Featured Journal

"My hope is that, just as the yellow telephone on the front cover of the 2011 Dialogues@RU Journal has a rich and beckoning quality, so too will the outstanding, sophisticated and professional 201 student research papers contained within this journal have the same allure..."

Tisha Bender
201 and Hybrid Coordinator, and Editor of the Dialogues@RU Journal

• About the Current Volume
• View Student Research Papers

As is the case with most research, the students probably encountered surprises and even obstacles along the way, as the path to true discovery is never a straight line, but unafraid of these complexities and willing to enter a dialogue (hence the name of this journal) with the authors of the works they read, with their teachers, with their peers, and in their own heads, they made rich and rewarding discoveries, and wrote up their findings in profound and intriguing ways.Hopefully for many of them, this research is the kernel of what will eventually become a sustained fascination forthem, and will lead to even deeper academicenquiry.

The papers in this journal, although emanating from a variety of 201 classes of different topics, are laid out in this journal according to main themes and subject areas. The themes are Ethics, Medicine, Science, Music, Food Ethics, Contemporary Social Issues, and Global Concerns. You will see that these papers connect in fascinating ways. I hope that you will enjoy reading this journal, and indeed learn from it, and that you will be similarly impressed with the profound level of research and writing that these students have accomplished.

Tisha Bender
201 and Hybrid Coordinator, and Editor of the Dialogues@RU Journal

"The Dialogues@RU Journal contains inspirational papers from gifted and committed students, who immersed themselves in their research, climbed to great heights of discovery, and wrote about their findings in elegant, eloquent and highly informative ways. The amazing topics that they explored, the sophistication of their research, and the rewarding discoveries that they reached, were purely outstanding."

Tisha Bender
201 and Hybrid Coordinator, and Editor of the Dialogues@RU Journal

The cover of last year's Dialogues@RU Journal displayed a yellow telephone depicting the essential dialogue of the research and learning process. This year the towering pile of books, some old and well-thumbed, and some glossy and recent, also conveys the love of learning that the students whose work is published here clearly displays. These students immersed themselves in their research, climbed to great heights of discovery, and wrote about their findings in elegant, eloquent and highly informative ways. The amazing topics that they explored, the sophistication of their research, and the rewarding discoveries that they reached, were purely outstanding.

I wrote last year in my Introduction to the Dialogues@RU Journal that it was my hope that for many of these gifted students, their research in the 201 Research Writing course was just the beginning, and would be a catalyst for some of them to inquire even more deeply into their field of study and possibly publish in a scholarly journal specific to their discipline. This in fact was accomplished by last year's winner in the Dialogues@RU Journal; Alissa Aboff, a former student of John Abrams, who had written "Protecting the Rights of the Intersex Newborn," and who now has worked further and has been accepted for publication in The Penn Bioethics Journal. Congratulations to Alissa and to John!

This year the Associate Editors Brad, Elizabeth and Letizia decided, together with me, that two students deserved to win the award for best paper; Erica Nadera, student of Brad Farberman, for her paper, "Effective Manipulation through Music," and my student, Christina Kim for her paper, "Taboo the Taboos: The Ethics of Food Waste."
Just as with last year, the criteria for selecting these papers for publication in the Dialogues@RU Journal include the following:

• Could serve as a strong research paper model for future 201 students
• Had convincing content and general intelligence
• Demonstrated a depth of research, having used multiple scholarly sources in meaningful and connective ways
• Was not biased, but had counter-arguments and complexity so that real analysis and interpretation, based on textual evidence, was apparent.

The papers, though from a range of 201 courses, are arranged here under distinct subject areas including Food Studies; Music, Photography and Creative Writing; The Human and Physical Environment; History; Time and Humor. We hope you enjoy reading this scholarly journal, and are as impressed as we continue to be, with the profound work of our students.

