The History and Development of the Washoe People

Caroline Blair, Anthropology Undergraduate Student

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This project is an exploration in the history, development, and reclamation efforts of the Washoe Tribe. This native tribe’s ancestral land centers around Lake Tahoe in Nevada and California. The Washoe people have been adversely impacted by colonial and westward expansion. Currently, The Washoe have proposals for land use within each of their established settlements that will incorporate more agricultural practices and conservation efforts and the Tribe is opening a sawmill within the Tahoe Forest for revenue, jobs, and fire management. These projects represent efforts by the Tribe to reclaim their ancestral lands and promote their own development.

The Homeless Students of Color of Humboldt State University

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

In the Fall semester of 2015, Humboldt State University experienced an increase in enrollment unlike any in its history; HSU recruited a total 1,429 incoming freshmen, which joined the already-enrolled student body of 7,370. Of that population, 31% was Hispanic-identified, and 31.3% of that population was from Los Angeles alone. Competitive housing on and off campus left many students in housing insecurity; some endured homelessness for a majority of the semester. This ethnographic research spans the Fall 2015 semester as an attempt to analyze the multi-faceted issue of student homelessness. The increase in enrollment provides an opportunity for analysis in our very racialized present.

The Impact of COVID on Academic Stress and Achievement Goal Orientations in College Students

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Since the start of the pandemic, college students report experiencing more stress, more burnout, and more negative academic perceptions which in turn have affected persistence rates. College students' are experiencing more academic stress due to having a hard time adjusting to online format which has been associated with lower academic persistence. Students' goal orientation may be influenced by stress. Achievement goal orientations refers to a student’s motivation and approach to educational goals. We hypothesize that COVID-19 stress would mediate the relationship between perceived academic stress and achievement goal orientations.

The Impact of Mandated Physical Fitness Testing on Mental Health

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

For my project I wanted to focus on the impact that mandated Physical Fitness Testing has on students. The state of California mandates that students receive a physical fitness test. The test then categorizes the results and measures health based on these results. What it fails to take into account are biological, psychological, and socioeconomic components that can contribute to the students results. Body image and eating disorders are a prevalent issue amongst our society. What I hope this project addresses is the limited research we have on the detriment of physical fitness testing and if and how it impacts the mental health of students.

The Impact of the Potawat Community Garden

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

A look into how the Potawot Community Garden, an offshoot of United Indian Health Services, aids in the fight for decolonization and health independence for local tribes.

The Impacts of Globalization on the Tibetan Chuba

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Throughout a 6-week period, field observations were conducted in select areas within the Tibetan cultural regions of Amdo, Kham, and Ü-Tsang of western China. Observations were primarily focused on clothing transitions of the Tibetan Chuba—a traditional garment influenced by Eurasian steppe cultures—as a result of globalization.

The Importance of Soil Analysis Concerning Ancient Civilizations

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Human activities leave an impact on everything, including deep in the soil. This soil then can be tested thousands of years later to help determine what activities occurred at the site for a culture that may have been lost, is barely known about, or left no evidence other than their footprint in the dirt. I will relate my experience as an intern in the Archaeology Lab on campus to this project, which also concerns soil analysis from someone else's project.

The Importance of Stretching Everyday

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

For this assignment/project, I wanted to create a poster that information, relatable, and quick. When you see a poster, you kind of have to soak it all in at once. It isn’t moving or talking to give you the bigger picture of what it is. You just have to look and kind of go with it however you like. That is why I wanted something that was grounded to Earth, quick, and knowledgeable. I wanted to do an awareness poster on The Importance of Stretching. The importance of stretching is something that is overlooked in our daily lives because individuals are wrapped up in their everyday busy lives. I cannot blame them, so am I!

The Irishman and His Whiskey

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

The artifact of alcoholic beverages contains a profoundly vast array of facets to articulate. This paper aims to make the critical interventions necessary to realize the manifestations of alcohol use and its interpretations, in terms of identity, occur because of historic contexts embedded in our culture. By examining the symbolism and stereotypes of the Irish immigrant in America, the identity struggles and ideologies surrounding alcohol can be understood through the rhetoric of social groups.

The Jefferson Community Center Fight Against Food Insecurity in Humboldt County

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Communities in poverty often lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Resources such as community gardens and health education have the ability to inspire and transform the lives of those involved. The Jefferson Community Center provide these resources to the public, bringing back environmental sustainability and justice. The lack of food security in the community shows the need of community building and access to fresh produce. My poster reflects my experiences at the Jefferson Community Center and how they are contributing to the public in important and positive ways.