Adams State Academic Research

This collection contains theses written by the graduates in Adams State University’s Masters programs.

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"There are No Black People in Napa": A History of African Americans in Napa County
This thesis has two main goals. First, it aims to resolve once and for all whether or not there was ever a history of African Americans in Napa County. It seems like a relatively simple question with an obvious answer, yet the population has always been so small that even Black Napans often joke with each other, "What Black people?" When white people are asked to discuss local African Americans, they usually either recite an urban legend about the Black woman doctor driven from St. Helena by racists or engage in a debate as to whether or not Willie the Woodcutter was really guilty. (Willie the Woodcutter, whose real name was Walter Boyd Williams, was an African American man who murdered a white female Pacific Union College student in 1971.) Long forgotten are John Grider, a Bear Flagger and one of the first African Americans in Napa, Frederick Sparrow, the first Black man in the county to register to vote, the Canner family who came to Napa as slaves and stayed for three generations, Matilda Seawell who was beloved by all and affectionately known as Aunt Tillie, and the thousands of others who have lived and worked here for the last 169 years. Recovering their stories and relationships is important to move the discourse away from the sensational. Second, this thesis examines contemporary race relations in Napa County from the perspective of African Americans who lived here over the last four decades. White Napans often believe themselves to be either liberals free of bigotry, racism, and sexism, or conservatives defending traditional values. Neither case is really accurate, as the interviews will show. Napa, both as a county engaged in its own internal debate about race and as part of the statewide conversation, expresses "many of the forces and dynamics posited to be the engines of 'racial progress': a generally liberal political culture, a relatively robust economy, and increasingly diverse populace, and well-organized civil rights leadership. Yet. .. nearly every major civil rights and racial justice issue put before a vote [in the last few decades] ... has failed." Napa's current racial conflicts are not isolated events devoid of historical context but part of a centuries-old continuum of white privilege and minority oppression. They are part of a larger social "effort to turn back the clock on the state's history of racial progress," and unfortunately, that effort has thus far succeeded. Napa County has come a long way in terms of race relations between African Americans and whites, but still has a very long way to go.
A Generation Projected
A Generation Projected is a site-specific installation. This thesis paper analyzes cultural disconnect, nostalgia, and the influence of global media as a cultural phenomenon, as seen in the installation. The title of the show represents the fact that the artist's generation is one that has grown in a media-dominated world. Because of the globalization of mass media such as television and film, both projected media, this generation has shared many common experiences, which in some ways unite them across national borders, and in other ways divide them due to the many misconceptions propagated through these media. A Generation Projected also signifies the particular generation in Ethiopia that the artist identifies with, a generation facing common challenges such as displacement and diaspora realities. The artist has magnified these experiences through his use of the projection technique to examine these particular themes. Furthermore, the title is a play on words that refers to a particular era in the artist's body of work that is heavily reliant on projection techniques.
A Student Athletes Perspective Of The Lesbian Label In Women's Basketball
In this paper I discuss the lesbian label and its role in collegiate women's basketball. I focus on the perspective of female student athletes in southern California, their experiences and understandings of how they were treated and their feelings that resulted from that. These recollections include perceptions of the coaches, universities, teammates, family and other lesbian players. I have compared studies previously done on this topic and examine if there has been a change over time in society's position toward these athletes. My main goal was to address the lesbian label and determine if it had an effect on the women's choices during the crucial teenage years of finding one's identity and during the early adult stages while establishing oneself as an adult.
Acute Effects of Moist Heat and Foam Rolling on Dynamic Hamstrings Flexibility and Hip Joint Range of Motion in NCAA Division II Female Lacrosse Athletes
While there are many methods used by athletes to decrease muscle tightness and thus increase range of motion (heating, stretching, joint mobilizations), one of the newest and least studied methods is foam rolling. While purported to increase range of motion, decrease delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and increase athletic performance, there is very little scientific research to date on the validity of these claims, particularly increasing range of motion, which is how it is most commonly used. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of moist heat, foam rolling, and a combination of both methods on hip joint range of motion. Methods: Eleven NCAA Division II female lacrosse athletes volunteered for the study. The participants had a mean height, body weight, age, and years of lacrosse experience of 163.43 ± 8.5 em, 62.15 ± 9.0 kg, 19.9 ± 1.51 years, and 6.55 ± 3.83 years of experience, respectively. A pre-season baseline measurement of active hip flexion range of motion was taken before the beginning of the lacrosse season. Participants reported for testing at the same time of day on the Monday of three consecutive weeks. Athletes began each day by having baseline active hip flexion range of motion measured, followed by one of three interventions in a randomized order: application of a moist hot pack for 10 minutes, foam rolling the hamstrings for three sets of 60 seconds with sets separated by 15 seconds, or a combination of heating followed by foam rolling. Immediately following the intervention, participants had range of motion measured again using the same protocols. All measurements were taken three times and then averaged. Results: A two-way repeated measures ANOV A showed that all three interventions significantly increased range of motion (p < 0.00 I) from pre-post intervention, however no intervention Effect of Heating and Foam Rolling on Range of Motion 3 increased range of motion more than any other intervention by a statistically significant margin (p > 0.05). Despite the lack of statistical significance, effect sizes indicated that the combination intervention had the largest magnitude of practical effect with a large effect size (d = 0.85), while heating and foam rolling had medium effect sizes (d = 0.54, d = 0.41 respectively). Heating increased range of motion by a mean of 8.14 ± 3.17 degrees, while foam rolling and the combination increased range of motion by means of 5.93 ± 3.9 degrees and 9.91 ± 6.83 degrees, respectively. Conclusions: These results indicate that heating, foam rolling, and a combination of both can all be effective in acutely increasing range of motion. However, the combination of both treatments may be most effective, time and resources allowing. Further studies may wish to investigate the effects that foam rolling on consecutive days has on range of motion, or other combinations, such as heating, stretching, and foam rolling with a larger, more diverse population of participants. Future studies could also investigate the effects of heating and foam rolling on different muscles or joints. Practical Applications: Oftentimes, those in the sports medicine community are short on time and must help multiple athletes at once. The results show that athletes can perform heating and foam rolling on their own and see significant increases in range of motion. Findings also indicate that, if limited on time, athletes can either heat or foam roll and have a decrease in muscle tightness. Athletic departments with a minimal budget can also invest in a hydrocollator with hot packs and foam rollers and potentially see similar results as more expensive treatments options.
