College Friends Research Articles

Visual Art Representation and Social Attitudes Towards Transgender Individuals in Pakistan: Exploring Queer Theory, Personal Narratives, and Societal Change

This research paper investigates the intricate interplay between visual art representation, social attitudes, and the experiences of transgender individuals within the Pakistani context. By integrating the frameworks of queer theory, personal narratives, and the recent enactment of the transgender bill, this study aims to contribute to the creation of a more inclusive and supportive society for transgender individuals in Pakistan. The paper begins by providing a comprehensive understanding of key terms such as LGBT, transgender, and gay, clarifying their distinct meanings to avoid misconceptions. It then introduces the theoretical lens of queer theory, which offers critical insights into challenging societal norms and perceptions regarding gender and sexuality. Through an in-depth case study of a college friend who underwent a gender transition and now identifies as a woman, the researcher engages in meaningful dialogue to gain a profound understanding of her personal experiences, challenges, and transformative journey. This exploration sheds light on the emotional disorientation and internal conflicts often encountered when interacting with individuals who have undergone gender transitions, emphasizing the need for empathy and understanding in fostering meaningful connections. Furthermore, the research delves into the realm of visual art practices among transgender individuals in Pakistan, analyzing the artistic expressions of transgender artists and those who explore transgender themes. By examining the transformative power of visual art to raise awareness, promote empathy, and challenge stereotypes, the study highlights the potential of art as a catalyst for social change and acceptance. In addition, the paper addresses the broader societal implications and attitudes towards transgender individuals in Pakistani society, particularly in the context of the transgender bill. It underscores the urgency for progress in terms of ensuring equal treatment, inclusivity, and acceptance, aiming to dismantle discriminatory practices and foster an environment that embraces diversity. Overall, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on transgender rights and social attitudes in Pakistan. By amplifying personal narratives, employing queer theory as an analytical framework, and recognizing the transformative potential of visual art, this study advocates for the dignified treatment and facilitation of transgender individuals as valued members of society with respect and equality.

An exploratory study on second language learner engagement in different types of interactive tasks in video-chat and text-chat communication

Abstract This study investigated 48 Hong Kong English as a second language (ESL) learners’ engagement in three types of interactive tasks conducted via video chat or text chat. The learners, paired with their university friends, completed a descriptive task, a narrative task, and a decision-making task. They were randomly assigned to either the video-chat or text-chat group and were interviewed about their emotional engagement in each task immediately after task performance. The findings revealed that both groups of learners were behaviourally the least engaged but cognitively the most engaged in the decision-making task. They experienced positive emotions during the descriptive task, but fewer reported positive emotions in the other two tasks. The text-chat group was the most socially engaged in the decision-making task. Furthermore, the video-chat group was behaviourally and emotionally more engaged than the text-chat group. These findings have implications for task design and selection in computer-mediated communication.

ANALISIS KECENDRUNGAN METODE PENELITIAN TESIS MAHASISWA DI PROGRAM STUDI MAGISTER MANAJEMEN PENDIDIKAN UNIVERSITAS JAMBI

The need for a research methodology is not without reason because conducting research requires a systematic method, where with a research methodology a study can be accounted for because it has a fairly high level of credibility. Research methodology is the basis for a researcher to draw conclusions so that he can find reliable solutions to problems using scientific measurements. Initial observation results show that the research methods for students' theses in the Master of Education Management Study Program vary, but have not been identified so the direction of the trend is not known for certain. Meanwhile, information about trends in research methods and the factors that influence them is important information in curriculum development and the basis for program decision making related to efforts to improve academic quality in the Master of Education Management Study Program at Jambi University. This research aims to determine the trend of methods used by students in the Master of Education Management Study Program and the factors that influence them. The object of the research is the theses of students from the 2021 and 2022 Master of Education Management Study Program. The data was processed using non-test techniques through interviews, questionnaires and documentation, and then analyzed descriptively qualitatively. The research results show that: 1) The research methods for students' theses at the Master of Education Management Study Program at Jambi University vary, including qualitative methods (case studies, document studies, centralized interviews, phenomenology) and quantitative methods (surveys); 2) The factors that determine a student's choice of research method are: thesis supervisor; competency in student understanding of research objects; and the influence of college friends.

