Digital Commons Network^™

Holy Cheese-Us!, Rafia Chodhry

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This journalistic piece of writing is the author’s opinion about Diana Duyser who sold her holy grilled cheese sandwich for $28,000. The author describes her disbelief about the price that the sandwich was sold for and contradicts the fact that there is actually a Virgin Mary inscribed on the sandwich.

The author also mentions how religion is a sacred thing and profiting from the sale of an ambiguous figure in a sandwich is wrong.

Governance By The Hope Of Love, Alaina Siminovsky

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Castiglione’s The Courtier was the decorum book of its time. Everyone was trying to achieve the perfect courtier status so Castiglione used a series of conversations at the court of Urbino to tackle the issue. Through the course of the novel, many people speak of attainable characteristics that the courtier should have. They speak of skills at arms, reputation, breeding and courtier’s dealings with others. Only one person’s speech breaks the mold. Pietro Bembo speaks not of characteristics but of love, neoplatonic love. It can be questioned as to whether this atypical characterization is a necessity in the novel, and …

Emilia, Marlon Villalobos

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Fear was indeed the rule he used to measure people’s worth, strength, and chances of success, a determining factor on judging whether people were below him or at his same level, but never above him since he did not believe people to exist above others. So he went through life thinking that no one nor anything could impose such a feeling on him; Marlon, however, would be unpleasantly surprised on the morning of November 29, 1987 when his friend Luciano and him were to attend a meeting in one of the small villages of the western region of the parish …

Day After The Storm, Vien Tran

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Day After the Storm” is an essay celebrating the wonders of life. The day after a storm hits his town, the author travels on a journey through a devastated park to visit a young oak tree he helps plant there. His anxiety and imagination personify the elements of nature such as rushing wind, quiet water or fallen branches as wishing him defeat in finding his tree in a good state of being. To his own amazement, the young oak tree survives the hardship of nature. In this experience, the author gains appreciation for the victory of life, as humble as …

An Opinion On Small Children And Gender Roles, Alisha Van Hoose

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In this article, examples of small children (i.e. between the ages of 4 and 6) who express a “men are in charge of women” attitude that goes beyond the usual playground “boys are better than girls” sort of competition are presented. Examining this, possible sources for the development of such attitudes are brought up, and the conclusion is reached that without the likelihood of prominent gender roles being observed in adults in preschools and playgroups, such attitudes are most likely learned at home. Families are cautioned to examine the expressions of decision-making and other facets of their relationships which may …

A Siren Of The Sea Clutching My Pearls, Marie Cuneo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

What is this thing inside me . . . aching breaking rejuvenating

again and again Incessant nagging at the mind

and wrenching of the heart my strand of pearls slapping against the skin

What is this thing inside me . . .

aching

breaking

rejuvenating

       again and again

Incessant nagging at the mind

and wrenching of the heart

my strand of pearls slapping against the skin

Transmission, Symptoms And Complications Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Sherry Langstaff, Leslie Friedberg, Marisa Dominguez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A sexually transmitted disease is an infection acquired through direct sexual contact. This poster explores the symptoms and portals of entry for transmission of different STD’s. Many sexually transmitted diseases may lead to severe infections such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), perihepitis and infertility. These complications will be explored as well as the methods to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted diseases. The STD’s to be covered include gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, HIV/AIDS, bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, genital warts, granuloma, lymphogranuloma, trichomoniasis, hepatitis, chancroid, and molluscum.

The Relationship Between Body Image And Culture, Risel Borrego, Giselle Gaviria, Jennifer Haselberger, Natasha Romero

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to determine how individuals rate body image based on shape of the body and ethnicity of the person being evaluated. Further, this research explores whether culture of the participant is a variable that impacts individuals’ sense of body image. By discovering whether culture plays a role in how individuals view body image, people and organizations may be better able to work with individuals who have body image issues. The participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire. The questionnaire is composed of 5 questions which are used when looking at 15 pictures. The pictures …

The Effects Of Media In Times Of War, Alana Trombetta, Diane Kedzierski, Monique Mendez, Jane Fray

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Throughout time and most recently, the media has been presumed to have a great impact on the way the general population forms opinions about a wide range of topics. Research shows that the media may not affect people directly, but can change their attitudes about someone or something because of the manner in which it is presented, especially highly controversial topics (Gunther & Storey, 2003; Reedy, 2003). The purpose of this study is to determine whether the media has an effect on subjects’ views on a hotly debated topic such as the Iraq War. A fifteen item questionnaire was designed …

Lung Cancer And Angiogenesis, Ruzeen Patwa

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Lung cancer usually forms from cells that line the airways and nearby glands since these cells come into contact with the air we breathe which may contain carcinogens (such as tobacco smoke, asbestos, and benzene). Specifically lung cancer can be divided into two major groups: Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this literature review project is to discuss how angiogenic activators such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) have a prognostic significance in the development of lung cancer. Lung cancer occurs over a …

