Education Commons^™

The Maiden Of The Lost, Jeneva Grace Midgett

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

A short story titled Maiden of the Lost by Jeneva Grace Midgett in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 152-154.

Fried Egg, Mercury-Marvin Sunderland

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

A poem titled Fried Egg by Mercury-Marvin Sunderland in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 155-158.

My Mother's Golem, Amanda Vannierop

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

A poetic short story titled My Mother's Golem with an abstract/artist's statement by Amanda VanNierop in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 150-151.

Abstract/artist's statement

This piece was composed for the 2020 Inspired By Showcase, where it received first place for undergraduate written work. The competition asked students to create a piece of art reflective of the themes in Michael Chabon’s novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

Over time, the Golem has taken on varying symbolism both in and out of Jewish culture. To titular character Joe Kavalier, the Golem represents escape. …

Adventures In The Drawing Room: The Ambiguity, Exoticism, And Artifice Of The Bourgeois Parisienne In Alfred Stevens’ The Visit, Piper Prolago

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

A critical essay titled Adventures in the Drawing Room: The Ambiguity, Exoticism, and Artifice of the Bourgeois Parisienne in Alfred Stevens’ The Visit by Piper Prolago in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 123-129.

First paragraph

Alfred Stevens’ The Visit, housed in the Dallas Museum of Art collection, not only encompasses the aesthetics of the bourgeois decorative, fashion, and artistic tastes in 19th century France, but also captures the artifice of European fascination with Asian aesthetics. The Visit depicts two women in a richly decorated interior visually disjointed by a lacquer screen.

Adolescent Literature & Intersectional Oppression, Zacharia Jefferson Macneal Cross

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Critical essay titled Adolescent Literature & Intersectional Oppression by Zacharia Jefferson Macneal Cross in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 73-78.

First paragraph

Healing Historical Trauma in The Marrow Thieves

In this essay I examine how Cherrie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves acknowledges and works through the struggles of Native Americans, allowing the characters a way through their seemingly impossible survival and clearing a path to heal their historical trauma. The ability to dream is a key element of this processing of trauma, as well as the very thing that they are hunted for.

Uproot, Jake Gentry

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Short story titled Uproot by Jake Gentry in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 177-180.

First sentence

My Grams glanced up from her newly planted irises, her blue eyes spotting her 7-8-9-something-year-old grandson across the yard.

What Isn't There: Four Poets And The Art Of Absence, Petra Ellerby

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

A critical essay titled WHAT ISN'T THERE: Four Poets and the Art of Absence by Petra Ellerby in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 163-176.

Two (2) Slices Of Baloney, Mercury-Marvin Sunderland

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

A poem titled Two (2) Slices of Baloney by Mercury-Marvin Sunderland in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 159-162.

Queer Refugee Experience: An Inquiry Into The Studies Of Transnationalism And Its Relationship To The Livelihood Of Syrian Refugees Who Identify As Lgbtq+ And Have Migrated To Turkey, Anne Frances Bennett

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Critical research titled Queer Refugee Experience: An Inquiry into the Studies of Transnationalism and its Relationship to the Livelihood of Syrian Refugees who Identify as LGBTQ+ and have Migrated to Turkey by Anne Frances Bennett in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 101-122.

First paragraph

This paper will explore the missing elements of the studies of transnationalism by analyzing the vulnerable identities, inclusive exclusions, and states of exception of LGBTQ+, Syrian refugees migrating to Turkey. Since the Syrian Refugee Crisis began, masses of migrants have escaped to Turkey in search of freedom, especially those …

“In Between The Virgin And The Whore”: Decentering The Cultural Paradigms Of The Virgin Of Guadalupe And La Malinche In Four Writers, Miren Neyra Alcántara

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

A critical essay titled “In Between The Virgin and The Whore”: Decentering the Cultural Paradigms of The Virgin of Guadalupe And La Malinche in Four Writers by Miren Neyra Alcántara in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 130-141.

First paragraph

There are several oppressive cultural paradigms in Mexican culture that try to subject women. These cultural formulations are forged through historical events, in this case the colonization of Mexico. The two of the most important feminine archetypes in Mexico are “The Virgin of Guadalupe” and “La Malinche”. Both effigies of femininity are fundamentally anchored …

Them Ribbons Were Gold, Lucas Thompson

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

A short story titled Them Ribbons Were Gold by Lucas Thompson in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 142-149.

Controlling Wickedness: The Journey To Penal Reform And The First Prison Systems In New York And Pennsylvania From 1820-1840, Joseph Antonio Flores

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Critical research titled Controlling Wickedness: The Journey to Penal Reform and the First Prison Systems in New York and Pennsylvania from 1820-1840 by Joseph Antonio Flores in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 79-100.

Abstract

This research examines discipline methods and architectural design in New York and Pennsylvania prisons from 1820 to 1840. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Cesare Beccaria discussed Enlightenment-era punishments. Benjamin Rush and William Bradford framed prison discussions through American ideals. After New York and Pennsylvania replaced most capital punishment with hard labor and solitary confinement, legislatures erected their first prison systems. New …

Racial Consciousness, Uplift, And Justice In Harlem Renaissance Poetry, Alexandria E. Schultz

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Critical research titled Racial Consciousness, Uplift, and Justice in Harlem Renaissance Poetry by Alexandria E. Schultz in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 53-72.

