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  A Bug’s-Eye View: Examining the Impact of The Bug Squad Exhibit at a Local Children’s Museum.

  Joe Darrell, Abby Hamell, Vanessa Veretelnikov, and Eva He

  Hands-on playing is vital in the development of children, as it promotes their ability to progress socially, emotionally, and cognitively (Ginsburg, 2007). While children’s museums are designed to support such progress, it is important to consider how specific interactive exhibits may play a role in supporting children’s engagement and development. The purpose of this mixed-methods research study was to analyze how children, ages 2-12, at a local children’s museum engaged with the new exhibit, The Bug Squad, and how it influenced parents’ decisions to return. Data was collected through observation of children’s engagement in an interactive exhibit and a short survey to understand parents’ points of view. Initial results from observations indicated that certain elements of the exhibit such as the “Chrysalis Spinner” or “Pollinator Power” were more popular amongst the children than others, and we hypothesized this would remain consistent throughout the remainder of the observations. These potential findings can contribute to the sustainability and retention rate of other interactive exhibits to support the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children.

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  Comparison of Human Rights Laws Concerning Torture, Access to Medical Care, and Freedom of Movement to First-Hand Guantanamo Memoirs

  Emma DeOliveira

  The U.S. government made use of a CIA black site at Guantanamo Bay detention facility to torture suspected terrorists into providing intelligence following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In spite of their knowledge against its use, the U.S. government authorized the use of these “enhanced interrogation techniques” despite their being in clear violation of the Torture Statute and the Detainee Treatment Act as well as a number of international frameworks including the UDHR, the ICCPR, and the CAT. Detainees rights were also infringed upon by lack of adequate medical care during detention and inhibition of movement following release. Through my research, I have compared the violation of these rights to first-hand accounts from a number of Guantanamo memoirs from Guantanamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi to Enhanced Interrogation: Inside the Minds and Motives of the Islamic Terrorists Trying to Destroy America by James Mitchell.

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  Marijuana and the Capitalist Agenda

  Mallory DeTamble

  In recent years, the United States has loosened restrictions on the commodification of marijuana. This move towards less strict policy counteracts much of the mainstream ideology surrounding marijuana during the 20th century. Such a shift in public opinion is at least partially attributable to the capitalist society itself. By analyzing the ways in which marijuana can be sublimated into capitalism, we can better understand how profit motivates today’s industries more than ethical and social circumstances. By comparing the circumstances of the 20th century, to the circumstances we are now presented with, the ways in which our legal system handles drug offenses are quite discernible. The US criminalizes people in order to prevent them from making a living outside of capitalism. President Nixon declared the “War on Drugs” to prevent the economically disenfranchised from surviving outside of the constraints of minimum wage. Since Nixon’s presidency, innovation and technology have made it possible for companies to begin profiting from marijuana. By taking the role of drug trafficking out of the hands of the disenfranchised, companies can become extremely profitable through advertisement and mass production. When marijuana is characterized as a product more so than an illicit substance, social perceptions change. These changing social perceptions are reflected in the media, through legislation, and in technological advancements.

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  Assessing the Impacts of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Earthworm (Eisenia fetida) Biomass and Behavior Using Soil Microcosms

  Jacob DiBiase, Ryan Atkins, Kaitlyn Drumma, Emma Roylance, and Vashti Devi B. Mahadeo

  Anthropogenic pollutants are a common issue, yet ubiquitous in natural environments. In this experiment, Eisenia fetida, a common indicator of ecosystem health, was exposed to varying pollutants and assessed using behavioral assays, escape response to stress, change in biomass, and avoidance trials. The treatment groups included; high (HMP) and low (LMP) microplastics, high and low salt concentrations, imidacloprid pesticide, and combinations of the latter three. Following experimental testing, pH and conductivity were measured to assess soil health. In the presence of microplastics, earthworms showed a significant decrease in their ability to respond to stress, indicating negative impacts on behavior. We also found significant differences between initial and final biomass for the control, HMP, and LMP. In conclusion, microplastics and high salinity alters earthworms ability to respond to stress and biomass differences may be attributed to the “peanut butter on a cracker theory”, wherein nutrients are derived from microbial biofilms

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  Caterpillar Thermal Tolerance

