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Peter, Amy

The Prairie Light Review
Volume 39 | Number 2 Article 59
Spring 5-1-2017
Choking
Amy Peter
College of DuPage
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Recommended Citation
Peter, Amy (2017) "Choking," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 39 : No. 2 , Article 59.
Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol39/iss2/59
Choking 
Choking on the lies I tell myself 
The lies I can't help but believe 
Choking on the tears 
The tears that fall for no reason at all 
Choking on the fear 
The constant fear of being misunderstood 
Choking on the bad feelings 
The bad feelings that take over 
Choking on the good feelings 
The feelings depression won't let me feel 
Choking on the air 
The air anxiety won't let me breathe freely 
Choking, always choking 
Mental illness grabs me by the throat and won't let go 
It leaves me in an everyday battle gasping for air 
Some days I win, some days I lose 
Strangled by my thoughts 
Choking 
Stay Away  
Not a small smile 
not a quick hello 
not even a passing glance. 
Don't look or speak in my direction 
my regretful failed romance. 
To see you fills my eyes with tears 
to hear you puts my stomach in a knot.  
If you think time has healed our wounds, 
it has not. 
I don't think about you anymore 
or miss you constantly 
but if I saw you or heard you 
it might all come back to me. 
So please my past love 
my first heartbreak 
Stay away.  
For my sanity's sake. 
Am
y Peter
Spring 2017    57 1
Peter: Choking
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English

Choking

ESSAI
Volume 15 Article 6
Spring 2017
Foreword
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai
This Prefatory Note is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for
inclusion in ESSAI by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu.
Recommended Citation
(2017) "Foreword," ESSAI: Vol. 15 , Article 6.
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol15/iss1/6
V 
Foreword 
 
Created in 2002 by a cross-disciplinary faculty, ESSAI, The College of DuPage Anthology of Academic 
Writing Across the Curriculum is an annual academic journal that represents a unique but inclusive 
discourse community of student writers; it fosters student success through writing across the curriculum 
and in all levels of learning at College of DuPage. It rests on our belief that writing empowers and 
prepares our students for meaningful careers and advanced academic pursuits and that, to realize such 
goals, the entire college community is responsible for incorporating writing into their courses as a vital 
part of the academic experience at our college. 
 
Like all the past volumes, this Volume XV continues to harvest our belief in fertile cooperation with our 
cross-disciplinary faculty who implement writing to learn and promote discipline in their teaching. Some of 
the published essays, therefore, have resulted because our students made use of journals, logs, 
microthemes, and other informal writing assignments encouraged in the classroom. In this way, students 
wrote frequently and improved their writing skills enabling them to comprehend better and to retain 
information longer. Others – expository work such as reports, article reviews, criticisms, research papers 
– attest to students’ successful participation in academic discourse according to the conventions of 
language use and style expected in specific disciplines. 
 
That we practice the philosophy of student success through good writing will become even more apparent 
in the journal’s name. It harkens back and pays homage to Michel de Montaigne whose seminal style of 
writing “essais” connoted one of trials and attempts. Thus ESSAI chronicles our students’ intellectual trials 
wherein they dialogically encounter diverse culturescapes, critically weigh various issues at hand and 
then engage in analytical exercises, while each evolving from a personal to a public writing self. The 
resulting published work is their expanded cultural and epistemological self endowed with talent, 
sophistication, and fresh scholarship, all expressed with clarity, eloquence, and grace. 
 
We continue our editorial tradition in making the best selections for publication. The most exemplary of 
the year’s submissions are those that: 
 
 Are completed according to assignments’ purposes 
 Have mechanics, grammar, and other technical points in place 
 Are imaginative, creative, logical, and risk-taking with respect to assignments’ purposes 
 Exhibit clarity of writing with respect to purposes 
 Follow the disciplinary format 
 Include relevant literature reviews where required 
 Demonstrate analytical abilities 
 Generate interest 
 
Join with us in honoring the exceptional talents of our student authors and our student artist whose 
graphic design adorns our cover. And watch for Volume XVI of ESSAI which will be published in 2019. 
We appreciate your readership. Through your interest and support, our anthology will keep growing. 
 
The ESSAI Editorial Board: 
 
Brian Blevins, Graphic Design 
Franz Burnier, English 
Richard Jarman, Chemistry 
Keith Krasemann, Philosophy 
Sarah Magin, English 
Eva Raepple, Philosophy 
Lynda Randa, Biology 
Ben Whisenhunt, History 
 
1
et al.: Foreword
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Foreword

Hayward, Jack

ESSAI
Volume 15 Article 21
Spring 2017
This is I, Hamlet the Dane
Jack Hayward
College of DuPage
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ESSAI by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu.
Recommended Citation
Hayward, Jack (2017) "This is I, Hamlet the Dane," ESSAI: Vol. 15 , Article 21.
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol15/iss1/21
57 
This is I, Hamlet the Dane 
 
by Jack Hayward 
 
(English 1153) 
 
 
 
