Arts - Buffalo State College

Does Phrase-Formatted Text Improve
Reading Comprehension?
Taylor McCall, SLP 495: Independent Study
Faculty Mentor: Professor Deborah Insalaco, Speech-Language
Pathology
Our goal is to confirm the efficacy of phrase-formatted (PF)
text for improving reading comprehension in typical college
students. PF text is parsed and spaced according to linguistic phrase
boundaries and was first shown to assist low average college students
comprehend reading passages. Later studies indicated better
comprehension for typical college students as well (Bever, Jandreau,
Burwell, Kaplan, and Zaenen, 1991; Jandreau and Bever, 1992). A
limit to the studies was that Bever and his colleagues used between
subjects design. We wish to compare reading comprehension
performance within subjects to replicate the results indicating benefit
and reduce the risk of confounding variables. Thirty undergraduate
students will be recruited and their reading comprehension tested
with the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT; Brown, Vick, Fishco,
and Hanna, 1993) because the NDRT has the advantage of alternate
forms. The students will be tested under two conditions, PF text
and regular text. The order of presentation will be balanced and
test sessions will occur at least a week apart. We anticipate better
comprehension on the PF test.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster V
Don’t Hate Liberate: Suicide In the Gay
and Lesbian Community
Toccarra Baguma, HEW 411W: Critical Issues in Health and
Wellness
Faculty Mentor: Professor Barbara Olivieri, Health and Wellness
Homosexuals and homosexuality have been ostracized in
society for centuries. However, since the Gay Liberation Movement
in the early seventies, homophobic views have become more public.
Homophobia is displayed in schools, churches, and even in the
homes of many Americans today, when these are the places young
people should feel safe. Many of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender youth, or LGBT youth, live in constant fear of others
uncovering their sexual preference causing them to be treated as an
outcast. Adolescence is a confusing time for all youth, however the
pressure of suppressing one’s true feelings or disappointing family
due to their sexual orientation can be too much for some, leaving
them feeling desperate, alone, and suicidal. Healthy People 2020
states that LGBT youth are 2 to 3 times more likely to attempt suicide
than their heterosexual peers (USHHS, 2012). Bullying is a direct
cause of these suicidal thoughts and feelings. Bullying is the most
common form of violence in society, becoming a major problem in
schools. Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond
poorly to bullying; many students believe that help from an authority
figure is infrequent and/or ineffective (Cohn & Canter, 2003).
Schools need to institute zero tolerance when it comes to bullying.
Parents need to become more involved in their children’s lives and
Health and Wellness
increase pressure on schools to mandate early intervention, teacher
training, and developing a positive school environment. Lastly,
parents and teachers must come together to convince their elected
officials to create stricter laws prosecuting bullying as a hate crime.
The time to take a stand and teach tolerance is not after a child takes
their own life, but now, while they are still here so we can give these
children the tools they need to flourish toward their fullest potential.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster IV
Drinking Young
Philip Dulmage, HEW 411W: Critical Issues in Health and
Wellness
Faculty Mentor: Professor Barbara Olivieri, Health and Wellness
Research has discovered that alcohol is the reason for 79,646
deaths between the years 2001-2005 (USHHS, 2012). A considerable
amount of deaths can be attributed to excessive alcohol use raising
questions that lead to further research. Inquiries surrounding the
topic examine adults raised in single-parent households and the
effects that had on their personal intake of alcohol; supervised
exposure increasing or decreasing alcohol abuse in those 18 years
and older; and the comparison of death rates in relation to legal
drinking ages of 18 and 21. Through information gathered, deaths
attributed to alcohol have increased. Excessive alcohol use can lead
to accidents, violence, and alcohol poisoning (USHHS, 2012). College
students especially are prone to deaths related to binge drinking
(Hingson, 2002). Current data does not indicate consistency with
the legal drinking age of 18 verses 21 and how it relates to abuse
and accidents, however, college administrators add that the drinking
age of 21 had a more negative effect on campus life than when it
was 18 (Lonnstrom, 1985). Studies have also shown that those who
have their first alcoholic drink before the age of 15 are more likely to
develop a dependence on alcohol (USHHS, 2003). Finally, children
raised in a single-parent household do not necessarily increase
their risk of alcohol abuse, but chaos in the home, ineffective
parenting, and divorce does increase their risk (USHHS, 2003).
Recommendations include having more sobriety checkpoints around
college campuses; increasing the number of parents who discuss
the consequences of excessive alcohol abuse with their children;
increasing support groups for alcoholics; and increasing the number
of physicians who discuss the consequences of excessive alcohol
abuse with parents.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster III
The Effectiveness and Safety of Ginkgo
Biloba
Emily Wax and Hillary Turkovitz, NFS 330: Seminar on
Complimentary and Alternative Nutrition
Faculty Mentor: Professor Suk Oh, Dietetics and Nutrition
The leaves of the ginkgo biloba have been widely used for
centuries as an herbal medicine for memory enhancement,
dementia, vascular insufficiency, and central nerve system disorders. 75