Writing & Critical Inquiry Program Abstracts

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Access all Showcase 2026 abstracts.

Posters

posters

Human Vs. AI

Presenter(s): Nihitha Ganneboina

Showcase Advisor: Joe Meyer

Abstract: AI’s humanness is a topic that seems so straightforward, yet it’s subjective, especially since the definition of 'human' can be interpreted in many ways. Throughout my essays in WCI, I explored the meaning of being human and the characteristics that identify us. AI was created to mimic human behavior and streamline processes, allowing tasks to be completed much faster. Yet, I questioned what separates us from it. I believe that emotions (feelings), desires, and growth (change) set us apart from AI. While AI may exhibit all of these, it isn’t considered human. Instead, I granted AI personhood (man, woman, or child, according to Cambridge dictionary), despite not being organic. Complex AI systems hold the capacity to have and express feelings and wants. AI may not have the same brain, flesh, and bones, but it does have personhood through its exhibition of human-like qualities. This is what my poster explores.

Inclusion and Belonging amongst International Students

Presenter(s): Navid Khosrojerdi, Harshini Ponnam

Showcase Advisor: Susan Detwiler

Abstract: This project is an autoethnographic work exploring our lived experiences as international students. We examined these experiences in order to get an in-depth look at what we, as international students, face on a day-to-day basis and how these daily events affect our feelings of belonging at our university. We collected data via event diaries, email communications, and research journals, to share insights into the ways in which seemingly small and insignificant activities remind us of what makes our experiences different. Rejecting binaries, this study seeks to showcase that emotions of belonging exist on a spectrum for international students. The study also examines how diversity on campus helps international students to meld with the student body. Finally, we indicate if there are any specific services and/or qualities that an institution can provide in order to better include international students.

Mental Illness and the Effects of School Shootings

Presenter(s): Senna Pepe

Showcase Advisor: Marcie Newton

Abstract: This presentation follows various school shootings in America and how the gun violence epidemic may or may not be caused by various mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, or outside factors such as home life impacting the brain of a shooter. This presentation looks deeply into the behaviors and warning signs to look out for. Therapists' duty to report and the case that changed this law all show how important awareness is in schools and access to affordable healthcare and resources to help prevent shootings from happening and treating undiagnosed illness before it goes too far.

Navigation Colonial Spaces

Presenter(s): Savannah Swamp

Showcase Advisor: Arleny Alvarez-Peña

Abstract: This poster presentation explores what it means to navigate colonial spaces as an Indigenous scholar in higher education. It highlights my work with Anna Fetter on a research study focused on Indigenous mental health and the experiences of Indigenous scholars at their institutions. Our study examines how Indigenous students and scholars are treated in academic spaces, the challenges they face, and how they maintain their cultural identity within Western systems of knowledge. The presentation also highlights Indigenous movements that impact Indigenous students and communities, including the Every Child Matters movement, which honors residential school survivors and those who never returned home, and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement, which raises awareness about the disproportionate rates of violence and disappearance affecting Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit relatives. Overall, this presentation helps audiences understand the experience of Indigenous scholars navigating Western institutions while staying connected to their culture and community.

The Yellow Brick Mixtape: Autoethnographies of Peer Mentorship

Presenter(s): Kendra Gonzalez, Anjali Johnson

Showcase Advisor: Aiesha Turman

Abstract: This project explores how peer mentorship bridges the disconnect that often exists between students and faculty, emphasizing the importance of understanding students’ thought processes as they grow not only as writers but as active thinkers. Unlike strictly authoritative figures, peer mentors function as informed and responsible guides who are close in experience and age, allowing for relatability alongside leadership. Using in-class observation, direct fieldwork, regular check-ins, student surveys, complementary research, and faculty reflections, our findings suggest that mentorship fosters a smoother transition into college writing and supports students in developing their academic identities. When understood as reciprocal and evolving, mentorship becomes a responsive practice that meets students where they are while guiding them toward independence. Although mentorship is widely recognized, it remains underutilized due to misunderstandings about effective implementation, highlighting the need to reframe mentorship as intentional, reflective praxis.

