065 Textbook problems with learning Spanish, literally

Anne Marie Guerrettaz smiling at camera with blury background.

Anne Marie Guerrettaz is trying to figure something out: in Spanish foreign language classrooms, are the teaching or instructional materials helping or hindering students who are learning to speak Spanish? With the help of some recent recognition and grants, she plans to find an answer, along with potential solutions if things aren’t quite up to par. Plus, we learn that Anne Marie is a self-proclaimed “big dork.”

064 Mindfulness and Body Image through Yoga

Negative body image has been associated with low self-esteem, eating disorders, and mental illness. Many young people, including young girls, are dissatisfied with their bodies, even at an early age, and this has been shown to continue and worsen over time.

As part of Washington State University’s Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, Sport Science major Veronica Garcia shares research on the effect of physical activity on body image, why it might be effective, and specifically, with her mentor, Associate Professor Anne Cox, a 16-week study examining the relationships of mindfulness and self-compassion to body appreciation and something called body surveillance, all with women participating in a yoga course.

Veronica talks about these essential relationships and strategies that will support more positive body image.

063 Better support of student-athlete mental health (Hilinski’s Hope)

Just over a year ago, WSU quarterback Tyler Hilinski passed away and the Hilinski’s Hope foundation began. Focusing on mental health awareness in student athletics, Hilinski’s Hope is continuing to make a difference. We caught up with Kym Hilinski to learn more about the recent progress of the foundation and the importance of Hilinski’s Hope in student athletics.

062 Increasing teachers and leaders of color

Roughly 45 percent of school children in Washington state are designated as people “of color.” But there’s only about 10 percent diversity among teachers and school administrators. This isn’t a new problem. And universities are certainly not just now working on solutions. But thanks to being the first recipient of the George Brain and Gay Selby Faculty Award in Educational Leadership, WSU Vancouver’s Katherine Rodela is working to bridge that diversity gap.

061 Budding Moneyballers take on Phoenix

If you’ve ever watched the movie Moneyball, or read the book off of which it was based, you’ll know that the narrative goes something like this: everything we thought we knew about the game of baseball might be, at worst, just dead wrong, or, if we’re lucky, a little off. Either way, we’re wrong. The solution, of course, is to merely focus on great analytics and question the way things have been done. Problem solved, unbelievers be damned.

Well, a quartet of Washington State University students, led by team leader and sport management student Dante Ludlow, is soon taking their analytic prowess to a conference in Phoenix… a conference meant specifically for baseball analytics. While there, they’ll take part in a competition in front of baseball executives, with a dream of perhaps catching a few eyes and, even better, job offers.

060 Aquatic Intervention for those with Cerebral Palsy

Individuals with Cerebral Palsy suffer from all kinds of effects such as issues with muscle tone, posture, bone growth, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and so on.

At Washington State University’s Bruya-Wood Undergraduate Research Conference, we spoke to Justin Harrer and Morgan Davis, two kinesiology students within the College of Education, about things that can be done to enhance quality of life for those with Cerebral Palsy. Specifically, using aquatic intervention for both physical and psychological benefits.

059 WSU ROAR and its ever-present impact

There’s a life-changing program at Washington State University. It’s called ROAR. It’s designed for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities and it gives them a traditional, on-campus experience. It’s also a first in Washington state.

The initial class consists of four stellar students, and one of the best things about ROAR, is that it not only has a positive effect on the students themselves, but through those students, a positive effect on those involved in any capacity with the program. Like WSU soccer player Maddy Haro.

058 Exercise aids fighting depression

Over the last few years, researchers and scholars within Washington State University’s kinesiology programs have touted the benefits of exercise, both informally, and as part of the Exercise as Medicine initiative. At this year’s Bruya-Wood Undergraduate Research Conference, we caught up with student Jessica Krull, who goes into more detail about how exercise can actually help fight depression or depressive symptoms.

057 Exercise to improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

There are currently three main treatment options for Parkinson’s disease, though the downside to them include harsh side effects, invasiveness, and high cost.

We caught up with kinesiology student Collette Edge at the Bruya-Wood Undergraduate Research Conference, and she told us about one other treatment option: high-amplitude action-observation (HAOO) group fitness and how it can help decrease symptoms for moderate-level Parkinson’s disease progression.

056 A Fulbright to Macedonia and #AgentOfChange

WSU College of Education professor Joy Egbert has received a Fulbright Specialist Award and in March will spend three weeks in Macedonia.

It’s not the first time Joy has traveled abroad for Fulbright. Many years ago, she traveled to Russia. Since that time came more experience and more wisdom; an outlook that Joy recognizes will help her more on this trip.

She talks to us about the impending travel, her theories on immersive language acquisition, the role of a mentor, and what makes her an #AgentOfChange… all while she’s on a sugar high.

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