Tisha Bender
201 and Hybrid Coordinator, and Editor of the Dialogues@RU Journal

This collection of work was selected from nearly 150 submissions that represent some of the finest undergraduate research writing of 2012-13 by students in the Rutgers Writing Program course Research in the Disciplines (355:201). The students addressed important contemporary and historical topics in fields including sociology, political science, gender studies, the arts, popular culture, healthcare, ethics, and food science. What makes these research topics particularly noteworthy is the fact that the students developed them on their own, discovered the sources to explore them fully, and advanced independent and original arguments in response to their own inquiry. These are sophisticated projects, particularly at the undergraduate level, and we hope you will enjoy reading them!

The papers published this year in Dialogues@RU engage an incredible range of topics and issues across academic disciplines. The papers are not reports of information, but analytical research projects written by undergraduate students in the Rutgers Writing Program to contribute their own original thinking and independent voice to ongoing scholarly conversations.

You will read fascinating ideas in this journal. One writer claims that the same psychological processes that explain the passion of avid sports fans can be used to understand the dynamic that exists between improvisational jazz musicians and their audiences. Another argues that Alexander McQueen's provocative designs might be misogynistic at first glance, but when considered in historical context, become expressions of female strength and power. Still another writer links the likelihood of doctors using electroconvulsive therapy for treating mental illness to popular culture views of the procedure rather than medical evidence.

These are but a sample of the wide variety of excellent papers in this year's collection. The Dialogues@RU project continues to grow. The 20 papers in this volume were selected from among 240 papers submitted by students who received an A in Research in the Disciplines during the 2013-14 academic year. Each semester, an editorial board of interns reads, selects, and edits the papers, so this journal is both written by and edited by Rutgers undergraduates–an impressive accomplishment from our talented students.

Volume 11 of Dialogues@RU showcases the work of undergraduate students in the Rutgers Writing Program. You will be impressed with the accomplishments of these Rutgers students whose papers were selected from more than 250 manuscripts submitted for consideration. Their work engages with the ethics of chimpanzee experimentation, explores the history of the musical as a quintessentially American art form, and argues for institutional change to allow transgender people to express their identity in public spaces. They analyze structures of surveillance to prevent insider trading, critique sexism in video games, and shine light on the lack of care given to the social and emotional needs of people with cerebral palsy. Two papers analyze the role visual images of atrocity play in forming people’s understanding of terrible events. Other papers look at contemporary medical issues like the anti-vaccine movement and the kidney donor shortage. The list of fascinating topics goes on, and I invite you to explore for yourself the students’ fine work.

I hope you will also be impressed by the fact that the selection and editing of this journal is done by undergraduate students who participate in an Editing Internship offered by the Rutgers Writing Program. The intern team devotes long hours to reading and issuing reader reports on submissions after which they engage in a rigorous process of substantive and technical editing in partnership with the writers. This journal reflects their hard work and the editorial skills they developed over the course of the internship.

The Writing Program at Rutgers offers research courses that range from the Psychology of Conflict to the Ethics of Food, from Conspiracy Theories to Human Ecology. Other topics include feminism, medicine, film, propaganda, graphic novels, taboos, and family. Each semester, instructors provide background, theory, and the research skills needed to launch an exploration. However, it is the students who determine their arguments and the trajectory their essays will follow. The authors of the best papers are invited to submit their work to Dialogues@RU. This volume contains some outstanding research on video-visitation in prisons, media representations of queer villains, and maternal health in sub-Saharan Africa. Timely topics are also represented in essays on food waste, CRISPR gene therapy, and the limits of free speech in protest.             

The essays appearing in this journal reflect another step in the Writing Program’s course sequence—editing, publishing, and presentation. All submissions are selected and edited by students enrolled in the Editing Internship. Volume 12 included an initial pool of more than 200 research papers. Some authors go further and submit their work to the Undergraduate Research Writing Conference at Rutgers. This scholarly gathering provides an opportunity for writers to showcase their work in panel discussions and individual presentations. The entire event is organized and overseen by students in the Editing and Conference Planning Internship. From conception to execution, revision to publication and presentation, writing at Rutgers is student-centered.

