Poster Presentations
2020 Virtual Student Conference
Poster Presentations
Deborah Belintani Rosa, Abbie Slabaugh and Evelyn Wogoman
The Transition of Vietnamese Refugees in America
Abstract: The Vietnam Conflict has affected the lives of many people. This includes the South Vietnamese refugees and immigrants who came to the United States in the years following the conflict. Many of these individuals were seeking to escape hostile treatment or for better economic opportunities. Regardless of the various reasons, refugees and asylum seekers faced societal and everyday obstacles as they arrived in a new culture. These obstacles heightened as they dealt with the trauma and ramifications of coming from a country in conflict. For our project, we will use an informational poster to demonstrate our research. Our project focuses on understanding and portraying the transition of Vietnamese refugees into American society and the impact the Vietnam Conflict had on how they have adapted? This poster will explore the relationship between locals, refugees, and immigrant populations and the transformation that has happened within those relationships over time.
Deborah Belintani Rosa is a junior at Kent State Stark, who is majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. Deborah is the president and founder of the International Student Organization and works as the social media manager and event coordinator in the Office of Global Initiatives. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, and meeting new people from all around the world. One of her goals is to visit 50 countries over the course of her lifetime.
Abbie Slabaugh is majoring in Global Studies with minors in History, Communication, and Peace and Conflict. She plans on visiting all seven continents someday, and has three down already.
Evelyn Wogoman is a senior majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies, Psychology, and minoring in Nonprofit Studies. Evelyn is a research assistant and tour guide at the May 4th Visitor Center. After she graduates, she plans on attending graduate school to study Emergency Management where she hopes to work with humanitarian and development aid organizations. In her free time, she enjoys reading and watching movies.
Alexiz Black
The European Witch
Abstract: In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, thousands of people across Europe were accused of witchcraft. This resulted in thousands of witch trials and executions. For such a large-scale pandemic like this to traverse an entire continent, there had to be a key trigger. During this time, women were viewed as less-than, and there was a clear patriarchy in place over them. It is also well documented that women were the main targets when it came to witch accusations, trials, and executions. Women and witches were basically used as props to instill the current patriarchy of the time, as well as further the movement of the Reformation at the time. Using the figure of the witch to scare the public into following the church’s will, as well as the law (which often were intertwined). The government and religious figures of the time did this effectively by giving out pamphlets with scary witch-like figures in them, and even going as far as to having public executions of those accused and convicted. This may seem like so long ago, but the aftermath of these events has even had lasting effects on the way society views magic, witchcraft, and women today. Anyone who practices magic in general is usually eyed strangely, but especially women. Most people usually think of women as being the ones who still mainly practice magic, and it’s always seen as this evil, taboo, and downright strange practice. Witches are also usually linked to horror-like genres of books, movies, and film, and the term “witchy” is even used to describe women who appear dark and/ or mysterious (usually not a good connotation either). This discussion will argue that although women were not the sole targets during the witch trials, they were the main target for gendered, political, religious, and propaganda-fueled reasons.
Alexiz Black is a senior at Kent State Stark. She is completing a double major in History and Psychology. After she graduates, she plans to attend graduate school, but has not officially decided on what to major in or where to go yet. She enjoys reading, writing, and singing when she is not busy with school work.
Amanda Browning
Hamlet Reimagined
Abstract: Even as the most easily recognizable playwright of all time, William Shakespeare’s work is still increasingly deemed to be antiquated and therefore irrelevant for modern audiences. Iambic pentameter and archaic rhetoric both lack effortless accessibility. However, by removing Shakespeare’s most iconic tragic figure, Hamlet, from within the realm of the old-fashioned and recreating him in a more easily approachable era and location, the numerous plays of William Shakespeare will reinforce their modern-day significance. Though it is impossible to eliminate the uncertainty regarding Shakespeare’s works’ applicability, it is possible to minimize such skepticism by removing Hamlet from Denmark and instead placing him in 1930’s Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. Utilizing elements of both theater and film: costuming, setting, language, and music, this presentation is an exploration of madness, murder, and mayhem created to represent a tether between humanity and the past, present, and future, ultimately making Shakespeare available to everyone.
Amanda Browning is a senior level student majoring in English with a special focus in British Literature. Following graduation, Amanda intends to pursue higher education, earning a master’s degree in Library Science in order to foster the necessary resources to begin a career in a library, museum, or university.
Leah Miller
Educational Games for Improved Learning Outcomes in Nursing Students
Abstract: An important aspect that is learned throughout any nursing school is the ability to understand various concepts and apply them to real-world scenarios. Nursing school can be fast paced with an overwhelming amount of information being presented in lecture format which can be challenging for students. Since the nursing student population is always changing, it is difficult to ensure that every student remains engaged in the classroom and retains the information that is being taught. Educational games can be used to allow the students to engage in activities that enhance their skills by having them figure out a scenario based on concepts from their previous didactic lectures. This poster presentation aims to answer the question of what educational games in nursing education are most effective in increasing student engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes.
Leah Miller is a junior in the nursing program at Kent State Stark. She currently works in the nursing lab as a student lab assistant and is the president of the nursing student organization, SCRUBS. This semester, Leah is also an undergraduate research assistant and is working alongside Professor Reed with her research on expanding nursing education to better fit the student population. In her spare time, Leah enjoys taking her dog, Guinness, on walks and going out for ice cream at Mitchell’s.
Dharma Nason
Onna Bugeisha: The Female Samurai and How They Impacted Japan
Abstract: When most people think of Japanese history, their first thought is the samurai, which are usually thought to only be male. Many know little about female samurai, or deny that they exist in any form other than modern entertainment like Japanese anime. Referred to as onna bugeisha, female samurai did in fact exist, and some are highly revered in Japanese history and culture, contradicting the view of Japan's historically strict gender roles. However, they remain relatively unknown to the Western world. Due to this lack of knowledge by the general public, my poster presentation looks at the few women we do know about and how they impacted Japanese history. It will also give some general facts about the onna bugeisha, including what weapons they typically used compared to male samurai and the training they underwent. The information that is presented will be from a variety of sources, many written recently.
Dharma Nason is a fourth year student majoring in Mathematics with minors in Sociology and Psychology. She plans to go into data analysis when she graduates in the near future. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, watching Japanese anime, and playing tabletop roleplaying games with friends.
Hailey Weaver and Dakotah Whitcomb
May 4th Understanding Broader Connections
Abstract: This newspaper style poster presentation will depict the global events of the 1960s and 1970s and their relation to the events which occurred at the Kent State University Campus on May 4th, 1970, which lead to the untimely deaths of four students and injury of nine others, and will analyze the enduring impacts of the event on our society. There will be focus placed on the events which occurred in the lead-up to May 4th and in the aftermath of the devastating incident as well as its lasting impact in the fifty years since. There will be a concentration on the events of the conflict in Vietnam and their influence on dissent in American society and among students at Kent State University. There will also be coverage of the Jackson State University shooting of 1970.
Hailey Weaver is a junior student at Kent State Stark. She is completing a double major in Global Studies and Geography with a concentration in Social Geography and minors in African Studies, History, Latin American Studies and Studies in Globalization, Identity and Space. She has a passion and dedication for her campus community and is a member of Undergraduate Student Government. Hailey loves to travel and has participated in study abroad programs in Italy and Rwanda. Upon graduation, Hailey hopes to attend graduate school.
Dakotah Whitcomb is a senior at Kent State Stark. She is majoring in Interpersonal Communication with a minor in LGBTQ Studies. After she graduates, she plans to attend graduate school to work in higher education.