October 2014 edition

The Scholar

Senior Editors: Photographers:

Sarah Holt Georgia Brown

Jeremy Greenburg Josh Diltz

Disclaimer: Any views or opinions herein

expressed are not representative of the University Scholars

Organization as a whole

October 2014

The Scholar October 2014 Edition

2 The University of Tennessee at Martin’s University Scholars Organization

Important Dates ................................................................................................................................................ 3

Beth Allmon—Football ................................................................................................................................... 4

Ashlyn Parry—The UT Health Science Center Recruitment Visit .................................................... 5

Derek Anderson—Focus on Scholars ........................................................................................................ 5

Cody Robertson—Social Scholars .............................................................................................................. 6

Clay Palmer—Saltantem in fervore ............................................................................................................. 7

Emily McCartney—Why You Should be Proud That You Are A Scholar ....................................... 7

Aaron Eubank—Careless Mortality ........................................................................................................... 8

Brooke Baker—Injustice of a Hero............................................................................................................. 9

Jeremy Greenburg—Alone ............................................................................................................................ 9

Junior/Senior Projects

Chloe Mullis ...................................................................................................................................... 11

Andrew Warner .............................................................................................................................. 11

Jordan Jensen ................................................................................................................................... 12

Blake Conrad .................................................................................................................................... 12

Grace Lucas ....................................................................................................................................... 13

Alli McClure....................................................................................................................................... 13

Hunter Lindberg ............................................................................................................................. 14

Mary Medling ................................................................................................................................... 14

A Letter From the Editors ........................................................................................................... 16

Table of Contents

The University of Tennessee at Martin’s University Scholars Organization 3


Important Dates

Scholar Events— Fall Semester

Scholars Spooktacular: October 31st

Scholars Bake Sale: November 28th&29th

Jackson Trip: November 9th

Scholars Thanksgiving: November 13th

Academic Calendar— Fall Semester

Oct. 27, Monday Advising Period Begins

Nov. 10, Monday Registration Begins

Nov. 26-30 Thanksgiving Break

For more information, visit:

http://catalog.utm.edu/content.php?

catoid=8&navoid=476#Fall_Semester__2014



Beth Allmon Football I don’t really care too much for football, but I woke up pretty excited for the game. This was going to be my very first college football game. A large group of people began to form in the Ellington parking lot, so I walked out to find the three other Scholars that I knew were also going to be a part of the human tunnel. I met up with Sarah Holt and was joined shortly by John-Alex Warner and Cody Robertson. After receiving a few instructions on how the tunnel was going to be set up on the field, we all walked over to the football stadium, talking the whole way. I was really looking forward to the human tunnel as we all waited for our cue from the corner of the field. They always looked really awesome when I had seen them in high school. The Captain Skyhawk mascot took some pictures with the whole group, but being so short means I am probably not visible at all. I felt terrible for the poor guy in the mascot suit. It was hot enough for those of us not enveloped in that getup. When we finally were told to make the tunnel, there was a confused scramble by the whole group. Nobody knew where on the field they were supposed to be! It was less of a human tunnel than a random pod of confused students in the middle of the field. On the bright side, I got a foam Skyhawk face and pom-pom to wave around during the game. Slightly disappointed by the lack of success of the tunnel, I was both surprised and encouraged to hear that it was an improvement from the previous week.

We were invited to eat the lunch Sodexo had set up, and seeing as the cafeteria was closed for lunch, we went. They had a little line of pulled pork sandwiches and potato salad and the like. They even had a portable soda dispenser, which was new and a little surprising. Sitting down behind the score board with John-Alex, Cody and a few people they had just met, we ate and missed the opening of the game. I didn’t mind not seeing the game begin, because I got to hang out with some Scholars and talk about things I truly do enjoy. The guys and I all love musicals, so they spent the whole meal trying to convince me to attend one later that evening with them.

