Oregon Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 20 No. 2 (2022)
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Cover art by Kyla Schmitt
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Item Open Access Cover Art: “Asleep”(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Schmitt, KylaLooking east, Mount Hood dominates the skyline of northwestern Oregon. White-capped or craggy brown, it looms above the sprawling urban streets, the winding Sandy River, the fir trees, the railroads, the fireweed and false Solomon’s seal. Though none of us are old enough to remember the last time Mount Hood shook the state with an eruption, the ancient networks of alpine forests and meadows sowed by fire remind us: the mountain is not dormant, just asleep.Item Open Access Letter from the Editors(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Ginieczki, Taylor Sarah; Taylor, Jay; Schmitt, KylaIn more ways than one, our 2021–2022 school year set major records. In the fall, the most students to ever attend the UO matriculated as Ducks. In the spring, Eugene received so much rain that April was the 7th-wettest ever recorded (I never said that every new record was a good one). Best of all, in the summer, OURJ received more submissions for this Summer 2022 Issue than ever before — nearly tripled from our previous issue just six months prior — and now publishes 10 of them, the most articles we have ever published in an issue.Item Open Access Journal Editorial: “UO Libraries Supports New U.S. Policy Making Research Results Available Immediately”(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Salaz, Alicia M.The letter below was written to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in response to its August 2022 memorandum establishing new federal policy on public access to the products of publicly funded research. At the University of Oregon, our students benefit from access to the widest possible range of newly published scholarly information through our Library’s subscriptions and e- resource collections. This access costs millions of dollars annually, much of it paid to the private, for- profit companies who collect and publish research. Many members of the public—including students at less well-funded institutions; high school students and K12 teachers; and curious learners unaffiliated with any university—lack the ability to read and learn from the latest scientific and medical information because the subscriptions are so unaffordable. This lack of access hinders scientific progress and is particularly unfair when considering that the public funds the underlying research activity through their tax dollars. The OSTP’s updated policy will ensure that when the government funds research—by providing grants to buy equipment, materials, hire researchers, run analyses, and more—that the findings from that research are immediately returned to the public for their benefit. We hope that this policy also means that the UO Library will be able to spend less every year on paying for these subscriptions, which will enable us to invest more directly in our students, faculty, and their important teaching and research work. We are proud to support the Oregon Undergraduate Research Journal as an open scholarly communications forum that undergraduates everywhere can read without cost. The UO and its Libraries will continue to advocate strongly for a fair and inclusive research communications system that everyone can afford to participate in.Item Open Access Art Feature: “Canopies, Cascades, and Canyons”(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Schmitt, KylaDuring the summer of 2022, my travels—for environmental fieldwork and vacations alike—took me all across Oregon’s Cascade Range, from the North Santiam Canyon to Mount Bachelor. Whether the skies were misty or blue, whether the forests old-growth or young, I always found myself in awe of the sweeping landscapes and the lush stands that punctuate them. These photographs aim to capture just a few of the awe-inspiring sceneries I had the privilege of experiencing.Item Open Access Meet the Editorial Board(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Beaudoin, Sarah; Wallace, Haley; Aghdaei, Alex; Furbish, Teagan; Mullen, NicoleEditorial board for Volume 20 Issue 2 Summer 2022 of Oregon Undergraduate Research JournalItem Open Access Art Feature: “Loss and Regrowth”(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Schmitt, KylaDuring a recent job as a field technician, I spent time in the burn area of the Beachie Creek Fire, which struck the Lyons-Detroit corridor in August 2020. The fire burned nearly 200,000 acres of old-growth forest, and countless people lost their homes. In the two years that have passed since the incident, however, the scarred hills have gradually grown brighter as foxgloves and other early-successional flora take hold. While wildfires can have devastating effects on human populations—effects that I do not at all intend to diminish—wildfires are a natural part of Oregon’s landscape, and they open up ecological niches for a plethora of wonderful meadow species that cannot tolerate the shady conditions created by old-growth canopies. This photo juxtaposes the human cost of wildfires—embodied by the abandoned, rusted trailer—with the ecological rejuvenation of open skies and ash-rich soil.Item Open Access Colombian Counterpoint: Transculturation in Sibundoy Valley Ethnohistory(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Glass, Rowan