 have recently been cast as the titular role in a new production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In order 
to better understand this character and shape my portrayal of him, I turn to the play itself, along 
with some previous iterations of the character. My main areas of focus when it comes to shaping 
my portrayal of Hamlet are his appearance and behavior, delivery of lines, and physical mannerisms. 
Through these areas of focus I aim to form an interpretation of Hamlet that matches my interpretation 
of the play: living a double life will inevitably lead to one’s destruction. 
 The first aspect of the character I will consider is his appearance and behavior. Not much is 
stated about Hamlet’s appearance in the play, but one can reasonably infer that his appearance 
becomes more and more haggard as the play goes on. For example, in Act II Scene i, Ophelia 
describes Hamlet “with his doublet all unbraced,/ No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,/ 
Ungartered, and down-gyvéd to his ankle” (II.i.88-90). Later on, in Act III Scene iv, Gertrude tells 
Hamlet that “[his] eyes [his] spirits wildly peep,/ And, as the sleeping soldiers in th’ alarm,/ [His] 
bedded hair, like life in excrements,/ Start up and stand an end” (III.iv.136-139). Thus my Hamlet 
will become gradually haggard as the show goes on. Over time I will stop tucking in my shirt, make 
my hair messier, and make the clothes look dirtier in order to make it appear that Hamlet has not 
changed clothes in a while. One idea for Hamlet’s appearance which I find apropos is David 
Tennant’s choice to eventually go barefoot in the Royal Shakespeare Company film Hamlet. To me, 
this little detail creatively and effectively conveys Hamlet’s disregard for his appearance due to his 
obsession with revenge. Going barefoot forgoes not just a sense of royalty, but civility as well, 
creating an almost less-than-human aspect to Hamlet; indeed, I believe that Hamlet loses himself to 
his cause figuratively as much as literally. In my interpretation of the play, Hamlet is only pretending 
to be mad. However, this charade does have a negative effect on him, causing him to become 
increasingly depressed, as seen in the famous “To be or not to be” speech (III.i.64). In my portrayal 
of the character, both Hamlet’s false madness and hidden sadness would lend to his disheveled 
appearance. 
 These two facets of Hamlet’s psyche will also influence how I portray his behavior. When 
acting mad, I prefer the more wacky and senseless interpretations, along with sudden starkness in 
order to evoke a sense of something bipolar. My Hamlet is very unpredictable; one never knows 
whether he will respond seriously or sarcastically, loudly or softly, calmly or enraged. I will use 
varying inflections and different voices for the scenes where Hamlet appears mad. My goal is to 
make it appear that Hamlet is almost having fun playing mad; he is happy with himself that he can so 
easily convince all of Elsinore that he is mad, and this giddiness only adds to his apparent insanity. In 
stark contrast to this, my Hamlet is very serious and depressed in the appropriate scenes. It is in these 
moments that I believe Hamlet drops the charade and is genuine with himself. This real side of him 
also comes out when someone he truly cares about is threatened or afraid. For example, in Act III 
Scene iv, Hamlet states to Gertrude that “[i]t is not madness/That [he] has uttered” (III.iv.162-163), 
in reference to his allusion that Claudius killed King Hamlet, and thus Gertrude has done a terrible 
sin in marrying Claudius. “Bring [him] to the test,” Hamlet insists, “and the matter will reword, 
which madness/Would gambol from” (III.iv.163-165). When he realizes that Gertrude is paying more 
attention to his display of madness than his message, Hamlet drops the act and seriously implores her 
to hear him out; his ultimate goal is not to convince people that he is mad, it is to get revenge for his 
I
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father and cleanse his family. This motivation is the driving force of my Hamlet, and whether or not 
he plays mad or decides to be straightforward depends on which path will get him closer to this goal. 
 The delivery methods of my Hamlet are also dependent on whether he is being serious or 
insane. As I stated earlier, when playing mad I plan to use a wide variation of inflection, and multiple 
voices to match whatever emotion Hamlet is trying to evoke or poke fun at. Hamlet’s words when 
playing crazy will be more eloquent than when he is serious, however. Polonius says about Hamlet’s 
dialogue that “[t]hough this be madness, yet there is/method in ‘t” (II.ii.223-224); it is a charade that 
is carefully played out in order to achieve a goal. When Hamlet is serious, however, such as when 
talking to his mother in Act III Scene iv, or the “To be or not to be” monologue earlier in the Act, or 
when confronting Laertes over Ophelia’s grave in Act V, he is fuelled by raw emotion, not a scheme, 
and thus my delivery will reflect that. Words will be sharper yet simplistic, and very to-the-point. 
Hamlet will speak a little faster and more passionately in these scenes. 
 Physical mannerisms are my last area of focus for shaping my interpretation of Hamlet. 
When playing mad, he is very quick and light on his feet. I will be very animated when speaking, 
with lots of hand gestures and various facial expressions to match the varying inflections and voices 
that I use. I will also come up with a few ticks for when playing mad, such as itches, scratches, 
sniffing and licking things, etc. In more serious and somber moments, Hamlet is more slow and 
heavy to convey the weight of the burden of revenge he carries. He is very reserved and notably still 
for the most part, in order to create a sharp visual contrast between the two sides of himself.  
 My interpretation of Hamlet is key to my interpretation of the play as a whole. To me, 
Hamlet is only pretending to be mad, as Polonius states in Act II, and Hamlet himself alludes to 
when he says that “[he] essentially [is] not in madness,/ but mad in craft” (III.iv.209-210) and “I am 
but mad north-northwest. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw” (II.ii.402-
403). However, his charade causes him to become increasingly conflicted and depressed, ultimately 
tearing him in two and resulting in his death. To me, this is the central theme of the play: living a 
double life will inevitably lead to one’s destruction. This can be seen in Hamlet’s life, as his feigned 
madness and bottled up emotions cause his uncle to plot his murder and Laertes to carry it out. In the 
life of Claudius, his hidden sin and outward royalty cause his own internal conflict, as evidenced by 
Act III Scene iii, where he states that “pray can [he] not,/Though inclination be as sharp as will./[His] 
stronger guilt defeats [his] strong intent” (III.iii.42-44); it is the combination of both Claudius’ 
hidden sin and outward righteousness that spur Hamlet to pursue revenge. For Gertrude, it is her 
shame at the realization of what Claudius has done, and what she has done, which contradict her 
public image; she proclaims in Act III Scene iv that Hamlet “turn’st [her] eyes into [her] very 
soul,/And there [she sees] such black and grained spots/As will not leave their tinct” (III.iv.100-102). 
I believe in the last scene when Gertrude takes the poisoned wine meant for Hamlet, she does so fully 
knowing that it will kill her. Despite believing in a just cause, Hamlet ends up going down the same 
road as his uncle-father and aunt-mother in the end. My interpretation of Hamlet as a character 
strives to embody the conflicting sides of him and clearly portray a man becoming, in a twisted way, 
the very man he vowed to destroy. The parallels between Hamlet and Claudius are too clear to 
ignore. Claudius killed Hamlet’s father and married his mother; Hamlet killed Laertes’ father and 
wanted to marry his sister. Laertes’ desire to get revenge on Hamlet is no different than Hamlet’s 
desire to get revenge on Claudius. Through my interpretation of Hamlet, I endeavor to exemplify 
this, which I believe to be the central arc of the play. 
 
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59 
  
 
Works Cited 
 
Hamlet. Dir. Gregory Doran. Perf. David Tennant. 2009. 15 Sept. 2016. Film. 
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992. Print. 
 
