ScholarWorks @ SeattleU (Seattle University)

Editors of Fragments

Fragments 
Volume 66 Parallel Article 2 
2024 
Title Page 
Editors of Fragments 
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Recommended Citation 
Editors of Fragments (2024) "Title Page," Fragments: Vol. 66, Article 2. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments/vol66/iss1/2 
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Title Page

Walker, Kelsey

Fragments 
Volume 66 Parallel Article 12 
2024 
April 
Kelsey Walker 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments 
Recommended Citation 
Walker, Kelsey (2024) "April," Fragments: Vol. 66, Article 12. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments/vol66/iss1/12 
This Poetry is brought to you for free and open access by the Seattle University Journals at ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fragments by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
Nature's Natural Disaster: Forgiveness by Isabella Paco 
Forgiving yourself is the hardest thing 
you will ever do 
Does the sun ever say sorry for its 
scalding brightness? 
Have the waters apologized for its tidal 
waves? 
Do they hate themselves for all their past 
mistakes? 
All the times a building was torn down 
through tsunamis 
Do they look back and say 
I'm undeserving, unworthy, unlovable? 
How do they breathe at night? 
Is nature apologetic for simply existing? 
Unclenching their fists 
Their eyebrows releasing tension 
Can they finally be able to exist again? 
After everything I've done 
My hands stained in betrayal, the tears of 
someone else's hurt 
I can only shake in anticipation for the 
next mistake 
Watching their lips shake at my actions 
Disappointment burdening their 
shoulders 
I have proven them right by being wrong 
After all of this, how do I unapologetically 
become myself? 
A force of nature 
A walking natural disaster 
that I cannot regret 
The world is only forecasting my steps 
Only watching my every move 
As their glaring eyes watched me scream 
Wrath against the world 
Smashing buildings with my fists 
Tantrums of anger waiting to be 
understood 
But hurting everyone in the process 
Pushing against the walls that only seem 
to get closer 
As my mother reminds me, that this is all 
my fault 
And I can only shoot words like a missile 
Without the countdown button 
My mother reminds me 
I am the reason for the end of the world 
The catastrophe that always seem to occur 
How do you forgive yourself-
In all of this pain 
In all of this hurt 
Growing pains 
as I stretch myself tall 
Fingertips touching the roof 
Overlapping, intertwining with myself 
All knotted up like a pair of vines 
I want to get better 
But I am reminded of why I could not in 
the first place 
How do you forgive yourself 
For ruining lives 
For being spawned in a world that doesn't 
seem to want you 
Being told that you are forever unlovable 
How do I forgive myself? 
In all of this regret 
I've only ever learned pain. 
April by Kelsey Walker 
Parti 
The early springtime air full of life, 
but I am feeling nothing. 
Left empty like the trees in late winter. 
Longing for a warmer season, 
one with you here, with me. 
But you're gone, with the birds moving 
south, 
seeking nicer, warmer weather. 
A season has never been more finely 
shaped. 
Part 2 
The early springtime air full of life, 
I am finally feeling something. 
Tentatively blooming like trees in early 
spring. 
Headed toward the warmer seasons, 
ones where I can still feel your love. 
Watching the birds move freely, 
unafraid of the cold. 
A season has never been more finely 
shaped. 


April

Phung, Thuy An

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Ultrasound 
Projects College of Nursing 
6-1-2025 
Rheumatic Valvular Heart Disease 
Thuy An Phung 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/dius-projects 
Recommended Citation 
Phung, Thuy An, "Rheumatic Valvular Heart Disease" (2025). Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Ultrasound 
Projects. 23. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/dius-projects/23 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Nursing at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Ultrasound Projects by an authorized 
administrator of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
1 
 
CASE STUDY 
 
Rheumatic Valvular 
Heart Disease   
Thuy An Phung                       
 
Journal of Diagnostic Medical 
Sonography 
2025, Vol. __(__) ___-___ 
©
Abstract 
A 24-year-old African American male presented at the clinic with the indication of chest 
pain, racing heart, and a murmur heart sound found by his primary care provider, and the 
patient reported shortness of breath while playing soccer. A complete transthoracic 
echocardiogram (TTE) was ordered to assess the valves and heart function. His first TTE 
was performed, and the result showed that he has both aortic and mitral stenosis, which 
are associated with Rheumatic fever. The aortic valve is moderately to severely stenotic 
and severely regurgitant with an aortic valve area of 1.2 cm2. The mitral valve is 
moderately stenotic with a valve area of 1.72 cm2. The heart's systolic function is normal, 
with an ejection fraction (EF) of 64%. This patient is recommended to have a 
transesophageal echocardiogram ( TEE) to assess the severity of mitral and aortic valve 
stenosis, since he might be a candidate for valve replacement. Unfortunately, the 
transesophageal echocardiogram was denied since his heart’s function is still within the 
normal range, and he is not symptomatic enough to become an urgent candidate for valve 
replacement. This case study focused on diagnostic images of Rheumatic valvular heart 
disease and how insurance-related issues cause treatment delays and impact patients’ 
health outcomes.7 In this case, the social worker in the hospital is mentioned as an option 
for this patient; furthermore, the Gold Card Act can help him approach health care. The 
Gold Card Act is a legislation that helps to shorten the distance between patients and 
prior authorization from the insurance company.   
 
