Student Research

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Browsing Student Research by Subject "2022 Sophomore Research Conference"

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    Clean Energy, Dirty Prices: The Disconnect Between Low-Income Communities and Renewable Energy in Western North Carolina
    (2022-11-22) Clark, Sean
    Since the introduction of state- and nationwide renewable energy sources in the early 1990s, renewable energy, and its implementation into society has been an issue filled with hardship and conflict. Facing pushback from politicians and fluctuation of prices by manufacturers, Americans are struggling to smoothly make the switch to clean energy. Low-income Americans are finding it the hardest among those in the nation struggling to switch to clean energy solutions. High prices and a lack of easily accessible government solutions have made it challenging for those living in poverty to make the switch, leading to a common phenomenon known as energy poverty. In western North Carolina, specifically Asheville, these hardships hold just as true. The lack of state government funding for residential renewable energy solutions and high prices for personal renewable energy producers have created a disconnect between those living in energy poverty and renewable energy solutions. I take a deeper look into this lack of government assistance and the high prices relating to clean energy, how this combination has caused severe energy poverty in the U.S. and specifically western North Carolina and will propose possible solutions to be implemented in WNC so that renewable energy disconnect in low-income communities will slowly disappear.
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    The Heavenly Host Will Let You In The Meeting: Tri-Cities Churches and COVID-19
    (2022) Bible, Seth
    A study of COVID-19's effect on churches in the Tri-Cities, featuring interviews with pastors and church leaders from different denominations.
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    The Intersection of Motherhood and Ministry: Reexamining the Woman’s Role in the Church
    (2022-12-06) Roberts, Ashley; Hoover, Heather
    Women are in the minority in church leadership, and historically, ministry has been a male-dominated field. Women working in ministry may have the support of other church leaders, but may face congregational pushback or be constrained to supporting roles in ministry. For a woman to work in ministry, she has to be prepared to face questions or pushback only because of her gender. I will look at gendered socialization and the conscious and unconscious prejudices that mothers in ministry face. I will analyze and examine the differences between the experiences of working mothers and working fathers.. I will implement solutions based on stories(in books, articles, and my conversation extension) of women who felt called to both ministry and motherhood. I will advocate for them by exploring ways in which women can be encouraged as both parents and pastors. I will explore practical ways that Christians can support women stepping into ministry and caretaking without burning out or having to choose between the two.
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    The Love Doctrine: Reducing Recidivism in America
    (2022-11-21) York, Wheatley; Hoover, Heather
    Recidivism is an ongoing crisis in the U.S that only exacerbates the overcrowding issue faced by many correctional facilities. People who suffer from mental illness, addiction or marginalization are the most likely to be incarcerated. Offenders suffering from mental illness, addiction, or marginalization are also the most likely to reoffend. Offenders are released into society only to find themselves stuck in a cycle that leads them back to prison. As of 2021 76.6% of offenders in the U.S will reoffend within five years of their release into society (Benecchi). I will take a closer look at why over 70% of offenders in America are placed back in a system that failed to rehabilitate them the first time. I want to investigate the reentry programs, educational reforms, and second chance programs offered to offenders in the U.S. Focusing on ways to relay the importance of an offender’s successful reentry to families, employers, and taxpayers, I wish to show how essential it is that inmates are receiving proper rehabilitative care. I will advocate policy changes for the availability of transferable education, health care, support groups, addiction counseling, and job connections to inmates.
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    “What’s Going On Inside Their Heads?”: Demystifying Emotions with Pixar’s Inside Out
    (2022-12-01) Arendale, Sam; Hoover, Heather
    In the summer of 2015, Pixar released Inside Out, a film about an eleven-year-old girl named Riley and the five personified emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust) inside her head that control her response to daily events. Since its release, psychologists and psychiatrists have championed the film for the way it handles complex emotional problems in a way that is comprehensible even for young audiences; other attempts to model the way our brain works have not been nearly as powerful. This research aims to uncover why we need successful emotional tools like Inside Out. What can we learn about emotions? Is there something to be gathered from the way it uses film techniques to teach lessons; to inspire metacognition on emotion? What commentary is there on the benefits of embracing emotions? I believe the compelling narrative and colorful characters, along with the scientific accuracy of the visual elements used, help to model valuable strategies for emotional maturity. To provide evidence, I look to the psychologists who aided the Pixar team, and the thoughts of many scholars within the fields of psychology, film, philosophy, etc.