The Fourteenth Amendment promises all citizens of the United States equal protection of the laws, but it’s not always clear how equal protection is accomplished. In the U.S. Supreme Court case Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 et al. (2007), the districts in question were challenged for programs that allocated entry into public schools based on race in order to “balance” the composition of the student body. The Seattle School District argued that its race-based assignment plan was to prevent the unconstitutional practice of racial segregation and to assure racial diversity in schools. In a 5-4 decision the court ruled in favor of Parents Involved and found both programs unconstitutional. The study of constitutional law sheds light on how different interpretations of the Equal Protection Clause can be construed and affect the legality of something like Seattle’s assignment plan. The significance of this case, which I intend to highlight, is not in the decision itself but in the differentiation between the majority and dissenting interpretations of the precedent Equal Protection case Brown v. Board of Education (1954). The majority in Seattle held that Brown completely forbade race-based admission into schools under the Fourteenth Amendment, whereas the dissent argued that Brown promised to make racially integrated schools available. Because a court can take the same precedent case and still come to radically different conclusions, I will in my presentation analyze the facts and reasoning of each side and conclude with which I believe to be correct.

I propose that many aspects of mainstream music are a product not of societal trends and preferences in music, but rather of marketing techniques employed in the music industry. Marketing plays a key role in the development of artists and their music and, consequently, we can identify marketing as a major factor driving the trends of certain musical elements in mainstream music. With each new wave of mainstream artists, we can recognize certain trends arising in the musical elements of these “hit songs”, e.g., trends in use of instrumentation, use of new sound technology in recordings, melodic motives, foundation rhythms, and lyrical content. I have conducted a literature review in search of evidence that supports my thesis that the proper utilization of marketing techniques in the music industry is a highly effective manner in which to increase the popularity of musical trends in mainstream music. Existing research analyzing the factors that affect consumer behavior coupled with existing literature addressing marketing practices in the music industry support an assertion of the effectiveness of music marketing techniques on increased consumption of that music and accordingly an increased popularity of the musical elements found this music. Little research has been conducted in this new age of technology that explores the role of marketing on the increased popularity of musical trends. With the implementation of many new information technologies, marketing in the music industry has changed vastly in the recent past. A new exploration of how music is marketed to the public is necessary. By understanding the depth to which marketing affects music’s popularity, it would be possible to more effectively promote music.

Ubiquitous Computing is the way in which Human Computer Interaction is integrated in our day to day lives. It is one of the fastest growing areas of computer science, which currently exists within many forms and contexts in today’s society. Our day-to-day lives are surrounded by ubiquitous computing, which raises certain ethical questions and dilemmas that need to be answered. The purpose of this research is to show some of the ethical issues and challenges that face not only end-users, but also computer scientists that build these systems especially as they strive to build larger systems with increased levels of integration inside our day-to-day lives. This research presents a basic framework, from which computer scientists can expand and create more solutions and develop systems which overcome these issues and dilemmas. The method used to complete this research involved looking at current examples of ubiquitous systems already integrated in our lives. By looking at these systems, and analysing the issues and lawsuits arising from these types of systems, a set of best practices has been created to be used by computer scientists to help mitigate these issues in the future. Research has been done on ubiquitous computing before in this area, however the significance of this research is that the solutions presented here consist of results based on a broad culmination of topics.

This presentation will demonstrate how my experience as a tour guide in Yellowstone National park led me to create Yellowstone Fire Management, an educational program designed for sixth grade students to examine the problems, issues, players, beliefs, and values surrounding wildland fire management in Yellowstone National Park. The program incorporates concepts from scholarly articles, internet resources, and children’s literature. I used multiple environmental curriculum frameworks to create the Yellowstone Fire Management curriculum. Upon finishing a hard copy of the curriculum, I published my educational program on a wiki for use by educators everywhere. This project is significant because there is currently no curriculum specifically designed for understanding fire management in Yellowstone Park. The Yellowstone Fire Management curriculum is original in its focus on Yellowstone, the scope and sequence of activities that are outlined, and its online format. Upon completion of this curriculum, students should be able to make informed decisions regarding fire policy as well as individual decisions involving their own behavior (conditions for making a campfire, building a structure near a forest, etc.). Every lesson in this curriculum applies to and lists targeted Montana Educational Standards which can be taught to students in an interesting and engaging approach. My exhibit should inspire educators and students alike in providing lessons to learn from, remember, and enjoy.