Key Words 
Rheumatic fever, Rheumatic valvular heart disease, African American, Aortic Stenosis, 
aortic regurgitation, Mitral Stenosis, cardiac output, ejection fraction ( EF), transthoracic 
echocardiogram (TTE), transesophageal echocardiogram    ( TEE).
2 
 
Introduction 
Rheumatic fever is an 
autoimmune inflammatory reaction to a 
throat infection caused by an immune 
response to a group A Streptococcus 
bacteria.1 Recurrent and untreated 
rheumatic fever can permanently 
damage heart valves, which is also 
known as rheumatic valvular heart 
disease.3 Rheumatic heart disease is a 
global health concern with a persistently 
high incidence in developing countries, 
including Africa.1 It has a significant 
economic, morbidity, and mortality 
burden, particularly for children and 
young adults during their most productive 
years.1 This heart disease leads to about 
250,000 deaths per year worldwide.2 
The two most common valves affected by 
rheumatic fever are the mitral and aortic 
valves.5 When the mitral and aortic 
valves are stenotic, it can restrict the 
blood flow to the systemic system, which 
can lead to decreased blood supply to 
multiple organs in the body, including the 
brain.4 
This case study strongly highlights a 
series of complications of untreated 
Rheumatic fever that affect the 2 most 
important valves of the main pumping 
chamber ( left ventricle).  A  young 
African–American male presented at the 
cardiovascular diagnostic imaging center 
with indications of chest pain, a murmur 
heart sound, and a racing heart. The 
patient had no medical history, and he 
reported that he sometimes had 
shortness of breath while he was playing 
soccer. However, the shortness of 
breath, including chest pain, has been 
frequently increased.  
His first transthoracic echocardiogram       
( TTE) was performed; the sonographic 
findings were moderate to severe aortic 
stenosis with severe aortic regurgitation, 
and the mitral valve was moderately 
stenotic.  However,  his left ventricular 
systolic function with ejection fraction 
was within a normal range of 64%.
Case Report: 
The 24-year-old male patient, who has 
no medical history, presented at the 
hospital for an echocardiogram (TTE) 
with the report of shortness of breath 
while playing soccer. The murmur heart 
sound, racing heart, and chest indicate 
that he might have a source of valvular 
heart disease.     
A Transthoracic echocardiogram is 
ordered to assess valves and heart 
function from multiple views, such as 
parasternal long and short axes, apical, 
subcostal, and suprasternal notch. The 
level of parasternal long axis reveals the 
anterior hockey stick mitral valve 
appearance 5, which is the signature 
finding of Rheumatic valvular heart 
disease (Figure 1). The mitral valve is 
3 
 
diastolic doming, which indicates the 
restrictions of the leaflets' movement and 
the blood flow from left atrium to the left 
ventricle.  
 
 
Figure 1- Parasternal long axis ( PLAX) view 
shows the Mitral valve with a hockey stick 
appearance, which indicates the rheumatic mitral 
stenosis.  
 
The mitral valve in parasternal short axis 
appears with a small opening of the mitral 
which restricts the diastolic filling in the 
relaxation phase. ( Figure 2) 
 
 
 
Figure 2- Parasternal short-axis ( PSAX) 
view shows the small mitral valve opening. 
 
The severity of the mitral stenosis was 
assessed based on the valve area and 
mean gradient across the mitral valve by 
using continuous wave Doppler from the 
apical window. The normal mitral valve 
area is approximately 4.0 to 6.0 cm2, and 
the normal mean gradient is less than 2 
mmHg. In this case, the result showed 
that the mean gradient across the mitral 
valve is 6 mmHg, which indicates 
moderately stenotic ( Figure 3). The 
mitral valve area was calculated by using 
the continuity equation, and the result is 
1.72 cm2, which is moderately stenotic. 
Based on the ASE guideline severity 
chart, this patient has moderate mitral 
stenosis.  
 
 
Figure 3- Apical 4-chamber view and 
continuous wave Doppler to measure mean 
gradient across the mitral valve. 
The aortic valve in the long and short 
axes appears with calcification in the left 
and right coronary cusps (Figures 4 and 
5), which is rarely seen in a young 
patient. There is a restriction of aortic 
valve opening, which can lead to a low 
4 
 
blood supply to the upper and lower 
body.  
   
Figure 4- The long aortic valve's sternal axis 
shows the calcified leaflets.  
Figure 5- Parasternal short axis of the aortic 
valve shows the calcified leaflets. 
The severity of aortic stenosis was 
evaluated by using the continuous wave 
Doppler, pulse wave Doppler, and 
pedoff. The highest velocity obtained 
from the apical 3 chamber is 4.19 cm/s ( 
figure 6), and the apical 5 chamber is 
3.94 cm/s ( figure 7).  
 
  Figure 6- Aortic velocity in Apical 3-
chamber view. 
 
  Figure 7- Velocity across the aortic valve 
in Apical 5 chamber view.  
 
Pedoff is used whenever the aortic velocity is 
over 2.6 cm/s, and the result is 4.07 cm/s 
(Figure 8). Normal aortic valve area is 3.0 to 
4.0 cm2, and in this case, the aortic valve 
area through the continuity equation is 1.2 
cm2, and the mean gradient is 43 mmHg. 
Based on the severity chart, this aortic is 
moderate to severe stenosis. 
5 
 
 
 
Figure 8- Using Pedoff to access the 
highest velocity across the aortic valve.  
 
 
 
 
A pulse wave doppler is used to assess the diastolic flow reversal in the abdominal aorta 
(from subcostal view) and thoracic aorta (from suprasternal notch view indicates severe 
aortic regurgitation. The calcified leaflets prevent the valve from closing properly, which 
allows blood flow back to the left ventricle during diastole.  
 
    
Figure 10- Thoracic aorta flow reversal from the suprasternal notch.
      
