The ‘Arsenal’ launches first issue

The following letter was initially sent by the Arsenal editorial board on Tuesday, Nov. 22. 

University students and faculty,

The editorial board of the Arsenal is happy to announce that our first issue has been published! The Arsenal is an undergraduate research journal hosted here at Augusta University with the purpose of allowing undergraduate students to participate in the academically vital process of publication in a peer reviewed journal. It took the efforts of many talented people to make this journal a reality so we would like to extend a thanks to all who helped make this all possible. You have left a lasting mark on this institution and all of us at the Arsenal.

When the Arsenal was being created, one of the main focuses of the committee was to ensure that the journal could represent all the different departments of the university. We wanted to acknowledge that scholarly pursuit at this institution was not just STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in nature. Our first publication is a small one, so we would like to take a moment to highlight the articles. The first article, “The Cytotoxic Effects of Novel Persin Analogues on a Breast Cancer Cell Line,” by Keri Jones, explores the effects of the compound persin, found in avocado leaves, on breast cancer cells. Keri is a biology major in the College of Science and Mathematics.  Vattika Sivised examines the way author Jim Thompson reveals the psychopathy of Lou Ford, the main character of The Killer Inside Me. Vattika Sivised is a student of the Department of English & Foreign Languages in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Studies. Our final article is by David O. Urizar, who explores the real “monster” in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. David is a student in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science and Mathematics. These individuals should be commended for taking the initiative and breaking the ground for our new undergraduate research journal.

For the journal to survive, more students need to take advantage of the wonderful publishing opportunity it provides. Publications are normally difficult for students, not necessarily because of the rigors involved in the selection process, but because there are often fees and organizational walls associated with normal publication. An undergraduate research journal is a boon to any student wanting to pursue scholarly achievement. The Arsenal has already begun taking submissions for the spring issue. I would encourage anyone interested in submitting a manuscript to follow this link to the submission form: http://guides.augusta.edu/Arsenal/form.  For more information on the Arsenal please contact us at arsenal@augusta.edu.