Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Islands Of Suppression: Japanese Internment In Hawaii Vs. West Coast 1941-1945, Carson Brown '24

Senior Research Symposium

The United States' involvement in World War II resulted in the internment and relocation of people of Japanese descent on the home front. The Territory of Hawaii was comprised of over a hundred thousand Japanese residents, who were also slated to be relocated. By exploring the differences between the military generals placed in charge of the West Coast (General John L. DeWitt) and the Territory of Hawaii (General Delos C. Emmons), the treatment of the ethnic Japanese in the areas shows a broader context of morals and racial profiling in the United States.

World War Two Propaganda: Analyzing And Comparing German And American Strategies, Chandler Schubert '24

Senior Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Disney, Slavery, And Education: How The Conversation Of Racial History Influenced The Depiction Of Uncomfortable Historical Realities, Annika Garwood '24

Senior Research Symposium

Looking to theme parks in the 1990s in Virginia, one can see the attempt to implement racial history in the conversation of everyday life. Coupled with changing educational standards, there was an obvious attempt to acknowledge the dark parts of America’s past. However, theme parks and the education department faced pushback when that reality was too real and uncomfortable for people to want to talk about.

Daughters Of Sexual Politics: The Fujiwara's Rise To Regency Through Romantic Poetry And Marriage, Gavin Keesee '24

Senior Research Symposium

Through focusing on the patriarchal authority of Heian society, this essay seeks to establish a framework for the Fujiwara reconstructing the Heian political system. The primary idea will be to explain how the Fujiwara utilized poetry and marriage practices to conduct themselves to be integrated into the imperial family. The first section will provide background contextualization regarding aristocratic society, its cultural aesthetic focus, the functionality of the Heian ranking system, and the foundational court government, and explain how all of these aspects relate to the poetry and marriage systems. From there, the discussion will be focused on explaining the structure …

Crisis In The Heart Of Darkness: Navigating The Complexities Of The Congo Crisis 1960-1961, Jaxon Stutz '24

Senior Research Symposium

The Congo, placed in the heart of Africa, is filled with landscapes that are Often compared to descriptions of heaven. A country approximately the size of Western Europe with an estimated $24 trillion worth of minerals buried deep within the heart of darkness. The Congo could be the jewel of Africa, if not one of the most prosperous countries in the world. But a further gaze underneath the lush canopies of the Congolese jungle would find nothing but the ghosts of millions of Congolese victims to the Europeans and Americans. Whose greed and savagery turned this once thought of paradise …

The Chicago Fire Of 1871: Recovery And Reinforcement Of Class Divisions, Thomas Fay '24

Senior Research Symposium

The Chicago Fire of 1871 demonstrated the resiliency of one of the United States' largest city. Labeled as one of the most devastating disasters to strike an urban area in American history, the aftermath and recovery efforts proved to be critical in keeping Chicago on the map as an economic hub. Often left out of the documented history on the fire is how class divisions were shaped and reinforced through the redevelopment of neighborhoods and distribution of relief in the resurrection period. This project was aimed to root out how class divisions and wealth gaps were reinforced in Chicago considering …

Woods Symposium 2023 Program, Wright State University

Runkle Woods Symposia

The program for the 6th annual Wright State University Runkle Woods Symposium that took place on November 17, 2023

Similarities And Differences In Crypto Trading And Gambling Discourses And Practices: Why Should Scholars Of Gambling Be Interested?, Riitta Matilainen, Jani Kinnunen

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Cryptocurrency trading is an action of selling and/or buying of virtual or digital currencies for profit. The value of many cryptocurrencies has fluctuated greatly, which has led to enormous winnings and losses for some traders. The presentation focuses on the similarities and differences in discourses and practices towards crypto trading and gambling. In addition, the presentation discusses why scholars of gambling should pay closer attention to cryptocurrency trading and the consequences it may have for the gambling industry and regulation. Historical examples of previous divisions between gambling, finance, and speculation are also presented.

