Anthony Wurst

Convincing Convincability

What is the purpose of message delivery? When we make the effort to communicate a message, we are hoping to produce some sort of change in the recipient(s). In this presentation, we summarize three articles that discuss the results of studies involving the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuasion as they attempted to affect change in their targets. We then discuss a common theme that all three shared as they attempted to focus on ELM’s central route of message elaboration in their message targets. The theme will then be applied to the articles and we shall make an application of our findings using George Washington’s (1796) farewell address.

COMM 342, Survey of Communication Theory

Kelsay Rychener

Bucher Room

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2 – 2:30 PM

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Anthony Wurst

May The Strong Protect The Innocent

In his inaugural address, president John F. Kennedy promoted, “creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved.”  The protection of indigenous peoples is a key measure by which the progress of modern society should be judged.  Non-Industrialized, indigenous peoples cannot defend themselves against the industrial military machines of modern society.  Therefore, by means of constructivist mechanisms, the popular morals and ethics of advanced military societies decide upon the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples.  Constructivist approaches to international relations assert the power of groups to socialize the international community to new norms.  Recent scholarship states that constructivist “[b]eliefs about [c]hange”  in the international community are that change is “[p]ossible through socialization, diffusion of ideas, or internationalization of norms.”   Before it reaches the international level, this change begins in the hearts of the people.  The genesis of absolute, universally beneficial change is revealed to humankind by the Holy Spirit as taught by the scriptures in Romans 2:14,15 .  Has this mechanism of socialization provided enduring protection for the indigenous peoples whose rights have been infringed by the world’s greatest military machine, the USA?  In this essay, three court cases will be used to compare constructivist socializing of new norms between 1824 and 2017 with realist counterpoints.  We hope to prove that, though constructivism has yielded inconsistent results in protecting the rights of indigenous peoples, it has provided significant protection.  While current academic literature suggests constructivist mechanisms are effective in socializing groups to new norms, a comparison of three court cases involving the US and indigenous peoples reveals constructivism has provided significant yet inconsistent protection, as seen through an examination of Johnson v. M’Intosh, Worcester v. Georgia and Republic of Marshall v. USA.

HIST 430, History of American International Relations

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium, P103

10 AM – 1 PM

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Hannah Duncan

Rhythm Sections: Are They That Important?

A typical rhythm section consisting of drums, bass, guitar, piano, and horns works together to create the foundation of a song. While vocalists are usually the highlight of a musical group, the rhythm section determines the feel of a song and makes it all possible. This presentation will show that because this section is so versatile, one can use the same chord progression and instruments but different grooves to completely change a song.

CMI 210, Rhythm Section Methods

Nathan Smith

Bucher Room

11 – 11:30 AM

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Kalani Miller

The Covid Letter

My presentation will cover the main points of 1 Peter. First, who wrote 1 Peter, then where the letter was written to. This leads into an explanation of two main parts of the letter – suffering as a Christian and the Household Codes. Finally, it is wrapped up with how this actually applies to our everyday lives.

BTM 102, Engaging With the Bible: How to Read the Bible in the 21st Century

Brian Mills

Bucher Room

10:30 – 11 AM

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Emmalee Rusk

Charlotte Ray and the History of Females in the Courtroom

The sexism and racism women faced for generations in a court of law is heartbreaking and sickening. If it was not for brave women who stood up for their rights, women would have never been given true agency in the courtroom. An agency that did not rely only on a man’s perception of the law. Nor would women have an opportunity to make a difference in legal matters today. The first female African American lawyer in the United States, Charlotte Ray, adds to the narrative of how women gained their agency in the courtroom and rights in the United States of America. Charlotte Ray shows the fight for agency in the courtroom by fighting the social sexist and racist expectations of her time. Her actions and legacy would trigger the uproar of the feminist movements and the first successes of women in the courtroom which rippled through American history into the continually influential legislation passed by women for the people. The progressions and backslides of the allowance of women in the courtroom is important to our appreciation of women in the courtroom today.

