Volume 6: Summer 2022
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EDITOR
Joseph Letter
STUDENT EDITORS
Taylor Landau
Megan Merola
FACULTY ADVISOR
David Reamer
Royal Road features the best researched arguments produced in the University of Tampa's AWR 201: Academic Writing and Research course. Student essays are nominated by instructors and reviewed by a faculty panel; those that are selected for potential publication undergo a process of peer review and revision that reflects the standards of academic publishing. Selected essays are published annually and used as models for future sections of AWR 201.
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Item The Benefits of Culling, Consuming, and Banning Live Imports as Methods of Controlling Lionfish Populations(Keyhole Press, 2022) Wilson, JacquelineThe invasive species Pterois miles and Pterois volitans, better known as lionfish, have created the need for vast efforts to control their populations in Florida. Many solutions have been discussed, including: training reef sharks to prey on lionfish, expanding the culinary market, banning imports, and culling (Culling is targeting a specific species with a goal of reducing its population). This paper argues that culling is the most effective because it is the most the most widely researched solution out of the four, it has been seen to work in multiple studies, and people are currently working on ways to mitigate the negative effects of culling. While culling is the most effective method individually, implementing and maintaining a combination of multiple solutions will allow for the most effective results. Determining the most effective method of eradicating invasive lionfish is important (particularly for fishermen and private organizationsin Florida) because lionfish are consuming dangerous amounts of fish in the Florida reef systems and destroying the environment. There are a variety of ways that culling could be implemented, from government agencies to private organizations.Item Cape Town Taps Run Dry: Government’s Willful Ignorance Exacerbates the Problem(Keyhole Press, 2022) Goodner, RayanaThe water crisis of Cape Town, South Africa, in the mid-2010s revealed serious governmental corruption and damage, which ultimately had serious consequences on the outcome of the drought. The government implemented the Critical Water Shortage Disaster Plan in an attempt to fix the problem, but it ultimately exposed several institutional issues at a governmental level concerning leadership and misconduct. This paper seeks to highlight the issues brought on by the drought and the governmental failures and problems that were exacerbated by this national emergency.Item Evolutionary Pressures Exerted on the Hammerhead Shark Cranium: The Advantages of Varying Cephalofoil Sizes Based on Habitat(Keyhole Press, 2022) Johnson, SamThis paper addresses a new perspective on the discussion of the hammerhead shark cephalofoil. Past studies have been centered around identifying possible selective pressures that have brought on the development of this morphology and the evolutionary trade-off that hammerheads must negotiate because of its emergence. Rather than identifying all-encompassing environmental pressures that apply to all hammerhead species, recent research has prompted analysis of the varying environmental forces present in different habitats to explain the emergence and variability in the evolution of the hammerhead cephalofoil. This analysis of previously published studies concludes that pelagic (open ocean) species improve sensory capabilities at the expense of hydrodynamic efficiency through the possession of a large cephalofoil, and that coastal species have selected for improved hydrodynamics and maneuvering abilities at the expense of sensory acuity by reducing the size of the cephalofoil.Item Exploring Homosexuality Within Catholicism(Keyhole Press, 2022) Merch, KarolynHistorically, the Catholic Church has marginalized its homosexual followers due to their nonconforming sexuality. Further analysis will examine Pope Francis, prior papacies, and the continued stigma that homosexuals face within the Church in order to determine whether Pope Francis has enacted change. Such research will discredit the attempts of Pope Francis and reveal that while the acceptance of homosexuals within religion has liberalized, Catholic doctrinal law remains prejudiced against homosexual union. As a result, Catholics who identify as homosexual struggle to identify with the Church, which causes them additional strain in their personal endeavor to discover themselves.Item [Front Matter] Royal Road: A Journal of Undergraduate Research(Keyhole Press, 2022) Reamer, David, Faculty Advisor; Letter, Joseph, Ed.; Landau, Taylor, Student Editor; Merola, Megan, Student EditorTable of Contents and Editor's IntroductionItem The High Price of Over-The-Counter Antiperspirants(Keyhole Press, 2022) High, IsabellaThe use of aluminum-based salts in antiperspirants is a topic of controversy in the science world. Despite the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Union (EU) both approving topical use of several aluminum salts, modern research repeatedly demonstrates mutagenic effects of aluminum salts that could be accounting for the large surge in breast cancer over the past few decades. There is a gap in the research in which studies administering aluminum salts via ingestion are being used to approve the aluminum salts for topical use. Most research is not niche to topical application, and this composition intends to demonstrate the need for further research.Item The Linear Production of Plastic and the Unintended Consequences it Poses to the Flow of Nature in Tampa Bay(Keyhole Press, 2022) Furce, AmberPlastic consumption continues to increase exponentially, yet there is a finite number of resources on Earth. The model of plastic production is unsustainable as plastic continues to be discarded, invading the entire world. The insufficient management of plastic waste causes plastics to storm marine systems. Marine ecosystems are immensely impacted by the pollution of plastic. Marine species directly interact with plastic debris negatively affecting their vitality. Additionally, as plastic flows through water, microplastic particles are formed. Microplastic particles carry potentially harmful organic chemicals that pose a threat to not only marine species but also humans. An increase in government involvement regarding waste reduction is needed to hold companies accountable for their own waste by shifting to a circular economy. A circular economy on a federal level would significantly reduce the stress marine environments are facing and would diminish the effects of overconsumption.Item Managing the Medical Field: The Detrimental Impact COVID-19 Has Had on Healthcare Organizations and Physicians(Keyhole Press, 2022) Reeves, CaitlinThe COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the workload of healthcare workers which has in turn directly altered their mental wellbeing. COVID-19 has lead to additional job stressors for healthcare professionals such as fear of contagion, quarantine and proper PPE, and effectively treating and caring for those with the virus. As a result of these stressors, nurses and doctors face significant psychological and emotional distress which can lead to job burnout, playing a role not only on qualified staff for healthcare facilities but on the quality of care for patients as well. The consequences of the pandemic have caused staff shortages of healthcare professionals to skyrocket in the past two years. If effective solutions are not put in place to resolve feelings of job burnout and cater to the mental well-being of healthcare workers, the medical field will continue to suffer as a result.Item Police Corruption and the Targeting of Central Asian Immigrants in Russia(Keyhole Press, 2022) Baricheva, Ekaterina D.This research examines the correlation between police corruption and the targeting of Central Asian immigrants in contemporary Russian world. The lack of ethical protocols in the police department, followed by normalization of bribery allows for severe targeting of ethnic minorities that continuously migrate to big Russian cities from countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Diving into historical background, this piece explores the roots of predatory policing, government corruption and long-standing xenophobia. Specifically, it shines light on how the lack of independence between the state and the police force, combined with the lack of transparency of government’ actions, and promotion of ethno-centric patriotism, results in Central Asian immigrants serving as scapegoats for societal problems in modern Russia.