  Katie Dullaghan, Tarif Sabur, and Sofia I. Jordan

  Organisms must continually adapt to changing environmental conditions to survive. We focused on caterpillars because they are very sensitive to temperature and play an important role in many food webs. We hoped to determine if size or phylogeny affect thermal tolerance. We hypothesized that caterpillars with lower masses would have higher thermal tolerance because past studies found smaller organisms had higher thermal tolerances. We also hypothesized that caterpillar species with similar evolutionary histories would have similar thermal tolerances. We collected 156 caterpillars and exposed the caterpillars to extreme high and low temperatures and recorded the temperatures at which they lost motor control (critical thermal minimum and maximum). Our results do not show significant correlations between thermal tolerance and evolutionary history or caterpillar size. It is possible that other factors such as season or symbiotic relationships affect thermal tolerance.

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  Correlations Between Nicotine Usage, Mental Wellbeing, and Other Psychoactive Substances Among College Students

  Emily Dwyer, Kayla Taufman, Suraj Sanjnani, Lina Begdache, and Nicole Scott

  Nicotine use may be associated with risk of illicit drug use and lower mental wellbeing. However, this relationship among college students is unknown. The purpose of the study is to assess the relationship between nicotine use, illicit ADHD medication use, and the use of other specific psychoactive substances and mental health of college students. An anonymous survey was distributed online to several higher education institutions. About 700 participants self-reported on the use of ADHD medications, cannabis, nicotine, other psychoactive drugs, and mental distress. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient in SPSS. Very frequent nicotine use was positively correlated with mental distress. Very frequent use was linked to Cannabis and LSD use in addition to unprescribed use of painkillers. Non frequent use was positively associated with use of psilocybin, ADHD medication, LSD, and sedatives. Nicotine users may be inclined to use psychoactive substances, which requires further research.

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  The Impact of Food Insecurity on Neurobehaviors

  Maddie Elliott, Mileni Casal, and Kwaku Darkwah

  The current study focuses on the impact of food insecurity on mental health and neurobehaviors. Food insecurity is a widespread issue that can have detrimental effects on multiple aspects of life. Data was collected using an anonymous online survey that was administered via Instagram, Facebook, Groupme, and messages. The survey included basic demographic questions such as age, gender, education, and income. The survey further inquired about dietary restrictions, resilience, motivation, and mindset. Results indicate an indirect relationship between food availability and resiliency, motivation, and mental wellness. Our results suggest that food insecurity is harmful to the emotional state; this study sheds light on the importance of food availability on neurobehaviors and mental health.

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  Documentation of the Investment in Battery Technology Innovation in Endicott, New York

  Samuel Estroff-Liberti

  This project aims to document the development of Endicott following the 113.7-million-dollar investment supporting battery technology innovation. This project will document the state of the site to be developed and surrounding neighborhoods before development and keep records throughout the construction timeline. The methods of documentation in this project include on-site photography, analysis of current maps, construction plans and eventual outcomes. This project will also monitor opinions of development by conducting interviews with residents affected by construction and monitoring media for a community-wide sentiment. As information is gathered during the development process, this project will ensure that leaders are fulfilling their promises. The results of this project can serve as a baseline of public acceptance and expectations for similarly sized projects. This project will be carried out through collaboration between student and faculty researchers to determine the success of development and fulfillment of project promises to provide grounds for future research.

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  Epistemic Wrong in The Handmaid's Tale: A Literary Approach to Gendered Disinformation

  Alyssa Figueroa

  This paper applies epistemological and literary paradigms of false and misleading information to Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid's Tale to argue that both systems and individuals perpetuate the false and misleading categories of information that result in depriving women of bodily autonomy. Analysis of the novel reveals how class divisions work to obstruct effective mobilization of the revolutionary movement. Specific moments in the plot and characterization reveal how individuals' warped perceptions of reality translate into behavior that reinforces the patriarchal regime. Finally, this literary and epistemological analysis attempts to bring literary and philosophical frameworks to bear on definitions within the field of Disinformation Studies.

