Digital Commons Network^™

The Golem, Sayanti Ganguly Puckett Dr.

Sabbatical Projects

My research explores the Jewish mythical figure of the golem and the symbolism behind it from contradictory angles that juxtapose the figure as a subservient defender of the oppressed Jews and as a monster over whom his creator has lost control and who then runs amok slaughtering those it is created to protect. My research attempts to make sense of these clashing propensities to understand how this figure can become such a bewildering yet ominous figure to Christians and Jews alike. Additionally, in the ultimate destruction of the golem, I would like to explore societal anxieties, fears, and securities about …

Cuju: The Ancient Chinese Game That Held An Empire Together, Enzo H. Smith

Young Historians Conference

This paper explores how cuju, an ancient sport known as the predecessor of modern football, evolved from the Han to Song dynasties (206 BCE–1368 CE) as a unifying force in imperial China. Calling upon primary sources such as ancient cuju manuals and various art pieces suggests this sport's importance went beyond a leisurely practice. Using academic journals about Chinese history and the development of cuju from different academic fields and, most notably, the FIFA museum’s online exhibit of cuju, the reason cuju had such a strong place of value in Chinese society was apparent. Beginning as a combat exercise in …

Entheogens: The Hallucinogenic Plants That Shaped Religion, Nicolas A. Michaud

Young Historians Conference

Entheogens have played a pivotal role in religious and spiritual practices across diverse cultures, aiding in the pursuit of divine connection and higher consciousness. Evidence suggests that dating as far as back as a million years ago, early human species such as Homo erectus and Homo habilis experimented with hallucinogenic plants like psilocybin mushrooms, introducing the earliest forms of shamanic practices. As societies became more structured, the use of entheogens expanded throughout various parts of society. In ancient Greece, oracles utilized plants like henbane to communicate with the divine, molding military and political policy. During the Middle Ages, Tibetan Buddhism …

A Crucial Western Foothold: Uyghur-Americans In The Fairfax-D.C. Metro Area, Jake C. Mccauley

Young Historians Conference

Since the 1980s, the Uyghur people of East Turkestan, now known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, have migrated from their ancestral homeland in China in search of a better life. As an ethnically, linguistically, and religiously distinct group, the Uyghurs face severe oppression, with the Chinese state targeting them economically, socially, and physically. Since 2017, mass internment efforts have escalated, leading to the establishment of labor camps that claim to transition Uyghur labor from agricultural to industrial sectors but also serve as sites of ideological indoctrination, torture, and death. As a result of these human rights violations and other …

A Revolutionary Curtain Call: Yiddish Theatre, The Jewish Enlightenment, And The Russian Revolution, Sidonie James

Young Historians Conference

This paper explores the impact of Yiddish Theatre in Moscow and broader Russia in the era of the Russian Revolution as a Jewish cultural and political force. The intersection of the Russian Revolution and the Jewish Haskalah reformation created the space for Yiddish theatre, a cultural movement combining Jewish identity with revolutionary ideals, to thrive. Yiddish theatre became a space for community discourse and political critique during Stalin’s rule, preserving Russian-Jewish cultural identity amid growing Soviet hostility. By examining the Russian Jewish community and its relationship to Russian government and society through the lens of Yiddish theatre, this paper reveals …

Riding Through The Great Depression: The Impact Of Pack Horse Librarians, Madison G. Reed

Young Historians Conference

Supported by Eleanor Roosevelt and the Roosevelt Administration during the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was part of Roosevelt’s “alphabet soup” agencies. It didn’t take long for the WPA, which sought to provide work, education, and culture to Americans who were struggling economically, to introduce the Pack Horse Library Project to rural Eastern Kentucky. The Pack Horse Librarians were local women hired by the federal government to bring reading material to isolated, unemployed people and children of all ages. Both secondary scholarship, focused on the role Pack Horse Librarians played in the development of community, as well as …

Reflecting Life Back: The Influence Of Mirrors On Human World History, Helen F. Cruz-Uribe Bandstra

Young Historians Conference

Ten thousand years ago, humans first created mirrors. They were developed simultaneously all over the world, reflecting the innate human desire to see something so close to us, yet so hard to view. Our own face. While this invention had a simple initial purpose, it quickly became tied to many of the more complicated developments of human life, including, but not limited to, religion, power, and technology. We see this reflected in everything from the polished obsidian mirrors of Mesoamerica, used to commune with the gods and revered for their reflectiveness, to the bronze mirrors of Greece used in early …

