The land feature known as the Nanih Waiya mound is central to the religious beliefs and cultural identity of the Choctaw Tribe of Native Americans. The function and creation of this mound differs depending upon the perspective of the Choctaw Tribal divisions, but it is mostly classified as a human-made earthwork that dates back to the Middle Woodland period (c. 0-300 CE) with naturally occurring features. Choctaw tribal members were separated from their original land and the Nanih Waiya after European contact and forced evacuations which began with the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The mound is present in most Choctaw origin stories and is a source of identity and community for the Tribe.

A 16 week ethnographic study of Arcata Yoga Culture was performed in Fall of 2018. To present findings, the poster overviews of the application of one of numerous lens of analysis used in the final ethnography to examine research results. A dualist lens, contrasting the concepts of communalism and individualism was selected for its tangible interpretation of yoga culture specific to Arcata by looking at how people of the community interact and conceptualize yoga. This lens was used in the ethnography to provide a base for the application of additional lens that could potentially giving insight into the role and interpretation of yoga in the general West and its acculturation process.

Food is a fundamental life struggle, and just like any other species, humans have developed ways to meet our nutritional needs. Using scholarly peer reviewed texts, I investigated if there was any change to our nutritional needs as we have genetically modified the corn plant. Trends in the data analysed suggest that while the nutritional needs of humans hasn’t changed, the amounts in which we consume certain foods has profound effects on the human body. In the case of corn, too much sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup gives us an stored energy with out any extra nutrients. If we then do not burn off this stored energy it will accumulate and cause health problems.

World of Warcraft, an online fantasy game, connects more than 10 million players worldwide in a multiplayer story-based adventure. Each player builds a character and plays through game content individually or in groups called guilds. Through participant observation over the course of a year, this study of one guild found: social/hierarchical bonds/structure are reinforced in all group activities; and the correlation between individual time investment in guild play/communication and group cohesion. This research contributes to existing scholarship on online sociality by providing insight into the role online gaming plays in connecting people across time and space in new forms of community.

I investigated the role of reciprocity in sacrificial rites of Iron Age Ireland through literature review of three well-documented bog bodies: Clonycavan Man, Gallagh Man, and Oldcroghan Man. I hypothesized that the elite status of these men made them valuable as sacrificial offerings. Literature indicates their high status as well as the ritual nature of their deaths and deposition. Sacrificial ritual establishes reciprocity between mortals and the divine. Reciprocity is a universal social phenomenon which creates a network of mutual obligation. The people of Iron Age Ireland used high-value offerings in sacrificial ritual as a means of obtaining high-value returns from their deities.

People may or may not realize that when they meet a physically attractive person, they are more likely to evaluate him or her as a smart and positive person compared to a less attractive person in the absence of other features besides physical attractiveness. This attractive halo effect has influenced multiple areas that include the job market, dating, and academic success. However, it is possible for other factors, such as one’s creativity and personality to affect one’s judged attractiveness level. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of facial attractiveness, creativity, and warm-cold personality characteristics when judging female attractiveness.

Ted Bundy is one of the United States’ most infamous serial killers. He has been described as being charismatic and intelligent, despite the fact that he murdered dozens of women in the 1970s. Ted Bundy’s motivation for killing, and reactions to him, may reveal some potentially problematic aspects about what mainstream society in the United States values. A trend that made itself apparent was the idea of Ted Bundy being a charming and intelligent person being a myth created by Bundy himself. This myth was made popular by other writers and journalists over the last 30 years.

The bulk of archaeological notes taken in the field are hand-written, with pencil-sketched maps and diagrams, varying widely in legibility, clarity, and completeness of information. While this last point cannot easily be fixed in post, the former two can be through the development of a comprehensive “style guide” and tutorial for the digitization of archaeological field notes—using the free design program “Inkscape.” The guide is designed to be internally consistent and easily comprehensible, usable even by those with no experience with either the programs or raw data involved, guiding the user along the process of rendering previously inconsistent field data into a uniform visual style.

In forensics, stature estimation is a key component of the assessment of skeletal remains. Estimating stature involves extrapolation from the length of long bones. Previous research has indicated environment can result in postmortem shrinkage of bone, and therefore affect stature estimates. This research project examines the extent of bone shrinkage that occurs when bones are exposed to the elements, dried out in a fume hood and submerged underwater. Measurements of bone length were taken at regular intervals. Preliminary analysis indicates a relationship between precipitation and postmortem shrinkage. This study has the potential to aid in assessing the accuracy of stature calculations.

I am interning at the District Attorney's Victim Witness program located in Eureka California as an advocate. There has been a long standing need for a grief support group for those who have lost a loved one to murder. As a mother of a murdered daughter I understand how important a grief support group becomes for this population. This unique need has become my community project focus and passion for those who've experienced complicated grief related to homicide. Broken Spirits Rising can offer people who are grieving a supportive environment in which to work through their grief when,for many of them there may be few places in their lives in which they can get this support and be themselves