Equity and inclusivity in library services for people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

The study sought to investigate the level of preparedness of Kaimosi Friends University (KAFU) library in service provision to People With Disabilities (PWDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic with a view to providing strategies aimed at ensuring equity and inclusivity in service provision. The specific objectives of the study were: to investigate the level of preparedness of the library in providing services to PWDs; to explore the types of services available for PWDs; to establish the opportunities and challenges PWDs encounter in accessing services; provide strategies to mitigate against these challenges and enhance equity and inclusivity in service provision. The study was informed by the social model of disability. The research adopted qualitative research design. The study population included users with physical challenges, visual and hearing impairment and service providers. Purposive sampling technique was employed targeting information rich sources. Data was obtained through face-to-face interviews complemented by the observation method. Data was analyzed thematically and aligned to the objectives of the study. The findings of the study indicated that the library was inadequately prepared to provide services for the PWDs. It lacked the requisite physical facilities, equipment, amenities, alternative formats of resources and specialized staff to cater for needs of PWDs. The study recommended advocacy for a sound legal and policy framework aimed at ensuring requisite infrastructure is in place

Phytochemical Profiling of Ethanolic Extracts from the Bark and Tuber of Colocasia Esculenta (L) Schott, Identification and Quantification of Compounds Present in Kenya

Bacterial infections are the major cause of morbidity and mortality, with high financial impacts among human beings globally. Antibiotics are used in the treatment of bacterial infections. They eliminate or prevent bacteria from reproducing and spreading. Since they do so at different rates, some bacteria may mutate with an under-dose and resist antibiotic treatment through natural selection. The bacteria develop acquired antimicrobial resistance to several drugs due to increased use and misuse of antibiotics. This has resulted in increased interest in the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of bacterial infections. The plants serve as resistance modifying agents from the metabolites that they produce. Previous studies show that metabolites such as tannins, alkaloids and polyphenols may have antimicrobial and resistance-modifying properties. They destroy the microorganisms and interfere with the crucial events in the pathogenic process, reducing the bacteria's ability to develop resistance to botanicals.
 Colocasia esculenta (L) Schott leaves were previously tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the extracts showed higher activity against bacterial infections compared to the use of the antibiotic drug Clarithromycin. Leaves of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Colocasia esculenta in previous studies were found to contain steroids, Flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, Anthroquinones and Alkaloids. The extracts were found to have anti-diabetic activity and anti-helminthic activity compared to the standard drug, Piperazine citrate. This study determined phytochemicals present in ethanolic extracts of the bark and tuber of Colocasia esculenta (L) Schott in Kenya. A qualitative research design was adopted in this study. Colocasia esculenta plant samples used in this study were purposely obtained from Kaimosi Friends University farm in Vihiga County. They were taken to the laboratory of Botany at Maseno University, where they were washed with sterile distilled water, separated into bark and tuber, dried, crushed into powder, packed separately in airtight plastic containers, labelled and stored for later use. Plant ethanolic extracts were prepared separately (from powders) in triplicate for use in experiments. Screening for the presence of phytochemicals was done using standard methods. Qualitative analysis of the plant samples was used to check for the presence of flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides, phenolic compounds and anthraquinones. Data were collected and then analyzed. Results were presented in the form of a table as the presence or absence of the specific phytochemicals. Results showed that Saponins, steroids, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides and phenolic compounds were present in both the tuber and bark ethanolic extracts of Colocasia esculenta. Interestingly, the bark extract had more saponins and tannins than the tuber extract. The results of this study can be used to further determine the antibacterial activity of the extracts on selected sidearm bacteria. The findings could be of commercial interest to both the Kenya Ministry of Health and pharmaceutical companies in the world in the production of new antibacterial drugs. Policymakers may help reduce the increasing mortality due to bacterial infections by using results from this study. The results can also support Kenya's Vision 2030 of ensuring adequate health care for all by integrating traditional healthcare practices into the national healthcare system for the realization of universal health coverage.

The Application of the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) Method to Determine House Locations in the Batuphat and Tambon Tunong Areas, Aceh

This study aims to apply the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) method to find the location of a house situated precisely on the border between Batuphat and Tambon Tunong. The issue faced by the college friends is the difficulty in determining whether the house falls within the Batuphat or Tambon Tunong area. The KNN method is used due to its ability to classify based on the nearest neighbors' distance.The data used in this research includes information on the house's location and the Batuphat and Tambon Tunong areas. The training process is conducted to form the KNN model based on the known location data, while the testing process is employed to classify the unknown house location into either the Batuphat or Tambon Tunong area.The results of the study demonstrate that the KNN method can be utilized to determine the location of a house situated on the border between Batuphat and Tambon Tunong. By considering the nearest neighbors' distance, the house can be classified into one of the areas with a high level of accuracy.This research contributes to providing a solution for college friends who face difficulties in determining the house location on the Batuphat and Tambon Tunong border. The KNN method can serve as an effective tool in addressing this problem. Moreover, this study can serve as a basis for further development in the field of location classification based on the KNN method.

