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  The Upper Pressure Stability Field of Marialite

  Alexander Kerstanski

  Scapolites are aluminosilicates that form in many different environments, including economic mineral deposits. Scapolites exist not only on Earth, but also in chondritic meteorites (Alexander et al., 1987) and may even exist on the surface of Mars (Swayze and Clark, 1990). Within this group is a Cl-rich end member known as marialite (Na3Al3Si9O24•NaCl). Little is known about the conditions at which marialite forms, especially the upper-pressure stability field. To determine this, experiments were conducted using a piston-cylinder press, multi-anvil press, and an X-ray diffractometer to analyze samples. The balanced reaction for marialite breakdown at high pressure is as follows: marialite = 3 jadeite + 3 quartz + halite. The marialite and jadeite components of the reaction needed to be synthesized using a piston-cylinder press. The quartz and halite components were readily sourced. A reversal mixture was created using the components of the balanced reaction. The boundary at upper pressures and temperatures for the growth of marialite was calculated based on thermochemical data from Almeida and Jenkins (2017, Amer. Min.). Multi-anvil experiments were conducted with the reversal mixture. The desired conditions for each run were determined based on data from other studies as well as the calculated boundary of marialite and jadeite + quartz + halite. Four multi-anvil experiments were conducted thus far with each one yielding a different result but indicating that growth of marialite occurs within 2.8 – 3.6 GPa at 1060 – 1300°C. Growths of marialite, jadeite, albite, and marialite occurred and all agreed with the calculated boundary and their confirmed respective boundaries. More experiments will be conducted to further narrow down the marialite upper-pressure stability field, but it appears that marialite can be a source of NaCl in the Earth’s upper mantle to depths of 85-110 km to help flux magma and economic mineral production.

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  Inferring the “Meaning” of Wing-Tail Flicking Behavior in American Crows

  Avree Kestay and Aardash Devkota

  Wing and tail flicking is observed in many bird species, but the interpretation of this behavior ranges from signaling aggression to reflecting fear. In American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), wing-tail flicking (WTF) may reflect unease and may even be a signal to other birds. We report the first quantitative analysis of wing-tail flicking by crows with respect to its use by context and identity of the crow. We analyzed pre-recorded videos from other experiments exposing crows to novel objects, both on territory and at a group foraging site. WTF was recorded quantitatively (scale of intensity 1-3 and rates/min), along with context and the individual’s identity. WTF was frequent both on territory and at the communal foraging site in social and non-social behavioral contexts. It occurred in higher intensity when crows first landed, retrieved food, or in social conflicts. At the communal foraging site, its frequency and intensity decreased, possibly due to increased safety in numbers or reduced incentive for signaling amongst unrelated individuals. There are few ways to assess the motivational state of animals in the wild. Quantifying subtle signals and their occurrence in known contexts is an important step in understanding the internal state behind the behavior of wild animals.

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  Changes in Immigration Policy Regarding Muslim Immigrants Across the Obama and Trump Administrations

  Samreen Khan

  Immigration to the United States has always been complicated, with legislation and the appreciation of immigrants often falling along racial, ethnic, and religious lines. This dominant theme has persisted and even emboldened in recent years, particularly for Muslim immigrants after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This presentation argues that there exist significant changes and continuities in immigration policy regarding Muslim-majority countries, across the Obama and Trump presidencies, and that the cultural rhetoric surrounding Muslims during each directly impacted policy. Based on an analysis of laws, including executive orders, Congressional hearings, and past legislation, juxtaposed with rhetoric regarding Muslim immigration, I maintain that the laws put into place by each President contrast starkly. The hostile narrative adopted by former President Trump and his administration was directly reflected in his legal actions, whilst Obama’s more cooperative stance with the Muslim world was made clear with many of his decisions. Data from the Department of Homeland Security and independent immigration organizations illustrate the significant drop in Muslim immigrants and refugees accepted by the Trump administration, in sharp contrast with the record number of Muslim refugees accepted by the Obama administration. This data is used in conjunction with legislation and scholarly articles regarding the Muslim experience after 9/11 to more accurately portray the implications of policy on the people it affects. The attitude toward immigrants in the United States often seems cyclical, with feelings of xenophobia toward certain groups manifesting itself in legislation. In order to prevent discriminatory legislation from being established and mitigate harm to immigrants and refugees, we must recognize these patterns and remedy the grievances people hold toward immigrants.

