History Commons^™

Dysfunction At Usa Gymnastics, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Among all of the dysfunctional organizations in contemporary Sportsworld, USA Gymnastics (USAG) seems to be the leader. The Larry Nassar abuse case peeled back the veneer of success and revealed an ugliness unmatched in recent memory. Nassar’s offenses are now well-known and his conviction and sentencing produced high courtroom drama. More than 150 women offered testimony at Nassar’s trial, most of whom were speaking about this abuse for the first time. Nassar was employed by the USAG for twenty years.

Tiger Woods, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship in Atlanta today. If you are like me you may want to read that one more time before moving on.

The U.S. Open (Correction), Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

For several decades ABC Television’s “Wide World of Sports” opened with a video clip that illustrated what the announcer called “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.” On Saturday the U.S. Open Women’s Final delivered “The Agony of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.”

The Constant Crisis, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Every year at this time, the time being the coming of the college football season, we are treated to a carnival of corruption. This is as natural as the coming of the season and nearly as old as the rhythms of nature itself. Given the fact that the seasons of sport blur one into the other, and none of them ever seems to end, the institutions of Higher Learning in America now offer corruption across the sports spectrum almost without regard to the calendar.

The Dangerous Twitter-Verse, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Over the past few weeks, the tweets of three major league baseball players have made headlines. All three players wrote and sent these tweets when they were in their teens. Josh Hader, a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, was pitching in the All-Star Game when his tweets surfaced on social media. Sean Newcomb, an Atlanta Braves pitcher, was pitching a no-hitter against the Dodgers. It got to the ninth inning with two out and two strikes on the batter. While that drama was playing out on the field, Newcomb’s tweets from his teen years were released across social media. Trea …

The World Cup, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It has been a month since the start of the World Cup. When a champion is determined on Sunday, over thirty-five matches will have been played in twelve stadia spread across the Russian landscape. It has been an exhausting and impressive cavalcade of sport.

Donald Hall And Baseball, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The former Poet Laureate of the United States, Donald Hall, died last weekend at the age of 89 at his home in New Hampshire. He was a poet, an essayist, and an amazingly productive writer. He loved his farm, his Red Sox, and his wife Jane Kenyon, (a poet of major talent who died in 1995). Some of you may know them from their work, and from Bill Moyers' 1993 award winning Public Television Documentary, “Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon: A Life Together.”

Championship Weekend, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

In a matter of four days from June 7 through the 10th, several championship level sporting events were decided. Beginning on Thursday with the conclusion of the National Hockey League finals through Sunday with the Men’s Final at the French Open, there was a bonanza of sport available to spectators across the world. Each had its own character and each offered a different perspective on winning.

The Nfl's New Rule, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

I’ve been on the road over the past two weeks and have not been able to react to any of the many developments in the world of sport, including the latest from Goodell World. The NFL never fails to disappoint, particularly since the emergence of Roger Goodell as Commissioner. Once again the league has been able to create a policy that, on the one hand, pleases the Sunday nationalists, while, on the other, manages to alienate significant numbers of players, fans, and commentators.

Nfl Cheerleaders, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The National Football League is one of those American entities that likes to think of itself as quintessentially American, embodying the very best of America. It has gone the extra mile to wrap itself in the flag and other markers of American “patriotism,” particularly those that cast a favorable light on the league and cost little or nothing in the way of effort and commitment. Image is the thing, substance is superfluous.

Winter Olympics Part 3, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The final two premier figure skating events of the Winter Olympics were held this week. They were hotly contested and the skating itself was some of the best ever seen at the Olympics.

Winter Olympics Part 2, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

At any Olympic Games there are constants and surprises and the ongoing Winter Olympics is no exception. In terms of the constants, the Dutch dominance in speed skating continues. Six gold medals and eleven overall medals put them well ahead of all other competitors in these events. The Dutch have won a total of 105 medals in Olympic speed skating all-time.

Olympic Figure Skating Part I, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Other than the World Series, this is my favorite two weeks in sport, and among all the events at the Winter Olympics, figure skating and ski jumping are the ones I enjoy most. I have been lucky enough to attend one Winter Olympics, the 2002 Winter Games at Salt Lake.