Echo

Would you accept a personality replacement? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Stanley is an awkward kid growing up to be an awkward adult. He struggles with depression, ADHD, anxiety, and just generally fitting in. He struggles to make friends in high school, and has only one friend in college, although his anxiety keeps him from spending too much time with him. In short, life, at least from Stanley’s perspective, is a never-ending string of misery. Echo is a new technology marketed as a “personality replacement.” First used to reform criminals, it is now being offered to the public to correct various mental disorders. Much to the frustration of his sister and college friend, Stanley pays to be Echoed, and is reborn a happy, confident, and different, person.

The effects of relationship history on social support perceived from friendships

Perceptions of social support availability may be influenced by internal working models, both of how support figures behave in general, and of how specific support figures behave individually. Participants were 217 first-year college students in the first semester of their involvement with an athletic team or Greek organization. They reported on the support they perceived to be available from three friends in those organizations at four time-points, over the course of 18 months. Regarding generalized working models, participants who had more supportive high school friends perceived more support available from their new college friends, even after controlling for their actual experiences with the college friends. Regarding friend-specific working models, friends who were perceived as more supportive at the beginning of the study were perceived as increasingly supportive over time, even after controlling for actual experiences with that friend. These findings illustrate the influence of relationship history on perceptions of social support. Feeling supported is not determined only by the responses of an individual’s support figures in times of need. Regular investment in relationships is important both for individuals who wish to feel supported and for support figures who wish to best help others.

Exploring issues of online hate speech against minority religious groups in Bangladesh

Purpose Online hate speech (OHS) is becoming a serious problem worldwide including in Bangladesh. This study aims to understand the nature of OHS against religious groups and explore its impact on their social life and mental health. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was followed and 11 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with the selected OHS victims. This study conducted a semi-structural interview using Google Form following the design questionnaire for selecting IDIs participants. Findings This study found that religious minorities experience online hatred through online media by the major religious group in Bangladesh. Natures of OHS are commenting on social media posts, sharing hateful memes and sending private messages using slang language targeting religious identity, religious food habits and ethnic identities. Victims were offended, abused and bullied by unknown persons, their university friends and colleagues. Victims of OHS did not take any action against it due to fear of insecurity. Victims of OHS felt low-minded, helpless and anxious after the experience of OHS; they felt more insecure and vulnerable socially and mentally. Originality/value The findings of this study suggest that policymakers identify the nature of OHS and take proper steps for reducing the frequency of OHS in Bangladesh. To combat the OHS, authorities have to make legal enforcement equal for everyone.

Uncovering the Neglected Meal: Medical Students in Sri Lanka and Skipping Meals

Background: To figure out why a lot of students who are at risk for food insecurity consistently skip meals in university, this research follows the daily food travels of those students. to find the reasons for skipping meals. Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyse how a daily routine of a medical student of Sri Lanka, affects their eating patterns. Design/ methodology/Approach- A Survey study was implemented using convenient sampling technique where 170 questionnaires were distributed through google forms from which 148 responses were obtained. To test the hypothesis, Cronbach alpha and correlation analysis IBM SPSS 21.0 package was utilized. Findings- This article analyses how a daily routine of a medical student of Sri Lanka affects their eating patterns. The findings demonstrate that university lecture schedules, stress, depression, and loneliness are making students skip at least one of the main meals daily. The authors’ research shows that frequently skipped meals of the students is breakfast. Conclusion- This research provides information to medical university administrations, families, and friends. Therefore, university administration, families and other students may take required decision regarding the quality of life of medical students based on their university lecture schedules, stress, depression, and loneliness. This research study contributes significantly to this aspect telling universities and families the substantial requirement for stress and time management these days to generate a healthy eating pattern.

The Influence of Social Support on Postgraduate Students' Psychological Well-being: Self-Esteem as a Mediator

The study aimed to examine the impact of social support and self-esteem towards postgraduate students’ psychological well-being in Malaysian public universities and self-esteem as a mediator. In all, 335 postgraduate students from 13 public universities in Malaysia participated in this study. The present study conducted employing the quantitative research method using an online questionnaire. Convenient sampling was used to gather the data. Postgraduate students received the online questionnaire through postgraduate groups. The data were analysed using the PLS-SEM version 3.3.9. The validity and reliability of survey items, as well as the link between variables, were evaluated using the measurement model and structural model. The findings in this study indicate that social support and self-esteem have significant impact on psychological well-being. Besides, self-esteem plays partial mediation on social support and psychological well-being. The findings would be useful in helping university administrators, supervisors, counsellors, friends, and family members recognise the need to boost postgraduate students' psychological well-being and discover the solution to do so. For postgraduate students to be psychologically well-adjusted, their self-esteem and social support must be strengthened. To gain a more in-depth comprehending, a mixed methods technique may be adopted in future research. Furthermore, future study shall be able to compare the psychological health of local postgraduate students with international postgraduate students.