This collection of research papers written by Rutgers University undergraduates is an exemplary representation of the rigorous intellectual project of critical reading and thinking, careful interpretation, and thoughtful analysis. All the student authors whose work was selected for publication completed their papers in the Rutgers Writing Program course Research in the Disciplines. Their topics range widely in scope and include the censorship threat inherent in limiting net neutrality; the economics of non-profit hospitals; the importance of soccer to the Latinx identity in the United States; and the transformation of graffiti from vandalism to political expression. Importantly, each paper makes an independent argument based on a conceptual analysis developed through the lens of a discipline-based theory. Congratulations to the thoughtful and intelligent writers whose work makes up this volume, and to all the wonderful Rutgers undergraduates who complete exceptional projects each and every semester.

Dialogues@RU is a student-centered endeavor. The Editorial Board members you see listed on the masthead are all undergraduate students who participated in a semester-long Editing Internship. In the internship, students learn the basics of the editorial process by selecting manuscripts for publication (from among nearly 250 submissions) and working with student writers through the substantive and technical editing process.

•   Student Research Papers

Please enjoy this collection of student essays from Rutgers undergraduate research and writing courses. Every semester the Writing Program issues a call for papers from students enrolled Research in the Disciplines sections. While course topics vary widely, as evident in the just a few of this volume’s titles, all “English 201” sections share a common pedagogy focusing on developing a critical analysis of texts, and a strong student voice. The work does not end when students find appropriate sources, in fact, that is the beginning. Critical insight, reflection, contemplation, and a thorough analysis of the texts, all contribute to the process of developing an independent and original idea. In learning how to craft an academic essay, students find themselves contributing to a scholarly discourse unfamiliar to them only months before. The best of this research is then selected for publication by an entirely undergraduate editorial board.

A quick sample of topics in this volume spans broad areas of interest and includes: notions of interiority and identity as expressed in fan-based narratives; the intersection of race and class in volunteer placement programs; a deconstruction of the model minority myth; textile waste and the second-hand clothing industry; and a critique of New York City’s climate change plan. The essays here are the products of incredible effort and deep thought.

The authors work closely with student editors who are enrolled in the Writing Program’s Editing Internship or Editing and Conference Planning Internship. All phases of the editorial process are collaborative as student-authors and student-editors revise papers for Dialogues@RU. A tremendous amount of work and dedication, from both authors and editors, is what makes this undergraduate journal proud to showcase its 14th volume.

I would like to acknowledge the Writing Program’s continued commitment to Dialogues@RU, and the editing internships that produce it. A special note of thanks to Lynda Dexheimer, Executive Director of the Writing Program, editor, associate teaching professor, and most-beloved colleague. Her tireless efforts and constant problem-solving make her invaluable.

Tracy Budd
Co-editor
Rutgers University

Editorial Board Fall 2018

Abby Baker
Natalie Brennan
Hope Dormer
Hanna Graifman
Katherine Hill
Taylor Moreau
Terese Osborne
Julianna Rossano
Katharine Steely-Brown
Jennifer Territo
Tiffany Yang

Editorial Board Spring 2019

Ashley Abrams
Kelly Allen
Jeannee Auguste
Jasmine Basuel
Olivia Dineen
Stephanie Felty
Alec Ferrigno
Sophia Higgins
Lindsey Ipson
Aniza Jahangir
Esther Leaming
Grace Lee
Samuel Leibowitz-Lord
Wyonia McLaurin
Jordan Meyers
Drew Mount
Alyson Sandler
Erin Telesford
Morgan Ulrich

• Student Research Papers Vol 14

In an extraordinary year, Rutgers students have continue to produce excellent work despite the tumult. As classes moved online in Spring 2020 due to COVID-19, students and teachers adapted to new ways of learning. Some things worked and some did not. Zoom meetings replaced in-person instruction, with virtual office hours being held in living rooms. Camera-ready meant a nice shirt and pajama pants below the desk. There was a presidential election. Black Lives Matters demonstrations brought attention to systemic police brutality. We clamored to get groceries, masks, and vaccination appointments. At the end of a day, it may have seemed absurd to think about writing an essay, or editing a research paper. Yet, that is exactly what students everywhere did.