F. F.Anthropological and historical scholarship on cultural change in colonially subordinated cultures has often stressed deculturation—cultural loss and degradation—as a consequence of colonialism. This paper disputes that narrative by presenting the case of Indigenous cultural change in the Sibundoy Valley of southwest Colombia from an ethnohistorical perspective. Drawing on historical, ethnographic, and theoretical texts and relying on the concept of transculturation—understood as a complex process of partial loss, partial gain, and the creation of new cultural phenomena from intercultural encounters—as a more nuanced alternative to deculturation, I outline the history of cultural change in the valley from the prehispanic period to the present. While recognizing that colonialism had catastrophic effects on the Indigenous communities of the valley, I also suggest that these communities’ deep historical experiences with transculturation in the prehispanic era enabled the preservation and rearticulation of core elements of Indigenous cultures in the post-contact period. That transcultural experience allowed for the incorporation of foreign, colonially imposed cultural elements into the pre-existing cultural framework of the valley. The historical continuity of the transcultural experience in the valley demonstrates that its Indigenous communities have not been passive subjects of colonial power, but rather active agents in negotiating and mitigating its deculturating effects. This approach emphasizes the historical agency of the Indigenous peoples of the Sibundoy Valley as the central protagonists and makers of their own history. I conclude by suggesting the broader applicability of this perspective to other situations of cultural change in colonial and postcolonial contexts.Item Open Access Activation of Defense Mechanisms in the Nudibranchs Peltodoris nobilis and Hermissenda crassicornis(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Joy, SienaNudibranchs are marine invertebrates that use various defenses to deter predators. Peltodoris nobilis is a member of the superfamily Doridoidea and uses de novo chemical synthesis for defense. Hermissenda crassicornis is a member of the superfamily Aeolidioidea and uses nematocyst sequestration for defense. Past research explains the function and evolution of defenses in nudibranchs; however, it is unknown whether these defenses are active or passive. The goal of this research was to determine if the defense mechanisms in P. nobilis and H. crassicornis are active or passive and if one method is more effective at preventing predation than the other. It was hypothesized that the activation of defense mechanisms in both nudibranch species was active and that the defenses were equally effective at preventing predation. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the contact times of a juvenile Glebocarcinus oregonensis crab— a predator of nudibranchs—with an anesthetized and non-anesthetized nudibranch. There was no statistical difference in crab contact times between the anesthetized and control P. nobilis nudibranchs; however, the anesthetized H. crassicornis contact times with the crabs were statistically higher than the control. This suggests that the release of chemicals produced de novo in P. nobilis is passive, while the firing of sequestered nematocyst by H. crassicornis is active. The results also indicated that the control H. crassicornis contact times with the crabs were statistically lower than those of P. nobilis; however, the crabs demonstrated little predatory behavior across all trials. Therefore, this study cannot conclusively determine which defense mechanism is more effective at preventing predation.Item Open Access Queering the Way: Investigating the Relationship Between LGBT+ Advocacy and Policy Advancement(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Hampton, MatthewThe modern LGBT+ rights movement in the United States has pushed both political and social advancements forward since the mid-twentieth century, furthering the fight for equality. Even as hundreds of anti-LGBT+ bills have been proposed and passed in states across the country throughout the last decade or so, they have remained a force to be reckoned with. This study analyzes the specific tactics used by LGBT+ activists and nonprofits from the mid-twentieth century to present day, through the framework of Douglas McAdam’s Political Opportunity Theory to explain how campaigns or movements are made successful. Political Opportunity Theory, or Political Opportunity Structure, argues social movement success is most dependent on the availability of political opportunities (McAdam, 2013). The study primarily draws on interviews of LGBT+ activists and aligned policy makers, both archived and original, ultimately seeking to determine which advocacy strategies most effectively advance political and social acceptance. Using political theories, previous scholarly literature, and activist interviews, this study found that many factors contribute to the overall success of an advocacy campaign: access to resources, ability to mobilize populations, clear goals and strategy, and strong relationships between outsider activists and political insiders. The goal of this report is to advise the creation of effective policy change inside political arenas and social change both through advocacy and through increased LGBT+ support from powerholders in government, to further promote LGBT+ equality and understanding in the United