6 
 
 
Figure 9- Abdominal aorta flow reversal from subcostal view.
Discussion: 
Rheumatic heart disease is a condition in 
which Rheumatic fever can permanently 
damage heart valves and lead to 
stenosis. The most commonly affected 
are the mitral and aortic valves, which are 
the two valves of the main pumping 
chamber. Rheumatic valvular heart 
disease’s symptoms usually come with 
fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, 
rapid irregular heartbeat, with a 
murmurous heart sound present with 
auscultation, and this patient has all of 
these symptoms. The final results of the 
transthoracic echocardiogram show that 
this patient has moderate mitral stenosis, 
moderate to severe aortic stenosis, with 
severe aortic regurgitation.    In this case, 
a further assessment, such as a 
transesophageal echocardiogram              
( TEE), is recommended to re-evaluate 
his valve function since this patient can 
be a candidate for both valve 
replacement. Transesophageal 
echocardiogram ( TEE) is a minimally 
invasive procedure that can provide 
accurate, precise, detailed, and good-
quality images that allow cardiologists to 
have more detailed look at the patient's 
heart.6 A good quality of images and 
accurate measurement of both 
transthoracic and transesophageal 
echocardiograms are really important to 
7 
 
help cardiologists sketch out the plan to 
provide patients with optimal treatment.6  
The transesophageal echocardiogram ( 
TEE) cannot be performed for this patient 
due to his insurance issues. The reason 
for this denial is that he is not the best 
candidate for an urgent plan for valve 
replacement, and he is not severely 
symptomatic. The patient’s heart size 
and systolic function are still in the 
normal range; therefore, the doctor 
decides to provide him with a 
transthoracic echocardiogram ( TTE) to 
keep monitoring his heart until the heart 
cannot compensate with the two stenotic 
valves. A month after his first 
transthoracic echocardiogram ( TTE),   
another TTE was ordered for re-
evaluation of his heart and valve function; 
however, the patient did not present. A 
health social worker and the Gold Card 
Act are two options that could help this 
patient to go through many important 
exams and procedures for the real 
detection and avoiding the delay. The 
Gold Card Act is a legislation that helps 
to shorten the distance between patients 
and prior authorization from the 
insurance company.   
 
Conclusions 
This global health disease is rare in the 
US but more common in low-income 
countries. Rheumatic fever, if untreated, 
can lead to 
chronic rheumatic valvular heart diseas, 
which remains widespread in Africa. 4 It 
is the major cause of heart disease in 
Black African populations.4 The two 
valves of the main pumping chamber to 
the body become damaged leads to 
stenotic or leaking, leading to decreased 
cardiac output and reduced the amount 
of blood supply to multiple organs, 
including the brain.  
The treatment for this patient cannot be 
decided yet due to the insurance issue.  
Prior authorization, a health plan cost-
control process, restricts access to 
treatments, drugs, and services.7 This 
process requires doctors or physicians to 
obtain approval before the delivery of the 
prescribed treatment or ordered service 
to qualify for payment.7 Prior 
authorization often results in delays in 
care, which causes needless pain, 
delays in treatment, and suffering for 
patients, and is a significant problem in 
today's delivery of health care.9 Patients 
have to face barriers to using their 
insurance plans to obtain their needed 
care.7  In this case,  social workers in the 
hospital can be an option to help patients. 
Furthermore,   the Gold Card Act is 
another option that can help patients 
access healthcare without insurance 
issues.  Legislation like this bill is needed 
to empower physicians and their patients 
to quickly access the medical treatments 
that will cut delays and increase the 
quality of care.8 The more we can remove 
barriers to our patients' access to care, 
the better their care and outcomes can 
be.
8 
 
 
Ethical Statements: 
 
 Ethics Approval: Ethical approval was 
not sought for the present study because 
it did not involve altering the patient’s 
healthcare plan. 
Declarations of Conflicting Interests: 
The author(s) declare(s) that there are no 
conflicts of interest with respect to the 
research, authorship, and/or publication 
of the article. 
 
Informed Consent: Informed consent 
was not sought for the present study 
because all case data was deidentified 
and/or aggregated and followed ethics 
committee or IRB guidelines (also 
referred to as the Honest Broker 
System). 
Funding: The authors received no 
financial support for the research, 
authorship, and/or publication of this 
article.
 
References: 
1) Abdu SM, Altaseb Beyene 
Kassaw, Amare Abera Tareke, et 
al. Prevalence and pattern of 
rheumatic valvular heart disease 
in Africa: Systematic review and 
meta-analysis, 2015–2023, 
population based studies. PLoS 
ONE. 2024;19(7):e0302636-
e0302636. 
doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal
.pone.0302636 
 
2) Marijon E, Mirabel M, Celermajer 
DS, Jouven X. Rheumatic heart 
disease. ; London. 
2012;379(9819):953-964. 
https://www.proquest.com/docvie
w/929066715/B5ABF4AB475D44
56PQ/2?accountid=28598&sourc
etype=Scholarly%20Journals 
3)  Cannon J, Roberts K, Milne C, 
Carapetis JR. Rheumatic Heart 
Disease Severity, Progression 
and Outcomes: A Multi‐State 
Model. Journal of the American 
Heart Association. 2017;6(3). 
doi:https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.1
16.003498 
 
4)  Commerford P, Mayosi B. An 
appropriate research agenda for 
heart disease in Africa. The 
9 
 
Lancet. 2006;367(9526):1884-
1886. 
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-
6736(06)68822-3 
5)  Dass C, Kanmanthareddy A. 
Rheumatic Heart Disease. 
Nih.gov. Published July 25, 2023. 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/boo
ks/NBK538286/ 
 
6) Peterson GE, Brickner ME, 
Reimold SC. Transesophageal 
Echocardiography. Circulation. 
2003;107(19):2398-2402. 
doi:https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.
0000071540.97144.89 
 
7)  Robeznieks A. How insurance 
companies’ red tape can delay 
patient care. American Medical 
Association. Published March 30, 
2018. https://www.ama-
assn.org/practice-
management/prior-
authorization/how-insurance-
companies-red-tape-can-delay-
patient-care 
 
8)  1. UPDATE: H.R.7995 - GOLD 
CARD act of 
2022. Congressional Documents 
and Publications. 2022. 
https://www.proquest.com/other-
sources/update-h-r-7995-gold-
card-act-
2022/docview/2715576933/se-2. 
 