 
 
 
 
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Hayward: This is I, Hamlet the Dane
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This is I, Hamlet the Dane

Solis, Jomhar

ESSAI
Volume 15 Article 34
Spring 2017
A field investigation on vegetation cover, density,
and soil chemistry differences of Spring--and Fall--
prescribed burnings
Jomhar Solis
College of DuPage
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai
This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in
ESSAI by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu.
Recommended Citation
Solis, Jomhar (2017) "A field investigation on vegetation cover, density, and soil chemistry differences of Spring--and Fall--prescribed
burnings," ESSAI: Vol. 15 , Article 34.
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol15/iss1/34
116 
A field investigation on vegetation cover, density, and soil chemistry 
differences of Spring- and Fall- prescribed burnings 
 
by Jomhar Solis 
 
(Biology 1152) 
 
 
 
Abstract 
 
rescribed burning, a type of vegetation management tool, controls native plant and weed 
growth by eliminating entire plots of vegetation, in turn providing a better growing 
environment for the next generation while also keeping foreign vegetation at bay. Seasonal 
differences in temperature play an important role in controlling plant growth. Cooler temperatures, 
for example, that arrive come fall signal plants to reduce growth and energy usage, and as 
temperatures get warmer, plants are then signaled to grow again. Two different sites that underwent 
prescribed burning at different seasonal times, one on November 2016, and the other on March 2017, 
were studied. Both sites were observed for differences in % vegetation cover and density using 
twelve, 3-cm PVC tube-constructed quadrats. Further soil analysis from both burn sites was done to 
note differences in soil chemistry, including soil pH, potassium, and phosphorous concentrations in 
kg/ha. This study demonstrated higher % vegetation cover and density averages for the March burn 
site, but also highlighted minimal differences in soil chemistry between both sites. One 
recommendation for future experiments would be to plant identical vegetation into both sites and 
conduct a prescribed burn, with one site burned in the fall and the other in the spring. By doing so, 
differences in vegetation cover and soil characteristics would be more easily identifiable. 
 
Keywords: Prairie, Prescribed burning, Vegetation cover, Soil characteristics, Seasonal difference 
 
Introduction 
 
 Prescribed burning is considered one of the best management tools for continued invasive 
plant control, and is used for a variety of reasons. Initially, prescribed burning of plant vegetation 
was introduced in Europe to induce a controlled fire regime, which counteracted the then 
disappearance of biomass-consuming land management practices (Alcaniz et al. 2006). The primary 
benefit of burning was then noted to maintain the health of an existing area containing native plants 
by providing more nutrients, while also managing weeds and other growth (Matthews 2015). 
Likewise, in a study conducted on a Louisiana prairie that underwent prescribed burnings, averaged 
data of extractable calcium, magnesium, sodium, and phosphorus concentrations were significantly 
higher than if they were clipped or not burned at all (Jariel et al. 2004). One factor affecting the 
impact of prescribed burning on plant life is fire intensity. Low to moderate intensity fires promote 
rejuvenation of the dominant vegetation by eliminating an undesired increase of pH, and leading to 
more available nutrients. Fire intensity, moreover, may not have strong effects on plants during the 
dormant season because dormant seeds do not have to rely on outside minerals and nutrients, which 
can be lost through burning. Environmental factors that strongly control the fire intensity include 
moisture of the soil, air temperature and humidity, wind speed, and topography, which can all 
weaken the intensity of the fire and affect the combustion process (Certini 2005). Furthermore, 
natural heat treatments through burning could reduce seed dormancy in a way like artificial heat 
treatments: by breaking down the seed coat and increasing imbibition. Similar observations note that 
P
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natural heat treatments become more effective in reducing the seed-coat dormancy of older seeds 
with weaker seed-coats than new seeds with hard seed-coats (Round et al. 1988). 
 Along with prescribed fires, seasonal changes have strong effects on plant growth. Cooler 
temperatures in fall will trigger a variety of plants to reduce growth and store energy, and as the 
temperature approaches freezing, growth stops and the plant could become dormant (Matthews 
2014). Not only does cold temperatures affect a plant’s development, but precipitation changes in 
spring and summer factor in as well. Studies have shown that extreme precipitation, which occurs 
mainly in spring and summer, decrease the above-ground production of plants in sites containing a 
moderate amount of moisture. Thus, if plants that are optimized for moderately moistened soil are 
introduced to an over-abundant amount of water, they tend to be negatively affected in growth 
(Zeppel et al. 2013). 
Initial research on the association between prescribed burning and the effects of seasonal 
changes on plant growth has noted a relationship between plant development when burning is closer 
to spring, and soil chemistry in plants burned in both fall and spring. During the spring season, 
prescribed burning in lowland sites have been shown to produce significantly higher grass biomass 
than autumn and winter burnings (Gene Towne et al. 2003). A higher grass biomass could indicate 
higher vegetation count; thus, it is possible spring burning can produce more vegetation than autumn 
burnings. Not to mention, having optimal soil moisture can have a positive effect on seed 
germination and plant growth when xylem tissue is operable. As a vascular tissue of many plants, 
xylem tissue conducts most water and minerals, thus it provides better benefits when soil moisture is 
optimally abundant. According to a study of xylem water potential in perennial grasses in a North 
American fescue prairie, leaf xylem water potential and stomatal conductance were lower in plants 
the year after being burned in the fall in comparison to spring burning, with declines over the 
growing season. Soil moisture generally was greater in plots burned in the spring than those burned 
in fall (Grilz et al. 1994). Based on these facts, having a higher xylem water potential would lead to a 
more efficient transport system in the vegetation, connecting to better benefits of spring burning 
because the increase in both soil moisture and xylem water potential will create an optimized 
environment for more seeds to grow. In turn, as more seeds grow, population of the native plant will 
further increase. More so, immediately after a prescribed fire, research has shown that total Carbon, 
Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, and other essential plant nutrients significantly increased, 
highlighting the benefits for the next generation of vegetation (Alcaniz et al. 2006). In fact, 
prescribed burns on plant life has been correlated with increased soil inorganic Nitrogen availability 
throughout the growing season, which is associated with increased soil temperature and reduction in 
above-ground Nitrogen (Augustine et al. 2014). Thus, an investigation was conducted to test for 
differences in % vegetation cover, density, and soil chemistry between sites that underwent 
prescribed burning during the dormant season on November and March. We predicted that by 
burning plant vegetation closer to spring-time, the % cover and total density per m2 will be higher 
than if it is burned closer to fall. Furthermore, we also hypothesized that through prescribed burning, 
nutrients along with soil chemistry in both fall and spring burnings will positively increase with little 
difference between each other. 
 
Methods 
 
Our experiment was conducted on the Russel R. Kirt prairie site on the College of DuPage 
campus, which occupies about 7 ha of land and has been burned every 1-2 years for the past 20-30 
years. Two sites of interest were analyzed within this prairie. The first site was burned on November 
12, 2016, while the second site was burned on March 3, 2017. Data was collected on the % cover and 
total density of varying plots in both sites on April 4th, 2017. Data collection was done by creating a 
1-m2 quadrat using 3-cm PVC tubes and meter sticks, which added to a total of 12 quadrats per site 
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due to 6 groups creating 2 quadrats each. Each of these quadrats were randomly sampled at least 2 
meters apart. Within each quadrat, % cover was calculated by estimating the percent of vegetation 
covering each quarter of a quadrat, which was then averaged together to create a total % cover for the 
entire quadrat. Similarly, plant density was ascertained by counting all newly emerged plants within 
quarters of a quadrat. Then, each value was summed to find the total density per 1-m2 quadrat. 
Additionally, 2-3 soil samples from both November and March burn sites were collected and 
analyzed on the date of March 23, 2017. Using the LaMotte® soil macronutrient test kits, soil 
samples were mixed with acetic acid extract solution, in which extracts were analyzed for relative 
concentrations of Phosphorous, Nitrite, Nitrogen, and Potassium. Soil pH levels were tested directly 
mixing soil with a pH indicator and comparing to color charts. 
To test for significance in % vegetation cover, density, and soil chemistry, a 2-sample 
Student’s t-test assuming unequal variances was conducted. Significance was further determined at 
α =0.05. 
 