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  Mental Health of Asian Teens and Young Adults in America

  Yung Hwee Kim

  Mental health is a difficult and complicated issue to tackle for anyone. Everyone has unique situations and different processes of healing. However, there are specific circumstances that Asian immigrants and Asian Americans have to conquer in order to have a healthy mind. This presentation argues that with the common belief of suppressing your emotional problems in Asian culture, enculturation, and the “model minority” myth, Asian teenagers and young adults in America who are developing themselves in this hostile environment may cause severe, long term damage on their mental health. There have been many indirect and direct sources from Asian Americans and immigrants to show the issue of mental health specifically in the Asian community. Surveys done on Asian American high school students and college students have been done to show the effects of immigrant-related factors and Asian-specific factors on their mental health. Interviews of Asians coping with mental health illnesses discussed the barriers they had to overcome related to their race and origin. Articles have shown personal essays of anonymous Asian Americans who have with dealt with the issues of their mental health and Asian culture. With a recent surge of Anti-Asian violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, this issue is more significant now than ever. The disheartening news of Anti-Asian violence and the racist microaggressions seen throughout social media is worsening the situation and mindset of young Asian adults in America. By analyzing certain mental health barriers and understanding the perspective of an Asian in America is key to helping Asians to get connected to professional and organized help for mental health.

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  The Relationship Between Components of the Vegetarian Diet and Perceived Stress and Mental Distress

  Tharsana Kumarasivam, Rachel Molzon, Gerard Dempsey, Casey McKenna, Michael Colabelli, Lindsey Moser, and Alexandra Pritsker

  Recent evidence suggests that dietary patterns have an impact on mental health. However, little is known about how dietary patterns may impact the stress response. The purpose of this study was to investigate how components of a vegetarian diet relate to stress and mental distress. An anonymous survey was distributed primarily through social media targeting participants from diverse backgrounds. This study analyzed a total of 585 responses from adults 18 years old or older. Spearman’s rho correlation and principal component analysis were used to assess how dietary patterns and consumption of various foods and food groups relate to perceived stress and mental distress levels. The data was analyzed in SPSS version 25.0. Our results reveal a negative correlation between stress and whole grains (⍴= -0.103), dark green leafy vegetables (⍴= -0.154), and beans (⍴= -0.102). Mental distress was a negatively correlated with whole grains (⍴= -.147), nuts and flaxseed (⍴= -0.116), dark green leafy vegetables (⍴= -0.153), yogurt (⍴= -0.084), eggs (⍴= -0.108) and raw oats (⍴= -.101). These results indicate that multiple components of the vegetarian diet are inversely associated with stress, which explains the negative association with mental distress. Our results suggest that vegetarian items improve the stress response, which eventually improves mental health.

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  Food Insecurity Programs in Broome County Schools

  Cameron Lapadula

  Food insecurity is a serious problem in schools across Broome County, and the programs implemented to mitigate its effects must be researched and assessed for their effectiveness. Food insecurity affects hundreds of children throughout the county, causing health effects like diabetes and a drop in academic performance. The programs that work to lessen these effects in Broome County, including the Rock on Café and Binghamton University Food Pantry, aim to provide nutritional and affordable food to students on all educational levels. In order to assess these programs, I am interviewing organizers of such programs and asking them questions to gather qualitative data on the effects of food insecurity. Additionally, I am utilizing survey results of Binghamton University students and studies on Broome County food insecurity to find both qualitative and quantitative data for evaluation. I intend to find statistics on the number of students that require such programs and the nutritional level of the food provided within the interviews and survey. In interviewing those involved in the food insecurity programs, I will have descriptions of the workings of these programs and how effective they have found them to be in increasing academic performance and decreasing adverse health effects. Based on literature review and preliminary data, it seems while there are an abundance of food deserts within Broome County, the food supplement programs are providing nutritional food to many students while continually expanding the programs to reach a broader population. This research will provide an overview of the current situation of food insecurity in Broome County schools and how effectively it is being managed through statistics on students utilizing the program and the perspective of individuals who see the program in use.