All who stand in truth are giants: the rights of Conscience Committee, 1955-1973
The Rights of Conscience Committee played an integral role in carrying out the mission of the American Friends Service Committee, as well as Quaker testimonies, for the duration of its existence, 1955-1973. Recognizing that the Constitution has no impact unless the people demand that its words are upheld, the Rights of Conscience Committee sought to support individuals and groups who, as a matter of conscience, took action to protest injustice and to secure their constitutionally guaranteed rights. Through a variety of funding sources, the Rights of Conscience Committee made both sufferings grants (a Quaker tradition from the religion's inception in the 1640s) and legal grants to individuals and groups who took a stand of conscience in four main areas - race, personal beliefs and associations, conscientious objection to war, and loyalty oaths. This committee is an illustration of religiously-based civic activism, which was a vital expression of the quest for social change and democratic activism, which was characteristic of many reform movements in the mid-twentieth century.
An Analysis of Sportsmanship Scores Among Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coaches
This study investigated the sportsmanship attitudes of coaches across the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Data analysis looked for significant differences between the mean scores of various demographics including gender, age, experience, title or position, gender of the team being coached and type of sport (contact or non-contact) coached. Subjects of the research (N=97) were RMAC coaches with various backgrounds, representing different sports. These participants were asked to complete the McMahan Sportsmanship Attitude Scale, a survey consisting of 21 hypothetical sports related situations. Data was collected via the mail, as surveys were sent to 294 coaches across the RMAC. These surveys included demographic information and were then returned to Adams State College. The return rate was 36% ( I 07 returned surveys). Ten surveys were eliminated due to being incomplete. Analysis indicated that there was a statistical difference between the sportsmanship scores of the means of age groups, head coaches, assistant coaches and graduate assistants and coaches who coach contact and non-contact sports (p<.05). There was no statistical difference between the means of men and women, groups of varying years of experience and the gender of the teams that are coached (p>.05). Thus, this research concluded that sportsmanship in the RMAC does vary based on important demographics.
An Exploratory Study into the Reported Levels and Causes of Burnout in NCAA Division II College Softball, Baseball, and Soccer Athletes
This was a two-phase mixed methods research project that analyzed the level of burnout among 108 athletes at a small NCAA Division II university, as well as the causes that led an athlete to feeling burned out from his or her sport. The first phase of this study examined the extent to which NCAA Division II collegiate softball, baseball, and soccer athletes reported burnout using the Raedeke and Smith (2001) Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. This questionnaire measured the level of burnout the athletes felt based on either their feelings of reduced sense of accomplishment, devaluation of the sport, or physical and psychological exhaustion. The second phase of this study focused on exploring the possible primary causal factors for burnout within Division II college softball, baseball, and soccer athletes by using semi-structured interviews. The study found an insignificant difference in burnout levels between in-season athletes and out-of-season athletes. This study did discover a difference in burnout levels when comparing male athletes versus female athletes. Female athletes reported higher scores of physical and psychological exhaustion based on the results of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire as compared to their male counterparts.
Asymmetric lower body force output while performing a barbell back squat in NCAA Division II athletes
Benevolent Business: Edward G. Stoiber and the Silver Lake Mining Complex
The search for mineral wealth in Colorado led to the exploration of isolated areas like Silver Lake Basin in the San Juan Mountains. As surface ores were exhausted, miners were forced to increase the depth of vertical shafts where they confronted increasingly complex ores that required sophisticated equipment and engineering expertise to extract. Remote communities like Silverton sought Eastern investment to provide the capital necessary for development, creating a class of absentee owners vulnerable to dishonest promotion while lacking practical knowledge. Regardless, the success of deep mining in Colorado relied on the willingness to gamble. Although many Colorado mine owners resided in the state, few lived at the site of their investment. Edward G. Stoiber possessed several qualities that differentiated him from his peers. Not only did he live on his Silver Lake property, but his wife was also his business partner. Stoiber applied both physical and intellectual capital to his mine, which benefitted the region as a whole. He understood the business of mining and how to make a profit through meticulous development. By embracing cutting edge technologies, he proved he could balance his technical education with practical experience. Most striking was his benevolent approach towards his workforce and generous spirit that defined him as an atypical mine owner.
