Introductory Poem: Acknowledging Your Resilience

In “Acknowledging Your Resilience,” S.N. Taylor delivers an inspiring poetic tribute to the students of Rutgers University–Camden, celebrating their adaptability, perseverance, and strength in the face of unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The poem acknowledges the transformation of everyday life and academic practices, emphasizing how students have embraced virtual learning, navigated uncertainty, and embodied resilience. With affirming language and a motivational tone, Taylor offers both recognition and encouragement, framing student resilience as a beacon of hope for the future

Interview with Cover Artist Crystal Contreras

In this artist interview, student editor Nikitha Jeyaprakash speaks with Crystal Contreras, whose artwork Sedona My Loveappears on the cover of the Fall 2021 issue of The Undergraduate Review. Contreras discusses her lifelong journey through various art forms, from traditional painting to digital illustration and collage. She shares the personal and spiritual significance behind Sedona My Love, a piece inspired by a transformative women's retreat in Arizona. The conversation delves into themes of healing, self-expression, intuition, and the role of art as a tool for both personal growth and communal connection. The interview offers a compelling glimpse into the artist’s creative process and emotional landscape

Virtuosity and Ethics in Medicine: Pellegrino’s Taxonomy as a Temporal Metric for Lobotomy

Benjamin Nixon presents a compelling ethical analysis of the medical practice of lobotomy, applying Edmund Pellegrino’s “Taxonomy” of medical virtue—law, ethical duty, and virtue—as a critical framework. The essay examines how lobotomies were once considered medically and legally acceptable despite their disproportionate use on marginalized populations, particularly the poor, mentally ill, and incarcerated. Nixon traces how the legal and ethical justifications for lobotomy reflect broader failures in medical virtue and criminal justice, arguing that Pellegrino’s framework, while theoretically robust, is vulnerable to corruption when wielded within unethical systems. The article offers a cautionary exploration of how medicine, ethics, and law intersect to enable both healing and harm

The Utilization of Bite-mark Evidence in Concert with Cognitive Bias in the Wrongful Convictions of Ray Krone

Diana Melissaratos provides a critical examination of the wrongful convictions of Ray Krone, focusing on the flawed use of bite-mark evidence and the role of cognitive bias in forensic analysis and legal proceedings. The essay traces the chronology of Krone’s two trials, both of which hinged on the testimony of a forensic odontologist despite a lack of supporting physical evidence and DNA exoneration. Melissaratos contextualizes the case within broader critiques of forensic odontology, citing alarming error rates and systemic issues of prosecutorial tunnel vision and confirmation bias. The article draws on scientific studies, legal records, and investigative journalism to underscore how unreliable forensic methods, amplified by institutional bias, can destroy lives and obstruct justice. The case of Ray Krone is presented not only as a tragic error, but as a call for reform in forensic standards and the ethical responsibilities of legal and scientific professionals

Person Seeking Comfort

Person Seeking Comfort is a quiet, emotionally resonant short story that follows Pepper, a solitary and sensitive office worker navigating life in a new city. Through richly detailed snapshots of routine—feeding a cat, riding the elevator, brushing teeth, daydreaming—the story captures the subtle ache of urban loneliness and the hope ignited by a fleeting connection with a stranger. Jannicelli weaves a narrative of internal longing, where everyday gestures (a smile, a compliment, a cup of coffee) become charged with meaning. With restrained prose and vivid interiority, the piece examines vulnerability, anticipation, and the fear of being forgotten. In the end, a small gesture—a tap on the shoulder—offers a spark of possible human connection amidst the fog of solitude

Limb and Love: A Narrative Shaped By and Against its Protagonist in Service of Ladies

Isaiah R. Dillon offers a critical literary analysis of Ulrich von Liechtenstein’s Service of Ladies, focusing on how the protagonist’s identity as a courtly lover and knight is constructed, contested, and ultimately deconstructed through bodily sacrifice and class masquerade. Dillon argues that Ulrich’s narrative subverts traditional medieval romance tropes by centering love as the primary force rather than a peripheral motivator. Through detailed textual analysis, the essay highlights the motif of limb loss as symbolic of the protagonist’s yearning for legitimacy within an aristocratic tradition that ultimately rejects him. The piece interrogates the interplay between love, violence, and identity, suggesting that Ulrich’s transformation is both self-fashioned and self-destructive in pursuit of an inaccessible ideal

Global Supply Chain Disruptions

This article dissects the severe disruptions in international shipping and logistics during the pandemic and how overreliance on Chinese manufacturing worsened the crisis

Editor's Introduction

This editorial introduction to the Spring 2021 edition of The Undergraduate Review at Rutgers University–Camden highlights the resilience, diversity, and academic excellence of the student body during a time of profound disruption. Editors William Huang and Kaitlin McGee reflect on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the strength and adaptability of students whose research and creative work continued despite remote learning and empty classrooms. The issue features faculty-approved student submissions that represent a wide array of disciplines and perspectives. A special mention is given to S.N. Taylor’s contribution on student resiliency, which frames the collection as a celebration of perseverance. The editors express gratitude to faculty advisors Dr. Lee Ann Westman and Brian Everett, and invite readers to recognize the passion and determination that define the Rutgers–Camden undergraduate experience

The Most Pressing Threat: Right-Wing Terrorism in the United States

Mariah MacIntosh investigates the alarming rise of right-wing extremism as the dominant terrorist threat facing the United States today. Challenging the traditional national security focus on foreign, religiously motivated terrorism, the article highlights the growing frequency, lethality, and recruitment strength of far-right movements. MacIntosh explores historical patterns, contemporary data, and high-profile incidents—including the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and the attempted kidnapping of Governor Gretchen Whitmer—to demonstrate the persistence and escalation of domestic extremism. The paper also critiques the government’s inadequate response and examines how modern digital tools, including social media and gaming platforms, have accelerated radicalization

Michael Walzer’s Equality in the Context for the Undocumented in Healthcare

Tania Martinez applies Michael Walzer’s theory of equality to the real-world challenges faced by undocumented immigrants seeking healthcare in the United States. Drawing from Walzer’s argument that money should remain within its own “sphere of wealth” and not dictate access to social goods like healthcare, the essay explores how economic status unjustly shapes medical accessibility. Despite reforms like the Affordable Care Act, Martinez highlights how undocumented immigrants remain excluded from meaningful coverage due to federal restrictions, systemic fear, and the erosion of protections. Arguing that healthcare should be distributed by need rather than citizenship or economic standing, Martinez critiques both the moral and structural inequalities that continue to marginalize immigrant populations. She concludes that true liberty cannot exist without equality, reinforcing Walzer’s claim that a just society must ensure fair access to essential services