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  The REWARDS of Student Literacy Confidence

  Erica Fitch and William Xu

  The effectiveness of reading literacy programs is crucial to the development of reading skills and confidence in students. The National Institute for Direct Instruction has created the Reading Excellence: Word Attack & Rate Development Strategies (REWARDS) program to build literacy confidence in secondary students (NIFDI, n.d.). The purpose of this study is to examine the REWARDS program within various local school districts, utilizing both teacher and student perception on its effectiveness of building literacy confidence and motivation. For students, we utilized a Qualtrics survey containing Likert scale questions from the questionnaire, “The Reader Self-Perception Scale” (Henk & Melnick, 1995), alongside conducting interviews for teachers about their general opinions of the program. Initial results indicate that the reading confidence of students who partake in this intervention is fairly high. These findings will help BOCES decide whether or not they should implement the REWARDS program across all of its school districts.

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  Nonprofits and Housing Insecurity in Binghamton

  Katherine Ford

  In Binghamton, NY, housing insecurity has been exacerbated by the increased demand for university students who are moving off-campus to save money. This has caused difficulty for low-income households to find affordable housing. An important way to address concerns with the availability and affordability of housing is to recognize the importance of nonprofits. Nonprofits work to further support low-income families to find affordable housing by filling in some of the gaps that public housing can’t fill. Through qualitative research methods such as investigating scholarly sources, participating with nonprofits, and discussions, I analyze some of the nonprofits in the greater Binghamton area and their impact. This research project provides insight into the housing sector in the Greater Binghamton area and can be used as background for further in-depth analysis on this topic.

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  US Hashtag Diplomacy During Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

  Lisa Foreman

  Russian disinformation is increasingly being addressed in both research and news media. However, there is significantly less investigation into the function and impact of the counter-measures used by US political actors to address this disinformation. On social media, there is a growing trend of American politicians using these virtual platforms as spaces for disseminating information, broadcasting opinions, initiating diplomacy, and–as a whole–exerting some degree of soft power during digitally-influenced conflicts. This project relies on a Python-based program to analyze Tweets from US politicians relating to the current conflict in Ukraine and finds that political social media messaging tends to have a strong positive sentiment, in that it is both biased and opinionated in a positive direction, or–in other words–that it has a positive polarity and subjectivity. The findings will then be extended to social media and political conflict as a whole.

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  Happy Medium Magazine

  Trevor Fornara

  Undergraduate student Trevor Fornara, as a participant in the Summer Scholars and Artists Program, created the first print edition of Happy Medium Magazine under the guidance of faculty advisor Heather Dorn. Happy Medium Magazine is a student-run nonpartisan politics magazine published by Happy Medium, a subsidiary organization of the Student Association at Binghamton University. The project entailed planning, content curating, editing, designing, and distributing the publication’s first print edition. Seven articles were selected to be featured in the edition, and a unique design was created for each page to match the article's theme. Through a collaboration with the Binghamton University Center for Civic Engagement, a detachable voter registration form was included on the back inside cover of the magazine with instructions for students registering on and off campus. One thousand copies of the thirty-two-page edition were printed with funds from the Summer Scholars and Artists Program stipend.

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  Happy Medium High School Magazine Development Program

  Trevor Fornara and Amanda Escotto

  Undergraduate students working with Happy Medium, a subsidiary organization of the Student Association at Binghamton University, worked with faculty member Heather Dorn to develop and facilitate the pilot of a program through which undergraduates worked with high school students to create a politics magazine at their school. Chenango Valley High School, which was chosen to pilot this program, is also a pilot school for New York State’s Seal of Civic Readiness program; the administrators welcomed Happy Medium’s program as an extension of this state program. A group of students from grades 8-11 attended weekly after-school meetings for five weeks, including four workshops facilitated by undergraduates: introduction to political journalism, research practices, productive political discourse, and the editing process. Three high school students were selected to serve as copy editors. The development and pilot of this program were funded through a grant from the Binghamton University Center for Civic Engagement.

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  Modulating KRAS Expression for Pancreatic and Ovarian Cancers

  Hamdala Fousseni

  Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers with a 5 year survival rate of <10% in the US. Ovarian cancer is less common, but it is the third most common reproductive-related cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Pancreatic cancer and aggressive ovarian cancers have too much KRAS signaling leading to more metastatic and progressive disease and poorer response to chemotherapies. This study focused on examining downregulation of KRAS, through stabilization of unique DNA structures, in SKOV3 pancreatic and CFPAC-1 pancreatic cancer cell lines using oligonucleotides and/or novel indoloquinoline compounds to downregulation KRAS. To date, the novel compound JM65 is the most promising compound that stabilizes the KRAS promoter structure, along with the oligonucleotides HpKRAS_G4 and HpKRAS_I1. Studies are ongoing to examine more compounds as well as to determine the effect of combining these approaches.

