Mount Hood

Great Student Presentations from 2017: Methods of Treating Eating Disorders in Adolescents by Kimberly Castro, Amy Watkins and Danielle Peterson

Eating disorders in adolescents have risen dramatically throughout the years, creating an epidemic among men and women. With pressure from the media, peers and family, it’s not surprising that eating disorders have claimed the highest mortality rate among any mental illness (Welch, E., Ghaderi, A., & Swenne I., 2015). To combat this epidemic, researchers have strived to create a variety of treatment options for individuals seeking help. Treatment options include, but are not limited to: long-term treatment, mindfulness-based treatment and multiple and single family therapy. Each treatment is successful for its own reasons, but researchers have noted that the best type of treatment for an eating disorder requires a well-built support system (Jewell et al., 2016). Although, despite this effort, the problem among most individuals isn’t the treatment itself.

Faculty sponsor: Amy Hammermeister-Jordan

Great Student Presentations from 2017: The Power of Words: An Etymological History of “Wife” by Kristine Eck

On Jan. 21, 2017 five million people worldwide participated in the Women’s March to advocate for many issues, including equal rights for women. Every individual rally had something in common: words. There were signs, speeches, protesting and chanting as people tapped into the indisputable power of words. With every social or political movement, the language of the time changes with it. This is inevitably true for the word “wife.” In its most basic form, “wife” refers to a woman who is married. But to a lot of people, myself included, “wife” seems to conjure images of ticky-tacky homes, knee-length pastel skirts and a suffocating male dominated culture that just won’t go away. Where did these negative connotations come from and how are they changing in the current social and political climate? This presentation will explore the etymology of the word “wife” to seek answers to these questions, while also looking to a future where “wife” means lover, equal partner, most trusted friend and companion.

Faculty sponsor: David Hargreaves

Great Student Presentations from 2017: The Effects of Work-Family-School Balance on Non-Traditional Student Affect by Emily Fleming and Amanda Schmaltz

The purpose of the current study was to gain a greater understanding of the daily demands that students experience and further examine the effects of those experiences on daily moods. Both work and educational demands were examined in terms of nervousness, loneliness, distress and fearfulness. This study was conducted using mixed methodology. Specifically, participants filled out an initial assessment along with a daily diary consisting of a brief survey for 21 days. Fiftythree non-traditional students, enrolled at least part-time, living with a significant other and at least 21 years of age, participated in the study. Results showed that as school demands increased so did distressed, scared and nervous moods. Increased work demands correlated with increased nervousness and loneliness. These results were thought to be related to role strain and a lack of feeling understood or supported at work. As this study was the first of its kind, it was groundwork for further research in the area of non-traditional student demands, stressors and the role of potential social support to alleviate some of these pressures.

Faculty sponsor: Deborah Brannan

Great Student Presentations from 2018: German University Help vs. United States by Amalia Morse

The presentation will consist of my educational experiences studying abroad in Germany as well as my observations of the German university system. I will show the contrast of how University of Freiburg and Western Oregon University differ when it comes to advising and registering for classes. Though my involvement at a German university was limited to one German semester, I was there for six months, and I believe I have interesting and useful information to share regarding my experiences with the German university system.

Mentors: Bryan Dutton, Misty Weitzel

Great Student Presentations from 2018: Rwanda: The Journey by Haley Morris

Five short weeks turned into a lifetime of gained perspective. As one of nine U.S. students selected to participate in a National Science Foundation research grant, I had the opportunity to live, work and travel throughout the small East African country of Rwanda. A rapidly developing nation, Rwanda has experienced a dramatic increase in contraceptive use in the past 10 years. Using a qualitative approach, my colleagues and I examined what factors led to this increase, how other sub-Saharan nations could experience the same success, and how this rise can continue. From this research to the people I met and the experiences I gained along the way, this presentation will serve to share some of the encounters that have changed my life and widened my understanding of the world. My hope is to share with you a vast nation of progress, beauty and unimaginable strength.

Mentors: Bryan Dutton, Misty Weitzel

Great Student Presentations from 2018: Fossil Fuels: An Examination of Past and Present Viability by Jessica Brenner, Jennifer Romadka, Brianne Moodie

Coal, oil, and natural gas are examined in depth through a short video documentary. We will begin by outlining production methods to inform the viewer of basic context. Following a description of production methods, we will discuss excavation and harvesting methods. Establishing an understanding of these methods will improve comprehension of their environmental impacts. The historical and forecasted uses of fossil fuels are briefly discussed, culminating in a discussion of environmental impacts. After viewing this documentary, individuals should have a basic grasp of how fossil fuels are formed, harvested and processed and of how they affect the world around us.


Mentors: Phillip Wade, Arlene Courtney

Great Student Presentations from 2018: The Effects of Outdoor Education on School-Aged Children Michael Weaver

Nature and the outdoors are integral to our mental health, and therefore time spent learning about and exploring nature in an outdoor environment should be encouraged in schools today. Numerous studies have been conducted on the benefits of nature and the outdoors on one’s health. These studies have further been broken down and explored in areas of concentration that include the effects of nature on our emotional health, our mental health and even on our physiological health. In every instance, research overwhelmingly supports the notion that the inclusion of time spent in nature or outdoors has exponential benefits to our lives. This presentation explores the effects of outdoor education on school-aged children and takes a closer look at the physiological and emotional benefits of time spent outdoors. It will focus particularly on the areas of biological and physiological research and discussion as it highlights the positive effects of outdoor education on general cognition, as well as mental and emotional health.

Mentor: Gay Timken

Great Student Presentations from 2018: Metaphor: A Cognitive View and a Contextualist View by Justin Nelson

I analyze the differences between two contemporary approaches to metaphor: the cognitive approach and the contextualist approach. The cognitive view sees metaphor as a conceptual entity unique to itself, whereas the contextualist view sees metaphor as a communicative device used to trigger the intended meaning, within the bounds of the context. I synthesize the two views by drawing a distinction (or identifying a continuum) between “dead” and “alive” metaphors and drawing a distinction (or identifying a continuum) between the “automatic” and “non-automatic” processing of speech.

Mentor: David Hargreaves

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Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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