Results 
Observational data: 
 
At the time of data collection for % cover and total density per m2, the forecast was cloudy 
with a temperature of 11.7oC. The vegetation of the November burn site had a higher number of seed 
sprouts than the March burn site, but did appear smaller in height. The soil of the November burn site 
was littered with numerous dead twigs, wood pieces and small rocks, in addition to being moderately 
dry. On the other hand, the vegetation of the March burn was observed to have much more seed 
sprouts in addition to some appearing taller than those at the November burn site. The soil of the 
March burn site contained more moisture due its soft and adhesive characteristics. More so, the 
March burn site contained dead twigs, wood pieces and small rocks, but not as numerous or 
extensive as the November site. 
In accordance to observed data, the mean average and standard deviation of the vegetation 
cover for the November burn site was 4.76 +/- 2.8935, while having a mean average and standard 
deviation of 68.67 +/- 36.104 for its density. More so, the mean average and standard deviation of the 
vegetation cover for the March burn site was calculated at 6.78 +/- 11.434, in addition to a mean 
average and standard deviation of calculated density at 279.83 +/- 167.648. 
 
Table 1. Data from conducted t-test assuming unequal variances among the % vegetation cover 
for both November and March burn sites 
 November burn % cover March burn % cover 
Mean 4.755416667 6.78125 
Variance 8.472425947 30.88103693 
Observations 12 12 
Pooled Variance 19.67673144  
Hypothesized Mean Difference 0  
df 22  
t Stat -1.118672234  
P(T<=t) two-tail 0.275346436  
t Critical two-tail 2.073873068  
 
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Comparing the vegetation cover for the November and March burn sites (Table. 1), I 
conclude that there was not a significant difference in the means between both groups (t= 1.119, df= 
22, P= 0.275). In contrast, in terms of the densities of both November and March burn sites, there 
was a significant difference in the means between both groups (t= 4.266, df= 12, P= 0.0011) 
 
Table 2. Soil Chemistry and pH of November and March burn sites in kg/ha 
 November Average Values March Average values 
NO2 1.12 1.12 
NO3 11.21 12.68 
P 117.69 104.61 
K 127.03 112.09 
pH 7.167 7.5 
 
Additionally, individual ions and pH were tested for significance from three soil samples of 
both November and March burn sites (Table 2). Results of the conducted 2-sample t-test led to the 
conclusion that there was no significant difference between the P concentrations in kg/ha of the two 
burn sites (t= 0.414, df= 3, P= 0.707). 
 
Discussion 
 
 Primarily, data taken on the vegetation cover for both sites demonstrated that the November 
burn site yielded a reduced average value of 4.76, while the March burn site yielded a value of 6.78. 
Not only did the March burn site yield a higher value in its vegetation cover, but its data collected on 
quadrat density from all 12 quadrats yielded an average value of 279.83, while the November burn 
site yielded an average value of 68.67. These findings thus supported my first hypothesis by 
highlighting the increased value output for both % vegetation cover and densities from the March 
burn site in comparison to the November burn site. One factor attributing to the March burn site 
providing higher average values could be that the native plants are warm-season plants (C4 plants). 
These plants mainly grow in warmer temperatures, and since burning provides needed nutrients for 
the next generation of plants, prescribing a spring burn on warm-season plants would in theory 
provide seeds nutrients at the time when they will start growing. By doing so, nutrients would be 
fully utilized. If warm-season plants had undergone prescribed burning in cooler temperatures, as 
done on the November burn site, then by the time vegetation begins to grow, necessary nutrients 
provided from the burning might have been lost due to the time difference between regular plant 
growth and burning. Another factor that positively affected the March burn site more than the 
November burn site was that some native plants of the March burn site were dormant for a shorter 
time due to the prescribed burn. As stated before, fire treatments may break down the seed coat and 
reduce dormancy, such that these plants may have perceived the environment to be optimal to begin 
germination. Along with the fact these native plants were nearing the end of their dormancy, 
prescribing a burn during the spring season would allow native plants to shorten the length of the 
dormant stage. 
Although both burn sites differed in % vegetation cover and density, there was no significant 
difference in soil chemistry, supporting my second hypothesis. In comparison, November and March 
sites were very similar, but both did slightly differ in some chemical compounds, as shown in Table 
2. A factor keeping the soil chemistry of both sites similar could have been the decomposer diversity. 
If both sites contained similar decomposers that functioned at the same speed within their respective 
soil, then the November burn site should have had lower concentrations of all soil nutrients while the 
March burn site concentrations would be higher. Due to the November burn site being similar in 
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most soil characteristics, its decomposers optimally would work slower as to not take away most soil 
nutrients necessary for vegetation to grow, in turn displaying similar soil characteristics as the March 
site at the time of data collection. 
 One recommendation for further exploration into the differences of prescribed spring- and 
fall- burning would be to plant the same vegetation into both sites, and then conducting the burn. By 
doing so, plant vegetation would act as the controlled variable, possibly allowing for better 
indications of soil chemistry changes and more prominent differences in plant height, % vegetation 
cover and density. Within this experiment, little knowledge was known about the different plant 
vegetation native to these sites, therefore by using known vegetation, differences would be more 
easily noticeable. 
 