After a bit, I got a call from my big sibling, Zachary Ragland, to let us know that they had a spot in the stands with a bunch a Scholars, so we wandered up to some seats next to the band. This was a very enthusiastic group of people. Every time the band played something, the group jumped up to dance and

cheer. I found it hard to truly pay attention to the game itself. Everyone was talking and football is hard for me to get into anyway. There’s just something about watching other people play a sport but not playing it myself that isn’t as fun. But we probably had the loudest cheering section all the same. Particularly Sarah Miller. That girl was screaming and dancing like nobody else. Half-time brought out the band, which, as a band kid, was much more exciting for me. Wanting to be able to see the show from the right side of the field, John-Alex and I walked over to the home side. I had also never seen a college marching band perform so this day was full of firsts. I really enjoyed the music because it was from the musical West Side Story and the performers really looked like they were having fun doing it too. As the third quarter finished up, we were still losing, and it was getting really hot. I have the farmer’s tan to prove it. Those of us who aren’t lucky enough to tan were just turning into strawberries. So the group decided to cut our losses and just get frozen yogurt. Finally getting to sit down in a cold room after four hours of sunshine was heavenly. Luke Robinson organized most of the group to go play a game of football and Frisbee themselves. Unfortunately, I had a paper to get to writing. So we went our separate ways and the adventure was over. As much as football is uninteresting to me, and as much as Allie Clayton may be mad at me for saying I don’t like it, it turns out that the game was much less about the actual game and more about the people I spent it with. From the failed tunnel to frozen yogurt, I’m so glad I had all the people to hang out with. I might not want to attend another game, but I wouldn’t have made it through this one without my friends.

“What’s Happening?” Freshmen News Reports



Ashlyn Parry The UT Health Science Center Recruitment Visit

On Tuesday, September 23rd, at 11:00 AM, six representatives from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center came to UT Martin and gathered in the University Center. These six people each represented the colleges found in the Health Science Center, including: Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Graduate Health Sciences, and Health Professions. After setting up their individual tables and getting settled in, they welcomed the roughly twenty students waiting to get things started. Basically this was a time to get any and all information you needed. If you had no idea which field you were interested in, you could talk to all of the tables and try to figure that out. On the other hand, knowing your field of interest meant you could talk specifically to that college. In addition to just getting information, this was a wonderful opportunity to introduce yourself to these important representatives, who could be deciding whether to admit you as a student in the future.

After introductions, and a little small talk, students were able to ask questions or express concerns. The students ranged from a few freshmen, like myself, who were there to see what they needed to be doing now, to many upper classmen, trying to figure out more about the graduate school application process that they were now facing. I spent the majority of my time at the Health Professions table, learning things like what prerequisites I needed, the hours of shadowing required, and the secrets to a desired application for graduate school. The representative at this table was very friendly, easy to talk to, and able to answer any questions asked. As our visit wrapped up, we were all asked to fill out an information card. Free pens, stickers, business cards, and informative brochures were also offered. If you are interested in any of these fields and planning on going to graduate school, I would highly recommend going to this event next year. After seeing how frantic the unprepared seniors were, the sooner you go the better!

Derek Anderson Focus on Scholars I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the achievements of our very own. Featured in this article is freshman scholar Will Singer. Singer is a freshman Agriculture Communications major. He is the son of Becky and Peter Singer from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Some further background includes several hobbies of his from fishing to antiquing. Singer has already become very involved within campus life. The Wildlife Society, Agronomy club, and Collegiate FFA are just a few of the organizations he has joined. He recently became a student ambassador for UT Martin, giving tours of campus. Singer states, “I enjoy opportunities to develop new friendships and net-work with others while also promoting the University.” Although still a freshman, he is no stranger to the many opportunities provided in the University Scholars Organization. In September, the freshman Scholars class of 2018 elected Singer to represent them in the USO Executive Council. “I like to serve…and have the ability to benefit USO in addition to being more involved,” Singer stated. After college he plans to pursue possible graduate educa-tion and a career in either agricultural law, public relations, or broadcasting. The University Scholars has a bright future in the freshman class and class representative Will Singer.