Men Becoming Gods in “Style”

Men Becoming Gods in “Style”

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Reviewed by: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli Adam McConville Albertalli, Becky Imogen, Obviously. Balzer + Bray, 2023 [432p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063045873 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063045897 $12.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 9-12 Senior Imogen Scott believes everything about her is obvious: she's the straight, ever-supportive ally in her small but loving group of queer friends that includes a recently out pansexual bestie, a lesbian younger sister, and boldly confident lesbian new girl Gretchen. Terrified of overstepping into a space where others seem so confidently queer, Imogen has always quashed her own possible attraction to girls, until her best friend Lili's lie about their shared past leads to Imogen pretending to identify as bisexual during a weekend college visit. Initially uncomfortable playing along, Imogen quickly finds herself at home with Lili's new queer college friends, though. Soon, playful, potentially flirtatious banter with cute dormmate Tessa has Imogen wondering if her sexuality isn't as clear to her as she thought. Drawn from Albertalli's experience with coming out, this novel offers an endearing story of one teen's struggle for self-acceptance. Imogen admits to being stuck in her head, and the narrative thus spends a lot of time stuck in her cycle of self-doubt, but interspersed text messages, including adorably fun conversations between Imogen and Tessa, break up the endless ruminating. As Imogen frees herself to act on her feelings, she frees up the plot too, giving readers an up-paced, romantic, self-affirming conclusion complete with grand gestures. Friends both at home and on campus, meanwhile, provide a diverse mix of races, genders, and sexualities, making for a rainbow of personalities that avoid the sense of checkbox-motivated intentionality. A sure hit with Albertalli's existing fans, this is likely to win her more in those who want a thought-provoking take on how sometimes what you want is more obvious to your heart than to your head. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

International students’ collective resilience in crisis: Sense of community reduced anxiety via social contact and social support during lockdown

ObjectivesThe role of community in individuals' well-being has been extensively examined in the Western context. However, little is known about how the host community is related to sojourners' well-being in a crisis in an Asian context. The current study aims at exploring international students’ sense of community in the Chinese context under the direct threat of a global health crisis. MethodsUsing a cross-sectional sample of 102 international students staying in Wuhan during the 76-day lockdown at the earliest stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the current study explored the relationship between international students’ sense of community and anxiety, and the mediating role of social contact, social support from three key sources in the host community (host university, international students, and Chinese friends). ResultsResults showed that participants’ stronger sense of community indirectly reduced anxiety via the role of sources of contact and support from the host community. ConclusionsThis study provided further evidence to support the nurturance of the sense of community in community resilience and provided implications on how the host community can help to enhance sojourners’ psychological well-being in a global crisis.

AWWA Water Science Author Spotlight

<i><scp>AWWA</scp> Water Science</i> Author Spotlight

Evaluating the Role of University Disability Service Support, Family Support, and Friends’ Support in Predicting the Quality of Life among Disabled Students in Higher Education: Physical Self-esteem as a Mediator

This research paper examines the influence of university disability service support, family support, and friends’ support on the quality of life (QoL) experienced by disabled students in higher education, with a particular emphasis on the mediating role of physical self-esteem. By investigating the intricate relationships between these factors, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various dynamics that contribute to the well-being of disabled students within academic settings. Employing smart partial least squares structural equation modeling as an advanced statistical technique, including mediation analyses, and collecting data from 368 disabled students, the findings reveal the multifaceted nature of the impact of support networks on QoL. The study underscores the crucial role of physical self-esteem in mediating the effects of university disability service support, family support, and friends support on the well-being of disabled students. These insights shed light on the intricate interplay between these factors, providing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that underlie their influence. The implications of this research extend to universities, families, friends, and support networks catering to disabled higher education students. Recognizing the significance of physical self-esteem as a mediator emphasizes the importance of fostering positive body image and self-perception among these students. Additionally, this study contributes to the broader discourse on the well-being of disabled individuals within academia, offering insights that can inform strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing their educational experiences and overall QoL.