 
  
 
Literature Cited 
 
Alcaniz, M., L. Outeiro, J. Farguell, and X. Ubeda. “Long-term dynamics of soil chemical properties 
after a prescribed fire in a Mediterranean forest (Montgrí Massif, Catalonia, Spain).” Science 
of The Total Environment 572 (2016): 1329-335. Science Direct. Web. 9 Apr. 2017. 
Augustine, D., P. Brewer, D. Bimenthal, J. Derner, and J. C. Von Fischer. “Prescribed fire, soil 
inorganic nitrogen dynamics, and plant responses in a semiarid grassland.” Journal of Arid 
Environments 104 (2014): 59-66. EBSCOhost. Web. 10 Apr. 2017. 
Certini, G. “Effects of Fire on Properties of Forest Soils: A Review.” Oecologia, vol. 143, no. 1, 
2005, pp. 1–10. 
Enroth, C. “Garden Tips from Knox County Master Gardeners.” How Weather Affects Plants (2014): 
n. pag. University of Illinois Master Gardener Extesion. University of Illinois, Aug. 2014. 
Web. 14 Apr. 2017. 
Evangeli, A. “What happens to plants in winter?” ABC - Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC 
Science, 10 June 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2017. 
Grilz, P. L., and J. T. Romo. “Water Relations and Growth of Bromus inermis Leyss (Smooth 
Brome) Following Spring or Autumn Burning in a Fescue Prairie.” The American Midland 
Naturalist 132.2 (1994): 340-48. JSTOR. Web. 9 Apr. 2017. 
Jariel, D. M., Malcolm F. Vidrine, N. Bordelon, and J. Al-Dujaili. “Soil Chemistry Properties Under 
Two Different Management Practices: Clipped Saint Augustine Grass Lawn and Annually 
Burned Cajun Prairie.” Proceedings of the 19th American Prairie Conferance 19 (2004): 192-
99. University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. 
Matthews, C. “We Use Prescribed Burns to Clear Invaders and Restore Diversity.” Tallgrass 
Restoration, LLC. Chicago Wilderness Corporate Council, 21 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2017. 
Ruyle, G. B., B. A. Roundy, and J. R. Cox.  “Effects of Burning on Germinability of Lehmann 
Lovegrass.” Journal of Range Management, vol. 41, no. 5, 1988, pp. 404–406. 
Towne, E. G., and K. E. Kemp. “Vegetation Dynamics from Annually Burning Tallgrass Prairie in 
Different Seasons.” Journal of Range Management, vol. 56, no. 2, 2003, pp. 185–192. 
Zeppel, M. J. B., J. V. Wilks, and J. D. Lewis. “Impacts of extreme precipitation and seasonal 
changes in precipitation on plants.” Biogeosciences 11.11 (2014): 3083-093. Web. 
 
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A field investigation on vegetation cover, density, and soil chemistry differences of Spring--and Fall--prescribed burnings

True, Corrie

ESSAI
Volume 15 Article 35
Spring 2017
The Best Medium for Relationships
Corrie True
College of DuPage
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Recommended Citation
True, Corrie (2017) "The Best Medium for Relationships," ESSAI: Vol. 15 , Article 35.
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol15/iss1/35
121 
The Best Medium for Relationships 
 
by Corrie True 
 
(English 1101) 
 
 
 
 have one hundred and fifty-six friends. Well, that is what Facebook says. On Facebook, a 
“friend” is someone who can see anything one posts about his or her life. Some people “friend” 
everyone who wants to be a friend and some people only “friend” people they know. To a 
confirmed Facebook user, my number of friends might seem a little low, but if I were talking about 
real friendships, no one would believe me. I would probably only consider about fifteen people on 
that list to be my real friends, and the rest acquaintances or friends of friends. Some people say they 
do make real friends, people they have never met in person, through social media platforms, but these 
relationships are questionable. They might fulfill a person’s social needs, but they cannot replace and 
may even hinder face-to-face friendships. 
 In “How Digital Era is Damaging Our Relationships,” Hope Reese, a free-lance writer for the 
Chicago Tribune, argues that social media can be detrimental to people’s relationships. Citing Sherry 
Turkle, founder and director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Initiative on Technology 
and Self, Reese claims that “almost everything” (11) is at stake with frequent use of social media. 
Those who use it to avoid human interaction by seeking seclusion on their phones are negatively 
affected. On social media, emotions can be masked effortlessly, language subtlety is lost, and the 
sensitivity of the person on the other side of the computer can be forgotten. In contrast, face-to-face 
conversation builds intimacy, fosters creativity, and develops empathy, something far more difficult 
to achieve with online connections. 
 It is no surprise that people are participating in more and more online communication since 
the reward centers of the human brain light up as this quick communication is implemented. Besides, 
adds Reese, using Facebook helps to calm the innate fears of being unheard, bored, or lonely. 
However, this constant connection hurts other relationships by limiting the time for self-reflection 
and giving full attention to friends and family. As social media becomes more prevalent, users will 
become increasingly anxious and isolated, especially the younger generation who will actually 
engage less and less in face-to-face relationships. She sums up these warnings with the “plea to bring 
consciousness into the way we use our devices” (12). The problem is not the media itself, but rather 
how it is being used. An adult who is being introduced to social media will most likely consider it a 
useful tool for keeping up with friends or expanding his or her circle of influence. On the other hand, 
a teen who is still somewhat immature may deem it to be a replacement for or a good distraction 
from in-person social interaction. This incorrect assumption could lead to that adolescent developing 
substandard social skills and becoming more anxious in the world beyond his or her phone screen. 
 When I was a child, every day after school my friends and I played outside, swinging, 
sliding, making up games, and exploring. A few friends of mine went through phases of only wanting 
to watch television or play on the computer during playdates, but after a while their parents sent us 
outside to “go get some fresh air,” allowing us to disconnect and interact with each other. The 
difference between a smart phone and a television is that one must stay plugged into an electrical 
outlet, but the other can go anywhere. More and more often, inside and outside, I see five to twelve-
year-olds who, while they are together, eventually huddle up to watch one kid play Angry Birds or 
Mine Craft. If they know me and do not have their own device, they ask if I have any games on my 
phone. It is not that children overall prefer the company of a device to a real person, but that it is hard 
to break away from the constant, easy stimulation and gratification which is keeping them from more 
I
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constructive play. Though adults may be subject to the same pull, they are better at self-limiting and 
monitoring than the typical seven-year old. A person raised with free rein on social media accounts 
and smartphones will not generally have the finesse and stamina for the roller coaster of a real-world 
relationship. 
 In “Digital ‘Friends’ No Substitute,” Jessica Reynolds also warns of the effects of social 
media on relationships. Though the number of “friends” on Facebook may be rising, the quality of 
friendships is often falling. Only a week ago, I was upset about the death of a fellow student. I told a 
friend about it on Facebook and she sent back a sad emoji and left the conversation. When I saw my 
sister later that day, she could tell that I was upset and asked me about it. She listened to me and even 
let me cry about it. She shared with me “Turn! Turn! Turn!” a song by The Byrds about everything 
having a time and a season. She shared the story of how it helped her through her friend’s death, and 
we cried together. Somehow being with my sister, who is also one of my best friends, was much 
more comforting than chatting with that friend online. 
 There are a few things social media cannot simulate: a touch, a hug, or a physical shoulder on 
which to cry. Those dependent on it may find themselves affection-starved physically and 
emotionally. “We end up glorifying the trivial” (Reynolds F4) while the essential and meaningful 
details of our lives are brushed under the rug. Citing Kory Floyd, a professor of communication at the 
University of Arizona and writer of The Loneliness Cure: Six Strategies for Finding Real 
Connections in Your Life, Reynolds writes, “we know the minute details of what we’re doing 
moment to moment in the day, but that comes at the expense of being able to invest in each other in 
longer-term and more intimate ways’” (F4). The more communication is restrained, the more 
compassion and patience dwindle, and deep emotional connections with others fade. 
 When shielded by a screen, it is so easy to remain ungenuine and invulnerable; it feels much 
safer emotionally than an in-person relationship. People can present the best versions of themselves 
which seems great to self-conscious teens who might fail to recognize that everyone else is doing the 
same thing. Consequently, as a 154-person study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 
found, “the more time people spent comparing themselves to others on Facebook, the more 
depressive symptoms they exhibited (Steers, et.al 723). It did not matter if they were comparing 
themselves to people they perceived as more or less successful than themselves, the same effect still 
occurred.  In this, “Smartphones are the ultimate adult pacifier” (Reynolds F5) because they create an 
easy escape into the depths of the internet. This pacifier extends all the way to five-year olds who 
may have just given up on sucking their thumbs. There are so many social media platforms to choose 
from that any and every awkward or uncomfortable situation in a real life can be avoided by simply 
picking up a smart phone and scrolling through newsfeeds, dashboards, or stories. 
 Yet, despite the temptation, it is very important to spend tech-free time with loved ones 
according to clinical psychologist, Ben Michaelis who has written “Your Next Big Thing: Ten Small 
Steps to Get Moving and Get Healthy” (Reynolds F5), a guide to unplugging from the overuse of 
online friends. Face-to-face communication enables individuals to pick up on nuances, body 
language, expressions, and context which text just cannot replicate. His warning is not only about 
phones, but also about the technology which distracts people from fully focusing on each other. 
Social interaction is more than just nice; it is necessary to one’s well-being. Reynolds ends by 
adjuring smartphone social media users to “put your phone down” (F5) and to give and seek out 
more affection. 
 In short, a few close, in-person friends can be more valuable than thousands of connections 
online. Real-world friends have an advantage over online friends not only with the comfort their 
physical presence can give, but also with the vulnerability, both of which are hard to achieve through 
text. For this reason, children should be taught to value the friends they have right there in front of 
them before trying to socialize through technology. And adults, knowing better, should carefully use 
their time online and be cognizant of how much they rely on online relationships, letting friendships 
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slip away just because Facebook or texting is easier.  Social media is a good thing when it helps one 
keep in touch with friends, but it is a detriment when it replaces those real people, real friends. 
 