Many UTM students gather joyfully around Captain Skyhawk in anticipation of the game. Beth Allmon is, sadly, not visible behind the Captain. Retrieved from http://www.utm.edu/departments/univrel/headline.php?id=1



Cody Robertson Social Scholars

Coming from the close, small town of Union City, I enrolled this semester as a freshman here at UTM. Due to the college being so close to my hometown, many of my friends from high school also enrolled here this semester. Over our time here so far, we have been asked countless times if we are enjoying college from various people. My answer, thanks very much to University Scholars, has always been a strong yes. However, my friends have generally replied that they dislike college so far. This has pained me because of how much I’m enjoying my time here and the friends I’ve made during it, so I’ve tried to figure out why they are unhappy. I have decided that their unhappiness is partly due to their smaller social presence. They aren’t involved with any social groups or clubs on campus, nor do they attend college-hosted events, thus making it very difficult for them to forge new friendships and social connections. Starting college, I began with 59 new friends from Scholars alone, with even more to be made slowly throughout the semester. My friends, however, began college only knowing each other, contributing to their boredom with college. They have more time to be bored with college from sitting at home alone on weekends while I find myself hanging out with the new friends I’ve met since beginning college in nearly every free moment of my days (those not spent sleeping anyway). Whether it is going to a football game and getting sunburned, going out to an impromptu dinner, or even having a movie night, I’m always finding some way to fill my free time with fun that would have been hard to find without Scholars. At first, I didn’t realize how much this group had influenced me socially. In high school, I could easily be described as an extremely shy person who kept only a small number of friends and almost never attended social events, a stark comparison to how I appear now. How much I have changed began to sink in each time I would wave to someone I knew and my friends would question how I knew him or her. Now, they don’t even bother to question me about how I know people, they just assume that they’re in Scholars. Any social group would help my friends’ dilemma, although most of them avoid them due to the traditional party lifestyle that seems to be associated with them, but it is also nice to be involved in a social group such as Scholars that others can and do describe as “respectable.” Being in Scholars has helped me to become more comfortable with meeting new people and forging new friendships. Having so many new and wonderful people brought into my life as a new sort of family has flown open doors of opportunity that I never would have thought possible for me. Being able to use my fellow Scholars as connections as well as providing myself as one for them, is extremely enjoyable now and is sure to also prove beneficial in the future as we all move into the world to accomplish great things. As the semester and even years go on, I’m sure that myself as a person as well as my social connections will only grow and become stronger thanks to the wonderful thing that is University Scholars.

“The scientific and scholarly community is marked by the

belief that the truth is to be found in all; none can claim it

as their monopoly.”

-John Charles Polanyi



“Creative Outlet” Sophomore Creative Pieces

Emily McCartney Why You Should Be Proud That You Are a Scholar Many people think that being a University Scholar is tough and not worth it. Sometimes when a senior is two months away from their defense, they think “Why did I ever agree to this?” On some points, I might agree. It is hard work to be in the Scholars program, but would I ever call it pointless? Never. Being a University Scholar opens up ample opportunities. The projects scholars do are a lot of hard work, but they help them grow in their knowledge. That is what we are at college for after all, isn’t it? We are all here to learn the most we can in our (typically) four years. You have to take extra classes that do not count to your major, but they are interesting. Where else will you find a class that is all about watching crazy movies? You gain opportunities you wouldn’t find anywhere else on this campus. You receive something much more from the program than just an educational experience. You

Clay Palmer “Saltantem in fervore” We are a generation of wandering Israelites, and we don’t have a clue who THEY are. Are we not deaf, dumb, and blind? Teetering on the brink of oblivion, with no idea of where to go or where we’ve been. No capacity for making decisions, and yet… and yet the means are ever present. We do not grope for them - the possibilities for decisions to be made. There we are, on the cliff. A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi. Only…these are wolves capable of smashing atoms, and rocks, archaic, breathe forth vile pestilences that surge electric through the shuddering masses. We will die crying for more, will we die crying for war? The past illuminates the future, but histories receive no adulation from a drunken horde, and future’s lilt holds no value for those intoxicated in their present revelry, those ignorant of heartless entities lurking just outside the door. Indecent creatures, here we are, burning, and dancing in the heat.