 
9) Burgess and gonzalez work to 
streamline quality care for 
american patients. Congressional 
Documents and Publications. 
2023. 
https://www.proquest.com/other-
sources/burgess-gonzalez-work-
streamline-quality-
care/docview/2844065679/se-2. 
  
 
 
 
 


Rheumatic Valvular Heart Disease

Forrest, Brydian

Fragments 
Volume 65 Lust Article 2 
2023 
Compartmentalize 
Brydian Forrest 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments 
Recommended Citation 
Forrest, Brydian (2023) "Compartmentalize," Fragments: Vol. 65, Article 2. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments/vol65/iss1/2 
This Poetry is brought to you for free and open access by the Seattle University Journals at ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fragments by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
Compartmentalize 
By	Brydian	Forrest 
Today	with	red	sulfur	burning	in	my	asphyxiating	denotation	 
With	the	way	heat	rises	past	the	lungs	 
Or	cinderella's	shoe	gets	lost,	jammed	into	someone's	eyeball	 
	
Please,	saw	my	wrists	off,	and	not	for	a	reason	 
You	say	it's	to	distract	from	the	clanging,	to	give	me	some	feeling	 
But	the	pain	is	not	needed	or	wanted	just	required	and	requested	 
	
Burn	baby	burn	a	sigh	into	the	side	of	my	stomach	 
Let	your	lips	fail	to	swallow	me	because	they	haven't	applied	all	their	effort	 
There's	something	lackluster	about	our	continuous	meetings	 
	
And	saw	off	my	feet	too	because	what	the	hell	 
I'd	like	to	climb	back	inside	get	a	good	look	around	 
Souls	are	like	snakes	but	less	corporeal...Kinda	fragile	in	a	play-dough	sense	 
	
I'll	carve	a	word	onto	my	hand	a	four	letter	one	that	does	not	please	you	 
It's	about	me	and	how	loud	my	thoughts	are	being	 
Boom	baby	boom	remember	the	clanging?	It’s	true	 
	
What's	left...	 
	
Legs	I	suppose,	cut	into	my	thighs	until	my	throat	releases	such	a	pretty	siren	 
Aren't	you	reminded	of	the	emperor	and	the	nightingale?	 
Seesaw	the	pieces	of	me	until	they	have	no	more	meanings	remembrances	or	
reminders	 
	
Please	 
It's	not	just	requested	
	 	


Compartmentalize

Rock, Maire

Fragments 
Volume 65 Lust Article 8 
2023 
My Working Conditions 
Maire Rock 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments 
Recommended Citation 
Rock, Maire (2023) "My Working Conditions," Fragments: Vol. 65, Article 8. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments/vol65/iss1/8 
This Poetry is brought to you for free and open access by the Seattle University Journals at ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fragments by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
My	Working	Conditions 
By	Maire	Rock
Soft	light,	nothing	harsh,	nothing	dark	 
A	slight	shiver,	but	not	goosebumps	 
A	cup	of	something	hot,	always	in	a	mug	 
A	thumping	beat,	with	meaningful	words,	but	not	ones	you	have	to	think	about	
And	don’t	forget	the	paper—always	paper—and	a	pen	with	black	ink	 
Now	it	is	time	to	sit	down	 
An	itch	in	the	back	of	your	brain,	right	at	the	base	of	your	skull	
A	twitch	in	your	index	finger	 
The	vision	in	your	head	that	can	only	be	expressed	in	words	 
That	clouds	all	your	thoughts	 
Crying	out	to	be	released	 
Look	to	the	words	you	have	 
How	they	stack	the	walls	 
Know	what	brings	you	into	them	 
What	grabs	your	heart	and	twists	and	pulls	
Draw	from	the	world	around	you	 
Turn	what	pushed	you	 
Into	words	on	a	page	 
To	see	the	path	 
But	not	the	destination	 
To	know	that	there	is	an	answer	 
if	you	only	take	the	first	step	 
To	understand	that	your	words	have	potential	 
that	can	help	you	understand	yourself,	what	you	have	to	say	


