continuum features rather than sharp peaks or lines. In this paper, however, we identify an unambiguous signature of non-minimal dark sectors such as DDM which can overcome these issues and potentially be observed at gamma-ray telescopes operating in the MeV range. We discuss the specific situations in which this signature can arise, and demonstrate that this signature can be exploited in order to significantly enhance our ability to resolve the unique spectral features of DDM and other non-minimal dark sectors at future gamma-ray facilities.Comment: 21 pages, LaTeX, 4 figures, 1 tabl

NASA's Space Launch System: An Evolving Capability for Exploration

Designed to enable human space exploration missions, including eventually landings on Mars, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) represents a unique launch capability with a wide range of utilization opportunities, from delivering habitation systems into the "proving ground" of lunar-vicinity space to enabling high-energy transits through the outer solar system. Substantial progress has been made toward the first launch of the initial configuration of SLS, which will be able to deliver more than 70 metric tons of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). Preparations are also underway to evolve the vehicle into more powerful configurations, culminating with the capability to deliver more than 130 metric tons to LEO. Even the initial configuration of SLS will be able to deliver greater mass to orbit than any contemporary launch vehicle, and the evolved configuration will have greater performance than the Saturn V rocket that enabled human landings on the moon. SLS will also be able to carry larger payload fairings than any contemporary launch vehicle, and will offer opportunities for co-manifested and secondary payloads. Because of its substantial mass-lift capability, SLS will also offer unrivaled departure energy, enabling mission profiles currently not possible. The basic capabilities of SLS have been driven by studies on the requirements of human deep-space exploration missions, and continue to be validated by maturing analysis of Mars mission options, including the Global Exploration Roadmap. Early collaboration with science teams planning future decadal-class missions have contributed to a greater understanding of the vehicle's potential range of utilization. As SLS draws closer to its first launch, the Program is maturing concepts for future capability upgrades, which could begin being available within a decade. These upgrades, from multiple unique payload accommodations to an upper stage providing more power for inspace propulsion, have ramifications for a variety of missions, from human exploration to robotic science

NASA's Space Launch System: An Evolving Capability for Exploration

Designed to enable human space exploration missions, including eventually landings on Mars, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) represents a unique launch capability with a wide range of utilization opportunities, from delivering habitation systems into the lunar vicinity to high-energy transits through the outer solar system. The vehicle will be able to deliver greater mass to orbit than any contemporary launch vehicle. SLS will also be able to carry larger payload fairings than any contemporary launch vehicle, and will offer opportunities for co-manifested and secondary payloads

Weight loss attitudes and social forces in urban poor Black and White women

OBJECTIVE: To explore differences between Blacks and Whites in perceived influences on weight-related behaviors among obese urban poor women. METHODS: Participants (N = 27) received physician referrals to a weight loss program located in Federally Qualified Health Centers and either never attended or stopped attending. We conducted in-depth, in home interviews using a script informed by focus groups, pilot discussions, and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to learn about participants' weight loss attitudes, social forces and perceived behavioral control. RESULTS: White women reported having more social support and social pressure for weight management activities. Black women reported eating for positive reasons whereas white women associated eating with negative emotions. CONCLUSION: Social networks and emotions may be critical factors in weight management and lifestyle program participation

Peer-Led Team Learning Strategies in Engineering Pathways

Train Peer-Leaders on difference between mentor/tutor and Peer Leader. Focuses on leadership skills. Provides technology resources tutorial. Provided suggested teaching and learning strategies for PLTL activities

Strategies for Engagement of Non-Traditional Students in Engineering-Related Courses

Project Goals Overview Goal #1: Increase students\u27 commitment to engineering pathways. Goal #2: Increase academic performance and persistence in engineering. Goal #3: Increase persistence of Veterans in engineering pathways. Research Questions How does students\u27 participation in peer-led team learning activities in online engineering courses correlate to their a) commitment to engineering, b) engineering identity, and c) self-efficacy. How do students in peer-led team learning activities compare to students in non-PLTL groups in terms of a) academic performance and b) persistence in engineering pathways