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  Why Guantanamo Detainees Should not be Prosecuted Under US Law

  Isabela Fraguada

  The U.S.’s Guantanamo Bay detention center has held 779 Muslim men over 20 years, with only a handful ever facing criminal charges. Since its opening, detainees have performed months-long hunger strikes to protest the abuse they face. In response, Guantanamo implemented force feeding, an intrusive and cruel procedure that feeds a prisoner via nasogastric tube. Despite being under U.S. jurisdiction, there has been much debate over whether these detainees should receive the same civil rights the U.S. gives its citizens. Under international law, force feeding is considered an unethical practice that invalidates human rights. However, U.S. law does not recognize hunger striking as a right, nor does it consider force feeding a violation of them. This essay will argue that Guantanamo hunger strikers would not benefit from being granted the civil rights of a U.S. citizen, but rather benefit from international legislative protection.

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  “I Don't Know How to Use This, But I Don't Care!” Exploring Flexibility and Persistence During Play-Making in K-2 Setting

  Monika Fridrich and Ilana Plotkin

  Research on young children’s creative thinking suggested that some of young children’s behaviors are antecedents to young children’s creative thinking and creativity. These behaviors include exploration (behaviors related to the approach to new situations), involvement and enjoyment (behaviors related to the creative process), and persistence (behaviors related to facing obstacles). Our current project focused on two of the creative thinking behaviors - flexibility and persistence. The literature suggested that flexibility was linked to divergent thinking and resulted in more creativity. On the other hand, persistence was connected to convergent thinking which is less creative. Our research investigated this theory. We utilized the Analyzing Children’s Creative Thinking (ACCT) framework to analyze children’s behaviors during play-making sessions in a K-2 school setting. Based on our preliminary findings, we proposed that both flexibility and persistence are important elements of children’s creative thinking.

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  Student Perspectives of the Value of a Drop-In Room and its Influence on their School Experience

  Sasha Gozan-Keck, Janice Lee, and Marcus Atwood

  In the United States, the prevalence of poor mental health among middle and high school kids has amplified quickly (CDC, 2023). Schools are looking for different initiatives to combat this epidemic (Department of Education, n.d.). A local school district has an initiative where students have access to a room where they can come to relax and destress during the day. The purpose of this study is to determine the value and usefulness of such a room. We used a non-experimental questionnaire, as well as informal interviews with students, to understand student perspectives on the drop-in room. From our initial data, it seems that most students think the drop-in room improves their school experience and would like to see it continued. Based on our results, we recommend that other schools consider implementing a drop-in room based on the positive impacts it could potentially have on students’ mental health and school experience.

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  Designing a Rear Wing for Binghamton's Formula Race Car: From Small-Scale Simulations and Experiments to Full-Scale Manufacturing

  Lucas Grabowski, Mason Gilbert, William McGowan, David Esses, and Cosan Daskiran

  Binghamton's Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) designed an aerodynamically efficient rear wing with three airfoils for their new electric vehicle (EV) to improve lap time. They used an integral model, JavaFoil, to determine the size and configuration of each airfoil. Over 4,000 simulations were conducted to determine the optimal spacing and angle of attack for each airfoil to achieve the best downforce. The results were confirmed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experiments at the AEROLAB Wind Tunnel. The final configuration was manufactured using a manual wet layup technique for epoxy resin and carbon fiber. The rear wing assembly will be installed on the 2023 FSAE EV vehicle, which will compete in June 2023 at the Michigan International Speedway. The findings and insights gained from this project will not only assist future aerodynamics teams at Binghamton Motorsports but will also benefit other FSAE teams.

