Concurrent Session 4 is 2:00 – 2:40 pm. Talks are arranged with interdisciplinarity and themes in mind.
Remembering – KCC Jones A
A Tale of Two Cities: CLV Waldsee in the Crucible of History and Memory
Samara Strootman, Jarret Mans, Allison Hennes, Angela Summers, Colleen Egan, Mentored by: Dr. Sonja Wentling
Volkstrauertag at Fort Custer as a Microcosm for the Relationship between West Germany and the U.S. during the Cold War Era, 1953-1990
Shelby Reidle, Mentored by: Dr. Richard Chapman
Perception – KCC Jones B
Fear of Crime
Morgan Nordheim, Mentored by: Dr. Mallary Allen
Hidden Behind Intent and Colorful Logos: Corporate Social Responsibility with Marketing Marginalized Groups
Tate Hovland, Mentored by: Dr. Michelle Lelwica, Dr. KirstenTheye
Attraction – Lab Theatre
Raman Study of Halogen Bonding in Iodo-perfluoroalkane Solutions
Vy Tat, Mentored by: Dr. Darin Ulness
Coherent Perfect Absorption in TMDC Systems
Isak Johnson, Mentored by: Dr. Hui Deng, The University of Michigan, Dr. Thelma Berquó
Development – Olin 124
Productivity and the Future of Growth
Jessa Sailor, Nina Tran, Abigayle Reese, Marissa Turrubiates, Derek Houska, Mentored by: Dr. Abhijit Ghosh
Development Issues of Nepal
Shelby Kline, Laura Kisner, Mentored by: Dr. Nicholas Ellig
Gender & Power – Integrated Science Center 201
“Do and Dare”: The Fight for Women’s Suffrage
Maria Tommerdahl, Mentored by: Lisa Sjoberg
Calling it by Name: The Role of Language in Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention
McKenna Wegner, Mentored by: Dr. David Sprunger
Education – Integrated Science Center 260
Liberal Arts Educations: Implications on Fortune 500 CEOs
Tyler Tessmann, Hikma Yassin, Caitlin Jones, Dazhi Zhang, Kirsten Grafstrom, Mentored by: Dr. Jorge Scarpin
The Comparative Value of a Liberal Arts Education: An Analysis of Fortune 500 CFOs
Madylin Banken, Joseph Christy, Isaac Infanger, Isaac Lenarz, Mentored by: Dr. Jorge Scarpin
Abstracts:
A Tale of Two Cities: CLV Waldsee in the Crucible of History and Memory
Samara Strootman, Jarret Mans, Allison Hennes, Angela Summers, Colleen Egan
Concordia Language Villages’ German camp, Waldsee, sits at the crucible of history and memory. In the spring of 2018, Alex Treitler brought to CLV’s attention that the name “Waldsee” was used as a euphemism for Auschwitz during the Holocaust. Hungarian Jews were forced to write misleading postcards to relatives assuring them they were safe at a place called “Waldsee.” CLV was founded in 1961 in the midst of global events including the building of the Berlin Wall and the Eichmann Trial, and despite the impact these events had on global Holocaust awareness, CLV was unaware that the name they chose for their German camp was connected to the Holocaust. Since learning of the name connection, CLV has proposed several initiatives, including curriculum changes and the establishment of a memorial, to encourage awareness of the Waldsee deception. However, the individual perspectives of various stakeholders, including CLV’s executive director; the Waldsee deans; and Treitler have made discussions long and, at times, tense. Lifelong connections to CLV on the deans’ side and Treitler’s Jewish heritage have provided differing perspectives on what the best course of action for CLV going forward might be. With CLV’s decision to keep the Waldsee name comes a responsibility to educate villagers about the connection and commemorate the Waldsee postcard deception, a commitment that will stay with CLV. The Waldsee deception is now part of the memory of CLV Waldsee, an identity that cannot be separated from the summer camp and that CLV must take responsibility for.
