When Insiders Become Outsiders: Parental Objections to Public School Sex Education Programs

This Note argues that parents\u27 fundamental right to direct their children\u27s moral and educational upbringing includes the right to exempt their children from objectionable sex education programs in public schools. Schools usurp parents\u27 fundamental rights when they unilaterally introduce children to topics of human sexuality without parental notice or permission. Alleged violations of these rights merit strict scrutiny review from courts. When parents\u27 objections are confined to discrete, tangible events, parents are constitutionally entitled to exempt their children from objectionable activities. The efficacy of this constitutional relief is more limited, however, when parental objections are pervasive and unassociated with a particular aspect of the school\u27s program or curriculum

The Mass of Dwarf Planet Eris

The discovery of dwarf planet Eris was followed shortly by the discovery of its satellite, Dysnomia, but the satellite orbit, and thus the system mass, was not known. New observations with the Keck Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescopes show that Dysnomia has a circular orbit with a radius of 37,350 ± 140 (1-σ) kilometers and a 15.774 ± 0.002 day orbital period around Eris. These orbital parameters agree with expectations for a satellite formed out of the orbiting debris left from a giant impact. The mass of Eris from these orbital parameters is 1.67 × 10^(22) ± 0.02 × 10^(22) kilograms, or 1.27 ± 0.02 that of Pluto

Exploring Implications of Synesthesia on Memory

This research proposal describes an original research procedure to study the effects of the neurological phenomenon of synesthesia (union of the senses) on memory. It provides supporting evidence as to how and why the proposed research fits into contemporary questions in the study of synesthesia

Half-crown

Winner of the 2019 Yellowwood Poetry Priz

Identifying nocturnal pollinator diversity in apple orchards in Northwest Arkansas

Insects have an essential role in nature, largely in part to pollination. These animals allow for many plants to reproduce and are directly involved in many of the earth’s fruit and vegetable supply. Bees, along with many other diurnal pollinators have gained the attention of the public, which has sparked debates and change to protect them. Many nocturnal species have previously been disregarded due to the assumption that diurnal pollinators provide the only significant pollinations, although recent studies show otherwise. For example, a recent study in apples suggests that nocturnal insects increase fruit production and flower cluster pollination at comparable levels to diurnal pollinators. However, the specific species were unknown. I worked with Dr. Erica Westerman to identify different species of nocturnal pollinators of apple blossoms during different times at night. I helped capture the insects in April of 2022 via light traps set up through the entirety of the night. The traps were emptied, and the insects were collected every few hours. I also had access to insects caught in the spring of 2021. Then, I categorized the insects into groups of interest and identified these insects into the lowest taxonomic group possible. I then used the R programming software to analyze the abundance of different types of insects present to determine which insects were most prevalent in the orchard, and at what time of night. A vast majority of the insects collected were craneflies. In addition, the time of night did not impact the specific insects collected, but the temperature did. This study highlights the species of insects that visit the orchard during the blooming season. Further tests may be required to identify which of these are significant pollinators

Identifying nocturnal pollinator diversity in apple orchards in Northwest Arkansas

Insects have an essential role in nature, largely in part to pollination. These animals allow for many plants to reproduce and are directly involved in many of the earth’s fruit and vegetable supply. Bees, along with many other diurnal pollinators have gained the attention of the public, which has sparked debates and change to protect them. Many nocturnal species have previously been disregarded due to the assumption that diurnal pollinators provide the only significant pollinations, although recent studies show otherwise. For example, a recent study in apples suggests that nocturnal insects increase fruit production and flower cluster pollination at comparable levels to diurnal pollinators. However, the specific species were unknown. I worked with Dr. Erica Westerman to identify different species of nocturnal pollinators of apple blossoms during different times at night. I helped capture the insects in April of 2022 via light traps set up through the entirety of the night. The traps were emptied, and the insects were collected every few hours. I also had access to insects caught in the spring of 2021. Then, I categorized the insects into groups of interest and identified these insects into the lowest taxonomic group possible. I then used the R programming software to analyze the abundance of different types of insects present to determine which insects were most prevalent in the orchard, and at what time of night. A vast majority of the insects collected were craneflies. In addition, the time of night did not impact the specific insects collected, but the temperature did. This study highlights the species of insects that visit the orchard during the blooming season. Further tests may be required to identify which of these are significant pollinators