Adhesion Of Transferrin To Fda Group I And Group Iv Contact Lenses, Kaliope Tsirogiannis, Andre Graves, Vicky Kosakowski, Viviana Sumi Lee, Graham Rasanen, Areege Afaneh, Urbano Zamora

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The adhesion of tear proteins to contact lenses contributes to lens deterioration and ocular pathology. Tears contain a number of proteins, among them being lysozyme, albumin, transferrin, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins and tear lipocalin. Here we examine the adhesion of transferrin to FDA group I (low water non-ionic) and group IV (high water ionic) contacts lenses. Lenses were incubated in a solution of transferrin for 1, 2, 3, and 4 days, and transferrin adhesion was determined using the bicinchoninic acid assay. Transferrin adsorbed to Group I lenses in a steadily increasing pattern, resembling the pattern seen with albumin but not with lysozyme. …

Gracias Garcia, Danielle Garcia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

I entered the room

and within minutes they hit me

“Hola”

“Cómo se llama”

“De donde eres”

“Cómo está”

“Y tú” “Bien” “Gracias” “Igualmente”

Unfamiliar words rolling off their tongues

I stood still trying not to attract any attention

“Hola niña, entra”

“Cómo se llama”

De donde eres”

“Cómo está”

God, Angela Cuyugan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sunshine, how you dance upon my face, when you sneak

     between the shadows of the tree leaves.

Breeze, enlighten me; when the ocean’s still becomes a ripple,

     walk upon the shore and rush up to my ear and whisper.

Earth, feel so healthy beneath my soles and lively in the

      atmosphere, rise up, and rise up to the universal limit.

Final Exam, Stephen Deck

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A lighthearted and nonsensical little poem about distraction during a final exam. Set in the form of an internal monologue, the poem uses stream of consciousness to convey the scattered mind of a test taker. To this end, the poem shifts from a serious musing on the nature of a final exam and what it means, into a recognition of life outside the classroom, though the speaker does not permit itself to pursue these tangents far enough for analysis.

Emily Dickinson’S Essence Of Renaissance, Stephen Deck

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This paper seeks to establish Emily Dickinson’s abnormally isolated life and works as a microcosm of the American Renaissance movement. Emily Dickinson, though largely unread in her own time, is counted among the major forces in the American Renaissance, and in the Transcendentalist movement. Her abnormally isolated life and unique temperament make her life and work a microcosm of the American Renaissance. The paper focuses not on any biographies, or secondary sources, but an analysis of Dickinson's own letters to independently establish the facts of her life. A brief look is given to her literary relationship with Susannah Huntington Gilbert …

Death Penalty: The Easy Way Out For Criminals, Rafia Chodhry

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This journalistic piece of writing is an opinion about the death penalty. The author describes her opposing views regarding the death penalty and proposes life without parole as an alternative. Throughout the article there are several examples provided and in addition to statistical evidence.

Beautiful On The Inside, Angela Cuyugan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It’s warm in here she says...

It’s soft in here she says...

It’s deep in here she says...

And she’s beckoning you to come inside...

It’s hard in here she says...

It’s tight in here she says...

It’s wet in here she says...

And she’s encouraging you to feel inside...

Christabel And The Stranger Within Herself, Heike Dosé

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the six most influential poets of the Romantic period in British literature, wrote his poem “Christabel” in two parts, each with its own conclusion. In this essay, I argue that “Christabel” Part One can be interpreted as a dream of a young adult whose oppressed feelings of sexual anxiety come to the surface. In Part Two of the poem, Christabel’s behavior can be seen a sign of a repressed fear of losing her father’s interest in her as well as the fear of losing lady Geraldine as a lover.

Both parts of Coleridge’s poem describe …

Besa Me/Kiss Me, Sheree Leger

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Besa me mi amor

Just one more time before I go

Besa mis labios mi amor

So I only speak your name

Mis manos y sus manos

Animal Experimentation: Unnecessary And Unacceptable, Marissa S. Dass

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Each year millions of innocent animals are mutilated, burned, poisoned and gassed in unnecessary experiments. Although many argue that animal experimentation is necessary for the progression of society, more specifically the medical advancement of mankind, the fact is that human and animals are different in many way. So much so that today doctors are able to treat diseases on the very level that separates different species, the cellular level. Additionally, it can be argued that we in fact really do not know which animals will react like humans. For instance, humans are unique in getting AIDS from HIV, and suffering …

A Month For All To Celebrate, Rafia Chodhry

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This journalistic piece of writing is about Black History Month. Its purpose is to encourage readers to participate, celebrate and embrace black history. It also describes how the world would be if there were not any contributions from black inventors.