HIST 317, Women in US History

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium, P114

10 – 11:30 AM

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Emmalee Rusk

Historiography of Manifest Destiny on the Oregon Trail

The historiography of the Oregon Trail has been inaccurate as it has been speckled with the doctrine of Manifest destiny. The Oregon trail needs to be understood in its entirety, recognizing some cause for the Manifest Destiny application, but also keeping historians accountable, as Edward Dickenson Baker did even in his time, for providing the more abundant collective of pioneers who went for other reasons. To understand the Oregon Trail in full it is unacceptable to use the Manifest Destiny narrative so un-proportionately to the truth. This ignores the vast majority of pioneers who had little to no interest in what would become the Manifest Destiny doctrine. The Oregon Trail has been over-romanticized with the doctrine of Manifest Destiny past its historical accuracy which is shown by the writings of the Oregon Trail pioneers themselves, the contradictions of Edward Dickenson Baker, and the political and moral context of the Oregon Trail time period.

HIST 490, Historical Methods and Research

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium, P114

10 – 11:30 AM

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Joseph Washburn

The United States and Conflict: How Embracing Struggle Can Make Us Better

Does the United States need war or conflict? This survey examines qualitative and quantitative research on the effects of war on soldiers, civilians, culture, and societies. In evaluating data from many sources, the author concludes that while violent acts are harmful to the human experience there are in fact many individual and collective benefits to social conflict and social struggles. A pronounced benefit is the unifying effect of social conflict in contradiction to the assumed divisive nature of social struggles. This evaluation and explanation have significant implications for a culturally, socio-economically, ethnically, and politically diverse nation such as the United States of America.

IDS 251, Ideas Matter: Engaging American Thought & Culture

Brian Mills

Bucher Room

10 – 10:30 AM

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Kinkade Barreiro

Engaging with Skeptics: Existentialism

Evangelizing is a key part of the Christian faith. For the Christian, it is important to learn how to evangelize so that they can share their religions teachings. For the atheist though, this practice is not as common, nor is it a key part of the belief system. So, then, how does the atheist share their beliefs. Through the eyes of an atheist philosophy known as Existentialism, this paper examines the pieces of this particular philosophical tradition, how it contrasts Christian teachings, and how Christians may critique the Philosophy. The purpose of the paper is to make the Existentialist aware of how their beliefs may interact with Christianity to prepare for discourse among Christians while also showing Christians and other people of faith how the Existential tradition sees their reality and the ways that Christianity relates to it.

BTM 335, Connecting with a Skeptical World

AJ Swoboda

1 – 1:30 PM

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Kinkade Barreiro

Existential Themes in Gothic Literature

Gothic Literature is known for its dark, mysterious, and dreadful imagery and stories. The Existential tradition is a response to Nihilism, which proposes what we live in a dark, mysterious reality with no inherent meaning. Existentialism attempts to show that our human experience isn’t dreadful, even if it is dark, mysterious, and devoid of meaning.

ENG 217, Studies in Gothic American Literature

James Watson

2 – 2:30 PM

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Cameron Binaley

The Effect of Pentecostalism on Contemporary Christian Music

The assignment that will be presented is my argument that the Pentecostal movement has propelled Contemporary Christian Music to its current form today for History 332: History of Christianity II. The first part of the presentation will include an introduction and explanation as to what Pentecostalism is and its immediate impact on Christianity in the early 1900s. The second part of the presentation will discuss how modern gospel music derives its roots from African American Spirituals, with many of the first songs of worship sung at the Azusa Street Revival being African American Spirituals. The third part of the presentation will discuss how the effect of Classical Protestant denominations embracing charismaticism leads to a need for Contemporary Christian Music to help evangelize to the youth. The fourth part of the presentation will discuss how with the rise of Protestant denominations Pentecostalizing and churches like Hillsong have grown into a worship music powerhouse, Contemporary Christian Music becomes more than just worship music, but as God’s presence and divine healing. The last part of the presentation will conclude with a recap and ending with stating that whether we know it or not, what we sing in church becomes our theology, so it is important to understand where our music comes from.  

HIST 332, History of Christianity II

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium: 11:00 – 11:20 AM

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Cameron Binaley

The Effectiveness of Active Learning through Reacting to the Past

The assignment that will be presented is my argument that Active Learning techniques should be utilized more in the classroom and this will be explained through the classroom roleplaying game Reacting to the Past (RTTP) for History 152: History of Western Civilization II. The first  part of the presentation will include an introduction and an explanation as to what RTTP and its use in the classroom. The second part of the presentation will discuss what researchers and college professors have found in looking at the results and growth in students while playing RTTP. The third part of the presentation will look at my experiences playing RTTP, the experiences of other students who have also played RTTP at NCU, and the data I compiled from those students.  The last part of the presentation will look at all of the research obtained and conclude with stating that the Active Learning techniques that were utilized in RTTP should be continued in the future.