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  Investigating Polypharmacy Levels From a Nationally Representative Sample of Older Adults

  Melinda Lee

  Background: With an increase in life expectancies and advancements in pharmaceutical therapies, polypharmacy, defined as the use of multiple (>5) drugs concurrently, has become an increasingly prevalent issue among older adults (>65 years) within the United States. Polypharmacy can result in medication overload, financial burden, and higher risk of adverse drug events. However, more research is needed on whether polypharmacy levels in older adults differ between urban and rural populations given the disparate barriers in these populations, e.g., access to providers, specialists, health literacy levels, etc. Objective: Use a nationally representative survey of ambulatory care visits within the United States to investigate polypharmacy levels in metropolitan and non-metropolitan older adults. Methods: Data from the 2016 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey was used to analyze polypharmacy levels in older adult patients. Survey weight-adjusted logistic regression analysis was used to examine predisposing, enabling, and need factors, and their association with polypharmacy visits. Results: Enabling (region and patient provider) factors and need (number of diagnoses, type of primary diagnosis, major reason for the visit, and total chronic disorders) factors were found to be significantly associated with polypharmacy visits for patients ages 65 and older. Several factors that were found to be significant in previous research at the turn of the century were not found to be associated in the current dataset. Conclusion: The current research provides evidence-based cross-sectional findings on factors associated with increased polypharmacy levels in older adults in the US.

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  Misdirected: The Real Enemy Behind the United States' War Against Human Trafficking

  Crystal Lin

  The conversation surrounding the issue of human trafficking has long been misdirected and sensationalized in the United States, with government-backed anti-trafficking campaigns hyperfocused on the relationship between sex work and human trafficking rather than on the significantly more common phenomenon of labor trafficking, significantly amongst migrant laborers. The definition of human trafficking has become nearly synonymous with that of sex trafficking, both officially and colloquially — the result of legislation and public campaigning that claim to address trafficking as a whole, yet zero in exclusively on sex trafficking. This hyperfocus on sex work functions to both endanger the livelihoods of consenting sex workers and to neglect addressing the more pressing issue of labor trafficking in other industries, a deliberate misdirection noted by writer Jo Doezema in “What is Human Trafficking?” In her essay, Doezema and her fellow authors push for a reformed image of trafficking as a labor and migration issue, one that must be addressed by implementing specific measures to protect migrants and other marginalized people susceptible to being trafficked. The continued public ignorance about labor trafficking is a direct result of governmental protection and sanctioning of exploitative commercial practices. In this project, I explore the simultaneous prevalence and invisibility of the phenomenon of labor trafficking as the product of years of anti-sex work and anti-market regulation legislation, including the UN’s Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Girls and Congress’s Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2018.

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  An Analysis of Binghamton University’s Potential for Green Roofs

  Tyler Linnehan

  Institutions of higher education have an important role to play in environmentalism. Students have the opportunity to follow their passions and learn from each other while producing tangible benefits for the environment in sustainability-related projects. Green roofs are the perfect project for student-driven environmental action. A green roof is a specially engineered vegetated roof. This research aims to be the foundation for future expansion of green roofs at Binghamton University. It will analyze both biophysical and social aspects, and the connection between the two. Urban runoff often picks up large levels of contaminants that can harm local ecosystems. Due to the University’s proximity to major bodies of water, I selected the green roof’s ability to retain stormwater as an environmental benefit to analyze. These rates had yet to be determined, and modeling them will provide insight into the university’s role in our local environment. Initial research revealed that the development of more green roofs at Binghamton is limited by a lack of available staff or student organizations to take care of them. Surveys and interviews were conducted with students and faculty to gauge interest in incorporating the green roof into campus life through stewardship, curricular and co-curricular initiatives. The stormwater retention model predicts a rate of reduction between 60 to 100% of runoff on green roofs. Surveys and interviews demonstrated considerable desire to bring green roofs into our academic sphere. By understanding these two components, we can begin to fully utilize the green roof on campus and encourage student-driven environmentalism. We can begin to overcome some of the obstacles in the development of new green roofs and bring additional green space and opportunities for students to engage in their passions.

