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In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In ARL Publications

Abstract

The Adirondack Chronology is intended to be a useful resource for researchers and others interested in the Adirondacks and Adirondack history.

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In President's Report

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In Honors Theses

Abstract

The Declaration of Independence states that the government’s power is derived “from the consent of the governed.” Despite this grand sentiment, however, it has been up for debate for over two hundred years as to who should be permitted to participate in American democracy. The Fifteenth Amendment’s passage in 1870, while technically banning racial discrimination at the ballot box, was circumvented as the era of Jim Crow was ushered in. Literacy tests, character attestations, violent intimidation, and other obstacles disenfranchised most Black southerners until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) was passed. Section 5 of the Act, which required states with histories of voter discrimination to seek federal approval before implementing changes to election administration, served as the first line of defense against suppression efforts for decades. This changed dramatically with the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which rendered Section 5 unenforceable. This thesis investigates the impact of Shelby across the country, studying the rise in various tactics used to limit access to the ballot box for minorities. It posits that every American should have the right to vote easily and without significant burdens. The VRA proved that federal oversight is the most effective way to protect this right. For this reason, it is imperative that Congress passes the For the People Act (H.R. 1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, as both pieces of legislation will protect Americans against recent and ongoing attacks on voting access.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

The frequency and intensity of natural disasters have been increasing since the 1980's with a greater amount of category 4 and 5 hurricanes. These intense natural disasters dismantle entire islands, or cities leaving them without electricity and potable drinking water. Although generators suffice as a solution to supply electricity and run water filtration systems, natural disasters can eliminate all localized fuel resources leaving them unworkable. The objective of this project was to redesign and improve upon a portable energy conversion system initially designed by Union College Student Ian Davies in 2014. The system was designed to provide clean drinking water, heat and electricity using solar energy. The solar energy was used to heat water to a potable pasteurization temperature and also provide electricity to charge and run critical devices. This project focused on increasing the thermal and electrical outputs of the system, while also making the system more robust, compact and adjustable. The impact of the system enhancements were assessed using experimental data and analysis comparing the redesigned system to the original design.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis begins to discuss why the United States has yet to develop public school curriculum standards for teaching about 9/11 the War on Terror terrorism and Islam. My first chapter looks at the relationship between the American "culture wars" and education since the country's founding. It demonstrates how the politics of culture have not only permeated schools but have been the determining factor on what topics are covered and enforced in school curriculum. My second chapter heavily revolves around the history of education reform in the United Kingdom and how the UK government not only came to see the positive benefits of civic education but a civic education that is multicultural in nature. This education focused on strengthening their minority population's British and homeland identities in an attempt to strengthen minority trust for British government. My third chapter uses statistical analysis to determine whether what students learn about 9/11 the War on Terror and Islam in school affects their political opinions. My fourth chapter is a discussion on whether multicultural education in the UK is successful or in reality a violation of human rights law. I move back into a discussion on the way American elites frame the issue of terrorism and how this draws light on the greater forces preventing the development of a curriculum. This information will allow me to draw conclusions on whether a multicultural education is the best choice for American schools.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis explores the right to health care and the role of free clinics through a case study on the Schenectady Free Health Clinic located in Schenectady, NY. With the current health care reform and the economic crisis, the Schenectady Free Health Clinic was facing closure. This thesis aimed to study how the services provided by the clinic impacted the local community in order to better understand what would happen if the clinic was forced to close. Over the past year, the clinic has been struggling due to lack of funding from the state government. This lack of funding stems mainly from the idea that the state and the country do not posses the same ideals as the volunteers of the clinic: that is, health care as a human right. This thesis aimed to understand the bridge created between health care as a human right and free clinic’s. This thesis focused on the Schenectady Free Health Clinic because of its status as a well established community health care organization as well as because of the current financial situation it faces. In order to better understand the clinic, several different methods of research were implemented. Research included reading articles and books, conducting a patient survey, talking to community residents, participant observation at the clinic, and conducting interviews with doctors and patients. Additionally, an ongoing campaign was held in order to raise awareness and restore funding to the clinic. Overall, it was understood that the clinic is an invaluable community resource.