Uchaguzi: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of ICTS, Statebuilding, and Peacebuilding in Kenya

What do scholars know about the internet, social media, and other ICTs in African elections? Information on the role electronic media plays in politics on the African continent is limited, with little scholarly work empirically examining the role of electronic media in African elections. In this report, we focus specifically on crowd-sourced publics in the Kenyan context. We intend to contribute to literature on ICT4D and governance, particularly highlighting the potential and limitations of non-profit ICT-using intermediaries and their work to re-define the relationship between citizens and the State. Throughout this report, we center on questions about the role of the crowdsourcing initiative Uchaguzi. This inquiry examines technical challenges, the organization’s ability to catalyze responses to reports of violence, the organization’s connection with the media establishment and the wider public as well as Uchaguzi’s overall role in strengthening electoral transparency and accountability. To address these questions, we employed mixed methods involving both qualitative and quantitative analyses as well as field methods and desk research. Data collection focused on review of documentary sources in addition to collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. Empirical and qualitative sources included fourteen semi-structured qualitative interviews with founders, designers, and implementers. We also conducted a short survey to assess citizens’ familiarity with Uchaguzi, reaching a total of 446 people and covering most regions in Kenya

High-throughput sequencing of African chikanda cake highlights conservation challenges in orchids

Source at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-017-1343-7 .Chikanda is a traditional dish made with wild-harvested ground orchid tubers belonging to three orchidioid genera, Disa, Satyrium and Habenaria, all of which are CITES appendix II-listed. Identification of collected orchid tubers is very difficult and documentation of constituent species in prepared chikanda has hitherto been impossible. Here amplicon metabarcoding was used in samples of six prepared chikanda cakes to study genetic sequence diversity and species diversity in this product. Molecular operational taxonomic unit identification using similarity-matching reveals that species of all three genera were present in the chikanda samples studied. Disa was present in all of the samples, Satyrium in five out of six and Habenaria in one of the samples, as well as a number of other plants. The fact that each sample contained orchids and the presence of a wide variety of species from all genera in this traditional dish raise serious concerns about the sustainability of this trade and the future of wild orchid populations in the main harvest areas. This proof-of-concept study shows that Ion-Torrent PGM is a cost-effective scalable platform for metabarcoding using the relatively long nrITS1 and nrITS2 regions. Furthermore, nrITS metabarcoding can be successfully used for the detection of specific ingredients in a highly-processed food product at genus level, and this makes it a useful tool in the detection of possible conservation issues arising from commercialized trade or processed plant products

The Student Movement Volume 107 Issue 20: Andrews Students Spring Back from Break: Six More Weeks to Go

HUMANS Meeting Dr. McCree, Interviewed by: Grace No Interview with Dr. Luxton: Saying Goodbye, Interviewed by: Grace No Spring Break Renovations & Relaxation, Caryn Cruz ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Currently: The Last of Us, Solana Campbell Spring Break Spotlight, Amelia Stefanescu What Happened to Wang in the Costco Bathroom?, Nora Martin NEWS Experiences Living in Lamson Hall, Abigail Kim Time is Ticking for TikTok, Brendan Oh WEAAU x CFE Service Sabbath, Terika Williams IDEAS Inequality Drags on in Tennessee, Alexander J. Hess On Value: True Crime and the Search for Meaning, Nora Martin When Winds Change: The Legacy of President Luxton, Bella Hamann PULSE A Trip to the Museo , Chris Ngugi AUSA Senates Holds Bon Appétit Forum, Neesa Richards Speaking Up With Women Press Release, Nicholas C. Gunn LAST WORD A Week of Rest and Relaxation ... Almost, Grace Nohttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-107/1019/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 106 Issue 14: Climb Every Mountain, Tube Every Hill

HUMANS Getting to Know AU\u27s New Photography Professor Dan Weber. Interviewed by Karenna Lee Interview with BSCF President Khaylee Sands, Interviewed by: Timmy Duado Military to Music: Interview with Marcus Carter, Interviewed by: Grace No ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Black Entertainers Who Inspire Me, Hannah Cruse In the Words of AU: Why Black Art is Important, Solana Campbell Know Your Roots by Marcel Mattox, Interviewed by: Kaela McFadden NEWS Embracing the New Normal, Jenae Rogers Mask Off: Andrews University Updates Covid-19 Guidelines, Abigail Lee Panic: Understanding the War Over Ukraine, Chris Ngugi Winter Storms Flurry Through the Midwest and the South, Nathan Mathieu IDEAS Kanye West and Paternal Accountability: Why it Matter, Alyssa Henriquez Should Joe Biden Cancel Student Debt? Who Has to Save The World?, Qualyn Robinson PULSE Cardinals vs. Golden Eagles: A Few Last Flights at the Season\u27s End, Alannah Tjhatra Fun Weekend Winter Activities, Shania Watts Thoughts on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Kaela McFadden THE LAST WORD Please Lamson Hall, Can I Have Some More?, Abigail Leehttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-106/1013/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 106 Issue 18: Spring, Strings, and Jeans: AU Composers Take the Stage

HUMANS Freshman Spotlight Interview: George Isaac, Interviewed by: Lauren Kim From Berrien Springs to Beirut - A Spring Break Mission Trip, Interviewed by: Irina Gagiu Student Workers Across Campus, Interviewed by: Grace No ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Creative Spotlight: In Passing Podcast, Interviewed by: Megan Napod Signal Boost: Inventing Anna, Gabriela Francisco The 94th Academy Awards: Desert Sci-Fi, Kooky Westers, & much more, Solana Campbell NEWS Gym Class Heroes Challenge, Sion Kim Sunday Music Series: Andrews University Composers Concert, Andrew Pak The Election, Chris Ngugi IDEAS Is Carbon Capture the Key to Stopping Climate Change?. Lyle Goulbourne Learning to Focus: Navigating the Weird, Wacky Mind of A Sould Blessed with ADD or ADHD, Angelina Nesmith Silenced Chalk: Unheard Women in STEM, Alexander Navarro PULSE Hamil Day: Making a Holiday, T Bruggeman Spring at Andrews, Isabella Koh Unplugging from Social Media, Gloria Oh THE LAST WORD You Can\u27t Give What You Don\u27t Have: Fill Your Cup, Megan Napodhttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-106/1017/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 106 Issue 20: Waving Goodbye to the School Year: AFIA Musical Dazzles Audience

HUMANS Meet Your New AUSA President: Aya Pangusan, Interviewed by: Timmy Duado Meet Your New AUSA Senator-at-Large: Rock Choi, Interviewed by: Grace No Professor Spotlight: Dr. L. Monique Pittman, Interviewed by: Caryn Cruz Senior Spotlight: Joshua Pak, Interviewed by: Lauren Kim ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Creative Spotlight: The Scoop Podcast, Interviewed by: Solana Campbell Return to Palau Documentary Premiers at AU, Megan Napod Write ON, Kaela McFadden NEWS Balikbayan, Homecoming, Chris Ngugi Terry Dodge Memorial, Scott Moncrieff Until We Meet Again: Farewell to Three AU Deans, Chris Ngugi IDEAS Does the total score of a college course have anything to do with a student\u27s motivation?, Robert Zhang The Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year, Gabriela Francisco You\u27ll Be Ready When You Get There, I Promise, Evin N. Musgrove PULSE Eggs, Gabriela Fransico Goodbye from the SM Staff Summer Plans, Gloria Oh To Find Your Worldview, T Bruggeman THE LAST WORD Butterflies and Anxiety: A Final Word, Alyssa Henriquezhttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-106/1019/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 106 Issue 16: Making History, One Step at a Time: AU Celebrates Women\u27s History Month

HUMANS A Life in Books, Interviewed by: Grace No WEAAU President Interview: Caryn Cruz, Interviewed by: Lauren Kim Women Who Inspire Us, Solana Campbell ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT AU Music Fest Vespers Concert, Solana Campbell Creative Spotlight: Paige Swanson, Interviewed by: Megan Napod Current Favorites: Women\u27s History Month, Kaela McFadden Where Have All the Good Women Gone?, Hannah Cruse NEWS March Events on Campus, Abigail Lee Running Like a Girl, Alyssa Henriquez She Leads Vespers Honors Women in Leadership, Abigail Lee The Ukraine War: How It Began, Chris Ngugi The Ukraine War: How It\u27s Going, Chris Ngugi The Ukraine War: Run, Chris Ngugi IDEAS And So I Bid You Adieu, Evin-Nazya Musgrove Equal Pay in Sports, Angelina Nesmith My Place Is Where Now?! Perceptions and Expectations of Women with Housework, Alexander Navarro PUSLE 22 Books to Read in 2022, Isabella Koh A Reflection on Still I Rise\u27 by Maya Angelou, Alannah Tjahatra Women & Adventism, Karenna Lee THE LAST WORD To Fear Femininity, Qualyn Robinsonhttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-106/1015/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 106 Issue 15: AU Theatre Wing Presents Pride and Prejudice