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  Hirohiko Araki’s Fashionably Exhibited Artwork

  Maxwell Maceluch

  Famous for his long-running manga, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hirohiko Araki has had panels and artwork from the series featured in Western institutions of high art (including the Louvre) and in high fashion collaborations (with Gucci). Manga is the Japanese equivalent to comics and, as such, it is a medium generally regarded as mass-produced entertainment. The inclusion of Araki’s work within such esteemed circles, then, brings the very definition of artistic value into question. Due to the sequential imagery, narrative component, and sales-based nature of graphic literature, which might ordinarily mitigate against its regard as art, its history within museums and canonization within the art world is complex. The appeal of Araki to the Louvre is not entirely dissimilar to that of Gucci, even though the expense of designer brands’ products tends toward exclusivity rather than museums’ inclusivity. While both seek aesthetic beauty, the likes of which Araki invokes with his classical style, museums and luxury brands are more deeply intertwined with the luster of value with which they both imbue the objects they present. Artists, then, can be seen as instruments mobilized by museums and retail brands alike to enhance their own prestige. This project will explore the ways in which Araki’s work, already produced commercially through a mass-market form of publishing, has been created in limited editions both to serve the interests of art museums and galleries, as well as retailers of high end fashion. Through this analysis the research will shed light on the tight relationship between art and art world institutions on the one hand, and purveyors of fashion commodities on the other. Keywords: Art commodification, Gucci, Hirohiko Araki, artistic value, manga in museums

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  Correlation Between ADHD Medication Use and Frequency of Exercise

  Sana Malik, Natalie Yuvanavatta, Jared Zubin, and Nicole Scott

  Substance abuse is a prevalent issue in today's society, and certain drugs are becoming more readily accessible. Adderall is a drug prescribed to individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These individuals experience symptoms such as hyperactivity, short attention span, and impulsivity due to disruptions in the dopaminergic pathway. Once exploited by non-prescribers such as college students, Adderall becomes an addictive substance as it has temporary enhancing effects on an individual’s health and academics. Notably, there is suggested evidence that supports frequent exercising having beneficial effects on attention and executive functioning. Literature has shown that exercise increases confidence, decreases risks of developing mental disorders, and improves cognitive functions. Adderall may boost energy or cause accelerated heartbeat and fatigue. This study examines whether a significant association is present between ADHD medication use and frequency of exercise. An anonymous Google Forms survey was distributed to undergraduate college students. Data collection is ongoing with 549 responses collected so far. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s Bivariate Correlation in SPSS Version 25.0. The results suggest an association between ADHD medication use and certain exercise levels, which requires further investigation.

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  United States’ Policy Towards Haitian Refugees

  Julia Match

  The United States experienced an increase in Haitian refugees attempting to enter the country during the 1990s, after Haiti entered a period of instability when their democratically elected president was ousted by a military coup. Despite this, the United States continued to consider Hatian’s seeking asylum in the United States to be “economic refugees,” granting them basis to turn away Haitians easily. Often, the United States turned away Haitian refugees intercepted at sea without an asylum hearing. Rather than being based in immigration law, the United States’s response towards Haitian refugees was rooted in racism and was directly contradictory to asylum policies. Examining the United States differing treatments of Cuban and Haitian immigrants during the 1990s reveals the United States’ contradictory policies. Discrimination is evident when comparing United States policy specifically targeting Haitians to the rest of U.S. immigration and refugee laws. Although an appeals court initially found the policy of turning away asylum seekers at sea to be illegal, the practice continued throughout the Bush and Clinton administrations after the Supreme Court ruling Sale vs Haitian Centers Council, Inc. allowed it to continue. Although the government claimed any Haitians returned would not be under threat in Haiti, reports found that many were the victims of police intimidation and interrogation. The United States’ practice should have been ended and each asylum seeker attempting to enter the United States should have received an asylum hearing, whether they made it to land or not.

