Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Exposing The Truth Behind The Stanford Prison Experiment, Leo Novack

Young Historians Conference

In 1971 Philiip Zimbardo, a Stanford University professor, designed an experiment to study human behaviors in the prison system. He sought to understand the effectiveness of the prison system, however, the experiment ended early due to the ethical concerns toward participants. It is considered one of the most important psychological experiments, not for what it helped reform, but for what it pointed out about the importance of safety for research participants. Calling upon primary sources from participants and the researchers’ findings, as well as secondary sources primarily from psychologists and research ethics, the research reveals that this study was unreliable …

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 …

Guidelines For A Good Life: How Morality Tales Have Shaped Communities And Cultural Landscapes, Kate E. Mcfarland

Young Historians Conference

Morality tales have played a crucial role in shaping moral and political structures throughout history. These stories, varying in format from plays, to books, to even musical albums, are easily accessible to readers. They use simple language and terms that can be understood between social classes and strata to teach people how to live a more “moral” life. This paper studies the socio-political effects of these morality tales through in-depth analyses of the Greek Aesop’s Fables, Confucius’ the Analects, the Indian Panchatantra, the medieval play Everyman, and a modern American musical album “Free to Be… You …

“Through Science To Justice” Magnus Hirschfeld’S Role In Queer Liberation, Katarina L. Stoll

Young Historians Conference

Magnus Hirschfeld was a scientist who researched sexuality and gender, as well as an activist for “sexual minorities.” He challenged previously held beliefs that homosexuality should be treated as an illness and is credited with being the first to view gender identity as separate from sexuality. Additionally, Hirschfeld argued that queer people simply act in accordance with their nature. Through the creation of various institutions, he worked to uplift the queer community through publishing his research, undertaking advocacy work, and creating safe spaces. Though not immune to the prejudices of his time, Hirschfeld was able to help improve the lives …

Face Value: Cosmetics As A Unit Of Historical Analysis, Sophie Durocher

Young Historians Conference

Cosmetics are a universal concept that have been inherent in society all throughout history. This paper explores four unique cultures from across the globe and their primary cosmetic of choice. A tube of lipstick from a Bronze Age Persian burial ground sheds light on the early uses and significance of lipstick in Ancient Persia. A compact of powdered pearls from China in the 11th century reveals the widespread importance of facial powder in China. The Maya applied paint and perfumes to denote social status and in ritual traditions, as evidenced by artwork and archaeological evidence. Ancient Egyptians famously painted their …

Teaching From Past Example: Various Interpretations Of Livy's Rape Of Lucretia, June Baeck

Young Historians Conference

The final kings of Rome were expelled in 509 B.C.E. after one of their princes raped a woman, driving her to end her own life. Pure and chaste, this woman was the utmost model of feminine virtue. Her death would bring great political change at the end of the sixth century B.C.E., but her story would be carried on and projected to provoke something similar for millennia. One significant driver of this was Titus Livius, who wrote of her in the first book of his Ab Urbe Condita, a history of Rome written c. 29 B.C.E. His account showcased …

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 …

The Color Of Society: A History Of Textile Dyes, Tess L. Nestel

Young Historians Conference

This paper will examine how textile dyes have been linked to cultural status and hierarchy throughout history. The colors of clothing have long served as outward expressions of wealth and power due to the rarity of natural dyes. With a limited range of colors, each hue became symbolic and took on specific meanings. In China, a strict color code was enforced, with the emperor wearing the most important color; in the Byzantine Empire tyrian purple became the hallmark of royalty and power. Beginning in the 15th century, colonization opened up extensive trade routes that introduced American cochineal and created a …

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.

Comfort Women Surviving Sexual Slavery, Willa Carman Carman

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This research examines the cruelties of sexual slavery committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Around 150,000 to 200,000 women were taken and used as sex slaves between 1928 and 1945, primarily in Korea and the Philippines. These women have come to be known as "comfort women," a former demeaning term suggesting that these women were comforting Japanese soldiers. However, "comfort women" were not voluntary prostitutes but young women and girls coerced, forced, and deceived into the comfort system. These women were kept in military brothels for multiple days up to numerous years, repeatedly raped by sometimes …

2025 Acssc Program, Acssc Planning Committee

Annual Celebration for Student Scholarship and Creativity

No abstract provided.

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 …

2025-04-23 Message From The President, Morehead State University. Office Of The President.

Staff Congress Records

A message sent by the Office of the President to the campus community on April 23, 2025, regarding upcoming events on campus, recognition of Women's Golf Team, personnel updates, new Doctor of Engineering Program, department name changes, and building construction and repairs.

