WPSphere Repository (William Paterson University)
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Reflections of the Unknown
Full text linkDare to drift into the unknown? My art invites you into a cloud of curiosity, a place where getting lost is part of the journey. Because in time, we always find ourselves, perhaps changed, perhaps the same, but always found. My work dances through pain, love, fear, and hope. It asks you to look in the mirror of your own journey and wonder: who do we trust in a world where we play our roles under watchful eyes?
In Mirror Artist, I moved through this exploration alone, the creative process, a pulse that beats through me. Guided by rhythms of jazz, and experimental soundscapes, I translate energy into colors and movement, crafting experiences that echo deep within. I carry the shadow of loss, the weight of my brother’s battle with mental illness. His struggle reshaped my world, but his journey whispers through my art, reminding us that even in the darkest corners, there’s always a light waiting to guide us back
Using a Nurse-led Educational Program to Reduce the Prevalence of Asthma Symptoms and Improve Asthma Management in Families of Children with Asthma in Urban Communities
Full text linkBackground: Asthma is a chronic, non-communicable lung disease that has become a significant public health issue in the United States, particularly among children and adolescents. Beyond its impact on health, asthma also represents a substantial economic burden on the healthcare system due to the costs of treatment and management. Problem: Children and adolescents in low-income communities are disproportionately affected by asthma, resulting in increased morbidity. Contributing factors to these disparities include inadequate housing, exposure to pollution, and environmental allergens. Purpose: This study aimed to test the impact of educational intervention in improving asthma symptom management and medication adherence among families of children with asthma. A nurse-led intervention was implemented to explore the effectiveness of educational strategies in enhancing asthma management in an urban community setting. Method: A quantitative and qualitative research approach was utilized. Data was collected before and after the educational intervention using the Pediatric/Adolescent Asthma Therapy Questionnaire and the Inhaler Device Assessment Tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS software to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Results: Data from 23 caregivers of children with asthma were analyzed. The results indicated that the nurse-led educational intervention significantly improved medication adherence and the correct use of inhaler devices, with caregivers demonstrating an average score increase of 2.23 points. However, no statistically significant improvements were observed in asthma control, attitudes and behaviors, self-efficacy, or patient-provider communication. Despite the lack of statistical significance in some areas, the study underscores the continued need for educational programs to foster better health outcomes for children with asthma
Viaje
Full text linkViaje is a 3D animated short that follows three jibaro children from rural Puerto Rico on a journey to San Juan after the devastation of Hurricane Maria to paint a mural. A jibaro is known as a Puerto Rican living in the countryside working as farmers. They are historically portrayed in many pieces of Puerto Rican art as a symbol of the working class and tradition that contrasts with American colonial ideals. Complementing the animation, 3D prints of the characters, rendered stills from the film and pre-production storyboards, sketches, and a physical version of the mural . United by their passion for art, the trio seeks to rebuild their world by painting a mural that symbolizes resilience, cultural identity, and the healing power of community. This short explores themes of rebuilding, hope, and the journey one must take for one's own self-discovery. The journey represents both the physical and emotional quest, as the children search for a way to heal and find strength in the aftermath of loss. Through their belief in the power of art, hope emerges as a force that fuels their determination to rebuild not just their surroundings, but also their sense of identity and community. While exploring these themes, the short would also emphasize the significant role that public art has in minority communities. This tradition of public art emphasizes creativity as something accessible to all, where communities are not merely spectators, but active participants. The mural becomes a symbol of both personal and communal resilience, reflecting the enduring spirit of the Puerto Rican people
They Don't Gotta Burn the Books, They Just Remove 'Em: The Impact of Book Challenges on Northeastern Librarians
Full text linkIn 2021, after years of relatively stable book challenge numbers, libraries noted an exponential rise in book challenges, and the number has continued to rise each year. This matches a rise in “anti-woke” backlash amplified by social media and conservative media outlets; most of the books commonly challenged are books with LGBTQIA+ and/or antiracist themes. Librarians now experience threats and harassment. Previous research on book challenges occurred before the current exponential rise.This phenomenological study examined the experiences of northeastern United States public and school librarians who have responded to book challenges, focusing on their overall morale and feelings about administration support. All respondents’ interviews were analyzed through thematic coding to find common experiences among the librarians. Results showed that the librarians reported more low morale than high morale overall. Many reported that they felt either unsupported or mixed support from their administrations during this process. Librarians’ common experiences included harassment, feeling their expertise questioned, and seeing their administrators not follow policy. However, there were some positive responses: librarians reported finding strength in their communities and students, as well as gratitude for the colleagues and larger library organizations that helped them during the process. As more books are challenged each year, this study has wider implications for the profession. Understanding the experiences of librarians who go through these challenges is imperative to maintain a thriving library profession