 
  
 
Works Cited 
 
Reese, Hope. “How Digital Era is Damaging Our Relationships.” Chicago Tribune, 24 Oct. 2015, pp. 
11-12. 
Reynolds, Jessica. “Digital ‘Friends’ No Substitute.” Chicago Tribune, 13 Sept. 2015, F4,5. 
Steers, Mai-Ly N., et al. “Seeing Everyone Else’s Highlight Reels: How Facebook Usage is Linked 
to Depressive Symptoms.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 8 Nov. 2014, vol. 33, 
no. 8, pp. 701-731. 
 
 
 
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The Best Medium for Relationships

Wilson, Samantha

ESSAI
Volume 15 Article 37
Spring 2017
Climate Change and the Rise of Terrorism in
Northeastern Syria
Samantha Wilson
College of DuPage
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Recommended Citation
Wilson, Samantha (2017) "Climate Change and the Rise of Terrorism in Northeastern Syria," ESSAI: Vol. 15 , Article 37.
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol15/iss1/37
127 
Climate Change and the Rise of Terrorism in Northeastern Syria 
 
by Samantha Wilson 
 
(Biology 1110) 
 
 
 
hen analyzing the rise of terrorism in Syria, foreign governments, political commentators, 
and journalists often overlook the devastating effects climate change has had in Syria’s 
already fragile biomes. The biomes of Syria mostly consist of warm and cold desert, 
except in the agriculturally vital northeastern region, where the waters from the Euphrates and Tigris 
River support a warm, semi-arid shrubland necessary for pasteurization and agriculture. In 2007, a 
five-year drought struck the country, severely devastating the lives of herders and farmers, and 
caused mass migration from the rural areas to the urban cities in hopes of finding employment and 
food. Since Bashar al-Assad’s rise to power in 2000, those living in Syria have suffered from a shift 
in its economy from the socialist policies of the Ba’ath Party to a more market-based economy with 
unequal monetary distribution, a lack of social safety networks, and an increase in prices for oil and 
agricultural fertilizers. The Assad government did little to acknowledge the plight of the farmers 
remaining in the region, leaving a power vacuum for ISIS to fill in the northeastern region of Syria, 
seizing control of scarce resources such as water and oil and using them as a weapon to control the 
populations of rural areas and populous cities such as Raqqa. 
 
Increasing Temperatures and Drought Leads to Diminishing Resources and Migration 
 
There are four distinct biomes in Syria; the eastern Mediterranean, the cold and warm deserts 
that blanket a majority of the country, and the vital warm semi-arid northeastern region that borders 
with Turkey, which produces much of the country’s agriculture (Nett & Ruttinger, 2016). This area is 
dependent on the Euphrates river basin, as it provides “65 percent of surface water supply in Syria 
and accounts for 27 percent of total land resources” (Kibaroglu & Schuemann, 2013). The countries 
surrounding the Euphrates River, Turkey, Iran, and Syria, have been competing for its resources for 
decades, creating irrigation programs in each country that began to overextend their reach (Kibaroglu 
& Schuemann, 2013). In Syria, this initiative was headed by President Hafez al-Assad and his 
military regime in order to make Syria agriculturally self-sufficient (Wendle, 2016, 52). However, as 
the years went on, and the temperatures began to increase, Syrian farmers grew to rely more heavily 
on well-digging for ground water. Kemal Ali, a Syrian who ran a well-digging company for 30 years 
explains, “Before the drought, I would have to dig 60 or 70 meters to find water…then I had to dig 
100 to 200 meters…then when the drought hit very strongly, I had to dig 500 meters. The water kept 
dropping and dropping” (Wendle, 2016). As the groundwater in Syria was dramatically declining, in 
2006, the northeastern was hit with a terrible five-year drought, spelling disaster for a region that was 
already over-farmed, over-worked, and lacked sustainable resources. The 2007-8 crop season was the 
most damaging, as levels of rainfall declined by 66 percent. Crop yields in state-irrigated areas 
declined by 32 percent, while areas dependent on rainfall for watering fell a dramatic 79 percent 
(Lister, 2015). Herders that depend on the regions dry grasslands for grazing, with 10,700 herders in 
Hasakah, 11,500 herders in Raqa, and 12,245 herders in Hama losing their source of income (Nett & 
Ruttinger, 2016). 
Without the ability to develop and sustain farmland or herd livestock, Syria experienced a 
mass rural-to-urban migration, with the most dramatic shifts seen in the north-eastern regions of al-
Hasakan, al-Raqqa, and Deir ez Zour with 60 to 70 percent of region abandoned in favor of southern 
W
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cities such as Damascus (Lister, 2015). As thousands flocked south, the Assad regimes did little and 
less to alleviate the economic conditions for both the farmers that remained in the northeastern 
regions, and those who were displaced searching for employment in the large cities. The urban areas 
of Syria were marked with illegal suburban settlements, and were rife with “overcrowding, poor 
infrastructure, unemployment and crime”, and were “neglected by the Assad government and became 
the heart of the developing unrest” (Wendle, 2016, 54). These climate refugees would either join the 
Free Syrian Army and rebel factions, continue on a harrowing journey to flee the nation, or become 
caught in the crossfires of civil war. Those who remained in the drought-stricken regions of the 
northeast would join forces with the Syrian Kurds, organize militias, or succumb to the newest power 
in the region, ISIS, which claimed much of the northeastern territory abandoned by the Syrian 
government and population alike. 
 