The presentation is based on an Internet …

A Confluence Of Cultural And Water History With The Seli’Š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam Formerly Named The Kerr Dam, Allisen A. Hansen

2023 Symposium

The Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam (SKC Dam), formerly known as the Kerr Dam is the first Native American tribally owned dam in the United States. Located on the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes(CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation, on the Flathead River in Montana, the dam was once considered the blight of the Whiteman’s landgrab and genocide of culture and language. Now it is a source of hope to the tribe to help its members and improve its future. Completed in 1938, it is one of two dams on the Flathead River, just south of the Flathead Lake. By following the …

History And Development Of Hanford Reservation, Washington, Kylee M. Woodworth

2023 Symposium

At the height of World War II, the United States government created the Manhattan Project in a race against Germany to develop the first atomic bomb. In search of remote areas to produce the necessary plutonium, the US government established a nuclear facility at Hanford, WA, which met all the criteria needed to develop and power the site. The Columbia River was vital to powering the plant and providing much-needed cooling water for the Manhattan B Reactor. The site created plutonium for the second bomb dropped on Japan, then it continued plutonium production into the Cold War. By the 1980s, …

Challenges Facing The Reunification Of Korea, Patricia Cazeau

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

After the Second World War, the once-unified northern and southern halves of the nation of Korea had been under immense external pressure from the American-Soviet Cold War. As a result, the northern side had sided with the Russian communists, while the southern side had leaned into the United States’ style of democracy over time. Despite multiple proposed ideas for unification, the increasing tensions between Russia and the United States discouraged reunification, despite the Cold War’s eventual end. Thus, various social, religious, economic, and military crises multiplied within each country’s borders. This paper will assess the challenges surrounding the reunification of …

Elizabeth I: The Queen With The Heart Of A King, Lloyd Guirola

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

I am writing a historical paper on Queen Elizabeth I for the symposium program; in my paper, I will discuss why Queen Elizabeth I was the greatest monarch in English history. In the paper, I am discussing why Queen Elizabeth I was the greatest English monarch based on various topics such as her resilience, dedication to the people and her kingdom, intelligence, foresight, and of course, her overall bravery. I will discuss various points where these topics can be seen and identified in her life. Faculty Sponsor: Professor Maria Ritzema

Curt Flood V. Major League Baseball: The Intersection Of Race And Labor In America, Jack Fitzgerald '23

Senior Research Symposium

On October 6, 1969, long-time St. Louis Cardinals' center fielder Curt Flood was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Major League Baseball labor system bound a player to one team, with the team being able to trade players at will and set their salaries. Flood, who was involved with entrepreneurial and philanthropic efforts in St. Louis, rejected his trade to Philadelphia and sued Major League Baseball. This paper examines the implications of Curt Flood’s lawsuit against Major League Baseball on sports labor and compares that to other labor movements in the United States. It argues that Curt Flood’s legacy must …

Preserving Your Family Treasures, Natalie Moore, Chloe Jamora, Emma Dennis, Makena Munger, Isaac Lawson

Scholars Day Conference

Students of the Museum Studies class in the Public History program Spring 2023 - Emma Dennis, Chloe Jamora, Isaac Lawson, Natalie Moore, and Makena Munger - researched proper care and preservation for common household materials and family treasures. Their research was presented on April 29th at a workshop they planned in conjunction with Dr. Lisa Speer, the professor of the course. On Scholars day they presented a preview of the workshop. This is that preview.

Death And Vengeance Behind Every Corner: The Great Purge And The Psychology Of Joseph Stalin, Isabella Gurin

Young Historians Conference

Under Joseph Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union, the Purges, or “repressions” as they are now known in Russia, led to the direct and indirect deaths of an estimated twenty million people through starvation, executions, and forced labor camps. As the uncontested dictator of the Soviet Union for nearly twenty-five years, Stalin made no attempt to gain popular support among his nation but enforced his interpretation of communist-socialist rule by means of unremitting oppression and terror. Why did he utilize such vindictive measures? Was it his absolute aversion to any authority and ruthless insistence on total control at all times? …

Machiavelli's The Prince: Utopia And Dystopia, Lea Yonago

Young Historians Conference

Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince is regarded as one of the first works of political realism, a text that put power and pragmatism before all else. I speculate that Machiavelli took absolutism as a point of departure because he was attempting to regain Medici favor. However, his commitment to a prince and its corresponding praxis exemplifies the power of utopia. Along the lines of Lezsek Kolakowski, “utopia” here refers to a state of social consciousness that is an inevitable product of developing historical conditions. Without utopias, there could be no social subject which processes and shapes the world. Antonio Gramsci would …

The Court Of Versailles Under Lou’S Xiv: Home To The Desperate, The Destitute, And The Debauched, Evelyn L. Cooper