The New Minnesota, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It is the “Bold North.” The “Frozen Tundra” has been jettisoned and the “Bold North” is the new brand for Minnesota. I am assuming that this is the winter label only, and that the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” still reigns over that small window of time called summer, or if you prefer, August.

The Legacy Of African Veterans Of World War Ii And Their Role In The Independence Movements Of The Mid–Century, Matthew Patsis

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Throughout the First and Second World Wars, armies of African soldiers fought in defense of European interests, while being relegated to colonial status and making very little progress toward gaining independence of their own. The focus of this article is Léopold Senghor, the first president of independent Senegal, and the profound impact he had as a war veteran and member of the Tirailleurs Sénégalais (Senegalese Skirmishers) on independence movements in French West Africa. This essay will then examine the origins of post–war independence movements, the role that veterans like Senghor played in these movements, and the means by which they …

Mexico In 1999: Taking Back The Unam, Jared Muha

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

In 1999, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) reversed course on its tradition of free education and installed a tuition requisite for attendance. In response, students launched a massive strike and eventually overturned the decision. This paper explores the possible role global institutions like the IMF may have played and argues that the strike was part of a broader movement against economic globalization. This paper places the student strike in its proper context and analyzes how students perceived their role in the strike.

Civilizing The Metropole: The Role Of The 1889 Parisian Universal Exposition's Colonial Exhibits In Creating Greater France, Michael D. Brooks

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

During the era of New Imperialism, the French state had the daunting task of convincing the French public of the need to support and to sustain an overseas empire. Stemming from its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and hoping to regain its former global position, the French state set out to demonstrate the importance of maintaining an empire. Since the vast majority of the French people were apathetic towards colonial ventures, the French state used the 1889 Parisian Universal Exposition not only to educate the French about the economic benefits of the empire, but to entertain them simultaneously so that …

Copyright Considerations For Digital Storytelling, Sarah A. Norris

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Presentation given to ASH 4932 students on January 29, 2018.

This session covered a variety of copyright considerations when considering digital projects. This included basic aspects of copyright. It focused primarily on copyright considerations for digital historians, including examples of public domain and Creative Commons Licensed images and media that students can use practically in their projects.

Holocaust Educational Practices: Reviews And Recommendations, Shainna Ali, Erik Horne

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The Holocaust, the most horrific event of the twentieth century, demonstrated the effects of state- ordained genocide. The Holocaust's historical framework emerged from a deep rooted past of racist sentiment that culminated in the organized killing of six million people. Exposing students to constructs of racism, prejudice, indifference, diversity, morality, acceptance, tolerance, and understanding through Holocaust pedagogy can perhaps prevent future genocidal events. Successful Holocaust-based curricula include four main concepts: the placement of the Holocaust as a central event in history, the discussion of values and tolerance, the accurate representation of the Holocaust, and the use of grade-level appropriate teaching …

The "Blood-Stained Gate": The Intertextuality Of Memory In Frederick Douglass's Autobiographies, Eric Fershtman

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Frederick Douglass published three autobiographies in his lifetime—The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass in 1845, My Bondage and My Freedom in 1855, and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass in 1892. Each must be viewed as a distinct work, because the accounts of the same incident in Douglass's life receive different treatments in each autobiography. The question then becomes why Douglass would alter a memory that has already been written down and published. Memories inevitably change and fade as years pass, but how can a memory change when it is already written down? This essay addresses this issue, …

Turkey, The Caspian Region, & The Clash Of Civilizations, Nathan L. Burns

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper argues that Turkey's contemporary role in the Caspian Sea region directly challenges Samuel P. Huntington's civilizational paradigm. While his work Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (1996) is now a rather dated contribution to International Relations Theory, Huntington's ideas have continued to reverberate in the post-9/11 world. As the conflict between the US and the Islamic world drags on in Iraq and the Middle East, the allure of Huntingtonesque arguments may be all the stronger. ¹

The civilization that most conforms to Huntington's paradigm is the Islamic civilization. Within the geographical area of this civilization, …

The West Wing's "Isaac And Ishamel" As A Captivity Narrative And American Jeremiad: A Call For Acknowledgement Of America's Historically Rooted Ideology, Thomas J. Gillan

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

This essay argues that "Isaac and Ishmael" constitutes a contemporary example of both the American jeremiad and the American captivity genre with captivity operating on several levels, all of which reinforce the myths, ideals, and ideology of American dominant culture during a time of crisis: in this instance, the period immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent "War on Terrorism." The qualities present in "Isaac and Ishmael" that are characteristic of captivity narratives and jeremiads are physical and psychological captivity, the need to establish the author's credibility, prescribed and sometimes transgressed gender roles that promote heterosexuality and a …

The Nasser Case, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The reaction to the statements made by victims at Larry Nassar’s trial has been dramatic as the horrifying details of decades of sexual abuse rolled out into the courtroom, then on television, and across social media. The women who appeared in court to confront Nassar have been praised for their courage and strength. The reality of the ordeal that they endured in silence was shocking and appalling.

Copyright Considerations For His 6165: Tools For The Digital Historian, Sarah A. Norris

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Presentation given to HIS 6165 students on January 24, 2018.

This session covered a variety of copyright considerations when considering digital projects. This included basic aspects of copyright. It focused primarily on copyright considerations for digital historians, including exploring fair use, digital humanities and history projects, creative commons licenses, and other copyright-related topics.

The Winter Olympics Approach, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

With the approach of the 2018 Winter Olympics, one can only wonder what might happen. The threats of war on the Korean Peninsula, the threat to the games posed by the quiet diplomacy of the President of the United States, the possibility that Russia was to be excluded from the games and now will be only partially excluded, the decision by Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League to keep NHL players out of the games, all endangered or diminished the games in their own way.

The National Champion, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Here in Orlando the National College Football Champions received their trophy about one hour before the kickoff of the FBS National Championship Game in Atlanta. They also had a National Championship parade at Disney World on Sunday.

The Tragic City: Black Rebellion And The Struggle For Freedom In Miami, 1945-1990, Porsha Dossie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the creation of South Florida's tri-ethnic racial hierarchy during the postwar period, from 1945-1990. This racial hierarchy, coupled with discriminatory housing practices and police violence, created the necessary conditions for Dade County's first deadly uprising in 1968. Following the acquittal of several officers charged in the killing of an unarmed black businessman, a second uprising in 1980 culminated in three days and three nights of violent street warfare between law enforcement and black residents in Miami's northwest Liberty City neighborhood. The presence of state sanctioned violence at the hands of police in Liberty City set the stage …

Violence, Religion And Politics: The Late Republic And Augustan Age, Matthew Tuggle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Religion in the Late Republic was fused to politics. This study considers the relationship between violence, religion, and politics in the Late Republic and Augustan Age. It contends that Roman religion could encourage or discourage violence based upon the circumstances. The strain of Roman expansion on its political and religious institutions contributed to the civil discord that characterized the Late Republic, which created circumstances that were flexible enough for perspectives on each side to see the violence as justified. The ambition of a tribune, a sacrosanct office, could lead to circumvention of the traditional practices of the Senate, causing a …

Revisiting Roadside Attractions: A "Deep Dive" Into Florida's Weeki Wachee Springs, Rebecca Schwandt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This digital public history project explores one of the oldest and longest running of Florida's roadside attractions, Weeki Wachee Springs, during the years considered to be the park's heyday, the 1950s through the mid-1970s. With the 75th anniversary of the park approaching in 2022 and preliminary discussions of a new or expanded mermaid museum, there is a growing need to document the experiences of aging former employees and preserve park-related ephemera from that period. For this project six oral histories of former mermaids and former employees have been recorded, transcribed, and made publicly accessible through RICHES, the University of Central …

A Digital Media Exploration Of The Federal Writers' Project's Folk Song Collecting Expeditions In Depression Era Florida, Holly Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This digital thesis project examines the folk song collecting expeditions of the Federal Writers' Project (FWP) in Florida between 1935 and 1942. The FWP carried out numerous folk music collecting expeditions in Florida through the Works Progress Administration. Folklorists such as Zora Neale Hurston, Alan Lomax, and Stetson Kennedy led the expeditions and traveled throughout Florida to record blues, "jook" songs, work songs, and traditional music from African American, Cuban, Czech, Greek, Minorcan, Seminole, and Slavic communities. While romantic notions of nationalism in the 1930s often promoted homogenization, the FWP emphasized inclusiveness and highlighted cultural diversity. The FWP's approach challenged …