Foreword​

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The sixth edition of Illuminate features 26 unique contributors across 29 pieces of work. As this edition is brought to our membership this year, it is hard to believe we are already in the sixth year of the journal's existence. Born out of the hope of furthering student scholarship and creativity, Illuminate has published 157 unique contributions since its inaugural edition in 2019. This enterprise is truly student-centered! We are proud to feature amazing research and creativity year after year!

 

We are pleased to celebrate all who stuck with the editorial process this year, which spans from as early as October 2023 to publication nearly a year later. These students have spent months working through the editorial process, and we are pleased to be able to publish their work in this sixth volume. 

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The 2024 conference theme for the Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference was Ahead of Our Time: Intersections of Thought and Technology Towards the Future. The works represented in this edition of our journal represent some of the presentations from this conference, but we are also proud to publish work that is outside the scope of the conference theme. NRHC strives to provide environments that push students to develop professionally, whether through giving presentations at a confernece or through publication in this journal.​

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The increasing presence and reality of artificial intelligence was explored at #NRHC2024, and some of the works in this journal explore the intersection between human thought and technology. With 20 academic papers and 9 creative works, our sixth edition explores a multitude of topics. 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. Our contributors use both secondary and primary research, and everything is fueled by their passion for their topics. 

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As always, it is important to recognize how publishing this edition comes to fruition. The contributors began by proposing their work to the journal earlier this year. Two reviewers are then assigned to each piece, providing comments and scoring the work. Based on the recommendations of the reviewers, pieces are either accepted with minimal edits, conditionally accepted with major revisions, or rejected. Students with either accepted or conditionally accepted pieces are expected to make updates to their works. Those who were conditionally accepted went through a second review process before their piece was either officially rejected or accepted. Final drafts of edited work are then proofread by the editorial board. Whether one is going through this process as a contributor or as a volunteer on the editorial board, it is a rigorous and time-consuming endeavor. It has taken nearly five months to complete this volume. 

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There are so many people to thank for bringing this project to completion—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 sixth volume. It has been the pleasure of the Editorial Board to review submissions, work with contributors on edits, and bring this volume online. Like the NRHC annual conference, publishing with Illuminate is a learning process and professional opportunity for our students. 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 Director, Monroe University 

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2024 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 6 of Illuminate. They are organized by author last name:

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"The Effect of Caffeine on Academic Performance"

Sabryna Mary-Cayla Cadavillo, Dominican University New York

 

"Once Bitten, Forever Shy: The Companionate Evolution of Vampire Fiction and Purity Culture"

Erin Carr, Dominican University New York

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"Evolution of Female Characters in Irish Folklore: Pre- and Post-Christian Perspectives"

Aoife Clune, SUNY Buffalo State University

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"The Implications of Modern Nursing Shortages in Healthcare"

Madison Conti, Fairleigh Dickinson University

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"Temperance"

Alejandra de la Cruz, Point Park University

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"Technology in Nursing: Health Disparities in Tanzania Impact Patient Safety"

Elizabeth Diehl, Cedar Crest College

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"The Painter's Bride"

Courtney Donnerstag, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

 

"Domestic Water Usage in Relation to Household Income in New Jersey" and "The Magnificence of Masjid Al Aqsa"

Nayyab Farooq,  Fairleigh Dickinson University

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"Video Games and Their Addicting, Yet Frustrating Qualities"

Dylan Gerber, Fairleigh Dickinson University

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"The Co- Occurrence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Anxiety Disorders in School Aged Children"

Haley Kane, Westfield State University

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"Parking Palooza: Avoiding Campus Car-tastropies"

Shaikh Ismid Jobayer Kibria, SUNY Buffalo State University

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"How Can an Emotional Narrative Contribute to a Formal Argument?"

Hannah Krutz, Southern Connecticut State University

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"Equitable Public Relations in the Digital Age: Examining Ethical Practices and Public Opinion in the World of Social Media Branding"

Cloe Loosz, Point Park University

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"Subversive Collage of the Early 20th Century" and "The Chair"

Amber Lyons, Westfield State University

 

"Clone"

Grace Maldonado, SUNY Buffalo State University

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"Formation and Implications of Racial Stereotypes in Film: Examining the Past, Present, and Future"

Charlie McClain, Cedar Crest College

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"A Study of Racial, Socioeconomic, and Ableist Bias in the Field and Future of Brain-Computer Interfaces"

Rhheaa Mehta, University of Pittsburgh

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"Comparing Food Safety Regulations in the United States and European Union: An Analysis of Food Labeling Criteria"

Angela Novak, Ramapo College of New Jersey

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"Exploring Trauma Across the Lifespan in the Context of Homelessness"

Elizabeth Russo, Stevenson University

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"The Empty Lot Across the Way"

Ethan Sabetta, Southern Connecticut State University

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"Exploring Human Aggression through Animal Behavior, Genetics, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Neuroethics"

Lily Spagnola, Cedar Crest College

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"Black Nationalism and its Role in the Civil Rights Movement: 1954-1972"

Giovanni Sullivan-Massa, Fairleigh-Dickinson University

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"The Prince's Touch"

Presantia Thompson, Monroe College

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"Conflict Analysis: The Guatemalan Civil War"

Stefanie Viera, Ramapo College of New Jersey

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"Ulmus Animae (Elm of the Soul)" and "The Room"

Gabriel Wagstaff, Southern Connecticut State University

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"Comprehensiveness, Inclusivity, and Accessibility of U.S. State Newborn Screening Public Health Websites"

Didar Yahia, William Paterson University of New Jersey