Aaron Eubank Careless Mortality Mom always said those things were dangerous; Things like this are the reason why. And though the victim was just a stranger to us, It seems unfair he should have to die. He was perfectly right to think he could go; The light was green; right of way, his. Others saw the car; mass shouts of “No!” But a careless mistake caused all of this. I only heard the wreck, I didn’t see, Honestly I’m glad I did not. The aftermath and all the debris Was enough to leave anyone distraught. He had worn his helmet, looked both ways, But his balance was fragile; he toppled when grazed, And though the bike had seen better days, It was a far sight worse when it crashed in a blaze.

gain friendships to last a lifetime. You are instantly thrown into a group of people that can hold anywhere from an intellectual to completely goofy conversation. You get to stay up with them at all nighters and take trips to Huddle House at three am. You get to go out for dinner as a group and celebrate the big holidays to-gether as a “family”. College is what you make of it, and so is the University Scholars Program. If you are just in it to learn, that is all you will get out of it. But if you try, you may also make memories and friends to last a life-time. Total Scholar Move

Courtesy of Clay Palmer



Brooke Baker Injustice of a Hero Ebola is a horrific filovirus that causes hemorrhagic fever and is fatal in ninety to ninety-five percent of all cases. Basically, every opening that a person has in their body bleeds out. This wretched disease causes a person to bleed from the inside out. One of the worst aspects about this disease is that symptoms may not even appear for up to twenty-one days after exposure. Symptoms vary from fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, unexplained bleeding or bruising, and muscle pain; many common symptoms of the flu. It is then transmitted by the direct contact of bodily fluids from an infected person. The main people that contract this incurable disease are family members of the victim as well as healthcare workers. One such healthcare worker that was stricken with Ebola was a man named Sheik Umar Khan. A man that lived an extraordinary life and was denied access to a drug that could have potentially saved his life.

Khan was a doctor in the small West African country of Sierra Leone where he worked tirelessly trying to aid victims that had succumbed to the wrath of Ebola. Working in the least favorable conditions possible - that included a makeshift tarpaulin ward outside with fifty beds in three rows - Khan tried to aid those affected by the disease. Soon after starting treatments for victims, Khan began to fall ill himself and quickly tried to get medical attention. He was rushed to a treatment unit run by Medecins Sans Frontieres where doctors debated whether to give him ZMapp, an experimental drug only tested on animals that could supposedly cure Ebola. Staff of MSF were torn as to whether to give this doctor of such a beloved country an experimental drug that could in fact kill him before Ebola did. Unfortunately, through much controversial debate, staff of MSF declined ZMapp to Khan, and he died on July 29, 2014. However, several days later, this same drug was administered to two American doctors also having contracted the disease while in Liberia that were flown back into the United States for treatment. Both were released from the hospital in Atlanta, GA just last week. Dr. Khan never knew about the existence of the drug ZMapp that could have possibly saved his life. It still unknown as to how much effect ZMapp has on Ebola. For now, the manufacturer of ZMapp has stated that supplies of trial vaccines have been exhausted, and that there is little to no interest on furthering the discovery of such a vaccine. Not discovering and furthering a cure to this horrific disease is a horrible concept because one day, the United States could be struck, and the world as we know it would come to a halt.

He tried to be careful. He didn’t deserve it. And to the dismay of those that observed it, “If only,” they cried, “he was quicker, and swerved it,” “He could’ve avoided having his vital nerves hit.” The police arrive, serious and grim, To collect his broken, twisted remains. They scoop up his brains, the blood of his veins, Their faces are covered with sorrow and pain. Their thoughts echo ours: “Why him?”