Young Historians Conference

“A nobleman, if he lives in his providence, lives free but without substance; if he lives at Court, he is taken care of, but enslaved.” A quote by a contemporary of Louis XIV, King of France and resident of Le Château de Versailles, Jean de La Bruyère reveals the more intricate reality of the Court in seventeenth century France. Versailles was not merely a royal spectacle, nor another French palace, it was a highly politicized project undertaken by Louis XIV with the express intent to devastate the noble class. This paper explores the means by which Louis weaponized Versailles and …

Most Vulgar And Barbarous: A History Of Tattoo Stigma, Sophie Luzier

Young Historians Conference

For thousands of years, tattoos have been used cross-culturally for purposes ranging from religious affiliation to ritual. Still, many societies today associate tattoos with deviance and criminality, making it difficult for tattooed people to find employment and acceptance within society. This negative stigma can be traced all the way back to Ancient Greece, when tattoos were used to mark slaves and prisoners of war. Other examples are given from Dynastic China, Japan, the American circus, and the Holocaust. This examination of tattoo stigma throughout history exposes larger patterns of racism, hegemony, and ostracism, and gives us an awareness of social …

“An Impediment To Those Who Would Walk The Difficult Way”: How St. Francis Of Assisi’S Revolution In Catholic Thought Was Built On The Perceived Inferiority Of Femininity, Julian F. Balsley

Young Historians Conference

St. Francis of Assisi is undoubtedly one of the most famous saints in the Catholic Church. Known for his complete poverty and deep love for the poor and animals, the Little Poor Man of Assisi has become renowned for his way of life and the fraternity he started that has continued for over eight hundred years. In an organization rife with cardinal sin, Francis was in stark contrast with his asceticism and rankless order. However, St. Francis’ entire ideology is built on the Catholic belief that women are inherently inferior to men and dangerous to those following God. Francis used …

The Contribution Of Domestic And International Conflict In Renaissance Italy To The Sport Of Fencing, Amelia E. Nason

Young Historians Conference

Fencing, the art or practice of attack and defense with the foil, épée, or saber, has progressed over hundreds of years from the warfare of Germanic tribes to a regulated Olympic sport. This paper investigates the development of fencing during the fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian Renaissance and outlines a variety of ways that fencing culture mirrored Italy’s at the time, demonstrating that Italian fencing was a product of both international and domestic conflict beyond the sport itself. The competitive cultural influence of aesthetic epicenters such as the Florentine Republic over other European countries—particularly France, Spain, and Italy—was paralleled by …

Odysseus Of The Arctic: The Epic Of John Franklin And The Search For His Lost Expedition, Andy Manne

Young Historians Conference

This paper examines and maps the reasons for the lasting impression and legacy of the search for Sir. John Franklin's disappeared 1845 expedition in search of the Northwest Passage. In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, burgeoning British Arctic exploration provided a rich foundation for serialized narratives, which, as they played off sentiments of national ambition and imperial pride, inspired a romanticization of the Arctic region and the men who explored it. The search for John Franklin's missing expedition became the epicenter of this trend due to the search efforts of his wife, Lady Jane Franklin, and the controversial findings …

Rite To Death, Left To Life: Death Ritual As A Cross-Cultural Unit Of Analysis, Ro M. Runkel

Young Historians Conference

Death ritual is a nearly ubiquitous aspect of life within civilization, and serves the purpose of reconciling the logical positivist societal constructions that uphold social order with the fundamentally logic-breaking nature of death. This paper posits that death ritual serves as a strong cross-cultural unit of analysis as it provides insight into the defining socio-cultural traits and spiritual outlooks of different cultures. This unit of analysis is applied to Song-era Ch’an Buddhism, pre-colonial Hindu India, and Maori death ritual. For each of these examples, death rites are connected to aspects of art, culture, social organization, and spirituality or religion, and …

The History Of Vampire Folklore: Fear And Introspection 2000 Bce.-2000 Ce., Poppy N. Baxter Game

Young Historians Conference

The History of Vampire Folklore: Fear and Introspection, 2000 BCE.-2000 CE., is an exploration of the history of vampire folklore and how legends of vampires have influenced the behaviors of different cultures for centuries. Chapter one “Ancient and Classical Vampire Legends” begins with examples of pre-Christian vampire mythology including the vampire king Abhartach from Celtic Ireland, Classical Greecian vampires, Lilith as she is depicted in Sumer, as well the Old Testament during the Talmudic period of Hebrew mythology, and finally the Rakasha from Ancient Indian legends. “Slavic Vampire Folklore” concerns European vampires, more specifically the three types of vampires in …

A Double Edged Blade: Contrasting Theories Of Dissection Within 16th Century Italy, Sarah Zdebski

Young Historians Conference

Up until the Middle Ages, dissection was largely nonexistent. Gory and unsettling to the modern eye, physicians and anatomists alike agreed that animal dissections and comparative anatomies were more than sufficient to map out the human body. When academic dissections did begin to occur with regularity, they were rigid and formal in nature, relying on inaccurate anatomical texts written over a millennia ago by the Greek physician Galen. Dissection was a visual exercise, conducted primarily in Italian universities to provide a gory illustration for the medical student. The established format for dissection at the beginning of the 16^th century …

Institutionalizing Femininity: A History Of Medical Malpractice And Oppression Of Women Through 19th Century American Mental Asylums, Ciara E. Pruett

Young Historians Conference

“Institutionalizing Femininity” explores the origins of the medicalization of gender norms in 19th century mental asylums. This paper examines the connections between rampant medical malpractice in 19th century American mental asylums, and how these abuses were a symptom of the patriarchy in the medical community acting to oppress the female psyche. One of the major issues this paper examines is the indistinguishability between psychiatry and gynecology in this time period. Gynecologists created the notion that women’s reproductive organs made them insane, by arguing that issues in the uterus or reproductive organs, or simply possessing female reproductive organs could cause insanity. …

Menstruation Products And Perceptions: Breaking Through The Crimson Ceiling, Ava Colleran

Young Historians Conference

This paper examines different views on menstruation throughout history and their effects on social, political, and economic landscapes. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Mayans all believed in the supposed ‘magical powers’ of menstrual blood. These societies held their own ideas on the limits of these magical abilities, and the good and evil forces they could be used for. Throughout these ancient societies, menstruation was used as a justification for the increased control of the state and men over women’s bodies. If menstrual blood did have these magical powers, it was a power that needed to be limited and controlled so …

Law And Cultural Attitudes Towards Abortion: Ancient Civilizations To Present, Scarlett O. Anderson

Young Historians Conference

Abortion, the termination of a pregnancy, has been practiced throughout history in various forms and frequencies. The controversy of the procedure has prevailed similarly, evident from its earliest documentation to recent legal decisions. Statutory legal sanctions were scarce in ancient civilizations, and differing opinions were recorded in early medical, religious, and philosophical texts. These texts influenced centuries of common law & cultural attitudes toward the practice. Debate about the role of fetal viability, ethicality, and safety of the procedure wove their way into the public conscience. These ancient conceptions influenced the widespread emergence of statutory abortion law in the 19th …

33rd Annual Young Historians Conference, Portland State University History Department, Portland State University Challenge Program

Young Historians Conference

This is the 2023 Young Historians Conference schedule and abstracts.

Harry And The Rómulos: Relations Between The United States And Venezuela, 1946-1948, Ross Seidenschwarz, John Linn

ATU Research Symposium

This presentation briefly explores diplomatic relations between the United States and Venezuela during the period 1945 and 1948. While these years may seem arbitrary to United States historians, within Venezuela the three years were noted for a brief period of democracy, sandwiched between two periods of authoritarian rule. Known as the Trienio in Venezuelan history, the national government was headed by Rómulo Betancourt from October 1945 to February 1948 and Rómulo Gallegos from February to November 1948. Within the United States, this time period corresponds with parts of the first and second administrations of Harry S. Truman. This time period …

The Media Intervenes: Tulsa's 1921 Massacre And The Destruction Of The Greenwood District, Maclain M. Wheeler

ATU Research Symposium

This scholarly presentation and research paper focuses on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, specifically the ways in which the media progressed and intensified the events the Greenwood community faced. A vibrant community filled with opportunity and promise, Greenwood welcomed any African American who accepted its warm embrace. Ransacked and burned to the ground within two days, Greenwood residents were forced to reckon with the destruction. Greenwood became unrecognizable. Properties and possessions that had taken people many years to acquire were gone within a matter of hours. The framing put forth by the Tulsa Tribune provoked much of the white public …