ScholarWorks @ SeattleU (Seattle University)

Editors of SUURJ

SUURJ: Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal 
Volume 9 Article 5 
2025 
Welcome to SUURJ 
Editors of SUURJ 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/suurj 
Recommended Citation 
Editors of SUURJ (2025) "Welcome to SUURJ," SUURJ: Seattle University Undergraduate Research 
Journal: Vol. 9, Article 5. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/suurj/vol9/iss1/5 
This Letter from the Editors is brought to you for free and open access by the Seattle University Journals at 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It has been accepted for inclusion in SUURJ: Seattle University Undergraduate Research 
Journal by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
8
 Welcome to Volume 9 of the Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal (SUURJ)! 
Together as a team, our hardworking and dedicated student authors, editors, and faculty 
mentors were able to craft an excellent journal volume highlighting the varied and exemplary 
student research done over the past year. We all greatly enjoyed becoming a part of the SUURJ 
community and would like to extend our thanks to our Chief Faculty Editors, Professors Tara 
Roth and Hannah Tracy, for fostering joy and comradery. As we worked to educate ourselves 
as student editors, we took up the responsibility of continuing the legacy of SUURJ by 
incorporating diverse student voices that inspired our team.
 SUURJ, for its entire existence, has endeavored to fully represent the Seattle University 
undergraduate community. In this volume, we’ve chosen to highlight papers that dive into 
topics identifying and uplifting diverse student voices at risk due to the current political 
climate of the nation. From queer identities to racial disparities, from local ecosystems to 
international studies, these papers challenge the biased systemic structure of academia by 
centering issues that have been pushed to the margins in the world of research. We are also 
excited to announce that SUURJ will be publishing our first creative research paper in the 
journal’s history, as well as introducing our “Co-Authored with Faculty” section dedicated to 
featuring papers that represent collaboration between student authors and faculty members 
across campus. 
 We would like to thank our authors for all their hard work and bravery in creating 
spaces for inclusive academic conversations to be held. We would also like to highlight those 
within the SUURJ editorial community who have stepped into authorial roles. We are happy to 
have you back! Lastly, we want to thank our readers for being a part of the conversation.
 Until Next Time,
 The SUURJ Volume 9 Student Editorial Team
Welcome to SUURJ


English

Welcome to SUURJ

El-Sherbeeny, Abdullah

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
4-23-2025 
2025-04-23 Esports Pushing Game Developers Forward With Help 
from Nathan Moller 
Abdullah El-Sherbeeny 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • April 23, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/04/23/esports-pushing-game-
developers-forward-with-help-from-nathan-moller/
Esports Pushing Game
Developers Forward With Help
from Nathan Moller
Abdullah El-Sherbeeny, Staff Reporter
When playing video games, players often strive to beat
them as quickly as possible or focus on game mechanics to
be the most technically skilled. However, there needs to be
a player or two who look around and enjoy the details of
the game; those are potential future game developers. 
Seattle University Esports and Gaming, in partnership with
Seattle University Association for Computing Machinery,
held an event April 16 for Nathan Moller, a video game
developer, to speak. Moller has worked on popular triple-A
titles such as Star Wars, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Halo and
Destiny. The Esports Club invited him to talk about the
struggles and rewards of being a game developer. 
Abigail Kim, a third-year marketing major, is the president
of the Esports Club. Kim noticed a large number of students
interested in computer science or game development in the
club and wanted to find a way to cater to their interests. Seeing that the club had the proper resources and connections to get in
touch with Moller, Kim made the event. 
“I think a lot of people just kind of think of the ‘programming’ and the ‘software’ you need to do to run things and whatnot. I think
with Nathan Moller, it was a lot about telling that story, telling the narrative, because he worked on so many amazing games…My
favorite is Scribblenauts, if you know that silly game,” Kim said.
Aidan Lyum, a third-year computer science major, was particularly excited about the Q&A portion of the event, as he is interested in
entering the video game development field. 
“I had a lot of specific questions. I asked him, like ‘what are the most common mistakes in video games that he sees,’ and I asked him
whether or not he thinks every game has a story narrative,” Lyum said. 
Lyum enjoys video games and is drawn to the idea of working for an indie video game company. Asking all the questions he had for
Moller further excited him about the prospect of entering the gaming industry. 
Ahmed Abdirashid Abdullah
Similar to Lyum, Kamilla Makhmutova, a second-year computer science major, is also interested in the gaming world and game
development. Though the gaming industry holds some anxieties for Makhmutova, Moller’s insight left her feeling more excited
about the notion of entering the field.
“I’ve been interested in game development and I like video games. So I was looking forward to learning more insight from someone
that is in the gaming industry, and knows a lot about it, and has experience so that I could know more about how the game industry
looks like to work on a game,” Makhmutova said. 
Students continued to ask questions into the night. The topic of generative AI and its use in game development was discussed
extensively at the end of the event. Makhmutova asked about the issues that the use of AI could bring to game development and if
there would be any protection against it, as it’s a rising concern in that gaming world. 
Currently, AI is often used in video games to modify and perfect imagery and to create digital opponents by feeding AI information
about the gameplay. As AI progresses and artificial intelligence is implemented in various facets of media, conversations like the one
between Moller and students will become increasingly complex.
The Esports Club strives to help students who attend, especially those interested in gaming, learn more about the gaming world and
provide them with the proper resources. The game developer talk was marked as a success in the Esports Club’s book, as it helped
encourage and motivate all the aspiring game developers to enter the world of game development.