My Working Conditions

Leyden, Henry

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
6-4-2025 
2025-06-04 The State of Undergraduate Research at Seattle U: 
SUURJ Volume 9 
Henry Leyden 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Leyden, Henry, "2025-06-04 The State of Undergraduate Research at Seattle U: SUURJ Volume 9" (2025). 
The Spectator Online. 1554. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1554 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It has been 
accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
The Spectator • June 4, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/06/04/the-state-of-undergraduate-
research-at-seattle-u-suurj-volume-9/
The State of Undergraduate
Research at Seattle U: SUURJ
Volume 9
Henry Leyden, Volunteer Reporter
Here in the land of the Redhawk, huge grants and research
that draw national headlines can be hard to come by.
Funding is smaller, name recognition is lower and the light
of academic prestige afforded to major universities is
seldom shined on us. 
That doesn’t mean the university isn’t fiercely pursuing the
development and expansion of its research opportunities,
particularly for undergraduate students. According to the
Office of Sponsored Projects’ (OSP) annual report from last
year, Seattle U saw a 14% increase in grant proposals from
FY23 to FY24, with 40% of new awards including wages for
student work. While OSP primarily works on the faculty
end of research, other programs are being developed to
directly address students. 
One such development is the newly established Office of
Undergraduate Research (UGR) directed by Tara Roth, a
teaching professor of English. The UGR office, a member of the
Council on Undergraduate Research, has been designed to help
enhance student access to faculty-mentored research and
scholarship opportunities. It provides avenues towards research
publication, presentation and funding. 
This year, the UGR office’s work culminated with the annual
Student Research and Creativity Conference (SRCCON). Held May
23, students from numerous departments presented over six hours
of research and creative work they had done, including fourth-year
chemistry majors who presented their senior synthesis research
projects to a packed room of their peers and faculty. 
This week, another staple for student research on campus made its
annual debut. The Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal (SUURJ), an enduring and recognizable product created to
feature undergraduate student research, has just published its ninth edition. 
Henry Leyden
Dr. Tracy introduces the journal.
Image courtesy of SUURJ.
SUURJ, first published back in 2017 under the leadership of former faculty member Molly Clark Hillard, is now led jointly by English
professors Roth and Hannah Tracy. The journal prioritizes student engagement and accessibility by having student editors at one
end and student author submissions at the other. While being an editor is an accredited class under the English Department, both
roles are open to students in all disciplines. 
The opportunity to publish research that has been primarily conducted and written by the students themselves is a rare one, and so
too is being assigned the bulk of the copyediting work as the student editor for an official publication. 
“I think we both really value student research, and we also think it’s really important for there to be a place that showcases, in
particular, undergraduate research, because undergraduates usually have a harder time getting published. We also love working
with a cohort of student editors over the course of a full year to train them to be copyeditors, developing those relationships, and
really trying to expose student editors to a whole range of real-life skills that can help them in their future careers,” Tracy said. 
Volume 9 of SUURJ features a wide variety of student work. From a mathematical study predicting momentum in tennis games to
SUURJ’s first research-based historical fiction piece exploring the late 19th-century gold rush in Seattle, this year’s edition of the
journal continues to shine a light on all kinds of undergraduate research.
“Like just the fact that students and faculty took the time to read my work, I was like, that is enough for me. That was so important.
Then it got chosen!” Anabella Vucci, a fourth-year public affairs and women, gender & sexuality studies double major, said.
Vucci’s paper, “Reframing Fat,” explores compulsory thinness, a term used to
describe society’s enforcement of and adherence to a thin-fat binary where fat
bodies are made subordinate to thin ones. She used popular media like the musical
“Hairspray” (2007) as a vessel for her theoretical inquiry.
Vucci felt that her submission and publication process with SUURJ had allowed her
to remain engaged with her paper’s subject matter on a level she might not have
otherwise, and that these experiences were invaluable. 
“Taking something that’s so deeply personal… putting it in an academic setting and
being able to talk about it analytically and to show that it’s a theory like any other.
For me, it helped demystify the system that controlled me and how I thought about
myself. So I started just wanting y’all [SUURJ] to read it. And then I got to work on it
with more people, and that was so exciting,” Vucci said. 
Another author
from this year’s
edition, Alonso Lee,
a third-year
philosophy and
history double
major, was drawn to his paper’s subject matter by a combination of
academic passion and personal experience. The piece, “A Tale of
Two Cities,” co-authored by Eve Wiseman and Caleb Stipkovits,
investigates pollutant levels in Fresno, Calif., specifically focusing
on how racial and class disparities are correlated to environmental
outcomes and what policy solutions can be implemented to
alleviate said inequities. 
“I have family there in Fresno, and I grew up visiting all the time…
everybody in Fresno knows the air is bad, but they don’t know why.
It’s because there’s been a lack of transparency within the city
government,” Lee explained. 
This summer, Lee will be starting an internship with the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus in D.C., a position he said he was inspired to pursue based, in part, on the work he had done on “A
Tale of Two Cities.” For both Lee and Vucci, the editing process with SUURJ allowed both authors to revisit their work, adding
sections, reworking analysis and refining syntax, in a way that maintained their autonomy over the work while still providing the
Image courtesy of Anabella Vucci
Image courtesy of Alonso Lee
support and structure necessary to embark on a journey towards publication. 
Organizations like SUURJ demonstrate that students do have fantastic access to faculty and on-campus bodies that are constantly
striving to develop and promote student work at interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary levels. If you haven’t submitted to SUURJ
yet, change that. But most of all, GO READ VOLUME 9 OUT NOW!


