Scholarship@Western

Asghar, Irfan

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
Why does God Allow Evil to Exist in This World? 
Irfan Asghar 
Western University, iasghar2@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Asghar, Irfan, "Why does God Allow Evil to Exist in This World?" (2021). Inspiring Minds – Showcasing 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 162. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/162 
 
                               Why Does God Allow Evil to Exist in This World?  
 
Why does God allow natural disasters, such as pandemics, earthquakes, and tornadoes, to afflict 
human beings? Why has He granted the power or freedom to wrongdoers to commit evil acts 
against the people around? I have tried to answer these questions through the lens of the Qur’an 
and Islamic Mystical thought. My research argues that there exists an everlasting life after death 
and that God has placed difficulties in this material world to enable us to grow into strong moral 
beings and qualify for that eternal life of bliss. Individuals who show remarkable forbearance in 
the face of adversities experience moral growth and become entitled to God’s grace. When it 
comes to moral evil, God has granted the power of free will to humans to assess whoever uses 
this power unjustly. My research further argues that transgressors and disobedient individuals 
will enter the phase of painful darkness after death. 


English

Why does God Allow Evil to Exist in This World?

Uggenti, Chelsea

Dean, Charmaine B.

Woolford, Douglas G.

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
Characterizing the lifetime phases of wildland fires from the Sioux 
Lookout District in Ontario. 
Chelsea Uggenti 
Western University, cuggenti@uwo.ca 
Charmaine B. Dean 
University of Waterloo, cdean@waterloo.ca 
Douglas G. Woolford 
The University of Western Ontario, dwoolfor@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Uggenti, Chelsea; Dean, Charmaine B.; and Woolford, Douglas G., "Characterizing the lifetime phases of 
wildland fires from the Sioux Lookout District in Ontario." (2021). Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s 
Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 163. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/163 
Summary: 
The lifetime of a fire, from its ignition to extinguishment, can be split into several key phases of 
interest. Past research has considered only one subcomponent of that lifetime; for example, the 
time it takes to attack a fire with resources to the time it’s declared under control. But this leaves 
a crucial gap – how does a fire progress through its many phases and how are these phases 
interrelated?  
My research investigates wildland fires located in the Ontario’s Northwest Fire Region. The 
progression of phases from ignition to under control are examined using statistical models that 
allow us to link these phases together. Various effects are accounted for, including seasonality, 
the type of fuel burning, and whether there are any “fire-specific” effects. Our goal is to identify 
and understand the factors that drive a fire’s progression through all the phases along with those 
that only influence certain phases. 
 
 


Characterizing the lifetime phases of wildland fires from the Sioux Lookout District in Ontario.

VanderSchans, Arielle

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
Inklings of the 21st Century: #writingcommunity 
Arielle VanderSchans 
Western University, avand4@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
VanderSchans, Arielle, "Inklings of the 21st Century: #writingcommunity" (2021). Inspiring Minds – 
Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 175. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/175 
Inklings of the 21st Century: #writingcommunity 
Arielle VanderSchans 
Kafka said, “Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself”, and we often imagine 
writers as secluded eccentrics. Yet writers are anything but solitary. History shows us many famous 
writing groups, like Tolkien and Lewis’ Inklings. Frankenstein only exists because of a challenge issued by 
Byron one wintry night to a group a of writers. Today’s writers are no exception; writing groups still exist 
in local and digital communities. As a fiction writer myself, I understand the need for a community. I 
wanted to explore the ways these communities support writers. Looking at Twitter’s 
#writingcommunity, I am researching the ways in which writers interact in a digital community and what 
they get out of it. As a scholar of librarianship, I see the trend for libraries to focus on readers and I hope 
to find ways that the library can better serve writers. 
 
 
 


Inklings of the 21st Century: #writingcommunity

Solomon, Michelle S

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
Through the Lense of Youth 
Michelle S. Solomon 
Western University, msolomo7@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Solomon, Michelle S., "Through the Lense of Youth" (2021). Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s 
Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 180. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/180 
Through the Lens of Youth 
 
What is the meaning of spirituality in today’s world and how can we understand how youth 
experience it? Spirituality has been associated with lower rates of depression and lower rates of 
suicide. It can be thought of as the meaning in life that a person gains in relation to something 
bigger than themselves, or the “transcendent”. Photovoice research is a novel approach that 
elevates the voices of youth by having them capture in images abstract concepts that may be 
difficult to express in words. Using cameras, youth between the ages of 18 to 29 living with 
bipolar disorder will show us how they understand and experience spirituality. These images will 
be co-analyzed with the youth and an art exhibit created. This important information will help 
clinicians and policymakers gain a better understanding of this mystical concept and its role in 
supporting youth mental health.  
 