Jeremy Greenburg Alone

And then he was alone

Friends and family Loves and foes

All gone All alone



He gazes softly to the void above A warm crinkle around his eyes

He realizes just how infinitesimally small he is Compared to the empty black ocean above

No brilliant stars No fiery sun or moon

All alone

He ponders for a time On histories and fantasies

On mad dreams and deliriums

They all tangle together Meshing to form

A beautiful tapestry Within his Knotted Frayed Weary Mind

Time vanished here

Has it been seconds, mere minutes? Years?

Millennia? All alone?

All he knew, all he could tell Was that he was far too old

And far too lonely

And so he turns to the Universe What’s left of it, anyway

And he turns off the lights Locks the doors, shuts the blinds

And then He simply Vanishes

“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”

-Plutarch



“Independent Studies” Junior & Senior Projects

Chloe Mullis Mentor: Dr. Julie Floyd Second Reader: Dr. Mary Radford

My Scholars project is entitled, “Evaluating the knowledge level about nutrition and exercise among 4th grade students.” I chose this project because I have always been interested in how nutrition and exercise affect our bodies. Since child obesity rates have increased greatly in America, I was drawn to something within that realm to see if the cause of obesity is a lack of knowledge and application. Something that has greatly affected the obesity rates, especially in rural areas, is poor nutrition.

A review of literature indicates the area of nutritional education among children is an important area for continued research. Therefore, I am going to interview/survey 30-40 fourth grade students in an After-School Program in rural West Tennessee to obtain their level of knowledge about nutrition and exercise. Then, I am going to collect the amount of time that they actually exercise per day and what their daily diet consists of (especially on school days). After the survey process is completed, I am going to give a short educational session that would resemble a class that elementary aged children would require in order to increase knowledge about nutrition and exercise. The results of this study will provide insight and possibly lead to an opportunity to implement an educational tool related to nutrition and exercise for this population. Hopefully, if more nutrition classes are implemented into sources like after-school programs, then child obesity will decrease and rural areas will have more educational opportunities.

So far this semester, I have been working on getting permission to do my study at the elementary After-School Program. I have filled out an IRB form and am going to submit it to the review board in order to get permission to administer the survey. After obtaining a survey to use, I will on a

Andrew Warner Scholars project

Initial Thoughts This summer I began to read and listen to various business books and podcasts. A recurring theme that I heard from entrepreneurship gurus was to build a product that is specifically designed for the customer. Too often, entrepreneurs try to solve a problem that the customer wouldn’t pay to have solved. “Starting From Nothing”, a podcast for early-stage entrepreneurs, suggests not even building a product until your customers have already described what they need and agree to pay for it. Even though I had not yet had an idea, these insights were in the back of my head whenever I thought about an entrepreneurial venture. The moment I found a “need” was at my fraternity’s summer conference. At the end of the week there was a T-shirt exchange between the representatives from across America. My chapter has always prided itself on high-quality T-shirts, and I was trading one of my T-shirts for two or three shirts from another chapter. When I asked why they didn’t make better-quality shirts, they said that they couldn’t find a producer who wouldn’t charge outrageous prices. This was when I decided that T-shirts might be a good way to fulfill a true need in a market I was familiar with. The business structure that I plan to use involves a shirt of the week for each organization. The way that I will gain fans for the program is through tweeting the shirt of the week and having Facebook voting to determine the next week’s shirt. To gain an initial following I will call every chapter’s secre-



tary of every organization involved. The national headquarters will give the contact info if I am listed as a vendor online. My goal will be to sell one shirt to each chapter of each participating organization. Ini-tially, I will begin with my fraternity and its 244 chapters. Then I will expand to the top ten largest fra-ternities and top ten largest sororities. My goal is to reach out to all of these by Summer Break. If I can sell an average of one per chapter then I would sell 3,679 shirts per week. The previous paragraphs focus on my first-year vision. The next goal for the business is to de-velop an online marketplace for all Greek apparel and offer the same philanthropic donation with each product. All of these Greek organizations are looking for an online vendor who can offer their type of style, but fail to do so. It’s also obvious that the current online vendors are trying to profit off the Greeks and aren’t members of our communities. If we can establish ourselves as an extension of the Greek com-munity and as a business that gives true value to our customers, Olympus Shirts will have reached its true potential.