Exploring African American Teacher Experiences and Attrition in Diverse K-8 Schools
Full text linkAfrican American teacher attrition in diverse K–8 schools continues to outpace that of their peers, particularly in schools serving historically marginalized populations. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of African American current and former educators in the New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut tri-state region. Using a theoretical framework grounded in critical race theory, social learning theory, and transformational and servant leadership models, this study examined the systemic, cultural, and institutional factors influencing attrition. Through thematic analysis of semi structured interviews with 10 teachers, six core themes emerged: lack of administrative support, limited mentorship and peer networks, emotional burnout, negative school climate and culture, barriers to professional advancement, and the significance of racial identity and representation.This study introduces the term African American equity gap attrition to describe the identity-linked, structural conditions that disproportionately push African American educators out of the profession. Findings highlighted how racial isolation, systemic inequities, and unsupportive leadership converge to undermine teacher retention. The study concludes with recommendations for practice and policy aimed at fostering culturally responsive leadership, enhancing mentorship opportunities, and promoting equity-driven school climates. Implications support the urgent need for sustained retention strategies that center the experiences of African American teachers and prioritize educational equity
Cat's Cradle
Full text linkThe earliest networked art was a catalyst for new ways of communing and creating. Within a short span of time, computing and gaming became a social organism built for sharing art and ideas, communicating, and exploring multimedia. It is currently ruled by algorithmic, attention-demanding, low-information content that can make one feel alienated from computing and the Internet, feeling like one cannot change or personalize their experience, and find themselves bound to a small handful of toxic websites. The personalization of one’s computing experience both physically and digitally is an art form in itself; endangered but hanging on. At the same time the Internet changed, so too did gaming. Experiencing video games in person together transformed into large servers of global game play, changing player interaction as often online sessions are brief and ephemeral compared to the couch with one’s friends. Despite the negative spaces of the Internet, independent developers of video games, Net Art, and artistic communal websites continue to labor on, attempting to create a dual-powered Internet based on art, creativity, and play, just as networked art started
Monolingual versus Bilingual Brains: The Executive Function Evaluation
Full text linkThis study is an evaluation of whether bilingual versus monolingual individuals perform better on tasks that tap executive function, working memory and visual spatial abilities. Participants were undergraduate and graduate students who were either English speaking monolinguals or English-Spanish speaking bilinguals. They participated in a series of assessments that evaluated non-linguistic performance, verbal fluency and visual spatial executive function. Previous literature has suggested that bilinguals outperform monolinguals on tasks of executive function. However, some research has shown bilinguals perform poorly on tasks of verbal memory with no observed differences on processing speed tasks, such as simple reaction time. This study hypothesized that bilinguals have an executive function advantage over monolinguals and will outperform monolinguals on tasks that assess working memory and cognitive flexibility. Additionally, it is hypothesized that monolinguals will outperform bilinguals on a task of verbal fluency. Results indicated that monolingual participants performed better on both executive functioning and verbal fluency tasks
Mindfulness Buffers the Relationship Between Emotional Reactivity and Suicidal Ideation in College Students
Full text linkSuicidal ideation and behaviors (SIBs) are prevalent among college students, with prior engagement in suicidal ideation (SI) increasing the risk of future engagement in SIBs. Emotional reactivity has been identified as a significant correlate of SI specifically, with a strong positive association established between the two. While resilience has been shown to moderate this relationship, limited research has examined whether mindfulness also serves as a buffer between emotional reactivity and SI. This study investigated whether mindfulness and resilience moderated the relationship between emotional reactivity and SI in a sample of 757 emerging adult college students from a diverse public university. Survey data measuring mindfulness, resilience, SI, and emotional reactivity was collected and then analyzed using Hayes’ (2022) PROCESS macro (Model 2). Findings revealed that mindfulness significantly moderated the emotional reactivity–SI relationship (βER*mindfulness = -.005, p < .001). Simple slope analysis revealed a significant association between emotional reactivity and SI at low levels of mindfulness (β = .07, p < .001), while a weaker, nonsignificant association was found at high levels of mindfulness (β = -.01, p = .445). A Johnson-Neyman post-hoc analysis also indicated that this relationship was significant when mindfulness was at or below the mean but became nonsignificant when mindfulness was at 1.2 standard deviations above the mean or higher. Resilience did not significantly moderate the emotional reactivity–SI relationship (βER*resilience = .00, p = .94). These findings suggest mindfulness is a protective factor against SI in college students with heightened emotional reactivity, suggesting that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may help mitigate suicide risk. Future research should explore interventions to enhance mindfulness and reduce SI in emotionally reactive college students specifically