Foreword​

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It has been four years since the inaugural edition of Illuminate. It is hard to believe that we are now celebrating the fourth edition of the undergraduate journal of the Northeast Regional Honors Council. Year after year, Illuminate continues to grow, welcoming students from NRHC member institutions to celebrate their creative and academic work.

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In this edition, there are 32 pieces included, allowing 30 students to let their work “shine on.” The fourth volume of Illuminate aligns with the #NRHC2022 conference theme: “A More Perfect Union: Creating and Restoring Community in an Age of Disruption.”

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You will certainly see this theme resonate in many of the works included this year; however, Illuminate also welcomes work that is separate and apart from the NRHC conference theme. As you journey through this year’s volume, you will see several impressive works of art from photography to wood carving to collage; you will enjoy poetry; and you will be educated with over 20 academic papers that contain both secondary and primary research by honors students.

Our contributors examine important issues across a variety of disciplines—Business, Economics, and Technology; Education; History, Politics, and Culture; Language, Literature, and Philosophy; Media Studies and the Arts; Science, Mathematics, and Health; and Social Sciences. They have asked tough research questions and sought answers on how the communities within their disciplines handle challenging problems, conquer disruptions, and attain new knowledge.

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As this edition makes its debut, the state of our world continues to remain in flux. Some may argue that we are “more normal than ever” since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and some may say “things are still not the same.” NRHC’s 2022 conference was held in-person in Philadelphia in April 2022. While we did have a number of virtual presentations, it was energizing and wonderful to celebrate our conference in-person once again. The ability to say “YES” to these opportunities is one that has been missed, and I hope that everyone continues to say “YES” to new opportunities. The tendency to decline and say “NO” has become far too easy. We must continue to push ourselves to reenter the world boldly and be as present as possible in the moment. I thank all of the students who said “YES” to proposing to Illuminate and following through on the editorial process. I hope there will be even more prospective contributors as we head toward our fifth edition in 2023.

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There are so many people to thank for bringing this project to fruition—you may read every editorial board member’s biography on the Meet Our Team page, along with the biographies of all the authors/contributors to this volume.

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​Please enjoy this fourth volume. It has been the pleasure of the Editorial Board to review submissions, work with contributors on edits, and bring this volume online. If you have any questions or wish to contact any of the contributors, please email us at illuminatenrhc@gmail.com.

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Be present, be curious, and always be illuminated. Happy Reading!

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Sincerely,

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Kathryn M. MacDonald
Editor-in-Chief, Illuminate
Executive Secretary, Northeast Regional Honors Council
Honors Program Coordinator, Monroe College

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2022 Edition Contents

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Click here to access Academic Work.

 

Click here to access Creative Work.

 

The following are the pieces selected to be featured in Volume 4 of Illuminate. They are organized by author last name:

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“The Role of Intergenerational Trauma in Risk Factors and Health Outcomes of African Americans: An Analysis of the Public Health Literature”

Alexis Bennett, William Patterson University

 

“The Star!”

Ishmael Cadet, Pennsylvania State University

 

“Holistic Birth Control Follow-Up Care in Young Adult Women”

Gina Calo, University of Saint Joseph

 

“Social, Economic, and Political Impact of Individualism in Capitalism” and “My Life is Not Your Illusion”

Mark Crisci, SUNY Orange

 

“The Interconnectivity of Community, Identity, and Young Adult Literature”

Shannon DiCristina, Fairleigh Dickinson University

 

“Man: A Menace to the Population”

Misti Ellinger, SUNY Buffalo State

 

“The Perseverant Power of Black Music in ‘The Pretended’”

Jill Evans, Mount Wachusett Community College

 

“Nationalism in Japanese Education: A Comparative Analysis of Pre and Post World War II Conditions”

Caitlyn Ferrecchia, Worcester State University

 

“A Doll's Religion”

Livia Fontana, Bergen Community College

 

“Unwashed Sins: The 1923 Racial Cleansing in Johnstown, PA”

Marilyn Green, Community College of Allegheny County

 

“Food as Medicine: Integrating the Science of Nutrition into Healthcare”

Leah Harrigan, Macaulay Honors College CUNY

 

“Individualizing the Objectified: Diego Velázquez’s Court Dwarf and Jester Portraits of Philip IV's Court”

Daniel Heberle, Monroe Community College

 

“Small Businesses with Big Dreams: Influencer Marketing for Small Businesses to Target Generation Z”

Isabella Hoffer, Salisbury University

 

“Knowledge of Palliative Care in the Community Setting: An Interventional Study”

Kaléi Kowalchik, Pennsylvania State University

 

“The Ethical Issues of Creating Artificial Humans”

Emily Lamie, Fairleigh Dickinson University

 

“The Effects of Personality and Locus of Control on a Person’s Mental Health Outcome, in Correlation with their Social Support” and “In Times of Need, It’s Community We Seek”

AnnaMaria Leal, St. Francis College

 

“A Tern for the Worst: Effects of Urbanization on Migratory Bird Populations in Small Cities”

Alexandra Lipinski, Salisbury University

 

“The Impact of Assistive Technology on Individuals with Disabilities”

Erin Maida, Fitchburg State University

 

“Making New Enemies: The American Government as a Combatant in the Iran-Iraq War”

Matthew Matsulavage, SUNY Buffalo State

 

“The Arrival”

Addyson Miner, Community College of Rhode Island

 

“Ending Food Waste Behavior: Economic and Environmental Implications on Eliciting Motivation”

Gabriella Parrella, Fairleigh Dickinson University

 

“The Nietzschean Joker”

Kristina Pickering, Notre Dame University of Maryland

 

“The Unclouded Perspective”

Anna Pinder, Monroe College

 

“Cold Hands”

Alyssa  Politi, Mercy College

 

“Victim Attribution and Empathy: Assessing Juror Attitudes on Transgender Sexual Assault Victims”

Lizbeth Quiroga Lluizupa, Dominican University New York

 

“Women in Black and Women in Blue: Exploring Gender Disparity in Law Enforcement”

Mariel Ravel, Dominican University New York

 

"Sacred Colors"

Aodhán Ridenour, Community College Allegheny County

 

“Seeing Through Radiology Fear, Reality, and the Future”
Brittany Siegel, SUNY Orange

 

“An Investigation into Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)”

Elizabeth Wash, Salisbury University

 

“The Impact of Learning Modalities on Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety: A Comparative Study”

Annie Xie, Bentley University