HIST 152, History of Western Civilization II

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium: 10:05 – 10:30 AM

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Cameron Binaley

The Problem with Palestine

The assignment that will be presented is my solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict in Palestine for History 410: History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. The first part of the presentation will include an introduction and explanation as to what the Arab-Israeli conflict is and how it started. The second part of the presentation will include the history of the Israeli’s claim to Palestine through showing how the Israeli people have had a claim to the land for about 2000 years. The third part of the presentation will include the history of the Arab’s claim to Palestine through showing that though the Arabs were not first to claim the land, they are the most recent owners of the land. The fourth part of the presentation will include my solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict, where I will explain that both sides are unwilling to make compromises for one another and the best way to resolve this complex issue is to leave all of the boarders the exact way they are right now and end the fighting between the Arabs and the Israelis. The last part of the presentation will conclude with a recap of the presentation and stating that the only way true peace between the Arabs and the Israelis will ever be met is if they both lay down their weapons and attempt to work together.

HIST 410, History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium II: 2:45 – 3:05 PM

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Cameron Binaley, Toby Carter, Nate Graham & Caleb Plummer

Living in Christ: A Greek Exegetical Study through Romans 12 to 14

The assignment that will be presented is an exegetical presentation of the Romans 12:1-14:4, translated from Greek to English by the students of Greek 302. The first part of the presentation will include an overall introduction to the book of Romans, including the author, the recipients, and the reasons as to why Romans was written and then looking at the themes of each section of Romans. The second part of the presentation will be looking at Romans 12:1-8 and its theme of humble and full service in our calling. The third part of the presentation will be looking at Romans 12:9-21 and its theme of selfless love defining the Christian community. The fourth part of the presentation will be looking at Romans 13:1-10 and its themes of government, fear, and love. The fifth part of the presentation will be looking at Romans 13:11-14:4 and its theme of love transforming the lives of the Christian community. The last part of the presentation will conclude with a recap of Romans 12:1-14:4 by looking at the four themes and how they reveal that the love that is brought to us through Christ is at the center of them all.

GRK 302, Elementary Greek 2

Melisa Ortiz Berry

1 – 2 PM

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Jared Dodson

A Unified Israel

The Arab and Israeli people groups both have long and storied histories that influence the modern dilemma of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Arab people have lived in their land for an extensive period of time, and now feel threatened by recent Jewish immigration following the Holocaust. The Jews, however, also have roots in the region and feel a God-given right to live in the land. Following the events of the Holocaust, the Jews were given land in Palestine, thus creating the state of Israel, inflaming tension in the region. The religious and historical history of both of these people groups have a great deal to do with how the land of Palestine should be ruled and the role of governance in the region itself.  If there is to be peace, it can only come from understanding the diverse history of both sides.

RELS 210, The Abrahamic Faiths of Judaism and Islam

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium II: 2:05 – 2:25 PM

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Katy Matteucci

The Science of Cancer and the Preventable Mechanisms Behind It

Cancer is one of the most morbid killers across the globe, and its obliteration has been the focus of thousands of studies over the past 250 years. And while the vast majority of cancers are caused by a myriad of ineluctable factors, such as growth and inheritance, over a third of cancer deaths are attributable to multitudinous preventable causes, such as poor lifestyle choices, contraction of certain viruses, usage of tobacco and alcohol, among other factors. As such, this presentation seeks to explain the underlying mechanisms of cancer, along with the precise means by which these preventable carcinogenic factors promote its emergence.

BIOL 200, General Biology

Paul Allee

10 – 10:30 AM

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Emmalee Rusk

The Trial of Arius

There is argument on the validity of the trial of Arius’ outcome. From the history of Arius’ process of creating his dual-converging theology, to the flawed heretical arguments that lead to the trial forcing investigation of the Arian church communities, and the actions and arguments after Arius was indeed convicted as a Heretic, these cemented the correct verdict of guilty – resulting in separation of Arianism from Orthodoxy.

The birth of Arius’ understanding of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit comes from dyohypostatic theology and miahypostatic theology. Both theories do not stand alone, and cannot stand alone, but together they made the heretical threshold for Arius to thoughtfully build upon. Arianism is the belief that there is a Father and a Son; the Son, like any child/parent relationship, is subordinate to his father. This is known as the Subordinationism Theory.

