An Intensive Archaeological Survey For A Proposed Small Craft Boat Launch In Port Mansfield, Willacy County, Texas

Project Title: Willacy County Navigation District Small Craft Boat Launch Report Title: An Intensive Archaeological Survey for a Proposed Small Craft Boat Launch in Port Mansfield, Willacy County, Texas Report Date: August 2012 Agencies: Willacy County Navigation District Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Texas Historic Commission Permit Number: Texas Antiquities Permit No. 6309 Project Number: WCND 0001 Project Description: The Willacy County Navigation District (WCND) proposes to use funds from a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant to construct a small craft boat launch and ancillary facilities south of Port Mansfield. The proposed project was reviewed by the Texas Historic Commission who recommended an archaeological survey be conducted for the project. EPG was retained by WCND through a subcontract with PAR Consulting, LLC to conduct an intensive survey of the project’s Area of Potential Effect (APE). The survey resulted in no prehistoric or historic cultural resources encountered from surface and subsurface contexts. Although the project area is within the boundaries of a known historic district, the project area is recommended to be a non-contributing element of the district. The proposed project will not have adverse effects to a historic property. Acreage: The surveyed area totals 5.48 acres. Location and Jurisdiction: The project is located on land owned and managed by the Willacy County Navigation District, approximately 1 mile south of Port Mansfield, Texas, along the shore of the Laguna Madre, as depicted (unsurveyed) on the USGS 7.5-minute Port Mansfield, Texas, quadrangle. Personnel and Dates of Fieldwork: A records review was conducted between July 12 and 19, 2012, and an intensive archaeological survey on July 20, 2012, by EPG archaeologist Dr. Steve Swanson, who served as principal investigator. Historic Properties: King Ranch National Historic Landmark (District) Adversely Effected Properties: None Curation: No artifacts were encountered or collected during survey

The Pandemic of Online Teaching

The purpose of this Action Research Project was to take a look at how my own actions towards students, and their own actions towards myself, compare and contrast between an online environment and a physical classroom environment. With the corona virus pandemic, students were transitioned from going to a classroom physically in person, to working remotely from their own houses online. When beginning this project, I wanted to put a specific focus on how the interactions between students and their educators change from an online environment to a physical classroom environment. Alongside of that, there is also a focus on whether or not student interactions change when interacting within an online environment or an in person environment. Through this analysis of classroom interaction with students in both an online an in-person environment, as well as example lessons and journal reflections, it has become apparent that student academic experiences are vastly different between the two environments. While both can be successful and efficient in what students learn and accomplish in their academics, the personal relations and the connections made between classmates that are made within a physical classroom can be replicated in an online environment. This project looks at the different aspects of differentiating instructional material, the various styles of creating presentations between online and in person learning, and how students interact with one another and with their educator depending on whether their online or in person. These interactions that I encountered and handled throughout my teaching experience in this program shaped how I want to act as an educator for my future students

A Threshold Test for Validity: The Supreme Court Narrows the Act of State Doctrine

This Article analyzes the Supreme Court\u27s recent decisions involving the act of state doctrine. This doctrine, which is based upon notions of international comity, prevents the courts of one state from adjudicating the acts of a foreign state that occur within the foreign state\u27s territory. This respect for foreign tribunals reduces friction between states and promotes more cooperative interaction in the international arena. The Article first defines comity and explains its importance in international litigation. Professor Swanson then outlines the diminishing role of comity as a basis for the act of state doctrine. In early opinions, United States courts refused to question a foreign sovereign\u27s act of state. Professor Swanson asserts that during the last century, the Supreme Court has backed away from the act of state doctrine and has left the doctrine\u27s parameters in disarray. As a result, the task of defining the doctrine has been left to the lower courts. In this context, Professor Swanson discusses significant Supreme Court and lower court decisions. The Article pays particular attention to a recent Supreme Court case, W.S. Kirkpatrick & Co. v. Environmental Tectonics Corp. In Kirkpatrick, a unanimous court held that the validity of a foreign state\u27s actions must be in question before the act of state doctrine is applicable. Professor Swanson interprets this decision as an attack on the act of state doctrine. Moreover, Professor Swanson asserts that this decision gives courts free reign to retain or reject cases for reasons completely unrelated to comity and other political concerns. Professor Swanson concludes that by narrowing the doctrine\u27s scope, the Supreme Court has shown a lack of respect for the laws and practices of other states