This volume of Dialogues@RU contains work that reflects the concerns and interests of college students living in uncertain times. Rather than be defeated by that ambiguity, these young writers dive into it and explore topics such as the psychology of terrorism; neoliberalism and the carceral state; whitewashing the Latinx identity in cinema; queering traditional marriage in China; climate refugees; and media representations of African American male athletes. Healthcare and medicine also provide inspiration for discussions on deep-brain stimulation for depression; physicians’ roles in the opioid crisis; the commodification of healthcare; and the expanding practice of integrative medicine. These are only a few of the themes in this year’s volume. All essays were written for the Writing Program’s Research in the Disciplines course, in which students spend an entire semester studying a topic of their choice to produce a final scholarly essay. The 27 included here were selected from over 400 submissions.

The Editing Internship offers the opportunity for undergraduates to participate in the publication process. Interns select, edit, and finalize the essays for Dialogues@RU. This is also a semester-long undertaking of working with authors on substantive changes, technical edits, and source verification. At several points during the internship, students are asked to reflect on the various stages of the editing process. Meeting deadlines and managing the workflow of their projects provides interns with practical skills and prepares them for careers in publishing. And like the authors, these students are carrying full-time course loads, working jobs outside of Rutgers, and coping with the upended schedules and routines of the past year. Many thanks and much gratitude goes to these hard-working interns.

Dialogues@RU could not be possible without the continued support of the Writing Program, especially Executive Director, Lynda Dexheimer, and Director Kurt Spellmeyer. Professor Spellmeyer has been the center of the Writing Program at Rutgers University for more than 30 years. Under his guidance and direction, the Program has flourished and become a model of success for many colleges and universities nationwide. Countless students have benefitted from Writing Program courses. Instructors, too, have benefitted from Kurt’s leadership and genuine kindness. As he returns to teaching full-time, I would like to thank him for his tireless dedication to students, faculty, and staff these many years.

Tracy Budd
Editor, Dialogues@RU

Editorial Board Fall 2019

Obiageli Agbu
Ana Barbosa Couto
Emily Carvalheiro
Giana Castelli
Audrey Collins
Kai Dennis
Alexandra Deutsch
Edsel Engalla
Jessica Filippo
Han Seong Kim
Samantha Magistro
Stephanie Man
Jack Oliver
Neha Peri
Kevin Velez

Editorial Board Spring 2020

Ana Barbosa Couto
Joyce Chen
Jacqueline Goldblatt
Hung Hoang
Libby Hur
Natasha Malonza
Stephanie Man
Eujin Pak
Neha Peri
Aditya Singit
Kimberly Stanczack
Landon Stimson
Corine Joy Tamayo

• Student Research Papers Vol 15

Please enjoy this collection of student essays from Rutgers undergraduate research and writing courses. Every semester the Writing Program issues a call for papers from students enrolled in Research in the Disciplines sections. While course topics vary widely, as evident in just a few of this volume’s titles, all “English 201” sections share a common pedagogy focusing on developing a critical analysis of texts, and a strong student voice. The work does not end when students find appropriate sources, in fact, that is the beginning. Critical insight, reflection, contemplation, and a thorough analysis of the texts, all contribute to the process of developing an independent and original idea. In learning how to craft an academic essay, students find themselves contributing to a scholarly discourse unfamiliar to them only months before. The best of this research is then selected for publication by an entirely undergraduate editorial board.