Political Instability and Civil War Allows ISIS to Expand into Syria, Capturing Remaining 
Resources 
 
 As the families who remained in the northeastern regions in Syria struggled to survive during 
the drought, political unrest in major cities such as Damascus and Deraa in the south began to surge. 
Referred to as the Arab Spring, in the spring of 2011, pro-democracy protestors took to the streets to 
demonstrate their disapproval with the Assad regime’s lack of economic action to help those in the 
drought regions and those suffering in the urban areas looking for employment. Prior to the drought, 
the economic policies of the Assad government began to shift from the social safety networks of the 
prior socialist Ba'ath governments to a more capitalistic, market economy, with returns in the 
economy favoring those at the top (Lister, 2015). The Assad government cut subsidies to farmers, 
increasing the price of oil and fertilizer in 2008 and 2009, increasing the loss of livelihoods. (Lister, 
2015). These policies coupled with a corrupt, one party state, and extreme drought led to civil unrest, 
and eventually civil war in the Southern regions of Syria, and the populous city of Aleppo. By 2014, 
conditions had broken down enough in Syria for ISIS to make their move into northeastern Syria. 
Due to the lack of population, active resistance efforts, and state infrastructure and regulation of 
Syria’s northeastern water sources, ISIS took this opportunity to seize control of the water, and 
establish social services, providing some relief to disaffected local populations (Nett & Ruttinger, 
2016). As geographer and author Harm de Blij states, “terrorist cells find refuge in remote, rugged, 
rural environs where they can blend in with the local population while operating their cells and 
preparing their attacks, especially when those environs adjoin suitable targets” (2012, 207).  
One of these targets was the city of Raqqa, which fell to ISIS in November 2013 after months 
of rebel and state military fighting. Establishing Raqqa as the de facto capital of the caliphate, ISIS 
began to carve out supply-line routes along the extremely important Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, 
claiming water resources, oil fields, energy resources, and remaining agriculture in their wake. A 
2016 report entitled “Insurgency, Terrorism, and Organised Crime in a Warming Climate” explains, 
“With resources gained from the seizure of oil fields, extortion and foreign support, the terrorist 
group financed infrastructure and state-like institutions such as the ‘Islamic Administration for Public 
Services’” which provided electricity in Aleppo (Nett & Ruttinger, 2016, 32). ISIS also established 
services for education, health services, and resource allocation to attempt to gain legitimacy in the 
northeastern regions of Syria. 
 
ISIS is Using Water as Weapon 
 
 The regions held by ISIS since mid-2015 along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers are crucial in 
their fight against the Syrian Kurds, warring rebel and terrorist factions, and the Assad military. By 
establishing a chokehold on the water supply, ISIS can bend surrounding populations to their will 
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through extortion. In Raqqa, the “former Credit Bank has been turned into the tax authority that 
collects payments from business for electricity, water, and security” (DuBois King, 2016, 155). 
Currently, ISIS controls two dams that are essential for sustaining life in the northeastern regions of 
Syria, the Tabqa Dam, which provides water to 5 million people and is crucial for crop irrigation, and 
the Ramadi Dam, which was purposefully closed in order to more easily attack regime forces 
downstream (Nett & Ruttinger, 2016). ISIS is one the most efficient organizations in using water as a 
weapon effectively. Using methods developed in Iraq, ISIS can use dams to flood local 
neighborhoods in order to move in a gain control, can cut off water supplies used for electricity, or 
tax water supplies at high rates in order to financially control a population while providing them with 
life giving resources. 
 Access to water and other resources is also a main motivator in ISIS recruitment. Often 
targeting young men who harbor deep rooted anti-Assad sentiments, ISIS offers a life of stability in 
exchange for fighting for the Caliphate. With access to the badly needed resources such as water and 
oil that ISIS controls in Syria, and the going rate of $400 a month to fight, about 5 times the wages in 
the region, it provides the necessary economic and geographic incentives for Syrians who were once 
simple farmers, to arm themselves for the extremist Islamic group (Nett & Ruttinger, 2016). Water is 
the difference between life and death in desert laden Syria, and as temperature rise, droughts 
increase, and terrorism and war wage throughout the country, it will become the key resource to fight 
over in years and decades to come. 
 
Looking to the Future – What will Become of Syria after the War? 
 