Mentored by: Dr. Sonja Wentling
Volkstrauertag at Fort Custer as a Microcosm for the Relationship between West Germany and the U.S. during the Cold War Era, 1953-1990
Shelby Reidle
In 1953, Fort Custer military cemetery in Michigan became notable for hosting the first memorial ceremony for World War II German prisoners of war (POWs) buried in the United States. This paper argues that the connections formed between the POWs and community members coupled with the federal government’s promotion of the Cold War narrative of Germany made the establishment of Volkstrauertag as an annual ceremony possible. Fort Custer Camp documents reveal the largely friendly atmosphere of the camp and the multitude of backgrounds of the prisoners, including the location of their capture and their political ideology. Michigan newspapers detail the community’s perspective of these POWs, ranging from criticism of the too comfortable camp conditions to meaningful relationships formed on work details. The founding of Volkstrauertag as an annual ceremony to remember the “Forgotten 26”, the German POWs buried at the Fort Custer National Cemetery, reflects the empathy of the community for their former enemies. Additionally, due to the influence of West German and American actors, this event acts as a microcosm of the alliance between the two countries during the Cold War Era. The story surrounding Volkstrauertag at Fort Custer adds local nuance to the understanding of POW camps in the United States during World War II and how American communities incorporated the Cold War narrative into memorialization.
Mentored by: Dr. Richard Chapman
Fear of Crime
Morgan Nordheim
The research study that I conducted first semester in Gender, Self, and Society looked into the significance of gender and differences in fear of crime between genders. I was specifically wondering 1) Would others recognize what is appropriate for one gender to do 2) Do others recognize different expectations for certain genders, and 3) Will others see danger in one situation over the other? I predicted that gender would impact perceived fear of crime. To test this I created a Qualtrics survey that I posted on Facebook and Twitter. The participants read one of two scenarios that were assigned randomly, one had a female (Shelby) the other had a male (Nick). After reading the scenario the participants answered five statements about the scenario followed by six background questions. In one scenario the statements said Shelby should help Brandon, Shelby should leave her cart to help Brandon in the parking lot, Shelby is safe, Shelby shouldn’t be concerned about anything, and you would answer differently if Shelby were a male. They were asked to indicate if they definitely disagree, somewhat disagree, neither, somewhat agree, or definitely agree to the statements. The background questions asked were age, race/ethnicity, gender, education level, relationship status, and if they had kids. I had 151 people participate in the survey. After looking at the graphs and data I found that gender did indeed impact the perceived fear of crime and there was a significantly higher concern for Shelby in all aspects of the scenarios.
Mentored by: Dr. Mallary Allen
Hidden Behind Intent and Colorful Logos: Corporate Social Responsibility with Marketing Marginalized Groups
Tate Hovland
Social responsibility has been a focus for organizations as social issues have further coincided with business. Corporations have engaged social issues “including the struggles of minoritized groups” as a marketing strategy designed to promote their brand. For this research project, I use bell hooks’ concept of “the commodification of otherness” (BLACK LOOKS), with Robin DiAngelo’s notion of “aversive racism” (What Does It Mean to Be White?) to critically analyze the dynamics of this market strategy. In connection with other research, such as Chasing Objectivity? by Jennifer Guilano, I analyze three case studies of corporate marketing of minoritized struggles: Nike’s Dream Crazy campaign, Nike’s Dream Crazier campaign, and the usage of Native American mascots in sports. The first part of this analysis focuses on the contrasting intentions of Nike and corporations that use Native American mascots; the analysis then highlights the continuities between these campaigns, including their limited ability to make a transformative impact on the social causes. Concepts from scholars like hooks and DiAngelo help provide a theoretical framework for analyzing/interpreting my data. My analysis leads me to claim that corporations have utilized current societal issues within their company’s marketing, unethically exploiting marginalized groups for the primary purpose of financial gain. The evidence analyzed includes: peer-reviewed articles, evaluations of current organizations, and connecting with similar research. This presentation will enable all participating parties to better recognize the marketing of social issues and think critically about the intentions and impact of corporate marketing strategies.