The authors work closely with student editors who are enrolled in
the Writing Program’s Editing Internship. All phases of the editorial process are collaborative as student-authors and student-editors revise papers for Dialogues@RU. A tremendous amount of work and dedication, from both authors and editors, is what makes this undergraduate journal proud to showcase its 16th volume.

EDITORIAL BOARD 

FALL 2020

Annie Cheng
Lindsay Fischer
Conor Johnston
Lauren Kim
Lisa Knigge
Luna Laliberte
Matthew Mai
Kyra Stevco
Aaron Young

FALL 2021

Ashlee Bonsi
Isabella Brewer
Aba David
Olivia Deehan
Louis Forgione
Randy Goldberg
Aisha Humaira
Alexa Leung
Gabrielleanne Lopez
Andrew Mai
Emma Ogando
Darren Petrosino
Francesca Tangreti
Olivia Young

EDITOR

Tracy Budd

COVER DESIGN & TYPESETTING

Mike Barbetta

• Student Research Papers Vol 16

Please enjoy this collection of student essays from Rutgers undergraduate research and writing courses. Every semester the Writing Program issues a call for papers from students enrolled in Research in the Disciplines sections. While course topics vary widely, as evident in just a few of this volume’s titles, all “English 201” sections share a common pedagogy focusing on developing a critical analysis of texts, and a strong student voice. The work does not end when students find appropriate sources, in fact, that is the beginning. Critical insight, reflection, contemplation, and a thorough analysis of the texts, all contribute to the process of developing an independent and original idea. In learning how to craft an academic essay, students find themselves contributing to a scholarly discourse unfamiliar to them only months before. The best of this research is then selected for publication by an entirely undergraduate editorial board.

The authors work closely with student editors who are enrolled in
the Writing Program’s Editing Internship. All phases of the editorial process are collaborative as student-authors and student-editors revise papers for Dialogues@RU. A tremendous amount of work and dedication, from both authors and editors, is what makes this undergraduate journal proud to showcase its 17th volume.

EDITORIAL BOARD 

FALL 2022

Amal Ali
Abigail Bautista-Alejandre
Jacqueline Carapetyan
Allison Gellerstein
Wilma Guzman
Noor Hamaway
Sydney Kennedy
Laura Lassen
Lauren Liu
Anna O'Connell
Rachel Ofori
Yazmin Omana

EDITOR

Tracy Budd

COVER DESIGN & TYPESETTING

Mike Barbetta

• Student Research Papers Vol 17

Please enjoy this collection of student essays from Rutgers undergraduate research and writing courses. Every semester the Writing Program issues a call for papers from students enrolled in Research in the Disciplines sections. While course topics vary widely, as evident in just a few of this volume’s titles, all “English 201” sections share a common pedagogy focusing on developing a critical analysis of texts, and a strong student voice. The work does not end when students find appropriate sources, in fact, that is the beginning. Critical insight, reflection, contemplation, and a thorough analysis of the texts, all contribute to the process of developing an independent and original idea. In learning how to craft an academic essay, students find themselves contributing to a scholarly discourse unfamiliar to them only months before. The best of this research is then selected for publication by an entirely undergraduate editorial board.

The authors work closely with student editors who are enrolled in
the Writing Program’s Editing Internship. All phases of the editorial process are collaborative as student-authors and student-editors revise papers for Dialogues@RU. A tremendous amount of work and dedication, from both authors and editors, is what makes this undergraduate journal proud to showcase its 18th volume.

EDITORIAL BOARD 

FALL 2023

Isabella Apostolides
Starry Aviles-Espejo
Ryan Fallon
Meghan Fritts
Hamyah Jenkins
Hannah Naiman
Katarina Nikolic
Shinjini Ray
Avery Swartz
Cynthia Xu

EDITOR

Tracy Budd

COVER DESIGN & TYPESETTING

Mike Barbetta

• Student Research Papers Vol 18