The debates involving Arius were extensive, they even spread faster than Arius could travel. Arius’ theology caused so much discourse in the church, and therefore in the empire, that Constantine, the emperor, felt the need to involve himself.  Constantine called a great council, the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Constantine wished to have a unified Christianity in his empire. His concern was not so much for theological debates; it was on the unity of the church to result in unity for his empire concerning all religions. After the conclusion that Arianism was heresy, Constantine took sides with the council and determined Arianism a denial of faith to the empire, with

The most compelling argument for an unjust verdict at Nicaea is the recognition of the recalls, however, the same issues found at Nicaea still stand. Through the many arguments, old and new, Arius and his followers are continually found to be heretics.

In Conclusion, Arius’ developed a dual-converging heretical theology from dyohypostatic theology and miahypostatic theology, both heretical thoughts; this new theology lead to serious question of Arian and Orthodox church communities. Arius was justifiably left out of the determined Creed of Nicaea at the Council of Nicaea on the grounds of misplacement of Jesus Christ in the divine hierarchy in both chronological and power placement. What Christ accomplished for all does not commute with the theology Arius held. Therefore, the Church is better off without the confusing heresy Arius taught and the trial that determined him unorthodox was correct then, as it is correct now.

HIST 331, History of Christianity I

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium: 11:20 – 11:40 AM

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Emmalee Rusk

Unitarian Universalism VS Coexistence

Unitarian Universalism is related to the term “coexist”, but it is not the same as Unitarian Universalism. It is important to understand the difference between these two to not muddle the intent and authenticity of both. Unitarian Universalism is a religion while the term “coexistence” is a social cry out for religious and social tolerance. From when Unitarian Universalism and the “coexist” symbols were originated, one far in the past and the other extremely recent, to the furthered development of theological history Unitarian Universalism possesses in its own origination and the arguments of social peace in comparison to religious security and peace surrounding each side: Unitarian Universalism and coexistence are not the same belief.

Unitarian “1. one who believes that the deity exists only in one person and 2. a member of a denomination that stresses individual freedom of belief, the free use of reason in religion, a united world community, and liberal social action.”  Universalism is thought to be traced back to Origen, the well-known theologian, around A.D. 140-150. Unitarian Universalism was forged from Unitarianism and Universalism in the mid-20th century, specifically in 1961, seeing that their religions, since they were similar enough, would be stronger in their efforts together.

The “COEXIST” sticker began at a competition in Jerusalem, created by Piotr Mlodozeniec.  The design was originally with just the David Star, the crescent moon “c” and the cross. The David Star is a symbol for Judaism, the Crescent moon is for Islam and the Cross is for Christianity.

Unitarian Universalists seem to collectively agree that coexistence ideology is part of UU principles but is not an adequate description of their beliefs. There is no denying that these two are similar, but they are clearly not the same. Distinguishing the two comes down to an argument of Religion versus Social argumentation.

Unitarian Universalism is a religion while the term “coexistence” is a social cry out for religious and social tolerance. From when Unitarian Universalism and “coexist” were originated, to the furthered theology UU possesses than coexistence, and the arguments surrounding each side: UU and coexistence are not the same belief. The two beliefs are both commendable in their own way and have similarities in their desires, but due to their differences in root desires, historical upbringings, and modern applications of social or religious arguments they are related by a desire for unity, but by nothing more significant.

HIST 332, History of Christianity II

Melisa Ortiz Berry

Bushnell History Symposium: 10:30 – 11:00 AM

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Daniel Gerlach

“The Subtle Eccentric” Public Relations Application in the Field 

Upon learning how to manage crises, implement social research and corporate ethics, build the reputations of clients and organizations, understand global social media trends, and develop a company’s mission, goals, and strategic communication plans, I got to apply my knowledge directly in the field to my brother’s clothing design company, The Subtle Eccentric. This process led to some groundbreaking results and helped the new enterprise start off on the right foot.   

COMM 310, Foundations of Public Relations 

Kelsay Rychener 

L203, poster #7 

10 AM – Noon 

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Daniel Gerlach

Competitive versus. Collaborative Listening 

In order to discover which is more powerful, speaking or listening, Daniel Gerlach and Doyle Srader are implimenting two studies to determine people’s perceptions of listening and speaking and determine in debate which is the more strategic behavior, attempting to counteract the general belief that listening is weaker than speaking and that listening can be considered as competitive just as much as it can be collaborative.   