Mentored by: Dr. Michelle Lelwica, Dr. Kirsten Theye
Raman Study of Halogen Bonding in Iodo-perfluoroalkane Solutions
Vy Tat
Raman spectroscopy is used to investigate vibrational frequency shifts in two specific normal modes of 1-iodo-perfluorobutane, 1-iodo-perfluorohexane, and 2-iodo-perfluoropropane when each is mixed with 21 distinct solvents. The two normal modes studied each red-shift upon halogen bonding. The degree of the red-shift is in some sense a measure of the strength of the halogen bond. The shift is correlated with the Lewis base strength of the solvent compound. Data presented here show that the two normal modes respond differently to the basicity of the solvent and hence provide some insight into the halogen bond interaction.
Mentored by: Dr. Darin Ulness
Coherent Perfect Absorption in TMDC Systems
Isak Johnson
In recent years, the group of materials known as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) has seen an increase in interest with respect to light-matter interactions. These materials possess remarkable electronic and optical properties when a single layer of a TMDC is fabricated – as compared to the properties of a bulk sample. This fabrication process can be performed in two manners, exfoliation or chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and from there, samples can be manipulated into different heterostructures to better suit specific experiments to analyze their properties. For the purpose of this work, the experiment in question dealt with the phenomena resulting from a kind of light-matter interaction known as coherent perfect absorption (CPA). Little research of CPA has been performed on TMDC systems so much is unknown about this field. This work involved fabricating the necessary samples using mechanical exfoliation and later a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) adhesive transfer procedure to apply them onto the proper substrate. Here a sample of MoSe_2 was tested in a CPA set up to analyze this type of optical phenomena with this particular material. Preliminary results are given, and possible implications are discussed.
Mentored by: Dr. Hui Deng, The University of Michigan, Dr. Thelma Berquó
Productivity and the Future of Growth
Jessa Sailor, Nina Tran, Abigayle Reese, Marissa Turrubiates, Derek Houska
As representatives of the Offutt School of Business, our group has researched productivity and the future of growth with a concentration in the field of management. The main topic is productivity’s relation to management. Through research, it is found that the population of workers is declining. In order to sustain a high GDP, productivity of these available workers must grow. There are two categories that will help determine growth: catching up with labor-productivity frontier, and pushing out the labor-productivity frontier. Management is directly related to the productivity level. Research proves that well managed companies are more productive. Managers are not as aware of their lack of productivity and effectiveness as they should be. Being in a business management class, we Concordia students must ask ourselves “What can we do in class today to better ourselves as future managers?” Other research being covered is robots taking over the workforce. Humans are no longer the direct maker of products. Most research is optimistic about artificial intelligence and the integration of algorithms in which robots perform intelligent behavior with little to no human intervention. By the year of 2055, half of today’s workforce will be automated, resulting in tax dollars being cut. This raises questions regarding the ethics of robots. Can they take over jobs such as surgery? How can the robots react? What jobs will humans take? How much tax is enough value for replacing a human job?
Mentored by: Dr. Abhijit Ghosh
Development Issues of Nepal
Shelby Kline, Laura Kisner
This presentation assesses development and the impediments of development in Nepal. Specifically, it works to analyze the negative effect that remittances and government corruption has had on Nepal’s development processes. Therefore, the guiding question for this case study is, “What are the development issues hindering development prospects in Nepal?” Moreover, two hypotheses are proposed: (1) the higher the remittances, the lower economic development and (2) the higher government corruption, the lower the development. In order to answer the question and test the hypotheses, it is necessary to compare and contrast indicator data, from various data-sets, between and within Nepal and relevant countries. From this analysis, it is concluded that remittances and government corruption do negatively impact development in Nepal, as these issues result in lagging economic growth and poor government function. Evidence supporting this conclusion is represented by the numerical qualitative and quantitative comparisons in the data tables. Additionally, historical, social, and political factors are explored through research-based analysis. Finally, an action step, aimed at reducing corruption and facilitating development in Nepal, is proposed.
Mentored by: Dr. Nicholas Ellig
“Do and Dare”: The Fight for Women’s Suffrage
Maria Tommerdahl
The centennial of the 19th amendment is fast approaching. Though a century has nearly passed, the struggle for social equality for women has not ceased. Over the past few years, the concerning parallels between modern women and our suffragist ancestors have become increasingly clear to those well-versed in history. Looking back at the turn of the century, historians can see a reflection of our current socio-political climate, particularly where women’s rights are concerned. It is crucial to critically examine our past in order to be more informed, engaged citizens of the present and of the future. Combining historical inquiry with performance art, this collaboration between students in the HMS and Theatre departments is a window into the past. Through the frame of a speech given at an imagined suffragist meeting precisely one century ago, audiences are taken on a guided tour of the history of the movement – from Seneca Falls to Minnesota, from 1848 to 1919.