2025-06-04 The State of Undergraduate Research at Seattle U: SUURJ Volume 9

Dumlao, Diego

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-12-2025 
2025-02-12 Redhawks Men’s Tennis Pick Up First Win of 2025 
Diego Dumlao 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • February 12, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/02/12/redhawks-mens-tennis-
pick-up-first-win-of-2025/
Redhawks Men’s Tennis Pick Up
First Win of 2025
Diego Dumlao, Volunteer Reporter
It came down to the final match for the Seattle University
men’s tennis team. Last weekend, the Redhawks took on
the Sacramento State University Hornets for their third
home match of the 2025 season. Prior to this match, the
team held a record of 0-2, taking losses from the University
of Washington and Gonzaga University with scores of 4-0
for both matches. The team had already secured the
doubles point with wins from Yuan Lu and Yu-Han Hsieh,
along with Veselin Kiselkov and Michael Frank. Lu and
Hsieh also took home victories in their singles matches, so
it was left up to the senior and team number one, Filip
Stipic, to win his match. 
After taking the first set 6-3 versus Sacramento State’s
Henry Lamchinniah, Stipic had a slow start to the second
set getting down 5-3. But he was able to find his rhythm
again, eventually securing the victory, 7-5 and clinching the win for
the Redhawks, 4-3.  
“The team did great today… We had great energy across all the
courts. Honestly overall it was just a great match,” Grad Student
and the team’s number two, Jun Sasagawa said.  
Unlike many other sports, tennis doesn’t have the same large
crowds with yelling and screaming fans packing the grandstands.
But despite the lack of fans, there was no shortage of energy within
the Amy Yee Tennis Center. The support that the team showed each
other made up for the lack of fan support during the matches. It
wasn’t uncommon for one player to yell at another court to give
their teammate words of encouragement during their match. With
the team being so senior dominated, many of the seniors had been
playing together since the beginning of their collegiate careers. The chemistry that this squad has is unlike many other teams. 
“We have seven guys that are graduating this year. We’re pretty tight. We’re like brothers you know, and the energy is just great.
We do pretty much everything together. So, we just show that on the court,” Stipic said.  
This season can be seen as a farewell tour for the Redhawks. It was announced Nov. 14, 2024, that the men’s tennis program at
Diego Dumlao
Seattle U Men’s Tennis poses for a team photo prior to their
match vs. Sacramento State.
Seattle U Men’s Tennis has a pregame meeting prior to
their match.
Seattle U, along with the men’s and women’s indoor track program,
will be discontinued after the 2024-25 season. With seven of the nine
players on the team graduating this year, the team is looking to be as
successful as possible while also looking to enjoy their final season
together. Hiroki Fujita joined the Seattle U tennis program as a
graduate assistant coach in 2024.   
“Obviously I want them to win as many matches as possible, but I also
want them to enjoy every single moment,” Fujita said.
The day after the Sacramento State match, Feb. 8, the team took on
Oklahoma State University at the Nordstrom Tennis Center at the
University of Washington. Unfortunately, the Redhawks were not
able to take home a win for this match. The team lost to the Cowboys
4-0. Seattle U stays home for one more match, taking on the
University of Portland Feb. 15 once again at the Amy Yee Tennis
Center. The team will then hit the road and head over to Spokane to take on both Gonzaga and Eastern Washington University.
With this being the last season before Seattle U says goodbye to the Redhawks men’s tennis program, the team is looking to go out
with a bang, while also enjoying their last ride all together as a team.
Senior, Micheal Frank, serves the ball as fellow senior,
Veselin Kiselkov, stands in a ready position. (Diego
Dumlao)


2025-02-12 Redhawks Men’s Tennis Pick Up First Win of 2025

Mai, Matthew

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
4-16-2025 
2025-04-16 Write Your Opinion Now! 
Matthew Mai 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • April 16, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/04/16/write-your-opinion-now/
Write Your Opinion Now!
Matthew Mai, Staff Designer
Hi Spectator fans! I’m sure those who are reading this care
about the news in some respect, whether that care exists
for the availability of information on current events or
simply because it’s fun to read about what’s new in sports
and pop culture. Speaking as a fellow Spectator fan, it is
important for me to speak directly to you all, as the issue I
am bringing up directly impacts us Spectator enjoyers. An
aspect of our newspaper that makes our publication unique
and valuable is the amplification of student voices here at
Seattle U. Being a student-run publication, we inherently
report everything through the viewpoint of a student, and
that fact is reflected in everything published here.
However, we are missing the viewpoints of some very
important people. We are missing you all!
We have a limited capacity to bring out the views that are important to the larger population on campus. Apart from when our
reporters go out and interview you all on campus, when is your voice really represented in the newspaper? It is not uncommon to
see a communications major or a journalism major reporting for The Spectator, which is not a problem, as it makes a lot of sense for
someone in communications or journalism to enjoy writing for the newspaper. However, this fact inherently limits the scope of what
we can bring to you, the reader. This might be the first time you’re reading something written by a business economics major in this
paper, and that is shameful (of me; I should’ve written this sooner).
The solution to this issue is unbelievably simple. We just need you to write your opinion! The topics you can write about are
endless! If you feel too weak to scream your opinion, write it down. It is unbelievable how many great conversations I’ve had with
people on campus. I’ve heard rants about favorite movies, favorite underground artists, the importance of art, the dangers of AI, the
difficulties of romance in Seattle and the limited food choices on campus. Every single one of these rants has the substance and the
passion to become its own article, and yet, Daniel Truog, our Sports and Opinion Editor, usually only has to worry about sports from
week to week. I’m doing my part in changing that, and so can you!
I know you all are passionate people–some of you have hills you would die on. It’s more important now than ever before to share
your opinions. Even though it is unbelievably easy to post something that will be released to the world, a lot of the information that
is pushed online is either super depressing news or ragebait slop designed to hold our attention. We live in a world where
information is in constant competition with an algorithm. What you see is what wins the natural selection process of engagement
farming. Don’t feed your opinion to the ad robot. Your opinion is more valuable than that. 
When I told one of my friends that I was writing this article, they said that they would have liked to live in the blog era of the
internet, and quite frankly, I understand where they’re coming from. We have gutted one of the few places where opinions were
free. Most of the internet is only viewable through the algorithm gaze, and publications like these are the only ways to escape this
limited scope through which advertisers aim to extract every last second of your attention. You know how many recipes online have
a massive preamble before the recipe is even listed, even though it would be more convenient for the recipe to precede the
Matthew Mai
narrative? In the attempt to make the internet more profitable, the recipe blogs have turned into ad revenue farms designed to
waste your time. I love those online bakers and chefs, I just wish that it didn’t have to be this way. Your opinion is more valuable than
the ad revenue it generates. Put your opinion in a place where it isn’t subject to advertiser scrutiny.
I really want you to channel your grievances, your passions, your joys, into an article for the opinions section. Write about why you
think we should all try bouldering. Write about why you think The Spectator sucks. Write like your opinion is the only one that
matters! Take up space and use up printer ink! We provide a platform for your opinion to appear in nearly every building on campus
in print every single Thursday, and yet, rarely do I see your opinions!
The newspaper is here to serve you! If you feel like you’re not being heard, we’re here for you. All you have to do is write. It would
personally make my day to see your opinion in print or on the site. I hope to read you all on a Thursday afternoon! If you’d like to
write an article for the Spectator, you can come meet us on Monday night every week at 7:00 p.m. in the Campion basement, or you
can email our beloved Sports and Opinion Editor Daniel Truog at dtruog@seattleu.edu for more information on writing an opinion
article.