2025-04-23 Esports Pushing Game Developers Forward With Help from Nathan Moller

Editors of Fragments

Parallel

Johnson, Naja

The Spectator • February 26, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/02/26/the-future-of-legacy-
media-in-trumps-america/
The Future Of Legacy Media In
Trump’s America
Abdullah El-Sherbeeny and Naja Johnson
The Trump administration has been active since its return
to the White House introducing a plethora of executive
orders, including but not limited to: halting federal aid,
increasing federal funding towards border control after
declaring a national emergency, and renaming “The Gulf of
Mexico” to “The Gulf of America.” The Trump
administration now also has a new focus, which is
challenging legacy media’s role in the White House.
Timeline of Media Events 
Feb. 1: The Department of Defense announced and
introduced an “annual media rotation program” that would
swap Pentagon press corps workers and their respective
outlets. 
NBC News, The New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR), Politico, Cable News Network (CNN), The Washington Post, The Hill
and War Zone were issued a memo from the Pentagon stating that they had until  Feb. 14 to vacate the Pentagon. 
The Trump administration began replacing legacy media outlets with alternative “right-leaning outlets.”
Feb. 7: John Ullyot, assistant to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, announced that alternative outlets set to replace legacy media
will include Newsmax, the Washington Examiner, the Daily Caller, and tThe Free Press.
Feb. 14: The White House issued a statement banning Associated Press news reporters from the Oval Office and Air Force One,
with the exception of photographers. This ban was following  the refusal of the AP to refer to the “Gulf of Mexico” as the “Gulf of
America.”  
Government agencies in the U.S. began to implement the name change. However, other countries are keeping the original name.
Feb. 21: The AP  responded with a lawsuit against three Trump administration officials citing an infringement on their right to free
speech under the First Amendment. In the lawsuit, the AP alleges retaliation over word choice and “editorial independence.”
Feb.24:  Judge Trevor McFadden rejected the AP’s request to have their access restored to Presidential events citing that the news
organization didn’t face “irreparable harm.” McFadden urged the Trump administration to reconsider. 
Annabelle DeGuzman-Carino
Feb. 25: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the White House Correspondents Association would no
longer be in charge of determining which media outlets are included within the White House press pool; this would now be the
Trump administration’s prerogative.  
With the AP being a highly respected news organization, and designated style guide for media professionals there has been an
uproar in the world of journalism. One person who is dismayed by the recent events in D.C. is Caitlin Carlson, chair of the
communication and media department at Seattle University. Carlson talked about the implications ousting reporters from
government events creates for media professionals.
“I get the idea that it is a privilege, not a right, to cover the White House. However, I think there are some legacy media that have
been covering the White House in a nonpartisan, unbiased way for decades, and I would include the AP among that list. So I think
the real harm is, I think, about the relationships, the sources, the expertise that those reporters have developed,” Carlson said. 
Carlson shared how the impact of removing the AP is not only harmful to them but also harmful to other media outlets that use it as
a reliable source. It harms the reliability and the foundation of credibility. 
“When you keep them from being able to access the briefing room or these different things. It really harms the news and
information that not just the AP but all of the different outlets that rely on the AP as a wire service,” Carlson said
What Is Next For The Media?
As the Trump administration slowly redefines its relationship with legacy media through alternative outlets, there has been a
discussion of the new reality of “freedom of the press.”
Jim Hanson, assistant teaching professor in the communication and media department and the director of the speech and debate
team, shared his insight on how controlling the media is reflective of an authoritarian government.
“My view of this situation is that we have become an authoritarian country and it’s just a matter of the progress that the Trump
administration is making to dismantle the current government,” Hanson said. 
He talked about multiple administration actions as indicative of this process, such as removing military chiefs and inspectors, which
has brought some backlash to the Trump administration. This, as Hanson speculates, has brought the attention of the left-leaning
press, which harms President Trump’s image.
Hanson argues that strong influence over the media helps bolster Trump’s favor and avoid accountability. 
“They’re cutting, spending on things that was already authorized legally by Congress and in terms of the press now. Well, you’ve got
to control the press so that they don’t criticize how much power and in fighting against what they are doing. So they’re excluding
people like the AP,” Hanson said. 
Ruby Batch, a fourth-year political science major at Seattle U and vice president of the Political Science Club, weighed in on how
setbacks in the press affect politics nationally. Batch expanded on how in the past authoritarian governments have implemented
control over the media.