HUMANS Matchmaking by SASA - Details on the New Club Event!, Interviewed by: Irina Gagiu Meeting AU\u27s New Librarian, Katherine Van Arsdale Bell, Interviewed by: Grace No My Future Plans: Hannah Castillo, Interviewed by: Lauren Kim ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Creative Spotlight: Students of the AU Theatre Wing, Interviewed by: Megan Napod New Artist Releases: Evin Nazya-Musgrove, Eli Wilson, & Jonathan Lutterodt, Solana Compbell The One Inch Barrier, Steven Injety NEWS Herbert Blomstedt Comes to Andrews University, Abigail Lee It\u27s for the Effect: A Student Response, Chris Ngugi Worship Concert, Healing Together , Andrew Pak IDEAS Are Attention Spans Decreasing?, Elizabeth Getahun Do I Have to Be a Parent?, Angelina Nesmith Naming the Familiar: Emotions, Experiences, & our Insufficient Language, Alexander Navarro PULSE Checking Out Rate My Professors , Gloria Oh Dorm Policies, Alannah Tjhatra Lessons I\u27ve Learned on My Year Abroad, Terika Williams THE LAST WORD A Friend, Taylor Uphushttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-106/1014/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 106 Issue 12: Snowstorm Landon Takes a Seat at Andrews University

HUMANS Andrews Students and their Majors, Interviewed by: Caryn Cruz AUSA Talent Show Winner: Christine Neveu-Cathian, Interviewed by: Lauren Kim Exploring Andrews University History with CIC Grant, Grace No ART & ENTERTAINMENT Art Analysis: it doesn\u27t make a sound by Andrew Pak, Interviewed by: Megan Napod Inspired Fashion for the Winter Season, Solana Campbell Winter Band Concert, Andrew Pak NEWS AUSA Sabbath: The Pursuit , Caralynn Chan Blood: A National Emergency, and How You Can Help Today, Chris Ngugi Week of Prayer: The Event for the Weak and Weary, Nathan Mathieu IDEAS Charging into the Future: Are Electric Cars Worth It?, Alexander Navarro Check the Roots, Perhaps?, Evin N. Musgrove Is Cryptocurrency Really Our Future?, Abraham Bravo PULSE AUSA Updates, Isabella Koh Breaking Bad Habits, Gloria Oh The Mission: Plane & Simple, Elianna Fisher THE LAST WORD The Box Problem, Alannah Tjhatrahttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-106/1011/thumbnail.jp

The Student Movement Volume 107 Issue 15: Moving Forward: AU Rings in Black History Month

HUMANS Current Book Reads, Anna Pak Interview with Kayla Goodman, Lamson Student Dean, Interviewed by: Grace No Meet Julaine Phillips, BSCF Vice President, Interviewed by: Grace No ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Creatives on Campus: Black History Month, Mora Martin Currently: You People, Jonathon Woolford-Hunt Shining Talent at Young Artists Concert 2023, Aiko J. Ayala Rios NEWS BSCF\u27s IMPACT Vespers Kicks off Black History Month, Andrew Francis Death of Tyre Nichols: Catalyst for Change or Recurring Event?, Hannah Cruse Honors Agape Feast, Gloria Oh Pre-Vet Club Fundraisers for Stray Cats, Alannah Tjhatra IDEAS I Don\u27t Understand Poetry, T Bruggemann Open AI\u27s Chat GPT. Gabriela Francisco The Diasporic Black History Month, Elizabeth Getahun PULSE A Glance into the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Gloria Oh Duality in Spirituality: A Shift in Perspective, Wambui Karanja Our Food: Can We Cook It?. Charisse Lapubla LAST WORD Black in (Almost) Every Language, Chris Ngugihttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-107/1014/thumbnail.jp