2025-04-16 Write Your Opinion Now!

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
5-21-2025 
2025-05-21 Seeking to Unify the Academic Calendar, Seattle U 
Proposes a Shift to Semesters 
Diego Dumlao 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • May 21, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/05/21/seeking-to-unify-the-
academic-calendar-seattle-u-proposes-a-shift-to-semesters/
Seeking to Unify the Academic
Calendar, Seattle U Proposes a
Shift to Semesters
Diego Dumlao, Staff Reporter
If you’re a current first-year student at Seattle University,
you may be seeing a change in the academic calendar
during your senior year.  
In fall quarter, Provost Shane Martin assembled a
committee consisting of members of Seattle U’s faculty and
staff. The committee, called the Academic Calendar
Working Group, was given the task of reviewing the
university’s current academic calendar to see how Seattle
U can improve it to better support the student body. The
announcement of this working group was the first that the
Seattle U community heard about a possible switch to a
semester system.  
In a May 12 email sent to the entirety of Seattle U, Martin
gave an update regarding the Academic Calendar Working
Group. The provost announced that the working group had shifted their work to exploring the possibility of unifying the university’s
academic calendar for the 2027-28 academic year.  
“I recently redirected the Work Group to expand its scope and explore the unifying of Seattle University’s academic calendar for
the 2027-28 academic year,” Martin said in his email. 
This means that the working group will be addressing what is needed for Seattle U to make the switch from the current quarter
system to the more widely used semester system, the system that is currently used by nearly 95% of universities in the nation.
Seattle U is also the last Jesuit university in the U.S. to still be on the quarter system, after Santa Clara University announced they
are also currently considering the switch to semesters last year.  
Currently, the university is running on two separate academic calendars. The Seattle U School of Law runs on the semester system,
while the rest of the institution is using quarters. Also, Cornish College of the Arts, which Seattle U is acquiring this year, also uses
the semester system.  
If this news sounds familiar to you, that’s because Seattle U visited the idea of making the change to semesters just years ago,
beginning in 2019. After the research of another similar working group, the university made the decision to continue with the
quarter system in 2021, with faculty voting overwhelmingly against semesters.  
Annabelle DeGuzman-Carino
Kate Koppelman, the chair of the Seattle U English department and professor in the university’s honors program, was a member of
the original Academic Calendar Review Working Group. 
 “[I’m] super frustrated…the last time we took this up, we had the university-wide referendum in 2021, and that was a result of this
widely representative working group… We had worked an entire year on gathering data in subgroups and all that kind of stuff with
the goal of having this campus wide referendum, which we had, and the faculty overwhelmingly did not approve of moving to
semesters, staff did want to move to semesters, but the percentages were not as high as they were for faculty. So, I was really
frustrated because I had been part of that work for a whole year,” Koppelman commented regarding her initial reaction to the
announcement of the possible system change.  
The announcement of the possible shift has been a catalyst for discussion on campus. Though individuals support the system
change, many are also opposed to the schedule unification.  
Iona Robinson is a second-year majoring in international studies. They explained they support Seattle U’s current quarter system. 
“I believe we should stay on the quarter system. I’m personally a really big fan of it, though I do see benefits to switching to a
semester system. My biggest qualm with what’s happening right now is the lack of communication about everything, how fast it’s
been going, and the fact that faculty hasn’t really been consulted, [and] neither have students,” Robinson said.  
As Robinson pointed out, for many, the issue isn’t the implications of semesters itself, but rather the process of which the university
is handling the situation. Under the leadership of Koppelman, many faculty have come together to write and sign a letter objecting
the calendar review process.  
The letter covers many different issues that certain faculty have with the review process, including the claims that the current
process does not consider the 2021 referendum on the academic calendar and that the process does not allow faculty or staff
enough time to give full responses or considerations, just to name a few.  
“Regardless of where you are on which you think is better, or prefer, the letter is really meant to be addressing what we, the writers
of the letter, see as a failure in the process around generally accepted principles and practices of shared governance for faculty and
staff,” Koppelman said.  
At the time of writing, the letter has 83 signatures from various members of the Seattle U faculty.  
In the community-wide email and during a May 15 town hall meeting hosted by the working group, Martin stated multiple reasons
arguing why the semester system would benefit the university. One major reason is that, due to the acquisition of Cornish, the
university will be unable to provide federal financial aid to students on two separate academic calendars. Also, other universities
that are currently on semester systems are out-recruiting Seattle U, causing fewer students to attend the university. Other reasons
include, but are not limited to, the lack of students coming to college with the necessary “readiness skills,” and recent policy changes
with the Washington College Grant. 
“What that means is we think about our enrollment strategy and our survival as an institution, we have to think in new ways
because of the challenges that we have,” Martin said during the town hall.   
Also, during the town hall, one of the working group co-chairs and the Vice Provost for Academic Programs, Charles Tung,
presented models of what the semester system could look like. He gave examples of possibilities of the number of courses and
credits that a student would take during one semester, such as models comparing the difference of four-credit courses and three-
credit courses. 
“The same amount of course content that exists in that 10-week, five-credit course is stretched out over 14 or 15 weeks. The total
number of students taught, the total number of courses annually remain the same,” Tung said during the town hall. 
Another possible benefit of the semester system that is often overlooked is the impact that the current quarter system has on many
students with disabilities.  
Kim Thompson serves as the senior director of disability services at Seattle U.  
“As I said yesterday, students with disabilities are not a monolith; one solution isn’t going to work perfectly for all students with
disabilities, but I do believe that the majority would benefit from the semester system as opposed to the quarter system,” Thompson
said.  
As Thompson said, not all students benefit from the same things, and one solution isn’t going to work perfectly for all students with
disabilities, but Thompson listed multiple reasons why semesters could benefit students with disabilities. 
Thompson pointed out that many students come into college from a high school that’s on a semester schedule, making it difficult to
adjust. The quarter system also limits the ability to provide adequate accommodations to students that they previously had in high
school, semesters allow for more time to absorb a topic and overall, the accelerated learning within the 10 week quarter is not
enough time for students that need longer periods of time to process and absorb the material.
The slower movement of the semester system is one of the things that makes the semester system particularly attractive to many
students on campus, such as Christopher Menjivar Cornejo, a first-year mechanical engineering student.
“Overall, I think it’ll be a good idea, especially because of that slower pace. It just gives students more time to actually learn stuff
instead of just trying to memorize and then regurgitate,” Menjivar Cornejo said.  
Whether you’re in favor of the semester change, opposed or indifferent, the unification of the academic calendar would
undoubtedly have a major impact on the university.  
The decision on whether or not the university will move on with the process of unifying the academic calendar will be determined
within the next couple of weeks, as the working group will be sharing what they learned from their research with the provost and
the president by the end of the month. The two will then present the data to the Board of Trustees during their regular meeting at
the end of this month, who will then decide whether to unify the calendars or not. 