“This is a pretty textbook for authoritarian styles of government, and we’ve seen it in other countries like Hungary recently, India,
and some cases in Germany with the rise of the AFD [Alternative For Germany]. It’s going to make politics and doing counter-action
toward Trump much more difficult. It’s gonna make his actions more obscured,” Batch said.
The Alternative for Germany (AFD) is a far-right political party in Germany that many have criticized as authoritarian. The party
was recently endorsed by Elon Musk. 
Similarly, Batch believes that this helps Trump cover up his actions, and boost his image. This control over the media could harm the
media’s freedom of the press.
Jim Clune, lecturer in the communication and media department at Seattle U, discussed how the issue of freedom of the press has
not been attacked yet but sees the authoritarian influence that is weighing over the media. 
Clune mentioned that using intimidation and control toward the media is the new normal for today’s press corps. Denying access to
the White House and by removing legacy media outlets from the Pentagon is a form of control to gain more power. 
“It can have a chilling effect, is what I’m talking about, and we’ve seen that, as I said, with these other authoritarian governments.
They start with authority, they start with intimidation, they start with denying access, and then they actually start buying [media
outlets],” Clune said. 
Batch shared that this bullying is unsurprising, seeing that President Trump has been very vocal in the past about his distrust of the
left-leaning media outlets and labeled them as “fake news.”
“He’s always made claims about them reporting disinformation about him even though most of the stories, especially towards CNN,
MSNBC, more center-left outlets. He’s always been antagonistic towards them, so I don’t think it was shocking that he would want
to get more favorable outlets reporting on it,” Batch said. 
Carlson expanded on the chilling effect issue, which is negatively impacting the news and working journalists.
“So what the message it sends is, if you do something the administration doesn’t like, you will be punished, and so does that, in turn,
mean that outlets or individual journalists are motivated to cover things in a certain way, so as not to bear the brunt of that
retaliation and so I think it creates a chilling effect,” Carlson said. 
A new reality concerning how journalists will maintain their commitment to journalism in legacy media. Overall changing how news
and politics should be approached nationally. 
What Will This Look Like for Upcoming Journalists? 
The upcoming generation of reporters and journalists will face responsibilities and challenges that would not have been present
without the Trump administration. 
Hanson shared how he feels that the newer generation of journalists, especially the ones with aspirations to go into national
politics, will have to face new obstacles but they should not waver. 
“For the journalism students at Seattle University that want to do that kind of reporting, it is going to be a very fine line between
doing analysis and criticism that doesn’t upset the administration while at the same time allowing themselves to have a flow of
information and knowledge to get their materials out there,” Hanson said. 
He believes that journalists going into political coverage will have to face a new wave of criticism and personal attacks and might
even face persecution. 
 “It’s going to be a very tough period in our history. It’s really sad,” Hanson said. 
Clune is optimistic that media professionals and journalists alike will honor their commitment to practicing journalism and not
become compliant in the face of the new administration.  
“It’s the basic values of journalism, you know. It’s really striving to gather information and tell the truth as you see it. That’s the way
that you know. That’s the way that you overcome authoritarianism. Eventually, you have to tell the truth, because they’re not always
telling it,” Clune exclaimed. 
Basil Cain, a second-year public affairs major at Seattle U chimed in on the recent events in the media and expressed his sentiments
on the importance of freedom of speech.
“Freedom of speech is vitally important to the American people, as it holds back the government and corporations from silencing
those who criticize them, which leads to progress and protection of the American people’s rights and lives,” Cain said.
Cain has observed an intense relationship between the current president and the media over the last few years.
“I have seen many instances in interviews and White House Press conferences where Trump has been blatantly rude to reporters
trying to ask him questions, by calling the questions stupid or insulting the reporters, along with reporting to certain reporters as
‘fake news’ in an attempt to discredit them,” Cain said. 
The Trump administration has only been in office for three weeks yet in such a short time, redefined its relationship with the media.
This impact has contributed to challenges for both current and aspiring journalists. In the end, amid the new constraints of the
administration journalists are tasked with continuing their commitments to journalism. 



2025-02-26 The Future Of Legacy Media In Trump’s America

DeGuzman, Maya

2025-10-15 Starbucks’ Nationwide Layoffs Hit Its Hometown

Mathis, Kean

2025-10-15 ORCA Card Initiative Progresses Swimmingly

https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/lightning-oct2025/1003/thumbnail.jp

Feit, Maureen

Radical Imagination: Social Movements, Racial Justice and the Reinvention of the Nonprofit Form

Custodi, Samantha

2025-10-22 Seattle U Women’s Swim Dives into Second Meet of the Year