 While the wars in Syria will one day come to an end, the impact of the 2006-2011 drought 
has changed the world as we know it. The Syrian refugee crisis has affected many countries 
throughout the world, mainly in the Middle East, Greece, and Germany. The mass migration, 
beginning with those fleeing from drought and continuing with those fleeing from war, has led to 
large parts of Syria to be completely unoccupied. Many countries harboring refugees have hope that 
one day their migrants might return to Syria, however, this remains highly unlikely. A study by the 
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, predicts an increase in 
temperature by 1.1 to 3.4 degrees Celsius, and an average monthly reduction in precipitation reaching 
8-10mm mainly around the west and upper Euphrates and Tigris river basins in the East by 2100 
(United Nations, 2015). Syria falls under the category of a water scarce nation, which occurs when 
the demand for water exceeds the available amount (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2017, 382). Since 
much of Syria is covered in cold or warm desert, the remaining grasslands in the northeastern regions 
may be prone to desertification with continued droughts, increased temperatures, and its close 
proximity to the Hadley cells, which distribute winds that would carry the dry desert soils into the 
more temperate biomes. Soil degradation due to drought, overgrazing, over-farming, and improper 
water management over the past 40 years in Syria severely diminishes the crop yield and quality of 
crops raised. 
 The UN study also shows that while rises temperatures will lead to more drought, it will also 
lead to more extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, sandstorms, and flash floods, which are 
just as devastating (2015). With correct water management and farming techniques, those who 
remain in Syria’s northeastern regions may be able to adapt to more localized sustainable farms. 
However, with the occurrence of sand storms or flash floods, an entire crop yield can be demolished 
within a matter of hours. The United Nation also reports that while the Arab region is responsible for 
less carbon dioxide emissions than the average developed nation, the Mediterranean Sea is more 
vulnerable to greenhouse gases. Columbia University’s Richard Seager states, “There’s something  
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specific about the Mediteranean that is making it hydrologically very sensitive to rising greenhouse 
gases” (Wendle, 2016, 55). Even with the eradication of war, Syria has many more climate issues to 
face as a nation, and will not be able to do so in its current political climate. 
 
Combatting Climate Change in Syria: Effective Solutions that May Never be Implemented 
 
 As the war in Syria enters its sixth year, and the absence of an effective state government 
permeates, it is up to the rest of the world to take on the charge of curbing climate change. One of the 
main factors in producing carbon dioxide emissions in the Middle East is their dependence on oil 
production to move their economies. While Syria has historically been an agricultural country, since 
the 1980s, they have become more reliant on oil extraction to gain economic ground. Inorganic 
pollutants accumulating in the Mediterranean Sea, which leads directly into the Euphrates River 
combine with the agricultural runoff of the vital northeastern regions, produces a toxic mix in the 
water which transfers into the area’s soil. One of the major factors in restoring the ecosystem of the 
semi-arid northeast is to ensure the cleanliness of the water coming through the Euphrates and Tigris 
Rivers. This would require the Syrian government to create water management facilities that do not 
extend their boundaries like those created in the 1970s, and create legislation similar to that of the 
Clean Water Act of 1972, which aimed to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and 
biological integrity of the Nation’s waters” (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2016, 420). 
 The need for sustainable energy will also be a major problem for the people of Syria. With 
the Assad government ending subsidies for oil for farmers, the dependence on oil throughout the 
entire Arab nation will need to shift as we reach the global oil peak. Since water is scarce, 
transitioning to wind or solar energy in the dry deserts of Syria might be the best way to obtain 
energy in the future. However, once again, this takes government participation and action to even 
consider. Syria is currently one of three nations not signed on to the Paris Climate Accord, along with 
Nicaragua and most recently the United States, which pledges to curb manmade greenhouse gases 
such as carbon dioxide and methane in an effort to stop the climate changing by 2 degrees Celsius. 
Unless major emissions producers such as the United States, Europe, and the Arab States make the 
switch to sustainable energy, emissions will continue to rise, the Mediterranean will continue to 
capture those emissions, and, without the right leadership in the government, countries like Syria will 
continue to suffer from the effects of climate change. 
 
 
  
 
References 
 
Cunningham, WP & Cunningham, M. (2017). Environmental Science: A Global Concern. United 
States: McGraw-Hill Education. 
DuBois King, M. (2016). The Weaponization of Water in Syria and Iraq. The Washington Quarterly, 
Volume 38(Issue 4), 153-169. 
De Blij, H. (2012). Why Geography Matters More than Ever. New York: Oxford University Press. 
Kibaroglu, A & Scheumann, W. (2013). Evolution of transboundary politics in the Euphrates-Tigris 
river system: new perspectives and political challenges. Global Governance, Volume 19 
(Issue 2), 279. 
Lister, C. (2015). The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, The Islamic State, and the Evolution of an 
Insurgency. New York: Oxford University Press. 
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131 
Nett, K & Ruttinger, L. (2016). Insurgency, Terrorism and Organised Crime in a Warming Climate. 
Berlin, Germany: Alephi, Climate Diplomacy, German Federal Foreign Office. 
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. (2016). Climate Projections and 
Extreme Climate Indices for the Arab Region. United Nations, League of Arab States. 
Wendle, J. (2016). Syria’s Climate Refugees. Scientific American, Volume 314 (Issue 3), 51-55. 
 
 
 
 
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Climate Change and the Rise of Terrorism in Northeastern Syria

Schwarz, Rachel

The Prairie Light Review
Volume 40 | Number 1 Article 1
Fall 12-1-2017
Front Cover - "Through The Window"
Rachel Schwarz
College of DuPage
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Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol40/iss1/1
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Front Cover -  Through The Window

The Prairie Light Review
Volume 40 | Number 1 Article 2
Fall 12-1-2017
Title Page
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Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol40/iss1/2
The Prairie 
Light Review
Art and literary 
Magazine of  col-
lege of dupage
vol 40 no 1. fall 2017
college of dupage
425 fawell boulevard., 
glen ellyn, illinois 60137
prarielightreview@gmail.com 
www.prairielightreview.org
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et al.: Title Page
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Title Page

Johnson, Michael Lee

The Prairie Light Review
Volume 40 | Number 1 Article 10
Fall 12-1-2017
Reincarnation (V2)
Michael Lee Johnson
College of DuPage
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Recommended Citation
Johnson, Michael Lee (2017) "Reincarnation (V2)," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 40 : No. 1 , Article 10.
Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol40/iss1/10
4Prairie Light Review  Fall 2017
Reincarnation (V2)
 Michael Lee Johnson
  
Next life I will be a little higher on the pecking order. 
No longer a dishwasher at the House of Pancakes, 
or Ricky’s All Day Grill, or Sunday night small dog thief. 
I will evolve into the Prince of Bullfrogs, crickets don’t bother, 
swamp flies don’t bother me-I eat them.  Alligators I avoid. 
I urinate on lily pads mate across borders, continents at will. 
Someone else from India can wash my dishes locally for me. 
Forward all complaints to that religious office of Indian affairs.
 
 Alice Ventura
 Maude Fealy Portrait
 Photoshop cc 2015.5 Digital Painting
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Reincarnation (V2)

Miklosz, Molly

The Prairie Light Review
Volume 40 | Number 1 Article 23
Fall 12-1-2017
Bond
Molly Miklosz
College of DuPage
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This Artwork is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in
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Recommended Citation
Miklosz, Molly (2017) "Bond," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 40 : No. 1 , Article 23.
Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol40/iss1/23
15Prairie Light Review  Fall 2017
Molly Miklosz,
“Bond”. Copper etching. 
PLR F2017 FINAL.indd   15 11/1/2017   4:51:17 PM
1
Miklosz: Bond
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2017


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