2025-05-21 Seeking to Unify the Academic Calendar, Seattle U Proposes a Shift to Semesters

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
4-23-2025 
2025-04-23 Walking Up to the Plate, What Are Baseball and 
Softball Players Listening To? 
Diego Dumlao 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Dumlao, Diego, "2025-04-23 Walking Up to the Plate, What Are Baseball and Softball Players Listening 
To?" (2025). The Spectator Online. 1607. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1607 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It has been 
accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
The Spectator • April 23, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/04/23/walking-up-to-the-plate-
what-are-baseball-and-softball-players-listening-to/
Walking Up to the Plate, What
Are Baseball and Softball
Players Listening To?
Diego Dumlao, Volunteer Reporter
The walkup song is an iconic staple when watching baseball
or softball games. Many young ball players dream of the day
when it’s their turn to have their name called over the
loudspeaker, followed by their favorite song playing as they
step into the batters’ box for their at bat. 
For baseball and softball players at Seattle University, that
dream becomes a reality. Every home game, each individual
player from the Seattle U baseball and softball teams gets
to choose a song to walk out to before their plate
appearances. For some, these songs have deep connections
to their family or religion, but for others, their song is
simply a fun tune that gets the fans’ heads bopping.  
I had the opportunity to talk to athletes from both programs about
what their walkup songs meant to them. Here’s what they had to
say:  
DD: What are your walkup songs?  
Jake Wagoner, sophomore catcher: “We had the choice to do three
this year. I did ‘Them Bones’ by Alice in Chains, kind of a rock song,
so definitely gets me hyped up before the AB. My second is by
Fleetwood Mac, it’s just kind of a thing for my grandparents
because I grew up with them and it was just kind of a recognition
for them. The last one is ‘God Is’ by Kanye West because I would say
that I’m very religious and I just wanted to do that one for Sunday.”  
Jared Stevenson, junior outfielder: “My first walkup song is ‘9’ by Drake, Drake being my favorite musical artist and me wearing
number nine this year, I felt that was kind of a slam dunk. Another one by Drake called ‘Virginia Beach.’ This is one that I did last year
at my previous school, I had a lot of success under it so I just decided to run it back. And then my third is ‘Follow God’ by Kanye,
pretty similar to why Jake chose ‘God Is.’ I like to consider myself a man of faith, coming from a Christian background, so I felt that
would be a cool one to put there.”  
Reese Harmon, junior infielder: “Mine’s ‘My Love’ by Justin Timberlake. I just thought it was kind of fire and one of my buddies from
Adeline Ong
Sean Alexander
home did it too, so we did the same one.”  
Avari Morris, sophomore pitcher: “My walkup song is ‘Enter Sandman’ by Metallica. It was the walkout song of this very famous
closer for the New York Yankees, Mariano Rivera. Not that I’m a Yankees fan, but I think that it’s the most badass walkout song that
there is, so I just wanted to kind of encapsulate what Mariano Rivera did.”  
Mikee Morris, sophomore infielder: “My walkup song is ‘Modern Jam’ by Travis Scott. My brother introduced the song to me and
I’ve never been that big of a Travis Scott fan but he showed me that song and I was like, ‘wait this is kind of cool,’ and then I was
thinking about finding my walkup song and I was listening to it and I was like, yeah, then I had it for my walkup song last year and
then I just decided to take it into this year.”   
The athletes from both teams gave a wide variety of songs from multiple different genres, ranging from rock and pop, all the way to
rap. Although multiple players had deeper explanations about why they chose their walkup songs, some athletes had less of a
connection with their songs and just chose a song that they thought sounded good, as we saw with Harmon and M. Morris. Although
often seen as a very minor part of softball and baseball games, a player’s walkup song allows them to express themselves and gives a
glimpse into their personality. 
Both teams are at home this week versus conference opponents, with baseball taking on Abilene Christian for a three-game series
and softball facing off against Utah Valley, with both series beginning on April 25.   


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