Mentored by: Lisa Sjoberg
Calling it by Name: The Role of Language in Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention
McKenna Wegner
In 1994, Rwanda radios around the state screamed, “The graves are not yet full.” Within the span of three short months 800,000 Rwandans lost their lives to widespread, government-lead murder. One may ask, “Why did this happen?” and “Who let this happen?” In an English and Political Science interdisciplinary study, this paper examines the role of language in the Rwanda Genocide. The language used by both the Rwandan and U.S. governments contributed to the crisis. While the Rwandan government used language to spread fear, hatred, and propaganda on the radio, the United States used language to avoid humanitarian intervention by engaging in a linguistic debate about genocide. The United States should have intervened in Rwanda to stop the spread of government sponsored rhetoric. This study analyzes Rwandan rhetoric in the form of government lead radio stations, interviews with Rwandans affected, and academic studies. This study also explores the United States’ role by analyzing the language of then President Bill Clinton, Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, and State Department Spokeswoman Christine Shelly. After analyzing this tragic event, it is clear that language should have been given greater importance in understanding the developing conflict, analyzing language as a tool of violence, and using language as a potential solution to the conflict.
Mentored by: David Sprunger
Liberal Arts Educations: Implications on Fortune 500 CEOs
Tyler Tessmann, Hikma Yassin, Caitlin Jones, Dazhi Zhang, Kirsten Grafstrom
A liberal arts education is a form of learning in which classes from multiple different areas of study are integrated into required curriculum. This creates the opportunity for a broader knowledge of the world, as well as the ability to gain a wide set of skills. Compared to public universities, liberal arts colleges require students to take more classes outside of their chosen major, typically have smaller class sizes, and encourage classroom discussion. Currently, 3.87% of undergraduate students are seeking degrees at liberal arts institutions. The purpose of this research is to measure the number of Fortune 500 company Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) who received education from a liberal arts institution and use this information to draw conclusions about the number of top level executives with degrees from liberal arts institutions compared to other types of educational institutions. Using 116 companies from 22 states (Midwest, east south central, and west south central), the CEO of each company was analyzed. Five companies with CEOs from international colleges were excluded. From this analysis, it was discovered that 19.51% CEOs of the companies analyzed received education from a liberal arts institution. No differences were found when comparing age and gender between liberal arts institutions and other universities. From this information, it is suggested that compared to the percentage of undergraduate students enrolled in liberal arts schools, CEOs who graduated from liberal arts institutions make up a relatively large percentage of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
Mentored by: Dr. Jorge Scarpin
The Comparative Value of a Liberal Arts Education: An Analysis of Fortune 500 CFOs
Madylin Banken, Joseph Christy, Isaac Infanger, Isaac Lenarz
A liberal arts college is dedicated to providing a more well-rounded education by including higher intensity classes in different fields to develop skills in a broad range of topics. By focusing on developing a more generalized knowledge, rather than a specialized one that comes from vocational schools and research universities, students leave those colleges with a broader range of abilities than those from other colleges. The value of this education can be seen by examining the education of the top executives of 186 companies from 17 states (Midwest and east and west south central) listed in the Fortune 500, specifically the Chief Financial Officers’ (CFOs’). We excluded five companies with CFO from international colleges. The Chief Financial Officer is typically responsible for budgeting, financial reports, and maintaining the financial health of the company. Analysis of the executives’ education showed that the percentage of CFOs’ with a liberal arts degree was 11.05%. The percentage of students attending liberal arts colleges compared to all students pursuing a college education was 3.87%. There was no difference in gender or age when comparing liberal arts and public/research institutions. This result shows that a liberal arts degree is useful in achieving the highest professional position within a company.
Mentored by: Dr. Jorge Scarpin