Browse the Undergraduate Research Symposium Collections
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Protecting Costa Rica03/11/2015Preservation of natural habitats is important on a global level, and Costa Rica is one of the leading countries in habitat protection. Protecting Costa Rica is a short documentary that answers the following question: What actions have been taken by this country to reverse decades of environmental damage? The story of this country’s transformational journey is told through interviews of Costa Rican natives, directors of the country’s biological reserves and national parks, and science professors from Kent State University. The narration consists of information extracted from these interviews and from knowledge gathered during a three-week tour of four of the country’s biological reserves. The research reveals that Costa Rica is a proactive nation that values the environmental state of its country. The people of Costa Rica are paving the way for other countries in terms of educational outreach and biological programs that greatly reduce and reverse environmental damage. |
Moorish and Jewish Influences on Modern Architecture in SpainSpanish architecture is riddled with various architecture influences over the course of history. Moorish and Jewish influence on Spanish architecture traces all the way back into the times of the Inquisition in Spain. One thing that should be made apparent is that Spain was always in search of “purely” Spanish architectural identity, when in actuality Spain was always a country of many different peoples with many different cultures. This cultural variety brought diversity in what was thought to be “purely” Spanish. Two influences stand out among the rest; Moorish and Jewish architecture. These two groups of people created inspiring architecture that played a key factor in Spain’s architectural history, and has remained as an influence on their modern architecture as well. Moorish and Jewish architectural influence is seen in Spanish modern architecture in form, ornament, and functionality. The importance of knowing whether this connection exists in modern Spanish architecture aides in the analysis of it, as well as further proof of how, though seeming original, it still remains to have remnants of influence from other cultures and not just Spanish alone. Methods that will assist in this research endeavor will be that of personal observations, analyzing texts from Flores, Mackay, and any primary sources that can be utilized to further argue that Spain’s modern architecture contains influence from Moorish and Jewish influences. |