A Mission Into Horvitz Hell, Earl Tinsley

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This editorial piece discusses my memorable experience in the Horvitz Administration Building while surveying staff and students on behalf of the Dean of Student Affairs. During this studious mission, I was met with support and opposition from staff personnel in Horvitz. The opposition started in the most unlikely of places for me, right in the Human Resources Department, a place I have been known to frequent when payroll time came around. While in HR, a staff member didn’t take kindly to my questioning surveys and asked for me to present a valid NSU ID. When I explained I didn’t have …

A Critique Of The Vatican’S “Instruction Of Respect For Human Life In Its Origin And On The Dignity Of Procreation”, Andrew Barry

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This paper critiques a piece written by the Vatican regarding the usage of artificial procreation techniques by various couples and decrees its opinion of such usages as morally permissible or not. The majority of their “instruction” is consistent and validated; however, the Vatican holds overly extreme opinions on many situations, and in those opinions they fail to see exceptions where by their own rules, such acts become morally permissible. Also, one fatal flaw in their view is their absolute association of love and sex in order for a successful marriage to remain consummated. This is preposterous. The Vatican also claims …

Feminine Construction And The Alien Series, Gianni Consiglio

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The main objective of this essay is to demonstrate the regressive construction of female characters in mainstream cinema through the use of psychoanalysis. According to Laura Mulvey, mainstream cinema constructs female characters to please the male gaze. "Woman" in film is shaped and molded in such a way that her castration threat to the male viewer is diminished. In both the film diegesis as well as the discourse, the female image is contained and reduced within the symbolic system of patriarchy. Her ideas can be applied to the blockbuster Alien Series. The main protagonist of all three films, Ripley, played …

The Road Ahead, Edward Byer

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Numerous authors have raised alarms regarding both the increase in demand for fossil fuels by a growing global economy and the emergence of underdeveloped nations, such as China and India, and the adverse impacts this use has on our environment. World consumption of oil stands at approximately 84 million barrels per day. The United States, with only 5% of the world’s population, consumes almost one fourth of total world production. With the world’s most accessible energy fields seeing declining production levels, the current price of over $50 per barrel may seem low in years to come, as less accessible sources …

The Role Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis In Atherosclerosis, Zudiyah Darojat

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Porphyromonas ginigivalis is one of the major pathogens primarily responsible for several periodontal diseases such as adult and juvenile periodontitis. Recent studies have found that a form of P. gingivalis has been recognized within the buildup of fatty material and cholesterol of atherosclerotic plaque located in blood vessels. This strongly suggests that P. gingivalis may also be linked to the origin and development of coronary heart disease. The purpose of this literature review project is to elucidate the possible roles that P. gingivalis has in cardiovascular disease by interpreting the procedures and conclusions of several studies on how the invasion …

The Effects Of Various Factors On The Prevalence Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Behaviors In Undergraduate College Students, Nicole Hook, Lori Pantaleao, Ana Rodriguez, Vanessa Russo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive and distressing thoughts, urges, and images, as well as repetitive behaviors aimed at decreasing the discomfort caused by these obsessive thoughts. (Anthony, Rachman, Richter, & Swinson, 1998). OCD is estimated to be the second most common psychiatric disorder in both children and adults. (Dell-Osso, Marazziti, Planner, & Presta, et al. 2003). The age of onset in within the college years, yet not many studies have focused on college age students. The study looks at the characteristics of OCD in undergraduate college students. We break the study down into four …

The Note: From A Child’S Heart, Angel Polk

Undergraduate Student Symposium

He passed her the note at recess. It took him a week just to write down exactly how he felt about her. How his knees weakened every time he saw her. How her mama knew exactly how much blue magic grease to put in her head without makin’ her hair all nasty lookin’. To him, that was amazing. Everyone noticed that about her, she was the only girl in Mrs. Johnson’s class not to have a head full of lint, or a face shining like fatback when the sun got hot. Dang she was pretty too. You can always tell …

The Catalytic Conversion Of Saccharides To 5-Hydroxymethyl-2- Furaldehyde (Hmf) – A Petroleum Source: A Comprehensive Study Into Understanding The Binding Of Model Saccharides With Lanthanum And Yttrium Complexes, Raquel Appa, Elaine Hammil

Undergraduate Student Symposium

There is a burgeoning interest to find new sources of petroleum, as this can alleviate oil prices and fossil fuel shortage concerns. Innovation can be focused on possibly converting wood to fuels, or chemical and industrial products. Saccharides have acquired significance industrially as a promising, suitable, and versatile carbon source for substituting petroleum; particularly, the catalytic conversion of saccharides to 5- hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (HMF). Lanthanide (III) ions, (strong Lewis acids), are active catalysts for converting saccharides to HMF:

See full text PDF for molecular illustration.

Proficient lanthanide-catalysts that convert saccharides to HMF have potential impacts on energy and the environment. Consequently, …

National Or Private Health Care – What Is Best For The U.S., Stephanie Blair

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This paper discusses the differences between public and private health care and the outcomes each would have and has on the U.S. This paper also discusses the United States current health insurance system as well as the trends and where we may be headed in the future of health insurance. It observes the past, present and future of health insurance in the U.S. Currently the U.S. has a private healthcare system in which its citizens purchase insurance through a provider or if they cannot afford it or choose to not purchase it then they are uninsured. This paper also includes …