Digital Commons Network^™

Women In Politics; The Soong Sisters And Chinese History In The 20th Century, Cera Linnell

Student Symposium

This research focuses on the Soong sisters in the twentieth century in order to analyze women’s impact on politics in China. Women’s contributions are often overlooked, leading to a lack of women’s stories in historical narratives. It identifies that to produce a less biased historical narrative there needs to be more diversity within the historiographers and the narratives portrayed. The research provides solutions to combating the existing biases present in historical narratives and an attempt to apply them through an analysis of the lives of the Soong sisters. The sisters Ai-ling, Qing-ling, and Mei-ling were the wives of powerful men …

In The Absence Of Tears : Female Prostitution In The Holocaust, Evelyn Loftin

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

The Sound Of The Civil War: Examining The Intersection Between Music And Emotion In America, 1861-1865, Christina Cannon

Campus Research Day

The topics of the history of music and the history of music intersect in the Civil War in fascinating ways. Both religious music and “secular” music were seen to have great power over their listeners, potentially with the power to alter the directions of lives or their salvation status. Music was used both as a mode of rebellion against the antagonizing army and ideal and a rebellion against unnecessarily violent acts. Each side used it against the other, but a select few also used it against the war itself. Soldiers marched to music, set camp to music, and fought to …

The Prevelence And Effect Of Pornea In Culture, Bryce Bengtson

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

The Holocaust Experienced By Jewish Women, Ra-Quelle Parker

Undergraduate Research Competition

We have plenty of information on The Holocaust from the male point of view, such as Elie Wiesel, Primo Levi, and Viktor Frankl, but there is barely any information on the female point of view during The Holocaust beyond the point of Anne Frank or Ida Fink. This study shows the horror in the camps that women had to face. Women feared sexual harassment, among other horrible treatment in different camps. The sole purpose of this paper is to find more information on Jewish women’s experience in the ghettos and concentration camps and to understand the female victims of The …

Brotherhood In The Pineywoods: John Henry Kirby And The Fight Against Lumber Unionization, Madeline Wheeler

Undergraduate Research Conference

Thesis: The racial, gender, and ethnic diversity of the sawmill workers was reflected in the Brotherhood of Timberworkers. The business owners resisted the organization with the general antiunion rhetoric of the era. The diverse population of the BOTW workers represents the nationwide trend away from white male labor unions.

Hi-05 Helen Dupré Moseley: Painter, Author, Roller-Coaster Fan, And Air Stewardess Of Flying Saucers, Lizzie Richards, Karen H. Goodchild Dr., Youmi Efurd Dr.

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Without having any formal training in the arts, Helen Dupré Moseley (1887-1984) made art for around fifty years of her life in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Utilizing different media and formal qualities, Moseley created fantastic works of art that forced viewers to use their imagination and make their own choices in interpretation.

In addition to works of art, she was also an avid writer and thinker, producing many short stories and unpublished children’s books. What makes her distinct is how she was formally untrained as an artist yet was not excluded from the art world, as she had the ability to …

Hi-01 The Loves & Controversies Of Wallada Bint Al-Mustakfi, Livingston Hawkins Iii, Ethan G. Birney

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Wallada bint al-Mustakfi (1001-1091) is best known as a poet from the early High Middle Ages. Living in Islamic Spain, Wallada was the daughter of Muhammad III, a Cordoban ruler. Her poetry often discussed love in the abstract, as well as her specific relationships. Nine of her poems have been preserved, and eight of those nine are about Ibn Zaydún, who is often seen as the greatest love of her life. As the sole heir to her father and as a prominent female writer, Wallada transgressed some cultural and societal norms in a variety of ways. However, she also fulfilled …

Dreaming Of Empire: Visions Of Rome And Imperialist Ideology In Twenty-First Century Cinema, Nathan Keckley

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The blockbuster film Gladiator kickstarted a new wave of ancient historical epics. Some of these, following Gladiator’s lead, drew explicit parallels between ancient Rome and contemporary America – notably Centurion (2010) and The Eagle (2011). The Rome-America analogy allowed Gladiator and its progeny to critique American society, and these critiques have received substantial scholarly attention. Given that these films were produced while America was waging controversial wars, it is unsurprising that one of the critiques they chiefly employ – and one of those scholars have most readily seized upon – is that of American imperialism. Gladiator, Centurion, and The Eagle …

Understanding American Nationalism And White Supremacy Through The Legacy Of Christopher Columbus, Júlia Da Silva

Capstone Showcase

Christopher Columbus’ landfall in 1492 was a pivotal historical event which set in motion several political, economic and social processes. Despite the horrors and atrocities instigated by his actions, Columbus continues to be celebrated across the world, particularly in the United States. Although there has been a recent rise in critical scholarship on Columbus, his legacy remains an intrinsic part of the construction of American nationalism. I argue that American national identity and the representations of Christopher Columbus are intertwined, as they have sustained each other across time and collectively reinforce colonial tools.