States.Item Open Access Monitoring Infant Neurodevelopment via the Hammersmith Neurological Examinations in Cambodian Infants at Risk for Thiamine Deficiency(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Dong, KatherineThiamine deficiency is a condition that affects millions of infants in South and Southeast Asia due to heavy cultural reliance on thiamine-poor, polished white rice as a dietary staple. Previous research suggests that a thiamine-deficient diet not only endangers infants’ health, but also hinders infants’ neuro-cognitive development. As part of a larger, randomized controlled trial, this thesis investigated possible benefits of maternal thiamine supplementation for protecting the neurological development of Cambodian infants who are breastfed. Lactating mothers were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (0, 1.2, 2.4, and 10mg daily thiamine supplement) when infants were between 2- and 24-weeks postnatal. Infants’ neurological function was measured at 2-, 12-, 24-, and 52-weeks via the Hammersmith Neurological Examination (Hammersmith), a field-standard clinical assessment tool. As expected, infants’ Hammersmith scores improved significantly with age. However, the data indicated that maternal thiamine supplementation dose had no effect on infants’ Hammersmith scores. This research indicates that the basic neurological functions, as assessed by the Hammersmith in early infancy were relatively unaffected by maternal thiamine supplementation.Item Open Access Reopening Wounds: Processing Korean Cultural Trauma in Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Koontz, EmmaIn 1988, South Korean president Roh Tae-woo implemented democratic reforms in order to host the Olympic Games. These reforms opened the floodgates for Korean New Wave films. The reforms repealed censorship regulations and gave Korean filmmakers the autonomy to actualize their creative visions for the first time since they were colonized by Japan in 1910. The results of this newfound artistic freedom were films that grappled with the trauma of eighty years of colonialism, war, and authoritarian dictatorship through biting political commentary. This study explores Park Chan-wook’s representation of 한 (han) Korean cultural trauma in his New Wave films Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. Using literature on trauma, film, and Korean history combined with original film analysis, this study works to explain the criticisms embedded in Chan-wook’s films. The films critique revenge fantasies and both conscious and unconscious ignorance of traumatic events by demonstrating they are ineffective methods of processing한. His films show that the only way to heal 한 is to acknowledge and accept all wrongdoing, even one's own, and mourn the consequences of the atrocities. While 한 is specific to Koreans, cultural trauma is not. The ubiquity of cultural trauma makes the lessons in Chan- wook’s works of paramount importance and global relevance. While resolution of trauma is never final, Chan-wook’s films serve both as a guideline for and a performance of cultural healing in the face of moral atrocities.Item Open Access Differences in the Morphology and Reproduction of the Ascidian Boltenia Villosa Across a Latitudinal Gradient(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Sanchez-Reddick, Carmen TheresaWhile the larval and early juvenile stages of the stalked ascidian Boltenia villosa are well-documented in the literature, little is known about the range of morphological variation in B. villosa adults. Anecdotal evidence suggests that larger individuals with shorter stalks make up the populations found in Washington, while Oregon populations consist of smaller individuals with longer stalks. The present study aimed to develop a qualitative understanding of the morphological and reproductive differences across the latitudinal gradient of B. villosa. Morphological differences between populations were studied through a combination of morphometrics and scanning electron microscopy. To compare reproductive outputs, the diameters of oocytes and the gonadosomatic indices of representative individuals were measured. The results suggest significant differences between the two populations in body proportions, spine character, and reproduction despite their genetic similarities. These preliminary results provide the basis for future research into the distribution of B.villosa and the possible existence of an undescribed subspecies of B. villosa.Item Open Access Gender Diversity and its Societal Place in Medieval Scandinavia(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Berry, MilesMedieval Scandinavian literature held a trope that bent the gendered actions and presentations of its characters, which in turn changed their social standing within their stories: the more masculine the action or presentation, the higher the individual ascended. Furthermore, homophobia and transphobia have been prevalent within academia for decades, which has resulted in the overlook of queer characters within medieval literature. Countering these historic attitudes, this paper finds evidence of possible gender diversity and deviation within medieval Scandinavian life in both literary and archaeological evidence. This preliminary study inspects the Poetic and Prose Eddas, selected Icelandic Family Sagas, and archaeological burials deemed diversionary from gendered expectations. I find that there was, in fact, gender deviation within these sources and, by