From Prison Cells To Parliament: How The H-Block Hunger Strikes Transformed Sinn Féin To Enable Peace In Northern Ireland, Madeleine E. Wallenberg

Young Historians Conference

The 1988 Good Friday Agreement signed in Belfast is regarded as a landmark feat of diplomacy. Allowing for a non-violent redistribution of power, the Good Friday Agreement marked the end of a nearly thirty-year period of violence known as The Troubles. The efficacy of this agreement relied on the participation of members of the I.R.A. and Sinn Féin, something that likely would not have happened if not for a 1981 Hunger Strike that changed the public’s perception of the Irish Republican movement and launched the platform for Sinn Féin as a legitimate political organization. This paper explores the development of …

Form Follows Function: An Analysis Of De Architectura And Its Influence, Weston Klein

Young Historians Conference

Over 2000 years ago, the Roman architect and engineer, Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, scribed De Architectura, a multi-volume work unearthed in the 15th century, in St. Gallen, Switzerland. As the only surviving architectural source from antiquity, the book has been indispensable in the study of Greco-Roman architecture, positioning Vitruvian and Greco-Roman architectural concepts in many ways as one in the same. Additionally, Vitruvian ideas, as expressed in De Architectura, regarding architectural form, materials, location, and process have been foundational to the evolution of Western architecture. This paper explores De Architectura’s impact on Western architectural theory and practice spanning the Early Middle …

35th Annual Young Historians Conference Program, Portland State University History Department, Portland State University Challenge Program

Young Historians Conference

This is the 2025 Young Historians Conference schedule and abstracts.

The Philosopher’S Art: The Alchemical And Religious Writings Of Sir Isaac Newton, Caleb J. Stamp

Senior Honors Theses

Sir Isaac Newton is inarguably one of the most famous yet divisive geniuses in human history. His writing touched on a staggering variety of topics, including chemistry, physics, and history, among others. Some of his less well-known works – most notably, his alchemical experiments and his prophetic commentaries – have created wildly conflicting views of both him and his theories. However, Newton’s alchemical and religious writings are crucial to understanding his broader worldview: namely, that the spiritual and natural aspects of the world worked together in a universe created by a supreme God who ordained that reality operates in a …

The Chanticleer, 2025-04-24, Graduation Issue, Coastal Carolina University

The Chanticleer Student Newspaper

The editorially independent student produced weekly newspaper of Coastal Carolina University.

The Evolution Of Women's Rights In Iran, Rebecca G. Buis

Senior Honors Theses

Over the past 46 years, Iran has undergone change; substantial change that will impact the lives of women for generations to come. The ones who have been at the forefront of this challenge are women. Islamic extremism and religion have created a substantial shift in the lives of women over the past half century. As time has gone on, more women have protested, leading to an increased resistance. Prior to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Iranian women experienced increased liberties and freedoms. However, with the rise of Khomeini, their freedoms were increasingly replaced with expectations as to how they should …

2025 Acssc Program, Acssc Planning Committee

Annual Celebration for Student Scholarship and Creativity

No abstract provided.

Centering Relation In Media Literacy Practice, Paul Mihailidis, Bobbie Foster, Shannon Burth, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Melissa Tully, Patrick Johnson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

As calls for media literacy in formal and informal learning spaces continue to grow, educators’ understanding of media literacies and their purposes remains complex. In 2021, the authors of this paper led a multi-methods research project on media literacy education in the United States, focusing on impact and equity. Findings showed that educators share a commitment to equity and justice but are unclear on how to incorporate them into their work. In response, our research team developed a field guide that maps out equitable media literacy practices for classrooms and communities. In this study, we detail the findings from 11 …

Cognitive Diagnosis Of Media And Digital Literacy Knowledge Schema In Mexican High School Students, Janneth Trejo-Quintana, Guadalupe E. Morales-Martinez, Betsabe Hernandez-Alvarez

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This research explored the mental representation of media and digital literacy (MDL) in 242 Mexican high school students through a definitional task based on the natural semantic networks technique. The participants defined ten target concepts related to MDL, using verbs, nouns, and adjectives as definers, and then they rated each definer with a scale from 1 to 10. The smaller the number, the lower the quality of the definer to conceptualize the target, while the higher the rating, the higher the quality of the definer to define it. The participants showed a beginner level in MDL despite their daily navigation …