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  Investigating the Development of the Hemp Processing Industry in New York State

  John Mather

  Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has emerged as an environmentally beneficial renewable resource due to its short growing cycle, carbon sequestration properties, and the medical applications of cannabidiol (CBD). All parts of the hemp plant can be used to produce products that are eco-friendly. New York State (NYS) has recently legalized production of hemp. Many farmers have obtained permits to grow hemp, but there has been a lack of hemp processors within the state who can turn raw hemp into hemp products. This research focuses on the lack of processing within the hemp market in NYS in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the industry as a whole. Through interviews with hemp growers, processors, and state-level politicians involved in creating hemp legislation, as well as review of existing data on the industry, this research will identify what actions are necessary, both in entrepreneurship and state legislation, to improve the conditions and efficiency of the hemp industry in the state. A more comprehensive analysis of the hemp industry from seed to product will allow for a more effective market, and subsequently, more eco-friendly products in the market for consumers to purchase and greater economic opportunity for producers and processors.

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  Creative Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  Jada McCann, Jubie Tan, and Jack Melillo

  Creativity is the ability to produce or develop original work or ideas (APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.). Since creativity is a highly prized quality in virtually all aspects of life in the United States (Spencer, 2019), from the professional setting and social circles to leisure activities and daily chores, Yesit is important to foster creative learning environments for children and young adults. The purpose of this study, Creative Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic, is to examine Binghamton University students’ self-perceived creativity levels in various types of learning environments during the pandemic. An online Qualtrics survey of forty-two questions was designed using relevant items from the questionnaire, KEYS: Assessing the Climate for Creativity (Amabile, 1996), along with questions geared to obtain demographic information. We hypothesize that undergraduate students who have an educational environment closest to an in-person class, whether that be all in-person or hybrid learning, have a better view towards their self-perceived creativity over students who have all online classes. The implications behind examining the potential repercussions to young adults’ creativity during the transitory period of undergraduate education, especially in the midst of a global pandemic, includes gaining insight into the positive and negative outcomes different COVID-19 learning environments have on students.

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  The Role of “Love Goddesses” and What They Reveal About Women in Different Cultures

  Kayleigh McGeeney, Arthur O'Sullivan, and Joshua Schull

  Many cultures make fundamental claims about the nature of humanity through myths. In this review, we examine the stories surrounding what we term “love goddesses” around the world from roughly 1000 BC to 1000 AD. We analyze the themes present in each story, as well as the norms upheld about the essential nature and roles of women through these myths. Love goddesses are typically exemplars of a given culture’s ideal of femininity, with exceptions such as Xochipilli, who has a more difficult-to-define identity. We are looking at the contemporaneous cults that surround Rati, Aphrodite/Venus, Hathor, Freyja/Frigg, Oshun, Inanna/Ishtar, and Xochipilli in order to understand what role these love goddesses play in their respective mythologies. What are their similarities and differences? How do these goddesses reflect their respective contemporaneous society’s ideals of women? While these goddesses may have similar roles in sexuality and power, it is important to note that there is no shared origin between these goddesses and their relationship with love, nor is there a common type of link between these goddesses and their respective culture’s view of women.

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  Do Biogeographical Patterns in Morphological Traits of Insect Host and Parasitoid Wasp Communities Contribute to Ecological Release of a Range-Expanding Host via Trait Mismatching?