Through the Lense of Youth

Smith, Alison

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
Is Your ED Ready for an Imminent Birth? 
Alison Smith 
Western University, asmit648@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Smith, Alison, "Is Your ED Ready for an Imminent Birth?" (2021). Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s 
Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 184. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/184 
Births are a rare occurrence for non-obstetrical hospitals. Deliveries in the emergency 
department (ED) require nurses to access seldom used equipment and skills to facilitate a 
successful delivery before one patient quickly becomes two. To mitigate the risks associated with 
this uncommon event, an obstetrical toolkit is being developed for non-obstetrical ED’s to 
provide experiential learning for nurses. The toolkit catalogues essential obstetrical equipment 
and provides low fidelity simulation scenarios suited to the nurse’s novice level obstetrical 
competency. Simulations include both a normal vaginal delivery and some common 
complications that arise during and after delivery. Pre and post measures of obstetrical 
knowledge and self-efficacy for managing an ED birth will be used to assess the effectiveness of 
the toolkit at preparing non-obstetrical nurses for precipitous deliveries in the ED. The results of 
this research could inform diverse disciplines on the effectiveness of low fidelity simulation for 
novice learners. 


Is Your ED Ready for an Imminent Birth?

Bandauko, Elmond

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
Urban governance and the politics of everyday survival for street 
traders in Harare, Zimbabwe 
Elmond Bandauko 
Western University, ebandauk@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Bandauko, Elmond, "Urban governance and the politics of everyday survival for street traders in Harare, 
Zimbabwe" (2021). Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative 
Activity. 192. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/192 
Project Summary 
Street trading is the main source of livelihood for about 60 per cent of the urban poor in Global 
South cities. Street trading is a mobile, space-bound, predominantly urban practice that takes 
place on open spaces, sidewalks, and pavements. In Harare, street trading accounts for about 
58 per cent of urban informal employment. Despite the contribution of street trading to 
livelihoods of the urban poor, traders are often subjected to all forms of control that deepen 
their marginalization.  Yet, little is known about the interface between urban governance and 
the livelihoods of street traders in Harare. In this study, I will investigate how urban governance 
impacts street traders’ lived experiences as well as their access to public space in Harare. 
Specifically, I will examine the extent to which Harare’s modes of urban governance impact 
street traders’ access to public spaces, analyse the strategies used by street traders to negotiate 
access to highly contested public spaces and claim their ‘right to the city’ and discuss the 
gendered implications of appropriation of urban space. My study builds on my lived experience 
as a former street trader in Harare, where I endured multiple harassments from municipal police 
for not having a trading licence. I will use participatory methodologies such as photovoice, 
participatory mapping, story maps and Q-interviews with street traders. He will complement 
this with key informant interviews with urban governance actors (e.g. urban planners), civil 
society leaders and street-level bureaucrats (e.g. municipal law enforcement officers). In 
addition to informing the design of pro-poor urban policies in African cities, the study findings 
will support Canada’s international development priorities as articulated in the Feminist 
International Assistance Policy (2017), which seeks to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable 
groups, including women.    
 
 
 
 


Urban governance and the politics of everyday survival for street traders in Harare, Zimbabwe

Finnerty, Mikayla M

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
(Un)Covering Chemical Valley: Canadian News Media Coverage of 
Environmental Racism in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation 
Mikayla M. Finnerty 
Western University, mfinnert@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Finnerty, Mikayla M., "(Un)Covering Chemical Valley: Canadian News Media Coverage of Environmental 
Racism in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation" (2021). Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate 
Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 201. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/201 
Inspiring Minds 2021 Submission 
Title: (Un)Covering Chemical Valley: Canadian News Media Coverage of Environmental 
Racism in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation
Submission by: Mikayla Mackenzie Finnerty 
Program: Master of Arts in Media Studies 
Supervisor: Dr. Romayne Chaloner Fullerton
Submission: 
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation represents a unique site of ecological conflict. For nearly a 
century, residents of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, located on the St. Clair River near Sarnia, ON, 
have experienced environmental harm and toxic pollution from the neighbouring Chemical 
Valley, an industrial zone containing the densest population of petrochemical plants in Canada. 
Despite the severity of the pollution, mainstream Canadian news media has infrequently covered 
the issue. Mainstream coverage that the issue has received has tended to focus on event-based 
issues, such as chemical spills or leaks — thereby ignoring the slow violence of accumulated 
daily exposure. My research, titled (Un)Covering Chemical Valley, comparatively analyzes how 
mainstream and Indigenous news media each frame coverage of environmental racism in the 
Aamjiwnaang First Nation. With resilience, community members have led the movement for 
environmental justice in Aamjiwnaang through use of alternative media, art, poetry, and creative 
direct action protests. 
Word Count: 149