Jordan Jensen My research pertains to the experiences of the Norwegian settlers in the Northern Plains, specifically in and around my home town of Canton, South Dakota. I am particularly interested in the rise to prominence in politics as well as commerce by this group as it is not the typical immigrant experience in the late nineteenth century. I have found numerous indications of the early success of the group and my goal is to not only document this rise, but also, if sources are available, attempt to explain what advantages the Norwegian-American community had that was not present in other groups. As it stands now my largest concern is gaining access to the archives and primary documents I need to fully examine and answer my questions. These documents are not very widespread and are quite concentrated in Minnesota and eastern South Dakota making travel necessary and an Interlibrary Loan imperative. Because these sources are so concentrated, however, once I have more complete access to them research should go quite smoothly. Additionally, the fact that the documents are not widely distributed has caused the topic to be rather neglected in scholarship and what has been analyzed has been centered on southern Minnesota, leaving southeastern South Dakota (Dakota Territory for much of the period) unstudied. Not only is the history of Norwegian immigration and westward movement relatively neglected, but rural history as a whole is only now beginning to gain much interest from mainstream scholarship. My work should be on the front end of what I personally hope to be a new trend in history. The history of Westward Expansion as well as immigration cannot be adequately studied by looking at only the urban centers, there needs to be more understanding of the rural areas, such as South Dakota, where the “action” was taking place.

Blake Conrad Mentor: Dr. Eric Pelren Second Reader: Dr. Tom Blanchard

Comparison of Frog Diversity between Artificial and Natural Vernal Pools in West Tennessee

The general idea of my project is to study possible differences in the diversity of frogs and other herpetofauna, or other amphibians and reptiles, in small vernal pools. The more that I have researched into my study area, the more I have turned to using pit-and-mound topography as my study areas than just open vernal pools. Pit-and-mound topography is what occurs when a tree is uprooted by a hard storm or wind, and the root wad is kept with the tree instead of the trunk snapping off. This root wad takes away a large amount of soil and debris as it is pulled up. The remaining hole in the ground, or pit,



Grace Lucas Requiem

My Scholar’s research project is writing music based off of requiems. My requiem is different from the traditional mass for the dead because it is actually a mass by the dead. The lyrics tell the story of a depressed soul who wants to join the afterlife rather than live on earth, as well as expresses the person’s farewell.

The initial inspiration for the project came from Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, specifically the Dies Irae, meaning Day of Wrath. While practicing the piece in choir, I thought the introduction might make an interesting guitar riff for a rock song. I then came up with the idea for my own song “Day of Wrath,” which is actually written for piano and voice, as I found great difficulty in assembling a rock band and learning guitar for my project. A one girl show is much simpler and more intimate for me to put on. I think the closer, quieter nature of the piano will enhance the general mood of my requiem. “Day of Wrath” is as abrasive and angry as the work will get, as it opens with frustration. However, the rest of the work will express melancholy and depression. This work is meant to be cathartic and therapeutic.