COMM 325, Argumentation and Debate 

Doyle Srader 

L203, poster #8 

10 AM – Noon 

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Elena Kazakevicius

Transforming FYS: an Analysis of Other Institutions FYS Courses  

As institutions are becoming increasingly aware of the individual concerns of incoming students, higher education intends to find a way to make the transition smoother Danitz, Suvak, Orsillo (2016). Through this, First-Year Seminar courses have been implemented within different institutions in varying ways. Analyzing the research on three institutions’ First-Year Seminar courses, one might draw on the benefits of these programs for integration in such existing courses. For example, it has been suggested by Danitz, Suvak, Orsillo (2016), that in order to create the smoothest transition possible, one must first focus on how to interact with one another appropriately and in a helpful way. In response to the literature on First-Year success courses, recommendations for future First-Year Seminar courses at Northwest Christian University will be addressed.   

FYS 101, First Year Seminar 

Falyn Edwards & Nani Skaggs 

L203, poster #1 

10 AM – Noon 

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Elena Kazakevicius

Logic and Critical Thinking: Through the Lense of Forensics 

My presentation explores Logic and Critical Thinking, specifically the latter, in relation to Forensic Psychology. Critical Thinking can be defined by two separate types of reasoning, rational and rationalized reasoning. Forensic psychologists study the ways criminals use reasoning skills to rationalize their behavior to themselves and others.  Reasoning can also take the form of “rationality,” which involves following premises to a true conclusion. Forensic psychologists do this when they create profiles for criminals, attempting to rationally understand the rationalization processes of criminals in order to create patterns that assist in stopping them from committing more crimes in the future. Through my research into forensic psychology, I expose a tension in critical thinking: reasoning skills can be used both for truth-seeking and for justifying violent and immoral behavior. 

PHL 201, Logic and Critical Thinking 

Joshua Kerr 

P103 

1:30 – 2 PM

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Katy Matteucci

Biodiversity Decline in the Great Barrier Reef 

This presentation reviews the biodiversity of organisms that dwell within the Great Barrier Reef, and analyzes how various human activities have been ushering a destructive wave against this complex ecosystem. As a result of the augmenting carbon levels in our atmosphere, overfishing procedures, and the addition of numerous toxic chemical substances and other pollutants, many species are being affected. As coral growth and development are inhibited, the natural homes, food sources, and breeding grounds of many aquatic creatures are being uprooted. In addition, many larger species, such as sea cucumbers, fish, and turtles, are facing draconian challenges due to overharvesting and pollution. Fortunately however, these conditions are not irremediable. By establishing a clean energy economy and imposing regulations regarding mismanaged fishing and toxic waste, the potential for the revival of this biome will again be attainable, eventually restoring the vibrancy of the Great Barrier Reef. 

Paul Allee 

P114 

10 – 10:30 AM

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Joshua McCluskey

Genetic Effect on Common Diseases 

The management and treatment of different diseases can be directly related to the origin of the disease. Diseases that have strong genetic ties can be treated in different ways than disease that have no correlation to the genetics of a person. In this review we discuss the different variations of effects of genetics on phenotypic diseases in an organism as well as discuss possible ways for treatment of these diseases. We discuss how we can prevent the spread of diseases that are not genetically tied as well as upcoming technology that allows us to correct any genetic abnormalities that can cause diseases.   

BIOL 310, Genetics 

Paul Allee 

P114 

10:30 – 11 AM 

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Joshua McCluskey

Comparing the effects of different classes of medication in the management of hypertension 

The diagnosis of hypertension is common and treatment is frequently viewed as very simple. Treating hypertension takes more than just lowering the blood pressure of an individual. There are comorbidities that affect and are affected by the treatment of hypertension: kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. In this review we discuss the different preferences of using either Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, Calcium Channel blockers, Beta Blockers, and Diuretics when managing hypertension with the use of medications. It appears that Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors were preferential to the management of kidney disease secondary to hypertension. Calcium channel blockers were additionally found to have an advantage with many cardiovascular diseases while beta blockers were also considered for cardiovascular issues including atrial fibrillation and tachycardia specifically. Beta blockers and Diuretics had minute differences in secondary management of cardiovascular disease and kidney disease when compared. 