extension, everyday life in medieval Scandinavia.Item Open Access “My body is its image, here”: Diasporic Identity and the Deconstruction of Binary Division in 21st Century Asian American Poetry(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Lane, EricThis paper examines the poems of Franny Choi and Victoria Chang within the context of Asian American poetry, poetics, and criticism. It demonstrates how Choi and Chang’s work engage in a destabilization of binaries in order to rewrite and re-construct Asian American identity. A close reading of Choi’s “Chatroulette” from her collection, Soft Science, and Chang’s “Home” from her collection, Obit, reveals disruptions of five binary divisions, broadly identified as “high” poetic form and “low” poetic form, Eastern and Western, English and non-English, embodiment and disembodiment, and past and present. This paper argues that the deconstructions of these five binaries represent a search for belonging in the context of Asian American identity, as it is an identity that itself transverses the boundaries of “Asian” and “American.” This is supported by scholars of Asian American literature such as Michael Leong, Brigitte Wallinger-Schorn, and Zhou Xiaojing, who investigate how Asian American poets navigate alterity and cultural hybridity through innovation. It concludes by examining questions of home and belonging, theorizing that, for Asian American poets, reinventing language in a way that transgresses binaries and dichotomies allows for the construction of a new “home” that accepts the indeterminacies of identity, life, and death rather than resisting them.Item Open Access Community composition of mussel associates at deep-sea methane seeps in the Gulf of Mexico and the US Atlantic Margin(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Paden, GiannaEfforts to understand and preserve the methane seep communities of the Gulf of Mexico and the US western Atlantic margin begin with an understanding of biodiversity and community composition. In this study, 10,143 individuals representing 63 different taxa were sampled from mussel-beds surrounding methane seeps at various depths within two different ocean basins. Diversity in mussel beds was highest at Baltimore Canyon, the shallowest site sampled in the Atlantic. Although only four species were sampled at more than one site, species composition was most alike among sites found at similar depths; the two deepest sites sampled, Florida Escarpment and Blake Ridge, showed a 9.6% similarity. However, depth is not the only predictor of similarity: Baltimore Canyon and Chincoteague are both located in the Atlantic Ocean at different depths but had a 5.3% similarity in species composition. The high diversity of individuals sampled among these sites emphasizes the importance of preserving seep communities, which provide essential nursery habitats and primary production that establish a food source for many migratory species within the deep-sea ecosystem. Not only is the diversity of seep communities unique and important to the deep sea, but seeps may be beneficial to the overall health of our Earth’s ecosystem through the support of commercial fisheries and the sequestering of methane.Item Open Access Representing Themselves: Contesting Western Representations of Minoritized Communities in the Poetry of Danez Smith, Franny Choi, and Tommy Pico(University of Oregon, 2022-11) Smith, JacobOver time, dominant world powers like the United States have levied the tool of definition to dehumanize, delegitimatize, and disempower certain peoples. How society defines what is normal vs. abnormal, human vs. inhuman, positive vs. negative, and so on has the potential to privilege certain groups over others who are defined as worse in some way. However, dominant cultures do not hold the power of definition exclusively. In recent years, individuals from minoritized communities have taken to defining their identities independently of their dominant culture’s representation of them after fighting for and winning certain rights and liberties that they had previous been denied. In particular, some poets from minoritized communities within the United States have made self-identification central to their works. They do this by examining the ingrained misrepresentation of minoritized communities—located in the numerous forms of American mass media (television, film, literature, news, etc.)—and unmasking the embedded systems of oppression that pervade those misrepresentations. This essay analyzes a collection of poetry from three contemporary poets of minoritized communities within the United States: Danez Smith’s Don’t Call Us Dead, Franny Choi’s Soft Science, and Tommy Pico’s Nature Poem. In each of their collections, the poets resist American media’s misrepresentations of their specific identity by asserting their own experiences and identities as a point of direct contrast. Specifically, Danez Smith resists American media’s obsession with the deaths of contemporary Black people by celebrating Black life; Franny Choi addresses American media’s dehumanization of Asian-descended peoples by contesting the Asian-robot archetype from American science fiction; and Tommy Pico resists the historical ecological Indian stereotype by reimagining the nature poem. In all three of their collections, the poets take up the powerful weapon of language to both reject the false identities the United States has forced upon them and represent themselves in a way that is unadulterated by American media.