Monarch Review, Vol. 6 (2019-20)
Dear Reader,
This sixth volume of the Monarch Review, like those that came before it, showcases the excellent creative and academic achievements of Methodist University’s undergraduate students. This issue consists of eight research papers and fourteen works of art, including, for the first time in the Monarch Review, two sculptures. In addition, the journal has the privilege of presenting the creative harvest of student poets and painters who collaborated in MU’s first-ever “Reciprocal Ekphrasis: Images and Poems, Poems and Images,” an exhibit presently on view in the Union-Zukowski Lobby and now memorialized in these pages. Sadly, however, I have to announce that, with the publication of this volume, the journal is being suspended indefinitely.
With little commonality in theme, volume 6 travels through time and a broad spectrum of ideas and creative forms. Will you visit two American heroes who, in the years leading up to the Civil War, escaped from slavery and publicized its moral and physical horrors? As Maria Choi shows us, Frederick Douglass recognized that the violence of the slaveholder must, too often, be answered by violence. Kseniia Petrova outlines the typical features of the American “slave narrative” as she examines the story of Harriet Jacobs, who could protect her children only by offering her sexual favor to a white man and who later hid, for seven long years, in an attic garret only three feet high. Will you travel to the colonial era with Cristina Gillard, to learn what Perquimans County court records reveal about how colonial North Carolinians lived? You could take a journey to Renaissance Europe with Alexis Cohan’s essay on how recorder musicians and instructors strove to make the instrument sound like the human voice. You can then return to the modern era with Jenna Landis, who examines a 21st century scandal about cyber (in)security, as a supposedly independent privacy auditor failed to uncover Facebook’s shockingly lax privacy protections. Ieshia M. West offers wise counsel on ways to encourage volunteerism among youth and young adults; Daniella Amsterdamer inquires into the characteristics of nations that support the civil liberties and human rights of their citizens; and Mohnnad Alshalalda looks for the demographic factors that may slow or speed population growth.
Interspersed among the essays, you can also rest your eyes on visual art by our undergraduates: four portraits, four still lifes, two abstracts, two scenic photographs, and two sculptures. These wonderful creations are the work of Jason Aguilar, Karen Britton, Cameron Dubin, Heather Miller, Mary Sue Parker, and Sierra Romero. Also, greatly extending the journal’s exploration of student creativity, we include eight pairings of painting and poem from the “Reciprocal Ekphrasis” collaboration. The artists include DeeOnna Denton, Kylen Dooley, Tom Gore, Kristen Oliva and Jordan Saunders, as well as two whose work was already selected for the journal—Karen Britton and Mary Sue Parker. The poets are Charles Canady, DeeOnna Denton, Akejah McLaughlin, Chris Miller, and Pamela Rondo.
Each year, many students submit their work, faculty members sponsor their work, student and faculty reviewers thoughtfully provide their insights, and the members of the Monarch Review staff spend hours processing this feedback. Journal staff members assess the papers themselves and recommend revisions to enable the student authors to meet our publishing standards. The art work goes through a less involved but similar process. And both artists and authors are given substantial feedback on the work they’ve accomplished.
I offer my sincere gratitude to all those who aided in the submission and review process and to my team who spent many hours, on a volunteer basis, to create such a magnificent journal. Most of all, I would like to thank Baylor Hicks, managing editor, for working patiently and fervently with me and many others to create this sixth volume of the Monarch Review.
The Monarch Review is close to my heart: It is an enterprise that has not only enabled students to share their amazing efforts in an impressive publication, but also given many of us an unequaled opportunity to hone our critical faculties and communication skills, and to join together in a complex task.
I hope you enjoy this volume and the many treasures it has to offer.
Best regards,
Kaitlin Coltharp
Lead Student Editor
Peer-Reviewed Research
Necessary Violence in Frederick Douglass’s Narrative (American literature)
Maria Choi
Features of the Slave Narrative Genre in Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (American literature)
Kseniia Petrova
Analysis of North Carolina Colonial Records: Perquimans Precinct Court (history)
Cristina Gillard
The Renaissance Recorder: Resembling the Human Voice (history and music)
Alexis Cohan
The Audit Approval of Facebook’s Privacy Practices: Millions of Users’ Privacy Unprotected (accounting)
Jenna Landis
Understanding Volunteer Motivations: Recruiting and Retaining Youth and Young Adults (social work)
Ieshia M. West
Why Are Some Nations More Supportive of the Rights of Their Citizens? (political science)
Daniella Amsterdamer
Causes of Population Growth: A Quantitative Study (political Science)
Mohnnad Alshalalda
Juried Artwork
Artists’ Statements—Sierra Romero and Karen Britton
Artists’ Statements—Mary Sue Parker and Heather Miller
Artists’ Statements—Jason Aguilar and Cameron Dubin
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| Portrait of Mederius Sierra Romero |
The Bull of Courage Sierra Romero |
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| Desolation Sierra Romero |
Shadows Sierra Romero |
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| Night at the Marque Karen Britton |
Senses Karen Britton |
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| Untitled II Mary Sue Parker |
Untitled Cubism I Mary Sue Parker |
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| Warrior Blues Heather Miller |
Image Bearer Heather Miller |
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| Limitless Jason Aguilar |
Crepuscular Rays at Mount Mitchell Jason Aguilar |
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| Clouds During Hurricane Florence Jason Aguilar |
Ambitions Cameron Dubin |
Reciprocal Ekphrasis: Images and Poems, Poems and Images
About the Reciprocal Ekphrasis Exhibit
The art and the poem are both contained in each link:
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| Moon and Sun DeeOnna Denton |
That Blue Kylen Dooley |
| Champagne Lips Akejah McLaughlin |
That Blue Charles Canady |
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| Colors Mary Sue Parker |
Beach Evening Primrose Cabaret Jordan Saunders |
| Carried by Color Charles Canady |
Beach Evening Primrose Cabaret: Sang the Flower to the Bee Chris Miller |
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| Paper Void Kristen Oliva |
While Drinking Coffee Tom Gore |
| Paper Heart Pamela Rondo |
While Drinking Coffee Pamela Rondo |
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| My Other Half Mary Sue Parker |
Decalcomania Karen Britton |
| The Cold DeeOnna Denton |
Doppelganger DeeOnna Denton |