CHEM 415, Biochemistry 

Heike McNeil 

P114 

11:30 AM – Noon 

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Brittany Ralston

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in Female Athletes 

The knee is the largest and the most complex joint within the body, because of this, injury within this joint is a common occurrence. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a tough band of connective tissue that connects one bone to another. The ACL originates from the anterior intercondylar area of the tibia and extends to the lateral condyle of the femur. The ACL’s purpose is to keep the femur and the tibia from extending beyond their normal range. The ACL prevents anterior movement of the tibia as well as hyperextension from the knee. When injured, the ACL does not offer the stability that the knee joint needs for performance among athletes. When an athlete tears their ACL, the person may report hearing, as well as feeling a pop within their knee. Soon after an ACL is ruptured the knee swells. After some of the swelling goes down, individuals can usually walk on their knee but the joint feels unstable and may give out. Because of this, an ACL reconstruction surgery is needed in order to restore full stability to the knee joint and allow athletes to resume normal activities within their sport. The purpose of this review is to systematically look at some of the major risk factors associated with tearing the ACL in order to come to a conclusion on certain preventative measures that need to be taken by athletes in order to successfully lower the risk of an ACL tear.  

BIOL 311, Anatomy and Physiology 

Tammy Bovee 

P114 

11 – 11:30 AM 

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Gabrielle Morales

‘Uncertainty was attached to everything he knew’: The Intergenerational Transmission of Functional Illiteracy
When the U.S. federal 2020 fiscal year budget was announced in March of 2019, the notice of an 11.4% cut in k-12 programs generated an uproar among educators, journalists, and news broadcasters (U.S. Department of Education, 2019, p. 119). Yet, little attention was given with respect for the 24.3% cut in Adult Basic and Literacy Education, as well as an identical 24.3% cut in English (Speakers of another Language) Literacy and Civics Education—of which equal a combined decrease of 48.6% in adult literacy programs (U.S. Department of Education, 2019, p. 120). Little effort has been made for the functionally illiterate parent. President Bill Clinton’s efforts to, “end welfare as we know it,” in 1996 sought to decrease the number of families on welfare rather than decrease the number of families living in deep poverty. With this reform came stringent welfare eligibility requirements and uncompromising General Educational Development assessments (GED) within Adult Basic Education programs (ABE). Meanwhile, within the past three years, there have been zero cutbacks in Career and Technical Education or Vocational and Adult Education grants—thus confining impoverished and illiterate citizens to careers within the manufacturing industry; such programs offer diminutive literacy education. Historically, welfare and adult education reforms have denied opportunities for low-literate and functionally illiterate adults. In thwarting one’s ability to read and write, the intergenerational transmission of functional illiteracy remains. To be clear, this thesis does not serve as a claim against the alleged ‘brokenness’ of the K-12 education system or welfare system. Rather, it serves to take part in the current body of literature—of which asserts the need for improvement within the adult education system.
Keywords: intergenerational functional illiteracy, united states, adult education
ENG 499, Capstone
Jenee Cazares & James Watson
P114
10-10:30 AM
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Gabrielle Morales

Genesis 15: A Single Seed

The life of a plant is produced by what we know as the germination of a seed. From the single seed of one man, Abraham, came the Son of God. Dormant as man may view it—the descendants—the covenant God made with Abraham was eventually fulfilled a near 2,000 years later. This former infertile seed went on to germinate and produce a plant, which dropped seeds, creating more plants, generating more life; just like the stars, the life produced by this single seed was and is all too much to count. But it did not stop with the birth of Jesus. It had only begun at the cross. This nearly 4,000-year-old covenant carries on today.

BTM 101, Engaging with the Bible: How to Read the Bible in the 21st Century

Joshua Little

9 AM – 3:30 PM

Banquet Room

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Gabrielle Morales

Namibian Dreams for the American, German, & Native

In the spring of 2013, Eddy Alvin Fuller embarked on a trophy hunting expedition in Namibia. With him, he took his wife and a journal to record his experiences. With the rise of veganism and the boom of exposing poachers through social media, big-game hunting has been frowned upon—especially in Southern Africa. Some may see it as heinous for an outsider—specifically a white man—to hunt on someone’s land and shoot their animals for hobby. However, many are unaware that the hunting “export” has many benefits for locals. In Namibia, many locals work as trackers, skimmers, and packagers. Also, meat is used to feed nearby villages. These journal entries, along with an examination of the colonized Namibian culture, and a brief analysis of the modern hunting culture in Namibia will prove to have both positive and negative affects on the state of Namibia.