Slideshows

slideshows

Beyond Blame: Examining Criminal Liability and Systemic Responsibility in Healthcare Errors

Presenter(s): Leah Holmes

Showcase Advisor: Genevieve Aldi

Abstract: Doctors and nurses are the foundations of the medical field, dedicated to patient advocacy and care. As healthcare providers, they take on the responsibility of caring for multiple patients, which can come with risks. Doctors and nurses are human, and because they are human, they can make mistakes, ranging from forgetting names to the maladministering of a medication. Hospitals overworking staff and maintaining high patient-to-provider ratios can further contribute to feelings of stress and frustration that can cause medical errors. This presentation compiles a series of patient stories that were harmed or died due to a medical error, aiming to answer the question: do these providers and nurses deserve to be put on criminal trial? And how do hospitals and their staff members prevent more errors from happening? Ultimately, this presentation demonstrates that hospitals have a high level of responsibility for the medical errors that occur within their walls.

Detergent for the Rot that Remains

Presenter(s): Emma Chapman

Showcase Advisor: Ryan Orr

Abstract: “Detergent for the Rot that Remains” is a personal narrative that discusses the lasting effects of childhood trauma through memory, sensory detail, and reflection. Using ordinary household moments, especially the act of doing laundry, my essay talks about how trauma can remain attached to the body and mind long after you escape. Rather than focusing on a single defining event, my writing shows the slow, twisted nature of abuse and neglect, showing how fear, hypervigilance, and emotional survival became a part of my everyday life. Through detailed recollections of growing up in an unstable and abusive home, my essay shows the ways trauma continues to develop into adulthood, relationships, and my sense of safety. At the same time, it discusses the possibility of reclaiming ordinary rituals as acts of healing and resistance. Laundry becomes more than a chore; it becomes a symbol of transformation, survival, and the conscious decision to break generational cycles of harm. My essay reflects on the tension between fear and hope, asking what it means to live beyond survival mode. It argues that healing is not always dramatic or linear, but can instead be found in small, deliberate acts that allow for safety, autonomy, and the choice to begin again.

Defiance

Presenter(s): Jasmina Fayzieva

Showcase Advisor: Rumi Coller-Takahashi

Abstract: This piece examines how gender norms shape identity across generations through my relationship with my grandfather and our shared experience with sewing. In my conservative Uzbek family, sewing is seen as a female task, while men are expected to embody toughness. I discovered sewing through a video online and quickly realized how difficult it was—my fingers bled, my stitches collapsed, and frustration built. Still, I kept going.

During this process, I learned my grandfather once loved embroidery but abandoned it after being shamed for engaging in a “womanly hobby.” At the same time, I was being pushed toward a traditional domestic role despite my academic ambitions in finance and consulting.

Sewing became more than a skill; it became a quiet act of resistance for both of us. When my grandfather was hospitalized, the embroidered piece we created together symbolized reclaiming what shame had taken away and challenging rigid cultural expectations.

The Impact and Problems of the YouTube Recommendation Algorithm on Radicalization

Presenter(s): Michael Agne

Showcase Advisor: Jonathan Dubow

Abstract: This paper focuses on the use of algorithms to recommend content to users. Specifically, a focus is placed on the YouTube algorithm and its video recommendation system: how it functions and the changes it has gone through in recent years to get it where it is today. The paper analyzes problems that can arise from a YouTube algorithm. One such problem that can arise is radicalization of the users who are recommended videos on the platform, for example, the case of Caleb Cain who was radicalized by the platform by being guided from viewing self-help material to conspiratorial extremist alt-right white nationalist content. This paper identifies the root of problems in the functionality of algorithms and intends to show how neither the users nor YouTube are directly responsible for the problem of radicalization on the platform. Additionally, a possible solution is offered to radicalized algorithm root issues through regulation measures and the benefits that could result from these measures.

Looking Through a Child's Eyes: How Does Mirroring Adults’ Behavior Affect a Child's Personality and Life Choices?

Presenter(s): Aniyah Alejandro

Showcase Advisor: Marcie Newton

Abstract: This presentation explores how children mirror the behaviors of adults and how those influences shape their personality, decision-making, and future life outcomes. At a young age, children learn by observing the actions, attitudes, and habits of the adults around them, often copying behaviors without fully understanding their consequences. Using Albert Bandura’s social learning theory and the Bobo Doll experiment, I explain how observation and imitation play a major role in childhood development. For example, I analyze the Supreme Court case Graham v. Florida to demonstrate how a lack of positive role models and exposure to substance abuse influenced Graham's life choices and involvement in crime. While negative environments can increase the chance of developing harmful behaviors, I also examine resilience studies showing that some children overcome difficult circumstances. Adults serve as role models for younger generations, and their actions can result in a positive or negative impact on children's lives.

Observing Questions Asked To WCI Peer Mentors: An Autoethnography

Presenter(s): Jaiden Williams

Showcase Advisor: Genevieve Aldi

Abstract: The motivation for this autoethnography is to take the experiences of myself and other fellow peer mentors within the Writing and Critical Inquiry program and analyze the questions we were asked through GroupMe across the fall 2025 semester. By doing so, I hope to gain a fuller understanding of the questions that students within these WCI classes ask and what they often find confusing. This will hopefully allow teachers to gain a perspective of the students they teach and see how students view their class, allowing teachers to further adjust their classes to aid their students. All questions asked by students are sorted by different categories, including the time of day and if the question was asked in the class GroupMe or in a direct message (DM) to a peer mentor. The different types of questions they ask are also taken note of, as well as the frequency of questions.

Silenced and Seen: How Racism Shapes Anxiety and Fear in the Lives of Black Teens in The Hate U Give

Presenter(s): Cheyenne Hanley

Showcase Advisor: Aiesha Turman

Abstract: This paper examines how racism shapes anxiety and fear in the lives of Black teenagers in the movie, The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas. Through Starr Carter’s experiences, the novel shows how things like racism and police violence cause teens constant stress, especially in Black culture. Starr is always switching between two different worlds: her Black neighborhood and her predominantly White private school, which forces her to act differently depending on where she is. This pressure to constantly adjust who she is leads to ongoing anxiety because she feels like she must watch everything she says and does. Moreover, witnessing police brutality adds fuel to the fire with fear, showing how racism is not just something that happens once but something that affects everyday life. At the same time, Starr finds her voice, showing that speaking out can be powerful and can set one free from all their troubles. Ultimately, this paper argues that racism does not just impact opportunities for Black teens; it also deeply affects their mental health and how safe they feel being Black.

The Walking Dead and its Relation to Human Oppression

Presenter(s): Vladimir Isakov

Showcase Advisor: Rae Muhlstock

Abstract: In this paper, I examine how The Walking Dead TV series uses the zombie apocalypse as a framework to explore the formation and maintenance of oppressive power structures, drawing clear parallels to real-world authoritarian regimes prior to the Second World War. Rather than focusing on the undead themselves, my analysis centers on human behavior under extreme crisis, particularly how fear, instability, and the collapse of social norms create opportunities for individuals to seize power. By comparing leaders such as Rick Grimes and the Governor to historical examples of dictatorship in Europe, I highlight recurring strategies of control, including manipulation of perceived threats, suppression of information, and the cultivation of “us versus them” mentalities. Through these comparisons, the series is shown to function as a cautionary commentary on how ambition and fear can erode morality, revealing that the dynamics enabling tyranny in fiction closely mirror those that have shaped oppressive regimes.