  Kelly McGourty, Dylan Jones, Haley Hurst, Sarah Martin, and Catherine Ruis

  Climate change is causing species to expand their ranges poleward into new locations. As species move, they will lose interactions with species that fail to follow and gain new interactions with species with which they are not coevolved or coadapted. As a result, one common outcome for range expansions is that species outbreak in their expanded ranges in response to altered antagonistic interactions (“ecological release”). Insect hosts have a suite of morphological adaptations to evade parasitoid enemies, and enemies have adaptations to effectively attack hosts. Here, we study a recent range expansion of an insect host. Neuroterus saltatorius (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) is a gall-forming wasp specializing on oaks that has undergone a recent range expansion from Washington state to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In its expanded range, it experiences ecological release, causing foliar damage and impacting oak ecosystems. It interacts with an array of insect host competitors on its host plant Quercus garryana (other cynipids wasps) that are attacked by a suite of enemies (parasitoid wasps). The aim of this study is to measure morphological traits of cynipid hosts and parasitoids to examine if community traits of interacting hosts and enemies vary along a latitudinal gradient, and in the native and expanded range of N. saltatorius. Specifically, we ask if trait diversity of insect host-parasitoid communities provides biological resistance or facilitates ecological release of N. saltatorius in the native and expanded ranges. We predict that if trait mismatching contributes to ecological release, the degree of trait matching between the range-expanding host and other cynipid hosts and parasitoids will be lower in the expanded range, where it interacts with non-coadapted community members. Understanding factors that lead to ecological release is crucial to predicting outcomes of range expansions and to mitigate negative impacts of range-expanding species

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  Is Mitochondrial Recombination a Source of Reproductive Barriers?

  Gabrielle McMillan

  In fungi and some plants, mitochondrial DNAs are biparentally inherited and can recombine to create novel mtDNAs. When Saccharomyces yeast hybridize, either a parental or recombinant mtDNA is inherited but the fitness effects of this is not understood. The mtDNAs from S. paradoxus have two distinct gene orders, one similar to S. cerevisiae mtDNAs and one unique. Our hypothesis is that recombination between mtDNAs with different gene orders will be more likely to produce recombinant mtDNAs that lack important regions and therefore will have lower fitness. I will test this by performing controlled crosses and evaluating mtDNA inheritance and hybrid fitness. This work could reveal a novel type of postzygotic isolation.

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  Art as an Escape from Torture

  Ilana Mesnick

  “I think about how to get out of this prison. Despite being in prison, I try as much as I can to get my soul out of prison. I live a different life when I am making art.” Moath Al-Alwi, a detainee at the Guantánamo Bay naval detention center in Cuba, expresses the importance of art as a means of escape from his current conditions of imprisonment in a letter to his lawyer. Now approximately 40 years old, having spent half of his life at Guantánamo without ever being charged with a crime, Moath turns to his imagination for release. In an effort to combat terrorism and house suspected terrorists following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States opened the detention facilities in Guantánamo (GTMO) in 2002. Research and legal cases on behalf of detainees have emphasized the injustice of indefinite detention and the extreme violations of human rights that take place in GTMO. The detainees are not protected by the Geneva Convention or recognized as prisoners of war. While torture is considered to be a heinous crime against humanity, the US argues that their torturous practices are not actually torture through the use of euphemisms. Detainees are essentially only entitled to Habeas Corpus rights, which allows them to question why they are being held. To escape their circumstances, many channel their emotions into art. GTMO implemented an art program in 2010 that allowed detainees to participate in classes on a biweekly basis. While in class, detainees remain shackled to the floor and have only basic supplies, and their art is subject to destruction at any time. In this project, I analyze how detainees use the artistic process in extremely difficult circumstances to create alternatives for themselves that do not exist in their legal and physical contexts. Building off the work of research on the restrictions that the U.S. imposes on artwork in Guantánamo, I investigate the extent to which detainees can truly escape torture through art because they lack freedom of expression within GTMO.

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  The Deleterious Consequences of Pakistani Patriarchy: Sex Trafficking

  Eva Miller

  Sexism courses pervasively through every legal and cultural system humanity is subject to, and thus sex trafficking is not unscathed by the ravages of misogyny. At the core of this crime exists a fundamental issue: pervasive patriarchal and traditional gender roles. Sex trafficking relies on the foundational perception of women as objectified and dehumanized sex objects. Therefore, countries that prioritize women in domestic roles are more likely to source trafficking. Research corroborates this claim, arguing that less developed, wealthy, and politically stable countries often serve as source countries. Thus, despite no legal restrictions against Pakistani women, a rigid conservative culture exposes them to risk of trafficking. Further, international attempts to address trafficking maintain binary and exclusive conceptions of it, often failing to recognize the nuance of these issues. My research intends to address how cultural values, which predominantly prioritize women in traditional domestic roles, fuel sex trafficking, especially the “mail order bride” industry. My research question seeks to address what are the different cultural roles and expectations of women in Pakistan? How do those roles and expectations relate to the public and legal discourse around sex trafficking? Do traditional gender roles increase the likelihood of sex trafficking? To answer these questions, I am researching legal and cultural obstacles that increase the likelihood of sex trafficking, including nuanced scholarly articles that address patriarchy in traditional communities. Despite the reality that legal restrictions against women are declining, cultural and social norms often serve as deciders. Thus, only through actively combating both cultural and legal obstacles will women at last be free from the relentless and suffocating burden of the patriarchy.