I also hope to create an interest in classical works, as I have used a few requiems as inspiration for my own music, and I draw from the melodies and lyrics of composers’ works. If people enjoy those bits in my songs, they might be motivated to check out the great works they are inspired by. My mentor is Dr. Douglas Owens, and my second reader is Dr. Amy Yeung. They have worked with me to help me put together three full songs so far. My goal is to write two more, then to become proficient at performing them all by the spring.

is then able to fill with water as rain accumulates. This pit then becomes a prime feeding ground for herpetofauna as small invertebrates begin to use this small pool. I would then study what frogs, sala-manders, and other herpetofauna that would use this resource. I am planning on studying these herpetofauna to see what exact species use this resource. The ideal outcome would be to have a specific list of what species use these pit-and-mounds and how much or little each species is found to use it. I have not found much literature on other research done on this same idea, so there is not much to draw a reference from for the project. So far, I have already been able to identify a number of these pit-and-mounds at a local Wild-life Management Area called Beech Ridge. This is where part of my study will take place. I have also identified several pit-and-mounds around Reelfoot Lake, but have not decided if I will be using those for my study or not. My study will be taking place in the spring due to the fact that this is the mating season for most herpetofauna.

Alli McClure Mentor: Dr. James Smart Second Reader: Dr. Ian Cleary

Construction of a Gene Knockout Library As a Cell and Molecular Biology major, I thought it would be useful to tackle a project that in-cluded research in a laboratory setting. So far it has been challenging, but very rewarding intellectually. I am working with the bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. It is a purple, nonsulfur bacterium that is ca-pable of growing in photosynthetic and anaerobic conditions. This makes R. capsulatus a very versatile bacterium ecologically. R. capsulatus also produces a gene transfer agent (GTA) that permits horizontal



gene transfer between bacteria. The objective of my project is to create a genomic library of R. capsulatus containing random

insertions to facilitate the random deletion of genes. The genomic library will be constructed in pJMR1, a derivative of pBBR1-MCS5 (1). pJMR1 lacks EcoRI and PstI sites. Sau3AI will be used to cut ap-proximately 5kb fragments of R. capsulatus to be inserted into the BamHI site of pJMR1. A KIXX cas-sette, containing a gene for resistance to kanamycin under its own promoter, will then be digested using EcoRI and PstI and ligated into similarly digested library pools. The kanamycin-inserted genomic li-brary elements will then be mated into R. capsulatus strain R121 (2), a GTA overproducer. GTA pack-ages host DNA in small 5kb fragments into viral capsids; this permits homologous recombination in a host infected with the virus to replace the functional chromosomal copy of a gene with a kanamycin-inserted, non-functional copy. A number of kanamycin-resistant, random chromosomal insertions will be chosen, and their insertions will be identified to verify the deletions constructed. Approximately 3,400 clones are needed to verify the deletions constructed.

So far I have successfully prepared genomic DNA in high yield from wild-type R. capsulatus, using the Epicentre genomic DNA purification kit. I am now identifying digest conditions to yield ge-nomic DNA fragments of approximately 5kb. 1. M. E. Kovach et al., Four new derivatives of the broad-host-range cloning vector pBBR1MCS,

carrying different antibiotic-resistance cassettes. Gene 166, 175 (1995). 2. H. C. Yen, N. T. Hu, B. L. Marrs, Characterization of the gene transfer agent made by an over-

producer mutant of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata. J Mol Biol 131, 157 (1979).

Hunter Lindberg Mentor: Dr. Carol Eckert My two-year project has taken an interesting route. Previously, I had been working on a differ-ent project for the year, but at the beginning of this year I embarked on a new project. This new project focuses on the animated films written and directed by Japanese producer Hayao Miyazaki. He is world-renowned for his excellent story telling and cherished children’s movies, including Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Ponyo. In many of his feature films, there is a strong presence of female protagonists. Miyazaki goes very much against the grain in terms of his portrayal of women compared to the conventional Japanese tradition. He creates vibrant and strong characters that do not have typically negative characteristics attributed to females in media. His motivation for doing this is very unclear. My project is to discover his possible motivations behind this commendable act, be they unconscious, com-mercial, or activism-based. I will do this by studying his biographies, books written on the subjects of Japanese culture and art and feminism in Miyazaki’s work, as well as different films produced in the same country during the same time of release. It is a big project that will require a lot of time to watch the films and analyze them. I regret that I only have one year to do it, but I hope that I create a project that has the caliber of a regular project in just half the time.