Provision Of Brand Information And Critical Reasoning Predict Advertising Literacy, Eugene Zheng Yao, Alexandra List

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study investigated students’ critical reasoning about commercials, as an aspect of advertising literacy. Critical reasoning was examined under two different experimental conditions. That is, students were tasked with watching four different commercials with 1) brand information provided or not, and 2) asked to engage in critical reasoning or not. The commercials chosen used various production techniques (e.g., socially conscious marketing) to mask their persuasive message. Students provided with brand information within commercials had significantly higher critical reasoning scores when viewing two, out of the four, commercials, and significantly higher overall Analysis of Persuasive Intent (API) scores and brand recall. …

Courage Under Crisis: Examining Altruistic Resistance In Mass Atrocities, Kyra K. Layman

Political Science Honors Projects

Why do individuals resist in different ways during mass atrocities? I theorize that variation in altruistic resistance is shaped by access to platforms, personal connections to victims, and organizational membership. Focusing on bystanders who choose to intervene, I develop a new typology of “Helpers” and construct an original global dataset. Using a mixed-methods approach, I test my hypotheses through regression analysis and triangulate my statistical evidence with individual Helper case studies. This research advances scholarship on resistance by systematically analyzing variation in altruistic behavior, contributing to our understanding of the social and institutional factors that may affect Helpers’ actions.

Volume 16, Maggie Duncan, Madeline Little, Alicia Hoffman, Megan Livesay, Gabrielle Quaresma, Serenity Allen, Laina Pfountz, Ainslie Allred, Sabrina Robles, Nicholas J. Duellman, Trinity L. Deguzman, Melissa H. Savage, Margaret Dudley, Jocelyn Escobar, Olivia Hildreth, Olivia Hopkins, Benjamin Gettier, Lee Kassay, Jade Riddle, Ashley Seiders

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research

From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell

Artist’s Statement Maggie Duncan

On Mentoring Dr. Lee Millar Bidwell

The Hujum Campaign in Uzbekistan and its Consequences by Madeline Little

Wet Cupping Compared to Dry Needling for Treatment of Patients with Low Back Pain: A Critically Appraised Topic by Alicia Hoffman and Megan Livesay

Optimization of eDNA Air Sampling Via 3D Printed Fan by Gabrielle Quaresma

Beyond the Classroom: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Attrition and Retention by Serenity Allen and Laina Pfountz

The Treatment of Subacromial Impingement Syndrome with Platelet-Rich plasma Injections Verses …

The Podcast Election: How Podcasts Helped Decide The United States Presidential Election Of 2024 In An Unprecedented Way, Logan T. Boyd

Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to showcase the interesting, yet inevitable effect that the medium of podcasting had on the 2024 United States Presidential Election Cycle. Throughout the history of the U.S. voters have looked towards the ever growing frontier of technology to shorten the gap between them, and their candidate of choice. From Franklin D. Roosevelt and the radio, to Barack Obama and the internet, the impact these leaps in communication have had on presidential elections are undeniable. Between the two candidacies of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, it was Trump who made full use of the medium …

Eartha M. M. White Memorial Art And Historical Resource Center

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Brochure: Information about the Eartha M. M. White Memorial Art and Historical Resource Center. Circa 1978

Defined Places, Contested Memories: An Analysis Of Historical Memory In La Ascensión, Chihuahua, Mexico, Joel Gonzalez Parra

The Agora

La Ascensión, a town in Chihuahua, Mexico, was founded between 1871 and 1872 and represents a unique case of Mexican repatriation after the Mexican-American War. Its settlers underwent a double relocation, first from Doña Ana, New Mexico, in 1850 and again after the Mesilla Riot of 1871. While the Mexican government saw the town’s formation as a strategic emigration to modernize and defend the frontier, historical memory has largely overshadowed this foundational event, favoring the town’s role in the Mexican Revolution of 1910. This paper argues that broader historical narratives and political violence have obscured the town’s original settlers in …

Thompson’S Rifle Battalion: The Original Unit Of The Army Of The United Colonies (Now The United States Regular Army), John A. Bonin

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2025 John A. Bonin

Although 1775 is indisputably the birth year of the US Army, two events occurred on June 14 of that year to which the Army can credit its birthday. One is the adoption by the Continental Congress of the collective militia forces from several colonies outside Boston to form a Continental Army, of which Congress appointed George Washington the commander in chief on June 15, 1775. In addition, the US Regular Army officially dates its beginning to June 14, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress directed 10 companies of expert riflemen to be raised immediately in Pennsylvania, …

Histography: Gerald Ford And The Pardon Of Nixon, Joshua Longmire Phd

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the annals of American political discourse, President Gerald Ford's decision on September 8, 1974, to grant his predecessor, Richard Nixon, a presidential pardon emerges as a watershed moment. This act insulated Nixon—who was deeply entangled in the intricate web of the Watergate scandal—from prospective criminal prosecution. It represented a significant departure from the anticipated legal processes, especially in the immediate aftermath of Ford's unexpected elevation to the presidency following Nixon's precipitous resignation amidst impending impeachment. This essay seeks to navigate the evolving historiographical landscape of Ford's pardon. It delineates the trajectory from initial critiques to the multifaceted discourses of …

Student Senate Meeting Minutes April 21, 2025, Student Senate-Winona State University

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

This document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for April 21, 2025.

Habitually "Ant-Eyeing": The Life And Work Of Billy Joe Tatum, Lauren Adams Willette

Student Theses and Dissertations

Billy Joe Tatum was a naturalist, author, and educator who grew up in Missouri and Arkansas during the 20th century. She is often compared to Euell Gibbons; her book titled Billy Joe Tatum’s Wild Foods Field Guide and Cookbook was the first of its kind to offer gourmet-style recipes for wild and foraged foods. She wrote many different columns for the Ozarks Mountaineer magazine which was distributed not only in the region but around the United States and internationally. Billy Joe was the first herbalist or “yarb doctor” at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, where she oversaw the first …

2025 Undergraduate Research Competition Program, Coastal Carolina University

Undergraduate Research Symposium Programs

16th Annual Undergraduate Research Competition, April 15-16, 2025.

The 2025 CCU Undergraduate Research Symposium included 168 oral and poster presentations (51 oral presentations and 117 poster presentations) and an additional 20 team pitch presentations composed of 57 students who participated in the inaugural year of the Wall College’s Chant’s Tank Pitch Competition.

Presentations at the Undergraduate Research Symposium were judged by over 80 faculty and staff, and prizes are awarded in three categories: Best Oral Presentation, Best Poster Presentation, and Best Chant’s Tank Pitch Presentation. Here are the following award winners in their respective categories:

Best Oral Presentation:

• 1st Place: …

The Write Voice: Using Professional Writing To Preserve Cultural Heritage, Anna Fox

Public History Symposium

The goal of this capstone was to become familiar with the different voices that public history professionals take on in order to successfully preserve their collections and advocate for community histories. To gain experience with the internally focused informative voice, an orientation manual was written and digitized for the Sinclair College Archives, a local Dayton archive in which student workers, interns, and future archives professionals are frequently trained on the basics of archival processing and arranging materials for public use. For that same institution, a grant opportunity was selected, and a narrative application was written to gain experience using an …

Resilience And Empowerment: The Impact Of Gullah And Maroon Cultural Preservation On Pan-Africanism And Civil Rights Movements, Shantae' L. Streeter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigates the history of the cultural resilience and advocacy of the Gullah people of South Carolina and the Maroons of Jamaica, with a particular emphasis on their function as role models for the empowerment of descendants of the formerly enslaved (DOFE). This investigation examines how enslaved communities preserved cultural identity, resisted systemic injustice and influenced Pan-Africanism and Civil Rights movements in the 20th and 21st centuries. This research emphasizes the experiences of the Gullah people who maintained cultural identity through acculturation, and the enslaved populations from South Carolina’s interior regions and other Southern states, who faced assimilation. Additionally, …

Beast From The East: The Mongol Invasions Of Europe 1221-1223 & 1236-1242, Cam Rea

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Mongol invasions of Europe between 1221-1223 and 1236-1242 represent one of history's most significant military campaigns, reshaping the fabric of society throughout Eastern and Central Europe. This dissertation reevaluates these invasions by analyzing why the Mongols invaded, why they were so dominant, and why they left through the examination of the Mongols' strategic, operational, and logistical capabilities alongside their military doctrine and adaptability. It examines key campaigns, including the pursuit of Shah Muhammad II, the conquest of the Rus' principalities, and the decisive battles in Poland and Hungary. Through an extensive review of primary sources, such as the Nikonian …