Slavery Reparations

As part of the English 101.003 Writing Seminar taught by Dr. Anne Porter in Fall 2015 at Providence College, this essay was written in response to an assignment to articulate a central question about slavery reparations. The essay explores the question from various angles and makes reference to Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel, “The Case for Reparations” from The Atlantic (June 2014) by Ta-Nehisi Coates, as well as at least one additional, scholarly source. The essay is written for college-age readers, who are interested in the issue and asking the same questions. Abstract: In recent years, the issue of making slavery reparations to those whose ancestors were victims of the slavery system many years ago is a growing topic of controversy throughout the United States. There are many questions surrounding this matter such as who would receive reparations, who would make them, and is there a way for it to be done fairly for all. Using various sources, including the 2015 Common Reading Program book, Justice: What¹s The Right Thing To Do by Michael Sandel, I explored this topic from many angles, and narrowed in on the many different views of whether or not slavery reparations should and could be made after so many years

Using the Past to Restore the Future: Quantifying Historical Vegetation to Assist in Tidal Freshwater Wetland Restoration

Wetlands have been providing humans with critical natural ecosystem services throughout our time on Earth. Nevertheless, these invaluable ecosystems have been habitually altered as a cost of human progression. Two of the most common alterations to wetlands are damming and filling. Both occurred along Kimages Creek in Charles City County, VA during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2010 the Lake Charles dam was partially removed, restoring the creek’s tidal communication with the James River. Upon the recession of the body of water, numerous woody stumps were revealed. We studied these stump remnants in an attempt to assess the spatial structure and vegetative community of this forested freshwater tidal wetland before perturbation. We began by obtaining a geospatial coordinate for each stump, and every 10 stumps a cross-sectional wood sample was taken. These samples underwent taxonomic identification as well as aging in the lab. During this ongoing study, over 4,500 stumps have been geo-located and 413 samples have been processed. There were 15 unique species among 11 genera identified. The most abundant genus of trees was Fraxinus spp. (RD = 73.24%), and the next most abundant was Carya spp. (RD = 11.79%). The majority of the samples were of obligate or facultative wetland species (63.1%). We will soon compile the geospatial coordinates onto a GIS map and use the species data to better understand the native community. Recreating the natural historical vegetative community could help guide current restoration efforts in other locations in other mid-Atlantic formally impounded wetlands.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1133/thumbnail.jp

The Relationship Between Student Participation in a 1:1 Laptop Initiative and Academic Achievement in a 9-12 Upper Middle Class Suburban New Jersey Public School District

The use of laptop computers in 1:1 settings is becoming increasingly prevalent in America’s schools. As greater numbers of students are using this technology, establishing its benefits and costs is paramount, especially in light of so many demanding fiscal situations. This study used quantitative research and analysis to measure the benefits and costs of such an expansive distribution of technology. It seeks to answer the question of the worth of such a large-scale adoption. This study explored the relationship between the use of a laptop computer on a 1:1 basis for the purpose of academic instruction and its connection to the academic achievement of students in upper middle class suburban New Jersey high schools. This study used propensity score matching (PSM) primarily via ANCOVA to determine if significant differences existed in student performance while controlling for student demographic and academic characteristics. The data for this study were collected from two demographically similar high schools with the only difference being the presence of a 1:1 laptop initiative. The study required specific student demographic data. The independent variables used were gender, socioeconomic status, grade point average, class attendance, ethnicity, special education classification, status as an English Language Learner, and student prior achievement (i.e., NJASK 8). The dependent variable was the use of a 1:1 laptop program for the purpose of academic instruction. The results indicated that the use of a 1:1 laptop program did not have a statistically significant impact on student performance as measured by HSPA Language Arts Performance, PSAT performance, and student attendance. Furthermore, the results indicated that a 1:1 laptop program had a statistically significant relationship with student performance on the HSPA Math test and student grade point average

A Spatial Analysis of Non-Emergency Requests for Service & Violent Crime in St. Louis, Missouri

The “Broken Windows” thesis posits that disorderly conditions are likely to incite a downward spiral in an area, eventually leading to crime. In contrast, collective efficacy theorists argue that crime and disorder are manifestations of the same underlying issue; as such, disorder could be construed as an opportunity for citizens to mobilize against a problem in their neighborhood. This research employs longitudinal administrative data regarding requests for non-emergency services (“311” calls). Prior research has examined this measure as an indicator of disorder; however, these requests are representative of citizen action against disorder, and thus may better represent a form of social control or collective efficacy. Using data from 9,577 blocks in St. Louis, MO, this paper analyzes the spatial distribution of requests for service regarding physical disorder and violent crimes over a period of five years (2009-2013). After controlling for neighborhood demographic characteristics and land use, requests for service are positively and significantly related to violent crimes in the area. This finding suggests that requests for non-emergency services are an indicator of neighborhood disorder, and provides support for the broken windows theoretical framework