Excerpt from The Role of Children’s Literature in Content Area Classrooms

Mary Medling Mentor – Dr. Karen DiBella Second Reader – Dr. Patricia Hewitt

Creating Supportive Environments

Creating a suitable classroom environment for students is essential to learning and the learning



process. Without a supportive environment, students and teachers have trouble thriving. Six traits of a positive learning environment, as established by June Youatt and Elizabeth Hitch, are “security, shelter, social contact, symbolic identification, task instrumentality, and pleasure,” (Baily, Beasley, Swafford, 2014). Each of these six components can be addressed or reinforced when high-quality, meaningful chil-dren’s literature is utilized in the classroom.

The environment of a classroom should be a safe place of both physically and emotionally, and by students participating in reading different, purposeful works, a climate of warmth and acceptance and be cultivated. If a student is able to read and relate to a situation in a book, they are more likely to think critically and solve problems themselves. (Lacina, Stetson, 2013). By students having many opportunities to read and reread books, they are able to build confidence in themselves and help other students build themselves up as well.

One of the key aspects of a thriving classroom environment is respect. Not every student is going to have a home life that cultivates having regard for peers and authority figures, but it can definitely be taught and modeled in a classroom (Miller, Pedro, 2006). One way of displaying deference in the class-room is to provide students with an abundance of meaningful literature. These books will not only give students the freedom to choose a book (Pytash 2012), but also give students a model for academic and social development. Students will have a larger skill set and knowledge base when faced with a difficult situation. They will be more likely to call forth the knowledge of how a character reacted to a similar sit-uation, and they will try to emulate that reaction.

Good literature has the opportunity to provide students with examples of good citizenship and good character. The Josephson Institute developed a program called Character Counts!, which contains the six pillars of positive personal identity. These pillars, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship, can be exhibited in literature. By letting students have the ability to choose these works, they will have the opportunity to grow morally and ethically (Barry, Rice, McDuffie-Dipman, 2013). Works of literature can help students with topics such as: self-regulation, speaking in turn, devel-oping a self-identity, etc.

Having a full library of accessible literature can also give students pride and excitement. Many students will have the opportunity to choose works they would not have had the opportunity to read at home. (Pytash, 2012). By providing an abundance of different literary works for children, a teacher can build a striving, thriving, supportive classroom environment, full of new adventures and lessons every-day.

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Thank you for reading this

edition of the Scholar!

And Now a Letter From Our Editors

Fellow University Scholars, Welcome to the first issue of The Scholar for 2014-2015! I am ecstatic to be co-editor this year. As I am contemplating all of the things I’d like to accomplish in my time as an editor – competitions, expanding the creative/expressive/artistic side of The Scholar – I keep returning to the main question: what will most greatly benefit my fellow USO members? The Scholar is not my work, it is the collective summary of a fantastic year at UT Martin from all USO mem-bers. With that idea in mind, I will be planning out ways to improve upon the foundation handed to my-self and Jeremy. If there are any areas you feel need improvement, please bring them to mine or Jeremy’s attention. I also extend my gratitude towards all members of USO. Without your cooperation, these issues would be stagnant, but as you will see in the coming pages, we have hit the ground running with great pieces from each class. Thank you! All the best, Sarah Holt Co-editor

Hey there Scholars! I hope that you enjoyed our first issue of The Scholar for this academic year! I’m thrilled to be one of the Senior Editors this year, and I hope to bring you many more quality editions just like it. Don’t forget, we have now opened up the creative writing submis-sions to everyone, so if you have a piece of poetry or prose that you’d like to submit, you can email it to Sarah Holt at any time. If you have any questions or concerns regarding The Scholar submissions or publi-cations, feel free to contact Sarah or myself and we’ll do out best to assist you. Thanks again, Jeremy Greenburg Co-editor

Documents

October 2014 edition