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  How the Transition to Working Remotely May Impact Maternity Leave Policy; Lessons from the Pandemic

  Jillian Morley

  Since the beginning of the pandemic, American women, particularly working mothers, have been the disproportionate victims of the jobs lost in the United States economy. Conversely, a “fatherhood premium” has been seen since the start of the pandemic, and American fathers have been the most protected demographic from job loss. The trend toward job loss of female employees has been exacerbated by the pandemic but is largely consistent with existing trends. Before the pandemic, some fields such as STEM had been losing nearly half of their female employees after the birth of their first child. Related to these discrepancies is the fact that the United States is unique in the fact that it has very limited federally outlined maternal protections. While New York State has the strongest legal guidelines for new mothers, the state’s paid family leave policy still lacks many of the rights granted in other countries. New York State’s policy, despite being the strongest in the United States, does not meet the minimum recommendations for maternity leave policy by either the World Health Organization or the International Labor Organization. This qualitative study examines and compares the self-reported maternity leave experiences of working mothers in New York State before and after the beginning of the pandemic and the state’s transition into its new paid family leave policy.

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  Continuity and Change: Asylum Policy and Detainee Treatment During the Obama and Trump Administrations

  Scott Musikar

  This presentation investigates the similarities and differences between the asylum policies and the treatment of detainees who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border during the Obama administration versus during the Trump administration. This presentation asserts that while both Obama’s and Trump’s policies toward asylum seekers were very similar in being strict and harsh, Trump’s abrasive rhetoric and more extreme stances established distinct differences between the two administrations. In particular, this presentation explores conditions inside the detention facilities under each president, Trump’s Zero Tolerance Policy in relation to Obama’s policies, Trump’s use of Title 42, and each president externalizing the U.S. border. Although Obama detained families and many unaccompanied minors upon crossing the border in temporary facilities, Trump took this a step further by separating children from their parents under his Zero-Tolerance policy for deterrence. In addition, using the justification of the COVID-19 pandemic health concerns, Trump nearly dismantled any semblance of due process for asylum seekers by evoking Title 42. Title 42 provides border authorities with unilateral authority to expel migrants who do not have prior permission to enter the country without offering asylum. Both presidents had the policy of the externalized U.S. border, the practice of making it harder for asylum seekers to reach U.S. soil in the first place. Reporters touring the detention facilities, news articles demonstrating public opinion, White House website archives, government documents, political speeches, first-hand accounts of the asylum system, and analytical scholarly articles provide important insight in piecing together the asylum records of the Obama and the Trump administrations. It is critical to understand the continuities and changes between the Obama and Trump administrations’ asylum policies and treatment of detainees to make better, more humane, and more informed policy decisions in the future regarding those seeking asylum.

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  Is Diverse Television Really Diverse?: An Examination of Shondaland

  Nick Newsome, Julia Gold, and Angelina Hammond

  Have you ever been watching a television show and noticed that the majority of characters are white, cisgender, and heterosexual while there are only a few characters who represent multiple minority identities? This is often the case in television when a limited number of characters are assigned many different minoritized identities, becoming catchalls for diversity. We test this phenomenon through our media analysis of Shondaland, a production company that is widely regarded as more progressive and inclusive relative to its cohort. Its ten ensemble cast drama series—ranging from Grey’s Anatomy to How to Get Away with Murder to Bridgerton—provide ample media to investigate. In examining the distribution of diversity and other patterns in its programming, we answer the question: is Shondaland still susceptible to the pattern of identity piling and other factors that diminish diversity? We anticipate this study will demonstrate how Shondaland has exemplified diversity over time and how this has correlated with the production company's success.