Geographic variation of S̲o̲r̲e̲x̲ c̲i̲n̲e̲r̲e̲u̲s̲ in West Virginia

The morphological and geographical diversity of Sorex cinereus is evident in West Virginia. In an attempt to identify patterns of morphological variation relative to age, sex, and geographic locality, and to clarify taxonomic status of the West Virginia soricids by defining diagnostic characters applicable to this area, a sample of 288 specimens representing three taxa were analyzed statistically. Standard external measurements were recorded, and a series of 12 cranial and dental characters were measured and recorded for each specimen. Morphological variation due to age was found in S. c. cinereus, but not in the smaller reference samples of S. c. fontinalis and S. I. longirostris. No sexual dimorphism was found in any of the taxa studied. Diagnostic characters found to separate S. I. longirostris from S. c. cinereus were rostral shape and relative sizes of the third unicuspid. Clear defining characters were not found for S. c. fontinalis, although this taxa resembles a smaller version of S. c. cinereus with shorter, broader rostra. These data and analyses did not reveal any presence of S. c. fontinalis additional to two documented specimens from Hampshire County. Although the presence of S. I. longirostris in West Virginia is likely, these analyses were inconclusive

Characterization of Legacy Sediment variations in accretion and carbon dynamics following dam removal in a recently restored tidal freshwater wetland

Damming disrupts the natural flow of sediment to adjoining water bodies resulting in the accumulation of Legacy Sediments (LS). While the impact of LS inputs has been well investigated in lotic Mid-Atlantic piedmont stream restorations, (i.e. milldam removal 1,2,3,4,5,), there have been few studies investigating LS following dam removal in low-gradient coastal plain streams. The objectives of this study were to quantify spatial and temporal variations of LS characteristics in a low-gradient tidal stream restoration within the lower James River watershed. Secondary objectives were to assess the current temporal and spatial variability in sediment deposition within the recently restored Kimages Creek wetlands and adjacent, unaltered wetlands of Harris Creek to investigate current sedimentation processes in a restoration setting

Using the past to restore the future: Quantifying historical vegetation to assist in tidal freshwater wetland restoration Former Lake Charles at the VCU Rice Rivers Center

Wetlands have been providing humans with critical natural ecosystem services throughout our time on Earth. Nevertheless, these invaluable ecosystems have been habitually altered as a cost of human progression. Two of the most common alterations to wetlands are hydrologic, in the form of damming, and filling. Both occurred along Kimages Creek in Charles City County, VA during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2010 the Lake Charles dam was partially removed, restoring the creek’s tidal communication with the James River and beginning tidal forested freshwater wetland restoration. Upon the recession of the body of water, numerous woody stumps were revealed

Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education: Learning Political Competencies for 21st Century Citizenship

This article explores the use of Holocaust, genocide and human rights education to teach political competencies for American students in the 21st century

Freedom and Determinism in 'Middlemarch', or Dorothea, the Lunatic

In a recent monograph, Pauline Nestor asks if George Eliot continues to be relevant to us today. Contrary to some, who argue that Eliot “lives in a distant and unrecoverable country of her own.” Nestor insists that Eliot’s fiction “forms an extended, particularized and dramatic investigation of fundamental ethical problems”, especially those concerning ethical responsibility. I am in broad agreement with Nestor’s treatment of Eliot and in this paper will focus on the ethical problem of freedom and determinism as presented in Middlemarch

Using the past to restore the future: Quantifying historical vegetation to assist in tidal freshwater wetland restoration

Wetlands have been providing humans with critical natural ecosystem services throughout our time on Earth. Nevertheless, these invaluable ecosystems have been habitually altered as a cost of human progression. Two of the most common alterations to wetlands are hydrologic, in the form of damming, and filling. Both occurred along Kimages Creek in Charles City County, VA during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2010 the Lake Charles dam was partially removed, restoring the creek’s tidal communication with the James River and beginning tidal forested freshwater wetland restoration. Upon the recession of the body of water, numerous woody stumps were revealed