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: …

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 …

Using Trade Books To Thematically Teach Civil Rights Issues, Alyssa Whitford, Timothy Lintner, Caroline Sheffield

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This semester-long project examined the use of social studies trade books to thematically teach the civic contributions of three individuals who served as change agents in the United States during the late 19^th and early 20^th century. Two were African American men, Robert Smalls and Frederick Douglass, who took civic action to address racial discrimination faced by the Black community following the U.S. Civil War. The other was Ida B. Wells who challenged social inequities and injustices within her community. Throughout this project, sixth-grade students read selected trade books, examined primary sources, completed graphic organizers, and crafted writing …

History’S Unsung Hero: Examining Oscar Dunn And African American History Through A Graphical Novel, Nefertari Yancie

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Social studies curriculum is at the center of heated debates in U. S. politics. Conservative politicians seek to limit what student are taught about the experiences of people of color who have been oppressed or subjected to racist policies and treatment throughout American history. Whitewashing history denies students the chance to examine history in its fullness as they are unable to analyze the voices and experiences of all people whose stories have contributed to the American story. In this article, the author explores how graphic novels may be used to teach African American history. Specifically, the author discusses how activities …

Artifact Investigation As An Access Point To Doing Social Studies, Jacquelyn R. Benchik-Osborne, Susan Mcdonough

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Social studies methods coursework at two Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) emphasizes providing access to rigorous social science education for all. Teacher candidates (TCs) learn to design equitable opportunities for students in the elementary and middle level classrooms to engage in inquiry–to do social studies. One tool social scientists use to “do” their work is artifact investigation. Artifacts, such as historical photographs and primary sources, help students connect with cultural and historical contexts. Using digital artifacts from the Library of Congress (LOC), TCs create opportunities for students to explore social dynamics, identity formation, power structures, and community development through cultural realia. …

Both Joint And Not: Medical Support At Okinawa, 1945, Sanders Marble

Joint Force Quarterly

In 1945, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps invaded Okinawa. Heavy casualties were projected, and medical planning was thorough and multi-layered. Medical support was as joint as anything the period could offer, although quite different from today. In a dispersed, low-bandwidth environment, planners did not try to increase "jointness" but had services work in parallel and opted to reduce overlap.

This article looks at the medical planning and how medical support unfolded. Medical care was good, as good as possible in the period. Medical and surgical patients received plenty of care, but psychological patients could receive less care, although …

Developing Alternative Manning Strategies To Maintain The Combat Effectiveness Of The Joint Force, Shawn M. Cook, Andrew Hall, Todd Spanton

Joint Force Quarterly

The U.S. military faces a shrinking pool of eligible and willing recruits, driven by declining physical and mental health eligibility, lower propensity to serve, and reduced confidence in military institutions. This article considers three approaches to sustaining the combat effectiveness of the joint force under these conditions: improving the fitness and readiness of the recruit population, adapting military standards and expectations to the available population, and maintaining a smaller force augmented by advanced technology. The authors argue that broad efforts to change population health and behavior are costly and difficult to sustain, while simply lowering standards could reduce military capability. …

Defusing Weaponized Interdependence: A New Approach To Measuring Country Reliability, Michael F. Harsch, Shaun Lee

Joint Force Quarterly

Global supply chain disruptions, U.S.-China trade competition, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine have highlighted the risks created by economic interdependence and dependence on potentially unreliable suppliers. This article introduces the Measure of Country Reliability (MCR), a framework for assessing the reliability of prospective U.S. economic and supply chain partners. The measure combines countries’ voting behavior in the United Nations General Assembly, used as an indicator of past geopolitical alignment with the United States, with Freedom House Global Freedom Scores, used to estimate likely future reliability. The authors apply the MCR to the 1973 oil embargo and to …

A New Step In China’S Military Reform, Joel Wuthnow

Joint Force Quarterly

In April 2024, Xi Jinping announced a new military restructuring focused on improving the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s ability to achieve information dominance and conduct integrated joint operations in wartime. Continuing a process of reform that Xi initiated nearly a decade ago, the latest reform included three parts: eliminating the Strategic Support Force (SSF), establishing a new Information Support Force (ISF) responsible for network defense and communications support, and placing the ISF and three other support forces under Xi’s direct control. This reform constituted the most significant structural overhaul of the PLA in the last five years, and the first …

Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 117, 2nd Quarter 2025, National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly

Joint Force Quarterly 117 centers on the urgent call for bold, visionary leadership within the U.S. Joint Force. Highlighting challenges such as integrated deterrence, alternative manning strategies, and China’s military reforms, this issue provides strategic insights for future readiness. It features forward-leaning proposals on air defense, military housing, and medical innovation, alongside historical case studies from Okinawa and Leyte. Book reviews and expert commentary further enrich the discourse on contemporary military leadership and strategy.

Haunted Savannah: Dark Tourism And The Afterlives Of Slavery, Amelie Pelletier

Madison Historical Review

This paper examines the transformation of places associated with slavery in Savannah, Georgia into central sites of tourism, particularly focusing on the rise of ghost tours. The Sorrel-Weed House, a mid-19th century mansion, epitomizes this phenomenon, where historical narratives intertwine with paranormal allure to attract visitors. Despite lacking historical basis, stories like that of Molly, allegedly a slave involved in a tragic affair, are crafted to captivate tourists. This paper explores how the Savannah tourism industry obscures the unsettling histories of these sites in favor of Southern opulence and spooky intrigue. It investigates the commodification of slave narratives as ghostly …

The Ideology Of Isolation, Chase Robbins

SPARK Symposium Presentations

No abstract provided.