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  Ethnic Diversity, Integration, and their Implications

  Anna Nicotra

  Is rampant discrimination inevitable in societies with ethnic diversity and a steady flow of migrants, immigrants, and refugees? It is well known that a society in which ethnic minorities face discriminatory practices is likely to experience ethnic tensions. However, it is less clear whether ethnic discrimination is more likely to occur in a more heterogeneous society. The culprit to ethnic tensions may lie in countries’ methods and laws involving the integration of newcomers — such as immigrants — into their societies. Though integration is supposedly a two-person job, oftentimes the receiving country places too much responsibility on newcomers, requiring more adaptation than they are able to make; a pertinent example is the Netherlands, which requires migrants to pay for the integration exams required to receive a residence permit, and will revoke an existing permit if they do not indicate the necessary level of knowledge. This project investigates whether increased ethnic diversity predicts greater levels of ethnic discrimination, specifically in the workplace, with an additional focus on the methods that countries employ to integrate newcomers into their societies. The level of ethnic discrimination in the workplace will be determined by analyzing the U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, reports compiled for every country that analyze the shortcomings and strengths of countries’ adherence to human rights. Using the coding guidelines from the Cingranelli and Richards (CIRI) Human Rights Data Project, this project will assign scores to countries’ ethnic discrimination and draw comparisons with the country’s level of diversity, which is determined by a Fractionalization Index. This measure of ethnic heterogeneity assesses the probability of two randomly selected individuals in society belonging to different ethnolinguistic groups. Furthermore, this study will analyze the laws and methods of several countries’ integration processes to further understand their state of ethnic discrimination and — potentially — its cause.

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  Dansaekhwa: Contemporary South Korean Art

  Emma Park

  The Dansaekhwa movement is an art phenomenon that emerged in South Korea in the 1960s in response to the political and social climate of that time. These artists were strongly concerned with entering the global art world while simultaneously maintaining their identities as distinctively Korean. From the perspective of the West, the prevailing view of South Korean artists — and of Asian artists as a whole — was that they could not be truly contemporary. They could find acceptance as producers of “traditional” Asian art, using familiar iconography of temples, cherry blossoms or Buddhas, or else have their works be regarded as mere imitations of Western forms, unless they were willing to entirely disavow their Asianness. The Dansaekhwa artists objected to these limited options and insisted on being recognized as both distinctively Asian, and genuinely contemporary. This project will focus on one artist associated with this group, Kwon Young-Woo. His 2017 solo exhibition, held in the Kukje Gallery in Seoul, serves to illustrate both the constraints under which contemporary South Korean artists who seek a global reputation have had to work, while also exploring the ways in which this artist has sought to open up the definition of what counts as a contemporary artist, by presenting work that is unashamedly both Korean and innovatively contemporary. In doing so, his work disrupts the Eurocentric lens through which Asian art tends to be viewed.

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  The Trafficking of Men and Boys in the United States and India: A Legal Analysis

  Benjamin Portnoy

  “Trafficking may answer a demand, but the cost is too steep for this ever shrinking world to bear” (Feingold, p. 32). Human trafficking exists as an intensely globalized issue that victimizes people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, most major international and federal anti-trafficking laws have only been implemented within the past twenty years. The trafficking of men and boys certainly constitutes a minority share of this issue, but receives a disproportionately low share of attention in the fight against trafficking. This becomes especially prevalent when analyzing our international legal systems. Traffickers within the United States and India continue to harbor and transport countless victims of trafficking. As a result, both nations have unique local and regional approaches to the issue. Combating human trafficking comes with a unique set of challenges due to its clandestine nature and international component. Unsurprisingly, it needs to be addressed with a certain set of knowledge, which includes a comprehensive understanding of the exploited population. The role of gender within trafficking and anti-trafficking legislation is an important piece of the puzzle, specifically toward the treatment of males. This research will delve into that specific legislation, which will include international protocols such as the TVPA and more focused regional/national laws within each nation. The analysis will emphasize the context behind policy decisions and their ultimate ramifications as it relates to men and boys.