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Although disasters are frequent events in American history, mental health services for victims is a relatively recent interest. Concern for psychological well-being became a significant component of disaster response and relief in the past thirty years. The history of how mental health developed into an integral component of disaster relief has remained relatively unexplored. This thesis examines the incorporation of mental health in the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. As this thesis will show, the escalated frequency and damage of disasters in the early 1970s prompted a broad revision of federal disaster relief; included in what became the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 was Section 413’s provision for “Crisis Counseling Assistance.” This emerged partly in response to devastation caused by Hurricane Agnes in 1972 in Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley. There, the National Institute of Mental Health sponsored an experimental mental health program called Project Outreach. Project Outreach, one of the first federal disaster mental health programs, and a handful of similar programs, paved the way for the incorporation of mental health in the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. Project Outreach and this legislation established a foundation for the expanding role of this fundamental component of the modern response to disaster. The devastation caused by disasters of the early 1970s, converging trends in psychological thinking and mental health care, and interest at the federal level resulted in the inclusion of “Crisis Counseling Assistance” among the 1974 amendments to the Disaster Relief Act. Disasters continue to occur, and in the aftermath of disasters it is clear that concerns for mental health will persist. Mental health and federal involvement have developed a greater role in American life; and with such, the historical background regarding disaster mental health is of great importance.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Presidential campaigns in America symbolize change, excitement, and democratic tradition. Although undeniably distinctive from one another, presidential races today nevertheless mirror decades of reoccurring patterns. Yet in a nation that has experienced a colorful history of presidential campaigns, why does the 1992 presidential race deserve particular attention? The election of 1992 between George H. W. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton exists as a watershed in American politics. Whereas other presidential elections should be considered unique to one another, 1992 should be considered both unique and unusual. This thesis presents a two-pronged argument: First, 1992 was unique and modernized the presidential campaign; and second, the winning candidate and campaign should be considered as a model for electoral success. The structure of this thesis unfolds in four major sections, beginning with a literature review. The literature review exposes the distinction of the election as well as its winning candidate, Bill Clinton. The second chapter identifies what exactly are the novelties in the 1992 campaign and how did they modernize elections as a whole? The third chapter should be read as a formula for campaign success; Clinton’s initial run for president provides answers to common dilemmas that rise in presidential elections. The fourth chapter tests the central claims of this thesis and applies them to the 2000, 2004, and 2008 elections. Doing so reveals what is perhaps the most poignant aspect of Clinton’s ’92 campaign: its longevity.

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Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

A malady of economic and political instability, the trafficking of women for the purpose of sexual exploitation thrives on the desperate poverty and gender inequity that afflicts hundreds of Mexican women. After drugs and weapons trafficking, human trafficking is organized crime’s most profitable activity, generating seven to ten billion dollars annually. Sex trafficking is linked to prostitution, for it is the prostitution industry into which these victims are forced. For this reason, combating sex trafficking is linked to a nation’s view on prostitution, a subject upon which there is much debate. The United Nations definition of sex trafficking, however, denotes several basic components upon which most can agree: sex trafficking above all involves coercion, transportation and exploitation. Though trafficking is clearly a global phenomenon, this paper focuses on the problem as it particularly affects the United States and Mexico. Both nations are high implicated in this illicit “trade,” partaking in different roles – the U.S. as a destination site for these trafficked women and Mexico functioning primarily as a source and hub nation, through which the women are “supplied.” Sex trafficking is a complex, global social problem that is facilitated by numerous factors; yet attaining a thorough comprehension of the dynamics of this phenomenon requires seeing the trade as a business, and thus investigating the markets which comprise this industry. The trade must be viewed in terms of basic economics – supply and demand; it is within those two fields that the fight must begin.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement