2021 Editor's Introduction,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
2021 Editor's Introduction, Lauren M. Bowen
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
No abstract provided.
I'M Too Lazy To Come Up With A Good Title: How The Internet Makes Your Brain Lazy,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
I'M Too Lazy To Come Up With A Good Title: How The Internet Makes Your Brain Lazy, Anonymous ,
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
This anonymous student writer is a Computer Science major and a Massachusetts resident who describes himself as “interested in everything but passionate about nothing” — except not divulging any personal information. He presently spends his days secluded, enjoying living his ideal lifestyle enshrouded “in the devastating abomination that we all know to be the Internet.” He wrote this paper for a Composition II research assignment in order to rationalize a “terrible memory.” He is currently “overcoming(?) perfectionism after a long 4-year battle.”
The Language Of Science Is Questioned,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
The Language Of Science Is Questioned, Cooper Wilkinson
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Cooper is a Biochemistry major and a Cognitive Science minor who moved to Boston from Kansas City, Missouri. Cooper has always loved science, and has recently gained an interest in linguistics and the overlapping subjects of science and language. He wrote this essay during the Spring remote semester, and was proud to be able to “overcome the challenges of remote learning and grow even while the world was at a stand still.” Cooper says that he was grateful to be able to choose his writing topic and to no longer be “forbidden to write in the first person”. In addition, …
The Writing Process In The Modern Digital Age: A College Student's Perspective,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
The Writing Process In The Modern Digital Age: A College Student's Perspective, Adil Shahid
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Adil is a Communications major living in Fall River, Massachusetts. Adil enjoys writing and reading, and for a long time he kept a daily journal where he vented about his days to the blank pages. He feels that many students his age have lost touch with writing and reading simply because schoolwork has tainted their views of it. He hopes “that people do not lose sight of their creative outlets and passions and hold on to them dearly.” Adil and his classmates created a survey about student writing habits because they felt it was “important to see where other peers …
Reading Between The Lines Of The College Essay Prompt,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Reading Between The Lines Of The College Essay Prompt, Whitney Posada
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Whitney is a Psychology major who lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. Whitney enjoys translating her thoughts into her writing and working through the writing process to overcome boundaries and convey her message properly. While writing this paper she reflected on her own experiences, just one year before, as she sat down to write her college admissions essay. She says that while writing her admission essay there were “overwhelming emotions and confusion that I felt at that moment” and that her “anxiety could have been relieved if I had read James Warren’s essay back then.” Whitney says that her family has the …
The Marginalization Of African Americans In Educational Institutions Through Race And Language,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
The Marginalization Of African Americans In Educational Institutions Through Race And Language, Aneika Robinson
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Aneika is a sophomore and an undecided major who lives in Springfield, MA. She came to the United States from Jamaica when she was three years old. In this paper, Aneika wanted to address some of the subtle ways that “institutional racism is found within the foundations of schools in the United States.” She says that this essay “became something that was very special to me because it addressed a social issue that I am very passionate about. I care for equality of all people of color, as I believe that the color of a person’s skin should not determine …
Being Civilly Offensive,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Being Civilly Offensive, Michael O'Shaughnessy
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Michael is a Chemistry student from Middleboro, Massachusetts, who is very passionate about science and fine arts. He is a talented musician who has played several different instruments since he was six years old. Michael also invests time in drawing and writing. He is in his Junior year, is interested in organic synthesis and pharmaceuticals, and hopes to teach chemistry one day in order to share his passion for science. Michael says that this paper was actually very important to him as he reflected on some of the challenges that he was experiencing in his life at the time. “The …
Play-Based Literacy Learning In Early Education,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Play-Based Literacy Learning In Early Education, Sarah Dickinson
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Sarah is an Early Childhood Education major from Warwick, Rhode Island, and ever since she was little, she knew she wanted to have a job in which she was able to help others. After attending freshman orientation she realized she wanted to pursue a teaching career. Sarah says “I have worked in numerous classrooms over the last few years and have noticed the negative effects that didactic teaching practices have on children’s development, as well as their relationship with learning.” Sarah’s goal with her paper was to bring attention to the ways in which play can be reintroduced into early …
Getaway,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Getaway, Callia Chow
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Callia is a first-year student who currently lives in Indonesia and who hopes to study Entrepreneurship in the College of Management. She has an interest in music and languages, and feels that this class was the first time she was “encouraged to think about the connections between her two passions and to create something in both writing and song.” Callia grew up speaking English and Chinese, and through the years she has spoken Indonesian and Korean; she also has learned German and Japanese. She has a great interest in learning new languages and hopes to become fluent in many more. …
2020 Editor's Introduction,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
2020 Editor's Introduction, Lauren M. Bowen
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
No abstract provided.
La Citación En Educación: Funciones Retóricas En Textos Académicos Escritos Por Expertos Y Estudiantes Universitarios,
2026
CUNY New York City College of Technology
La Citación En Educación: Funciones Retóricas En Textos Académicos Escritos Por Expertos Y Estudiantes Universitarios, David Sanchez-Jimenez, Juan Antonio Núñez Cortés, Enrique Alonso Sainz
Publications and Research
The present study aims to investigate the differences in citation usage and frequency among university students and expert writers in the field of Education. The analyzed corpus comprises 50 papers written in this discipline and is divided into two sub-corpora: one consisting of 25 TFGs and the other one formed by 25 articles published in specialized journals. To examine this phenomenon, a qualitative and quantitative methodology was employed, performing a textual analysis of the rhetorical functions of citations. This analysis is based in the typology proposed by Petrić in her 2007 article, slightly modified for the purpose of the present …
Possibilities Of Being: Black Women's Storytelling As Archival Undoing,
2026
CUNY Graduate Center
Possibilities Of Being: Black Women's Storytelling As Archival Undoing, Dasharah Green
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
This dissertation constructs a discursive genealogy of Black women’s storytelling, positioning its art and aesthetics as a form of colonial archival undoing. Each chapter explores how transmission and documentation can transform—and circumvent—traditional colonial archives. Beginning at the start of the twentieth-century to present, this project traces the discursive legacies of Zora Neale Hurston, Audre Lorde, Michelle Cliff, and Staceyann Chin, examining each writer as a site of becoming as they individually (and collectively) seek to articulate an expansive idea of a Black world that constitutes a broader understanding of Black freedom. They each share a common goal of creating a …
Note-Taking Is Not Universally Applicable,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Note-Taking Is Not Universally Applicable, Chloe Tomasetta
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Chloe is a communications major who lives in Braintree, Massachusetts. Chloe wrote this essay in her Composition II course because she “genuinely wanted to explore the typed versus handwritten notes debate.” She said that researching this essay “gave me clarity in my preferred note-taking method,” and she adds: “I hope this essay can be helpful for students who struggle to take notes or choose a note-taking method.” Chloe loves spending time outside, as it “allows me to hear my own thoughts, which can provide clarity in my otherwise chaotic life.”
The Languages We Speak And The Biases That Erase Them,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
The Languages We Speak And The Biases That Erase Them, Siena Santos Edmunds
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Siena is a biology major on the pre-medical track living in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Her essay grew out of her own experience, as she found the language she used with her peers “seemed to me to be filled with all the best modes of storytelling and socializing,” but it seemed to her that her teachers “didn’t always hear what I did and thus missed out on what the language I use has to offer.” Siena is also passionate about social justice, especially in the realm of education. Her mother lacked access to school in her home country of Brazil, and that …
Romanticized Communication: Why Does Modern Dating Suck?,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Romanticized Communication: Why Does Modern Dating Suck?, Brianne Riccio
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Brianne is a nursing major living in Holbrook, Massachusetts. Brianne wrote this essay because “dating in 2019 is insanely difficult and more complicated than it has to be,” and she admits that her research revealed “more faults in my own personal dating life and mentality than I had previously known.” Brianne is deeply passionate about caring for others, and enjoys writing both as a way to help her relieve her own emotional burdens and as a way to connect with other people.
American Arms: A Soldier's Perspective,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
American Arms: A Soldier's Perspective, Steve Prochniak
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Steve is a political science major from Andover, Massachusetts. Steve’s experience in the military had given him an understanding of the practical aspects of the weapons he was trained to use, but his essay came out of a desire to understand the societal impacts of these weapons. Writing this essay both helped Steve develop a better understanding of this complicated issue, and helped him find his passion in exploring “issues and topics that face my community.” In addition to exploring these complex issues, Steve enjoys science fiction, exploration, and just hanging around in the city of Boston.
What Are The Benefits Of Reading For Pleasure?,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
What Are The Benefits Of Reading For Pleasure?, Abigail Pineau
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Abigail is a nursing major living in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Abigail enjoys reading for pleasure, but before researching this essay she “never knew just how impactful it was.” She said that after researching this subject it became “important for me that students and parents know just how impactful pleasure reading is.” In addition to reading, Abigail’s other passion is nursing, as she loves both helping people in need and learning how we function as humans.
Nota Bene: A Study On Latin And Its Influence,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Nota Bene: A Study On Latin And Its Influence, Ashley Kim
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Ashley is a psychology major currently living in Natick, Massachusetts. Ashley took Latin at her high school in Georgia, where she found it to be “one of the most insightful and unique courses I had ever taken.” She was disheartened that her Latin teacher had to struggle to find students to fill her class, and she wrote this paper with that teacher in mind to share “the message of Latin’s intrinsic benefits.” Ashley says that writing is very important for her, and she says “there can be great significance in small moments, and instead of letting those moments slip by, …
English Language Learners Marginalized In Classrooms,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
English Language Learners Marginalized In Classrooms, Nayelis Guerrero
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Nayelis is an undecided major living in Everett, Massachusetts. Nayelis was an English language learner when she first came to the United States, and her essay was inspired by this experience. She says that researching and writing this essay “made me realize the ways in which English language learners can better incorporate themselves socially.” Nayelis is also passionate about helping her community, serving both as a coordinator of a group of Hispanic women that want to jump-start their own businesses and as part of a coalition that works with police in her city to change policies around the police’s interaction …
Letters To My Unrequited Love,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Letters To My Unrequited Love, Ogadimma Ebele
Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition
Ogadimma is a political science major living in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. Writing is her passion and she credits this assignment with helping to further her composition skills. In 2019, she plans to focus all of her energy on pursuing her dream of landing a career in comedy writing.