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  The Effect of Fast Food Consumption on Development of Mental Disorders

  Emily Hanlon, Logan Hou, Victoria Hilbert, and Elliott Ifraimov

  Increasing evidence suggests a relationship between fast food consumption and the progression of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. The study conducted aimed to identify whether or not there is an association between these two factors. An anonymous online survey was administered through Google forms. The survey included basic demographic questions regarding diet and mood. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze data in SPSS version 25.0. Our results suggest that there is an association between increased consumption of fast food and the prevalence of mental disorders. Practicing healthier eating habits along with limiting fast food consumption may prevent or lower the risks of developing mental health disorders.

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  The Immediate and Future Impacts of COVID-19 on K-12 Public Education in the United States

  Lara Indich

  When schools changed to a distanced model in 2020 due to COVID-19, students quickly adapted to virtual learning with varying resources. One consequence we see is that many students struggled and fell behind grade level. Although the pandemic made it clear that online learning may not be the most effective model, it is possible with proper resources. Comparing various income brackets and analyzing the Nation’s Report Card’s data, a collection of fourth- and eighth-grade test scores, and interviews with education professionals, I examine the immediate impact of distance learning and its future implications for K-12 public education in the US. Education stands at the backbone of society. If these learning gaps are true, students will be at a disadvantage forever. The traditional school model has been the same for decades. The introduction of distance learning can severely impact schooling as we know it.

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  Romanticization in Media

  Emily Jette

  In my research I will be asking the question of how romanticization across media types supports capitalism. In media such as television shows and movies, the concept of big cities is used to create an ideal setting that draws people in. They also create an ideal character that coincides with this ideal setting. The combination of these ideals is used to create a romanticized life that people strive to achieve. To achieve such a life, usually means purchasing subsequent products that these ideal characters also use. This is also seen in modern social media with influencers, and celebrities. These are real life adaptations of these ideal characters that are in some ways, more influential in creating this ideal reality for people to strive for then the characters are. No matter if we’re looking at the ideal character, or ideal person, we still see people trying to become them. This desire to become them then turns into people buying into what they represent, and supporting our capitalist economy.

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  Bi-metal Structures Fabricated by Extrusion-based Sintering-assisted Additive Manufacturing

  Dayue Jiang

  The additive manufacturing (AM) of bi-metal structure has received much interest because it provides compensated properties for a single metal alloy, meeting the harsh requirements for components used in key industries like aerospace, defense, energy, etc. However, fusion-based AM technologies usually induce interfacial cracks and delamination resulted from the large mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between dissimilar materials, while the solid-state AM methods generate a large number of pores at the interface, requiring post-fabrication heat treatment. In this study, we aim to build high-quality 17-4 PH stainless steel and nickel alloy bi-metal structure with material extrusion AM method, followed by debinding and sintering processes. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the bi-metal structure were thoroughly investigated. The completion of this study provides a pioneering analysis of bi-metal structures built by extrusion-based sintering-assisted AM and shows a great promise for further adoption in a variety of industrial applications.

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  Implementing Open Source Solutions Within Local Public Health Systems

  Macy Jiang

  The COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for innovation across the globe to respond to healthcare issues ranging from medical device and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages to the maintenance of social distancing measures in communal spaces. Many open-source solutions were developed and implemented in response to these challenges. From contact tracing software to sharing of data and research, open source has played a significant role in responding to the pandemic. To better prepare for future pandemics, more local public health systems should apply these technologies. In this study, I analyze the impact of open-source solutions in public health and explore tools that can be helpful to universities and local communities in the long run. My research aims to promote the use of open-source solutions in local and global communities, to improve the capacity of public health systems to respond to pandemics and other health emergencies.

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  Psychological Apathy on Climate Change

  Sky Jiang

  Climate change refers to the changes in weather and temperatures, a phenomena that occurs naturally. However, this change has grown at an extreme and unnatural rate since the last millennia, producing increasingly severe and frequent weather conditions such as droughts. Simple actions like recycling and saving power can lower carbon emissions, a major contributor of climate change. Although many people are aware of climate change, they choose to ignore this issue. This apathy is partially psychological in nature, caused by feelings of powerlessness and cognitive dissonance. I analyze research papers to understand how these factors play a role in hindering the climate change movements. I will also provide personal stories from people directly impacted by climate change, opening up the opportunity for self-reflection to help reduce cognitive dissonance. I will also suggest small changes anyone can perform for those willing to help the efforts against climate change.