HIST 161, World History

Ron Palmer

P103

1:30 – 2 PM

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Allison Keeney

Grammar Instruction in High School

In many of today’s high schools, grammar instruction is not a part of the English Language Arts curriculum. Much of the focus is placed on expanding reading and writing skills in preparation for college, rather than readdressing or expanding grammar skills. The main reason for this focus is that school authorities believe that most students should have learned about grammar while in elementary school or possibly middle school. Regardless of what the previous model of the public education system looks like, is grammar instruction at the high school level conducive for high school and college success? If it is, then there should be no question on whether it should be implemented at the high school level or not. If it is not, then we may keep to our old ways. This question can be answered by looking at what research says about grammar instruction and adolescent learning, some case studies, two grammar instruction surveys, and a few interviews with students and teachers.

Honors Thesis

James Watson

P103

10 AM – Noon

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Joshua McCluskey

CRISPR

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, Crispr for short is a dna sequence that can be used by the cas9 system of rna guided nucleases that effectively cleaves the section of dna containing a specific genome to repair or alter that specified genome. The crispr system is an adaptive immune system that is used and regulated by microbes and cells to defend against foreign substances and viruses by recognizing and eliminating the specific dna sequence associated with that virus. Most crispr systems contain 20-24 regularly spaced palindromic bases separated by spacers. The crispr cassettes are found in almost every archeon and almost half of bacteria studied. This provides a wide range of uses for the cas9 system and adds to the versatility of the system. We can use this system to replicate and code for specific genomes in animals and further understand how their traits are coded and replicated, we can create complex models for human inherited diseases or cancers, it can also be used to pinpoint the cause for underlying genetic processes by genome wide screening of the dna in any human cell. The origin of crispr however is the most intriguing aspect of the system. Being a biological system that was discovered and not a human engineered system, the origin is not entirely clear.

BIOL 200, General Biology

Paul Allee

P003

1:30 – 2:00 PM

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Joshua McCluskey

Applied Calculus in Medicine

Medicine utilizes calculus in many ways, through the use of derivatives we can optimize uses of material as well as calculate the effect of a surgery. angioplasty uses calculus to calculate the effect of widening an artery to increase blood flow. Calculus lets us know definitively to what extent the blood flow will increase. we can also use calculus in a crime scene. determining the time of death.

MATH 251, Calculus I

Connie Wilmarth

Banquet Room, Poster #8

10 AM – Noon

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Michael Buss, Tanner Dean

An Attempt at Visual Arguemnt

Visual arguments are heavily dependent on their context and enthymematic nature. The visual must make a claim, or claims, that are understood by the audience and also provide reasons why those claims are true. We have attempted to translate these concepts to a visual debate: Resolved: Digital photography is better than film photography.

COMM 325, Argumentation and Debate

Doyle Srader

P003

3 – 3:30 PM

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Kristyn Dodge

The Heresy Gospel: A Comparison of the Gnostic Gospels to the Synoptic Gospels

72 years ago, two Egyptian brothers found 13 leather bound books of parchment in a clay pot deep in a cave along the Nile. Not only were these books an amazing find, they came with a long and controversial history. In the early days of the Church, our Church Fathers had to struggle with what carried Christ’s true message and what didn’t. One of the dangers they had to face were found in these bound volumes that preached a different Christ while promoting the highly valued principles of sophia (wisdom) and gnosis (knowledge). When they accepted the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as well as John, they created the Church’s official canon. Together we will look at the Gnostic Gospels and ask ourselves the questions: what is it about the Gnostic Gospels that are so compelling? And why were they rejected while the Synoptic Gospels became canon?

BTM 365H, The History of the Bible in English

Steve Silver

P114

1:30 – 2 PM

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Matthew Geronimo

Agape Word Study

This presentation explores the meaning of the Greek word agape as it occurs throughout the New Testament. The presentation discusses the meaning of agape in ancient Greek, the Old Testament, and Judaism. This includes multiple words and interpretations in ancient Greek and both religious and secular understanding of agape in the Old Testament. It identifies the frequency in usage of the word by New Testament authors and the meaning of agape according to Jesus, John, and Paul. From studying these authors, the detailed comprehension of agape is applied to our lives in this presentation.