Abstract

Were you surprised or confused by the recent Black Lives Matter protests? Were some of the arguments for or against the movement hard for you to understand? This essay intends to help readers see, through the lens of poetry, how the current Black experience in America came to be, and what Blacks have been saying and doing about their unequal circumstances for the past 100 years. Throughout the history …

Molecular Genetic Modifications In The Human Genome: Racial Discrimination As A Biological Stressor, Nicolette Dobson

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Research titled Molecular Genetic Modifications in the Human Genome: Racial Discrimination as a Biological Stressor by Nicolette Dobson in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 1-24.

Abstract

Racial discrimination enhances group separation and places individuals into stereotypical categories based on race and other factors (e.g. gender, behavior, etc.). As seen in studies on physiological diseases and psychological disorders, minority groups (e.g. African Americans) face cellular senescence at an increased risk due to health-related comorbidities and prevalent experiences of racism. This review provides an analysis of modifications within the human genome that may lead to …

The Effect Of News Format And Personal Relevance On Affect, Sophia R. Morrow, Hannah M. Hood-Johnson, Brianna L. Scandell, Matthew P. Newman, Grace E. Fink

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Research titled The Effect of News Format and Personal Relevance on Affect by Sophia R. McMorrow, Hannah M. Hood-Johnson, Brianna L. Scandell, Matthew P. Newman, and Grace E. Fink in UReCA: The NCHC Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity, 2021, pages 25-52.

Abstract

Considering the ubiquitous news coverage of COVID-19, it is important to examine the relationship between news consumption and affect, an important aspect of mental health. This study examined how news format and personal relevance influence affect. Participants watched 15 minutes of news clips or read their text transcriptions, which had either high personal relevance (e.g. COVID-19 …

Research In Contemporary Painting, Sutton Allen

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

With these works I am exploring the boundaries of contemporary image-making and oil painting, beginning with traditional paint application approaches such as grisailles, glazes, and scumbles, and ending with materials such as plaster, spray paint, and various chemicals. These images come from various mass media sources such as Google, The New York Times, and CNN. In making these paintings I have created and destroyed several times over the images that compose them in order to emulate the actual world of unknowing and falsehoods. Most importantly, I intend for these works to expand the overall vocabulary of painting and reestablish the …

Palinoia, Jill Bond

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

The idea of restrictive and regimented female beauty standards is certainly not a new concept, but rarely are the repetitive, destructive, and exploitive aspects analyzed in a cinematic setting. This realization sparked the idea for Palinoia: a three minute and thirty-four second film dedicated to the artistic exploration of this very topic. Starting with the title itself, “palinoia” is defined as the obsessive or compulsive repetition of an action until it is mastered or perfect – a rather accurate statement when looked at in the context of female actions in response to societal beauty standards and expectations. This definition ultimately …

Tears Of A Jester, Anjali Chacko

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

As I stared at my former doctor in her casket, I felt my throat tighten and the stomach acid climb up. Mary looked so different from the pictures her family had placed near her body. Her skin seemed thicker in death. She appeared much paler, almost sallow, and her body sagged in all the wrong ways. I joined the procession of mourners and thought about how poorly the makeup artist had done their job. I mean, it was bad—it looked as if someone had just slapped some lipstick all over her face and called it a day. I almost laughed …

To What Extent Does Transcendental Meditation (Tm) Relieve Symptoms In Patients With Ptsd?, Sanya Dhami

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that is currently increasing among the general public. Unfortunately, researchers have yet to find an effective treatment. Due to the lack of treatment, Transcendental Meditation has become a popular option and may potentially be an alternative treatment therapy. The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which Transcendental Meditation (TM) relieves symptoms in patients with PTSD by analyzing brain activity. A comparison was also made between traditionally used PTSD therapies and TM. Because the research regarding this topic is relatively new and was more heavily focused on patients with …

Golden Honey, Dom Fonce

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

In the pews, the whispers say

the Eucharist discs delight

the tongue with a dab of golden honey.

I smell a tart perfume not far away.

There is a nakedness being raked

up and caked against me. I have come

here drunk and contrary, losing myself

in these halls—a hum sways from the podium

dais. I want to meet my maker calmly.

I want to beat my faith off walls.

My father’s shadow murmured the Lord’s

Prayer whenever I looked above. My eyes

were young and seething. He died at fifty—

shriveled down and minced, powder-soft,

She Asks For Something Hopeful, Alexander Lane

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

I reach into my pocket

searching

not for the cold-jagged teeth of car keys

—I was going to see him,

the autodidact—

not for almost empty key lime chapstick

—on our one and only coffee

date I took the plastic wrap

of the cap and frayed the edges

small—at first—then

larger—like a flower slow splitting

itself—

—apart—

Walking With Helen, Carter Johnson

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Walk with me, Helen.