Elite Women In The Mediterranean 31 Bc – 1380 Ad: An Investigation Into Female Agency, Identity, And Patriarchy Across Classical And Christian Paradigms, Julia Maurer

Capstone Showcase

This paper explores the responses of elite women to patriarchal regimes across the Classical Pagan and Medieval Christian paradigms in the Mediterranean from 31 BC to 1380 AD. While the current historiography acknowledges the radical differences between the two worldviews fundamental to the core values of Western Civilization, an investigation of three women that can be taken to be emblematic examples of the periods in which they lived reveals a striking continuity in the nuanced social roles available to women. This continuity contradicts expectations of significant changes reflective of this revolutionary paradigm shift.

I utilize Julia Augusti, Vibia Perpetua, and …

Navigating Femininity: Queen Elizabeth I And The Armada Portrait, Julia Maurer

Capstone Showcase

By analyzing the iconographic program of the Armada Portrait, this essay demonstrates the various visual strategies that Queen Elizabeth I employed in order to navigate certain gendered, cultural barriers present in Early Modern England. I argue throughout this essay that Elizabeth was meticulous in her delicate dance of bolstering her individual authority, while not radically undermining the patriarchal dispensation in which she lived and ruled. In particular, I demonstrate that Queen Elizabeth I effectively utilized the visual arts to control the public perception of her reign in ways unique to female regnants, as she both confirmed and denied her femininity. …

Creating Inclusive Classrooms: Demanding Excellence In Pedagogical Practices With Universal Design, Elizabeth Tacke, Rachael Ryerson, Camden Burd

Together We RISE (Making Excellence Inclusive)

This presentation asks attendees to consider pedagogies of universal design that support student learning. Drawing on experiences in the classroom, the panelists will discuss various approaches to teaching that address the diverse perspectives and pedagogical needs of students. After briefly introducing theories of universal design for learning, the panelists will provide examples of assignment prompts and instructional approaches, develop questions for the audience to consider, and suggest potential revisions ideas for existing curriculum and projects.

Redefining Femininity: American Women In Paris In The 1920s, Lauren O'Neill, Michael Gonzalez Phd, Kathryn Statler Phd

Research Month

Abstract: During the interwar period, from 1918 to 1939, the roles of women experienced change as the traditional gender stereotype of male dependency shifted to female independence and power. Much of this shift can be attributed to the women who found refuge in Paris during this time. Of the many women who realized their independence during the 1920s, Americans Gertrude Stein, Josephine Baker, and Zelda Fitzgerald stand out as trailblazers and examples of those women who reimagined the female role. Coming out of World War I, most of the Western world valued conformity, patriotism, and tradition, however, the "Lost Generation" …

Conscription In South Korea, Jennifer Rhee

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

South Korea has had a mandatory military service requirement for male South Korean citizens from the ages 18-28 since the 1950's- the government's response to accelerate the establishment of a stronger defense force during post cold-war times. The disposition of conscription has been changed multiple times since it's implementation and continues to be reexamined as South Korea progresses, but it still faces scrutiny and controversies as forced labor conventions are challenged and many young men will try to find exemptions from the obligation to serve their country for several years. This presentation will observe the history, reasoning, and future of …

Angels, Snakes, And Everything In Between: The Fall Of The Byzantine Eunuch, Tess E. Nye

Young Historians Conference

Great figures of fascination, eunuchs have mystified ancients and contemporaries alike through their physical mutilation, sexual ambiguity, and distinct roles within civilizations and societies. Underpinning Byzantine imperial court life, eunuchs possessed great influence in domestic and political spheres for much of the empire’s history. Following the Latin occupation of Constantinople in the 13^th century and extending onwards, however, eunuchs and their influence became increasingly obsolete. This paper explores the broad scope of the Byzantine eunuch’s social and political power and the causes for the eunuch’s decline nearing the collapse of the Byzantine empire.

All About Dynamics: Katherine Howard's Hidden Story, Samantha E. Knofler

Young Historians Conference

Often considered Henry VIII’s “wanton wife,” Katherine Howard’s story has been twisted and appropriated throughout the centuries to fit the propaganda of the court or the perceived love story between her and Thomas Culpepper. No older than nineteen at the time of her beheading, Howard supposedly professed “I die a queen, but would rather die the wife of Culpepper.” However, through an in depth analysis of primary sources and new scholarship, her story is far more complicated than previously considered. Transcripts from court documents, witnesses throughout her life, and her own words paint less of a romantic tragedy and more …

32nd Annual Young Historians Conference, Portland State University History Department, Portland State University Challenge Program

Young Historians Conference

This is the 2022 Young Historians Conference schedule and abstracts.

