Arcadia University hosts 120 students, along with family, friends and faculty, at the 12th annual SEPCHE Honors Conference on Saturday, March 27. The program begins at 9 a.m. with opening remarks by Dr. Steve O. Michael, Arcadia’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Helene Klein and Bill Meiers, Co-Directors of Arcadia’s Honors Program, have put in countless hours organizing the event, with help from many Arcadia faculty, staff and students, including Facilities, Conference Services, the Honors Program students, and SEPCHE Executive Director Elizabeth Moy.

Members of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium of Higher Education (SEPCHE)  are Arcadia University, Cabrini College, Chestnut Hill College, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Holy Family University, Immaculata University, Neumann University, and Rosemont College.

The 2010 SEPCHE Honors Conference is supported in part by grants from the Foundation for Independent Higher Education and The Barra Foundation.

The Arcadia students presenting include:

Faith Bogue

The Foundation for Post Conflict Development Awareness Event

I am throwing a dinner party as a fundraising and awareness event for the Foundation for Post Conflict Development, a non-governmental organization that focuses on helping people around the world after situations of conflict, natural disaster, etc. I will give a presentation and speech to further awareness, provide food and entertainment, and give all proceeds from the event to the Foundation to help further its causes.

Stephanie Clymer

Wildlife Habitat in Suburbia: Planting a Garden on Campus

For a class project, I decided to plant native plants in a garden on campus. I had to take into consideration the attractiveness to both people and wildlife, as well as the cost. In this presentation, I will be discussing the process of implementing a project on my college campus, from research and consultation to planting the flowers.

Susanna Concilio

Knocking Down Cancer: The Effects of Four Over-expressed Genes on Cultured PANC-1 Cell Motility

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal types of cancer. Pancreatic cancer tends to metastasize, and metastasis is usually the stage of cancer that becomes lethal. Cancerous phenotypes are derived from alterations in genes, such as changes in function or expression. This experiment investigates four altered gene expressions and the effect on cell motility, a crucial factor in metastasis.

Dana Dilliplane

Researching a Young Adult Historical Novel

This project involves research for a young adult historical novel set in the Philadelphia region during the fall of 1918. It centers on a 17-year-old girl’s efforts to save lives during the influenza pandemic and includes themes of civil rights, immigrant rights, and universal suffrage. The first draft of GRACE RISING is complete; however, further fact checking and authentic period detail is desired. This faculty-student research project was part of the SEPCHE initiative “Nurturing Student Scholars in the Humanities and Social Sciences” funded by the Foundation for Independent Higher Education and The Barra Foundation.

Selina Eckert and Ashley Ferraro

A Perfect Harmony: The Interaction of Physics and Music Theory to Create Today’s Grand Piano

Music is a language of the ear. Like any other language, it has its technicalities and beauty. Each element works together to form an elaborate piece of art. This presentation examines the physical and mechanical interactions of piano theory and physics to create the grand piano, an instrument of this language.

Kerry Gibson

Importance of Early Literacy Success

I am organizing a children’s book drive to benefit Philadelphia Reads, an organization dedicated to improving literacy. The collected books will be donated to the organization’s Book Bank where teachers can collect materials to augment their classroom libraries. In addition, I will present research on the importance of early literacy and its effects on a child’s life.

Megan Gillespie

Rebuilding Hangman

My first Computer Science course at Arcadia University piqued my interest in programming in Java Script. I have taken the old fashion game of Hangman, normally played on a whiteboard or paper, and transformed it into a modern game played on the computer. It contains different levels of difficulty and other special features.

Kayla Kroll

To Smell or Not to Smell, That is the Question; A Look Into How Human Pheromones Influence Mating Selection

When we sweat, we release many chemicals, some of which may be MHC (major histocompatibility complex) glycoproteins. These proteins can affect the type of peptides and volatile carboxylic acids released in sweat. Basically, they change the scent of your sweat, giving you a distinct odor. This distinctness can help us to distinguish males from females, and may also influence whether or not we find someone attractive. A recent study at Arcadia University set out to test these effects, among other hypotheses. Several smelly days and a dozen t-shirts later, significant results were seen. Primarily, the goal of the study was to determine whether or not males could tell females from scent and vice versa, however, t-shirts were rated based on the attractiveness of the odor. Finally, we tested whether or not oral contraceptive decreased attractiveness ratings.

Kayla Kroll and Jessica Parker

30 Days and 30 Nights: A Workout Guide to Becoming the Better Swimmer

The purpose of this booklet is to serve as a reference guide, rather than a “how to” book, for master level swimmers who are trying to get back into shape by means of swimming. It is geared mainly towards people who know the basic rules and techniques of swimming and who wish to continue swimming as a form of exercise. The program consists of three basic levels (beginner, intermediate, expert), each with thirty workouts, varying in type and length, specific to the swimmers’ swimming capability. Nutritional information, such as calorie consumption and correct food intake will be included along with sample diets to help people get on track if they are looking to lose weight or maintain their current weight. Further, the nutritional information will also incorporate the best foods to eat before and after a workout, and the best time to consume them. Swimmers will be able to place themselves into the level that best matches their ability to swim and their daily schedules. For each level, the workouts will be arranged in increasing order, from easiest to hardest, so that swimmers can gradually build up their endurance and, if desired, move up to the next level of training. In addition to the above mentioned information, there will be sections in the beginning of the booklet that explain the importance of warming up/down and the most effective time to stretch while exercising. A test subject, beginning in the intermediate level, will be used to test the effectiveness of the workout program and their diet will be me monitored. By the end of the program, we expect to see increases in speed and endurance, as well as improvements in technique.

Christy Moore

Origami: The History and Mathematics behind an Ancient Art

Origami, the ancient art of paper folding, has a rich, yet complex history. Although the exact origin of the art is unknown, traditional origami was prevalent in both Japanese and European cultures. Modern origami masters attempt to create new bases and models, sometimes using the geometrical properties of crease patterns or mathematical algorithms to help them in their work.

Deena J. Smith

Setting Sail: The Journey of Voiceover Island

Voiceover Island is an audio production studio in Northeast Philadelphia focused on teaching its students the business of the voiceover industry. The studio wanted to showcase its production capabilities and in-house talent to businesses in the Philadelphia region. Deena helped update the studio’s website, design and mail marketing materials, and create demos for both Voiceover Island and its talent.

Claudia Tang

Developments in the Phylogeny of Orf Virus

Orf virus, or contagious ecythyma, is a highly contagious skin disease in sheep and goats, resulting in scabby, pustular lesions across the face and legs. Humans are often infected with less severity. With the advancement and proliferation of DNA sequencing techniques, orf is being identified in previously unknown populations. New strains are being compared with existing databases to complete the phylogenetic tree of orf worldwide.

Julia Vasinda

Return From Study Abroad

The booklet I created will hopefully be given to students right before they return from studying abroad with Arcadia. It addresses many issues, from the academic to personal relationships. After studying abroad twice, I have many different concerns and worries of students before they return to their home school. This booklet will hopefully give the students options of dealing with the issues that cause them stress and set their mind at ease so returning to school can be an excitedly anticipated moment.

Brittany Witcher

Using Globalization and Development

The paper essentially argues that whoever holds the advantage, or whoever currently holds the power in whatever capacity, will receive the full benefits of globalization, while the rest of the world will reap whatever consequences may follow. In my paper, I demonstrate this idea through detailing key periods in history such as colonialism, as well as essential periods today where globalization is used to its fullest capacity for either good or evil. Ultimately, I complete my argument stating that everyone can receive the full benefits of globalization if that person knows how to use it well.