GRK 301, Elementary Greek

Dennis Lindsay

P114

1 – 1:30 PM

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Allison Keeney

Musical Influences in Middle Earth

When J.R.R. Tolkien created Middle Earth in his book The Hobbit, he was influenced by previous literary, musical works. Tolkien was a scholar of the epic Beowulf and used this tale to influence his famous story. He was also influenced by The Song of Nibelungs and other Norse and Germanic sagas. When Tolkien was a young man, before he started writing The Hobbit, Richard Wagner and his opera, The Ring of Nibelung, was very popular in Europe. There are many similarities between Wagner and Tolkien’s works, but Tolkien claims that “both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases.” This presentation will be exploring the musical influences that Tolkien drew from to create his stories in Middle Earth, as well as look at the similarities between Wagner’s opera and Tolkien’s books.

MUS 321, Survey of Music History

Lynn Kane

Banquet Room, Poster #5

1 – 3 PM

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Austin Dame

DameGood Innovation

This presentation will address the following: innovation, creation, evolution, and future direction of a student-created product. The opening priority is to address what innovation is, and how this concept was applied towards discovering a solution to a problem within the outdoors industry. The next approach in this presentation is to expand on the benefits the product offers and the variety of ways it can be utilized. In this segment, the product will be examined and compared. The following section is to explain the evolution of the product and break down the research and development process. In this stage, the variety of materials, suppliers worked with, and environmental necessities that have been applied to the product will be addressed. The final step is to break down the personal learning process, while expressing the personal future objectives with this product. Essentially, this presentation will take an in-depth look at what happens when a student is developing a product.

MKTG 434, Consumer Behavior

Pete Diffenderfer

Banquet Room, poster #3

10 AM – Noon

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Allison Keeney

Maundy Thursday: A New Commandment of Love

The season of Lent ends with the Triduum, a period of three days that represent the journey Jesus took into his crucifixion and resurrection.  These three days include Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.  Most church populations know what Good Friday and Easter Sunday are, but in today’s churches most of the population does not know what Maundy Thursday is.  Maundy Thursday is a day for us to remember the new commandment of love that Jesus gave to his disciples as he washed their feet in John 13, and therefore a new commandment of love that he gives to each of us.  How can we take this new commandment of love and represent it in our daily walk with God?

MUS 375, History of Worship in the Church

Karen De Young

Banquet Room, poster #7

10 AM – Noon

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Michael Buss

Nonverbal Communication in Worship Band Settings

When worship bands play live, they need to communicate in order to make the music as fluent and flawless as possible. Verbal communication is limited if not absent during a live set, therefore band members must communicate non-verbally. Rehearsal times are essential to achieving a fluent live set. It is beneficial to have more than one rehearsal before playing live. Rehearsals are the place to coordinate song road map and dynamics which are managed through corrective and expressive behaviors primarily displayed by the band leader. The first rehearsal is the coordination stage, the second rehearsal is the dress rehearsal and finally, the culmination of events, the live performance.

COMM 430 Nonverbal Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, Poster #3

10:00 AM – Noon

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Chelsea Chittim

Restraints in Special Education

The use of restraints has been a controversial and impactful topic of discussion in our education system for decades. Progress has been made in the last fifty years to better protocol in regards to such restraints to increase the safety for our students and security of students, but there is still much work to be done. We must continually review our current standards, employee training methods and models, to ensure that students are given the best opportunity to succeed and get an equal opportunity education.

EDUC 380 School Law

Johnny Lake

PFB 003

10:00 – 10:30 AM

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Joshua Higashi

Language of Leaders

I will be presenting a poster comparing two speeches I wrote. I wrote a speech for current NCU President Joseph Womack and for former President of New Hope Christian College Guy Higashi. I will be comparing the differences in speeches based on the speaker’s cultural and ethnic background as well as the audience’s demographic.

COMM 311 Speechwriting

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, Poster #2

1:00 – 3:00 PM

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Allison Keeney

Religion in School

When it comes to spending time in our public school system, either as a student or as a teacher, what is lawful when it comes to religion?  As our educational system has progressed over the years to where it is now, there have been many issues that have created court cases to help us explore and understand the laws pertaining to religion in schos.  In order to explore and understand these laws for both teachers and students, we will be looking at the First Amendment, several court cases, and the observation of religious holidays.

EDUC 380 School Law

Johnny Lake

PFB 003

10:30 – 11:00 AM

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