Reconstructing The Confederate Widow: An Analysis Of The Wives Of Fallen Confederate Soldiers And Their Response To Reconstruction And The Post War Era, Christian Beasley

Campus Research Day

This study provides an analysis of how the post-civil war era and Reconstruction affected the financial, social, and political lives of the wives of fallen Confederate soldiers. Because men were the head of families and traditional breadwinners in the South, the widows of the 258,000 fallen Confederate soldiers had to reintegrate themselves into society and support their families without the assistance and comfort of a husband. Although this integration may seem straightforward, these widows struggled to overcome the economic and social difficulties laid before them, including the patriarchal traditions, mourning expectations, severe droughts, and unemployment that plagued these women. This …

Invisible Yet Free: Sapphic Relationships In Late 19th Century Europe, Penelope Van Batavia

Student Academic Conference

Sapphic relationships, described as romantic relationships between two women, were able to proliferate without the watchful eye of society in late 19th-Century Europe due to many factors, including the lack of importance European society felt women had. While not entirely able to pronounce their relationships in public, these women were often able to operate somewhat publicly in three main types of common or “accepted” sapphic relationships. These include intimate friendships, “mother-daughter” models, and hetero-passing relationships. Since historical research on sapphic relationships before the 1970s was almost non-existent (beyond the chastising of such relationships) a number of women and queer academics …

“Madam” Elizabeth: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley’S Sisyphean Attempt To Join The “Cult Of True Womanhood”, Bella Biancone

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Nineteenth century notions of femininity and etiquette were governed by strict societal standards. “True Womanhood” was defined by four fundamental virtues– piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. However, there was another pre-requisite for joining this revered cult¬: whiteness. No matter how pious or domestic a woman of color was, she could never hope to be considered a proper lady by Victorian standards. In discerning what it meant to be a member of that “cult of True Womanhood,” Black women were used to determine the boundaries of white womanhood; a “True Woman” was to be the antithesis of the stereotypical sexual and …

Cecil B. Demille's "Divorce Films": The "Modern Woman" In Early Hollywood, Miranda Boljat

Liberty University Research Week

Graduate

Three Minute Thesis

The Rapes During The Rwandan Genocide Of 1994 And Their Lasting Impacts, Ryeana Klopfenstein

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

The Impact Of The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps And Waac Branch No. 1 During World War Ii, Savannah Peterson

Undergraduate Research Conference

WAACs benefited SFA, Nacogdoches, and women during WWII, for their station effectively supplemented local income as men left to fight in the war, set precedents for similar programs, and furthered acceptance of women in male dominated fields locally and nationally, the impacts of which are still relevant

“No One Will Talk:” The Horrors Of Sexual Trauma In The Holocaust, Evelyn Loftin

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

Wear & Tear, Wymberley Davis

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Wear & Tear is a documentary poetics project acknowledging and addressing the systematic policing, silencing, violence, and stripping of self-expression that women have suffered at the hands of cultural, societal, religious, and sexist norms. Wear & Tear is a hybrid research project which draws together mass culture archives and uses heterogenous sources like advertisements and juxtapose these with excerpts from sacred texts which seek to proscribe and circumscribe women’s clothing choices. It models itself on archival works such as Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee which works with image, language, and voice. My project presents a distinctly material cultural history …

Gendered Norms In Community-Based Engagement: Oral Histories Of The Women In The Elsinore Bennu Think Tank For Restorative Justice, Kathleen Burch

Graduate Student Research Symposium

The state of the criminal justice system in the United States is one in need of repair. A local Pittsburgh group – the Elsinore Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice – challenges its members and the community to engage in restorative justice. The group comprises professors, returning citizens, police officers, and lawyers to initiate change through restorative justice in communities impacted by crime.

The Elsinore Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice (EBTT) Oral History Project at Duquesne University uses the methodology of oral history to gather stories of change, inspiration, and trauma from EBTT members. I will analyze the aural …

2022 Mlk Keynote Address: Eddie Glaude Jr. Presentation, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Eddie Glaude Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including his most recent—the New York Times bestseller Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own—take a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy.

In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s …

2022 Mlk Keynote Address: Eddie Glaude Jr. Pre-Event Presentation, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Eddie Glaude Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including his most recent—the New York Times bestseller Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own—take a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy.

In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s …

The Musical Application Of Historical Literature, Yazmeen Mayes

Symposium of Student Scholars

This project combines history, literature, and newly composed music. The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, documents the age of “female hysteria,'' a catch-all “disease” for upper-class women acting outside of the social standard. The cure: solitary confinement. Any woman that showed signs of anxiety, creative passion, lack or abundance of sexual desire, or depression was sent to a remote, empty house for months at a time. Gilman describes these houses as exuberantly plain; thus, in confinement, the main character becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper. At the time, these women were considered insane, but the “treatment” …