食品の潜在的価値に関する研究

The potential value of food has a great impact on the customers’ desire to purchase and eat food. Our previous study showed that curry roux for home use induces an empathetic bond between a parent and a child. In this study, characteristic of curry as one of Japan’s most popular dishes was investigated through a paired experiment (N=12). The examinees of each pair were university friends. Strength of empathy during meal was investigated using Curve Drawing Method (CDM), a continuous time-series affective evaluation, and synchronization of spoons move, an indicator of empathy proposed in our previous study. These results demonstrate that an empathetic bond was induced between friends as well as the parent and child. This study revealed that long seller food products hold potential value, which is a potential relationship between human and food, as its apparent value.

Acting and Race in Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Acting and Race in <i>Night of the Living Dead</i> (1968)

The Secret Autobiography of Francis James Child

Beginning in 1847, a year after his graduation from Harvard College, Francis James Child, beloved Harvard professor, first president of the American Folklore Society, and perhaps the greatest ballad scholar of the nineteenth century, began what would become a twenty-year correspondence with his closest college friend and future brother-in-law, William Ellery Sedgwick. Based on this previously unknown cache of letters contained among the Sedgwick family papers deposited at the Massachusetts Historical Society, this essay will examine the first five years of Child's self-described "secret autobiography" for what it tells about the emotional experiences that shaped the man behind the ballads when he was a young, struggling academic trying to establish himself at Harvard, and not yet the patronym for traditional balladry.

Regular Visitors

Regular Visitors Monica Ferrell (bio) inside every body is a blue wardrobe, and inside the wardrobe is an unremarkable lockbox, and inside Mila's was a picture of the man behind the counter at the café called Regular Visitors. His skin resembled a lamb's—that is, if you took a lamb and butchered it, then sheared it free of hair and massaged into it expensive toners and those moisturizers from Korea or Kiehl's that even the straight men among millennials seemed to wear. About as long ago as this man was old, she and her college friends used to play a game called Killed in the Initial Attack. There was nothing to the game beyond a mean-spirited hypothetical conjecture in which you imagined a scenario like the one from that movie Red Dawn, where America was being invaded by a foreign enemy. Who among them would go down first, stupidly wounded by the first tank, innocently stepping on the first grenade? Now Mila had a good answer for a game she no longer played. The man [End Page 5] behind the counter at Regular Visitors would. His teeth, presented in a smile each time he slid a coffee across the marble toward her, were guileless. "What will you have?" That's the way he took an order. It was so deferential, so Old World, especially in combination with the starched white apron he always wore, the half pencil he'd occasionally lift from the nook above his ear to jot down complex instructions on a little flip-top book of graph-lined paper, furrowing his fine forehead with the effort. He seemed to self-identify as a kind of writer; now and then she'd spotted him putting that poor mustard-colored notebook through its paces even when only she was around, and this one time when she rested a novel she was reading on the countertop as she poked in her wallet for her regular-visitor punch card, he'd twisted his long torso around to her side to read its title, sounding its words out with effort like a child. "Is this a good book?" She could see the bluish muscle working in his neck as he spoke. "He's Norwegian," she said, idiotically. Puckering his lips, the man on the other side of the counter put his hands to either side of the cover and studied it as though it were going to be on a test. "I've heard of him. Do you pronounce the K?" "Yes," she'd breathed. He nodded. "I thought so," he said, and grinned, a gymnast who'd stuck his landing. When her college friends used to play Killed in the Initial Attack, they'd rank Mila among the last to go, as she remembered, one of the final survivors. They said something about her spying—no, it was that she would turn double agent, using her sexual wiles to save herself with whichever side won. Mata Hari, they'd called her. It was vaguely dishonorable, the light they'd cast her in, tinged with a generalized racism made worse by the fact they clearly didn't know Mata Hari wasn't Indian, or even a real Asian at all. Odd to think how she had lost her wiles so thoroughly that she was now beneath the invaders' notice and could escape their bullets by simply not being seen. She had attained the fabled power of [End Page 6] cockroaches, she guessed, since like them she had become imperishable, a survivor who would persist through anything. ________ on tuesday mornings, Mila made breakfast for and dressed her five-year-old son and one-year-old daughter, then gathered them into coats, hats, gloves, and shoes and carried the littler one while holding hands with the bigger one down two flights of stairs. On her arms were threaded five bags: bag for Lily's daycare, bulging with diapers and wipes; bag for Jeet's school, heavy with lunch and snacks; bag with the breast pump, adapter, brick-sized ice pack, and bottles; her own work bag filled with books and papers; and her handbag. Sometimes Jeet would pretend to...