Capital of the Colorado Plains
The guiding questions of this case study are an ambitious attempt to interpret the experience of ordinary people in Morgan County, especially in its major hub, the city of Fort Morgan, from the 1860s to the present; to chronicle the rise of a community found in the relative isolation of northeast Colorado from a military installation to a municipality, and create an understanding of the socio cultural phenomena that exists today. The central questions addressed are how and why the community of Fort Morgan sometimes responded so differently to apparently similar situations facing most western communities. Capitalizing on Colorado laws surrounding irrigation, industrial diversification, and aided by the railroad and interstate highway, Fort Morgan has continued to be insulated from the boom-and-bust cycles experienced by other frontier towns. When other towns have lost their identity and the very features that once gave them distinction and appeal, Fort Morgan maintains its historic character and quality of life. In a rapidly changing world adaptability personifies Fort Morgan, and one quickly realizes there's something extraordinary about this town.
Colonial Land Policy and Cultural Change in the Northern Mariana Islands
For over four hundred years, colonial governments in the Northern Mariana Islands controlled resource development through the enforcement of land policy. While largely economic in nature, these land policies resulted in dramatic cultural changes for the native Chamorro people. However, as a self-determined United States territory, the indigenous government of the Northern Marianas has expropriated this framework of colonial land policy and transformed it into a protective tool against foreign exploitation. This thesis assembles an original and comprehensive analysis of Spanish, German, Japanese, and American colonial land policies and their connection to the documented cultural changes experienced in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Comparison of the Hang High-Pull and Trap-Bar Jump Squat in the Development of Vertical Jump and Isometric Force-Time Characteristics
Olympic style weightlifting derivatives, such as the power clean and hang high-pull (HHP), are effective for improving a variety of explosive athletic performance measures. However, Olympic weightlifting movements have high skill demands and require expert coaching. Weighted jumps, such as the trap-bar jump squat (TBJS), have a comparably lower skill demand and may be equally effective for improving explosive performance. Yet, to date there is limited scientific research evaluating the effects of these movements and the transferability to high performance sport. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare vertical jump performance and isometric force and rate offeree development (RFD) following a ten-week intervention employing either the HHP or TBJS in collegiate swimmers. Methods: 7 Eighteen NCAA Division II swimmers (Male n=8; Female n=1 0), with at least one year of resistance training experience, volunteered for the study. The participants had a mean age, height, body weight and body fat percentage of20.8 ± 3.2 years, 172.6 ± 8.8 em, 68.19 ± 11.06 kg and 15.6 ± 6.2%, respectively. Baseline and post-training tests included the squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ) and the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) performed on force plates (Pasco-Scientific) sampling at 500Hz. The SJ and CMJ ground reaction forces (Fz) were analysed using a custom built software to obtain relative peak power (W/kg), and the impulse-momentum method was used to calculate takeoff velocity (m/s) and jump height (em). The peak isometric force relative to body mass (N/kg), peak RFD (N/s) and relative force at five time bands was obtained from the IMTP Fz. Subjects were randomly assigned to a HHP training group or TBJS training group and completed a ten-week volume and intensity equated periodized strength and power training program. Loads and volumes for the HHP and TBJS were determined using percentages ofthe subjects· one repetition maximum (1-RM) power clean or trap-bar deadlift and were progressed over the supervised training sessions by a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Results: Paired sample t-tests revealed that all measured dependent variables significantly (p < 0.05) increased from pre-to post-test regardless of the intervention type used. The mean increases were not significantly (p > 0.05) different between the HHP and TBJS, although medium effect sizes were recorded for both relative peak power and vertical jump height in the SJ. Jump height for all subjects in the SJ and CMJ showed increases of3.4 and 2.9 em, respectively, while relative isometric peak force and peak RFD for all subjects increased by 3.6 N/kg and 570.5 N/s, respectively, after the 10-week intervention. Conclusions: Weighted jumps may be equally effective as weightlifting derivatives in the development of vertical jump height and power, and isometric force and RFD. Future studies may wish to examine different populations and other performance measures such as agility, acceleration and sprint metrics. Additionally, this study only examines the HHP and TBJS, while many other variations of Olympic style weightlifting movements and weighted jumps exist. Practical Applications: The results show that weighted jumps may be equally effective as weightlifting derivatives for improving athletic performance measures. However, weighted jumps require significantly less skill to perform, which may make weighted jumps a better option in a large team setting where coaching complex movements may be difficult or where equipment limitations may exist.

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