(Un)Covering Chemical Valley: Canadian News Media Coverage of Environmental Racism in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation

Robar, Justin

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
Integrating newly arrived migrants through organized sports clubs 
in Canada 
Justin Robar 
Western University, jrobar2@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Robar, Justin, "Integrating newly arrived migrants through organized sports clubs in Canada" (2021). 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 206. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/206 
Integrating newly arrived migrants through organized sports clubs in Canada 
Justin Robar and Dr. Alison Doherty (Supervisor) 
 Sport can be a powerful tool used to bring people together. Nelson Mandela leveraged the 
sport of rugby to help unite a nation, and many Canadians remember where they were, and who 
they were with, when Sidney Crosby scored the ‘Golden Goal’. The capability of sport to unite 
communities may also extend to immigrants arriving in Canada. Utilizing sport as a catalyst, 
community sports clubs have the potential to assist in the efforts of integrating migrants into 
Canadian culture. Working with sports club practitioners across Canada, the goal of this research 
is to understand the challenges they face, and the potential they have too address this important 
task. Sport clubs are already well established across Canada, utilizing this resource and the 
knowledge that practitioners currently have, we hope to provide insight on the most effective 
ways community sports clubs can facilitate migrant integration.  


Integrating newly arrived migrants through organized sports clubs in Canada

Bernard Bravo, Miguel F

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
How the Pandemic has Impacted Working Undergrads 
Miguel F. Bernard Bravo 
Western University, mberna46@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Bernard Bravo, Miguel F., "How the Pandemic has Impacted Working Undergrads" (2021). Inspiring Minds 
– Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 208. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/208 
COVID-19 shutdown the world and changed the lives of everyone in it. What students 
would traditionally expect from a university experience has been altered. This has forced 
students to balance already existing stressors, while also adapting to new problems caused by the 
pandemic. The pandemic has complicated student’s ability to finance their education through 
employment, whether it is finding work or staying employed. Which places different levels of 
pressure on an individual based on the resources they and their families have access to. All of 
this is happening while students are still trying to maintain their grades in their various classes 
and constantly dealing with increasing levels of uncertainty. On this topic there exists large gaps 
in the literature on students in the Canadian context. Through qualitative semi-structured 
interviews I want to explore how the pandemic has impacted the relationship between education 
and undergraduate students with part time jobs.  


How the Pandemic has Impacted Working Undergrads

Rocchese, Vanessa

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 
September 2021 
The Experience of Being a Parent of a Child with Medical 
Complexity: A Case Study Approach 
Vanessa Rocchese 
Western University, vrocches@uwo.ca 
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Citation of this paper: 
Rocchese, Vanessa, "The Experience of Being a Parent of a Child with Medical Complexity: A Case Study 
Approach" (2021). Inspiring Minds – Showcasing Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative 
Activity. 219. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/219 
The Experience of Being a Parent of a Child with Medical Complexity: A Case Study 
Approach 
 
Parental caregivers of children with medical complexity(CMC) experience the overwhelming 
role of being not only a parent but also their child’s primary advocate. Their experiences have 
been mentioned in current literature solely in relation to child health interventions and wellbeing 
and have not been specifically examined in different contexts. This qualitative single-case study 
aimed to 1)examine experiences of parental caregivers of CMC as they navigate healthcare and 
social systems; and 2)examine the role of geography on these experiences. This study utilized an 
online questionnaire followed by a semi-structured phone interview. An intersectional lens was 
used throughout and the role of power and powerlessness in parental interactions was analyzed. 
Using the Conceptual Model of Health-Related Quality-of-Life(HRQoL), this study revealed that 
during times of transition, parental decision-making is driven by their need to improve their 
child’s HRQoL despite negative impacts on their own HRQoL that may result from prioritizing 
their child’s wellbeing.  
 


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