Come walk in the Garden of the Gods.

Sit with me under the red rocks

and look - the snowy peaks reach at the sky.

This is a worthy spot to talk,

Here among the green and grand.

Helen, my love,

Your face launched a thousand ships,

And burnt the topless towers of Ilium.

Your name will not die,

And your story will not cease.

But was it worth it?

Flawed And Formidable: Galadriel, Éowyn, And Tolkien’S Inadvertent Feminism, Rachel Maddox

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

inspiring an intense fan base and Peter Jackson’s multimillion-dollar film series. However, the trilogy’s acceptance in the literary canon has been tepid at best, with critics discrediting the work for relying too heavily on elements of fantasy, while those who accept the trilogy as worthy of literary consideration are forced to confront Tolkien’s sexist views and the manifestation of these beliefs in his work. In keeping with his well-documented misogyny, it appears that Tolkien intentionally excluded women from his narrative: the Entwives are all inexplicably absent, powerful women are excluded from major scenes and events, and there are “more named …

Bridging Aesthetic Theory: Comparing Scottish Enlightenment Theories To Modern Neuroscience Evidence, Calen Smith

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Artistic disciplines burgeoned in Scotland during the eighteenth century. As fields such as sculpture, painting, literature, and music thrived, so did philosophy. Responding to the advancements of the fine arts, philosophers such as Hume, Reid, and Hutcheson began to write about the philosophy of art—aesthetics. Though they addressed a variety of themes in their writings, aesthetic theory can generally be characterized by three main questions: does beauty originate internally (person) or externally (object), are there universal traits that create beauty, and lastly, what is the role of the critique (expert) in recognizing and interpreting beauty? Three hundred years later, academic …

Health Is Wealth: Behavioral Economic "Nudges" Applied To Health Care, Cameron Watts

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

“Health is wealth,” is a common catchphrase adopted by non-profits and clinics to describe the inherent value of investing in one’s physical and mental wellbeing. However, most people do not recognize the truth behind the phrase – the financial return on health investments. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2010, that over 2.3 trillion dollars were spent to treat chronic and mental health diseases, many of which were preventable (Gerteis et al., 2016); Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office expects 966 billion dollars to be spent on Medicare and Medicaid alone in 2018 (Projections for Major Health …

Free To Hate: Can We Justify Curbing Hateful Speech?, Logan Drake

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Hate speech and free speech, and the relationship between the two, have been prominent in the news lately, especially regarding speech on college campuses. It seems to me, however, that the debate usually lacks nuance. One side is portrayed as being free speech absolutists, while the other is seen as creating rules and restrictions that send us down a road towards totalitarianism and tyranny. In reality, however, very few people actually desire either of these extremes. No one wants tyrannical totalitarianism, and nearly everyone will admit that there needs to be, at the very least, restrictions on who can speak …

Consanguinity On The Canvas: Studying Inbreeding In The Habsburg Dynasty Through Portraits, Megan Dillion

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

During the height of their rule in Spain and Austria, the Habsburgs intermarried in order to preserve a strong, purely royal bloodline and to ensure that a Habsburg remained on the throne. For the Habsburg kings in Spain from 1516 to 1700, limpieza de sangre, literally “purity of blood,” was a central principle among Iberian peoples by the fifteenth century that focused initially on keeping Jewish and Moorish blood out of prominent Catholic families. This standard had been crucial since the Reconquista -the gradual expulsion of the Moors which lasted from the 1100s to the 1400s -and took on a …

Utopia And Contemporary Human Society: A Model For Sustainable Continuance, David Blake Corman

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Sir Thomas More’s Utopia outlines a bustling, blissful society in which all individuals live equitably, happily, and comfortably. Utopia, which literally means “no-place,” simply does not exist. However, More provides Utopia as a progressive template through which analogous contemporary social and economic structure may be assessed. Juxtaposing contemporary society with Utopia, a relatively superior or perfect state, illuminates some factors inhibiting modern society from otherwise ascending to the state and functionality of a Utopia.

Behind The Gavel And Under The Robe: Gender Performance In The Courthouse, Sonia Bosch

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

Gender” (1987) as a theoretical framework, I aim to understand how men and women in judicial occupations navigate gender roles and power dynamics in a professional setting. Both men and women judges present themselves similarly in their attire and their completion of making rulings on cases. However, men and women show distinct differences in displays of emotion, professional behavior, and responses to challenges or conflicts in the courtroom. Female judges tend to operate in a poised, highly accountable, and emotionally restrained scope, while men tend to show more variation in their emotional displays and have a wider range of behaviors …

Another Apocalypse, Jared Kohn

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity

For a brief infinity, all was silent darkness, all were shadows layered lifelessly on top of one another, and the formless figures rattled only to breathe in the impossible abyss. There were no distinctions between woman and blanket, blanket and couch, couch and floor; light failed to reach the isolation of the living room. In fact, this living room seemed to exist before and after the passing of time, a perfect solitude that existed outside of the bells and whistles of the known gloom. The heat was heavy and the body hidden beneath layers of shadow and blanket lurched through …