Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Calculated Self-Presentation: Japan At Twentieth Century American World’S Fairs, Mary Rose Comerford

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

World’s fairs are places of innovation, culture, and technology. They are places where visitors go to be wowed by the innovations of other countries, but do they have a deeper meaning? In this thesis I will argue that world’s fairs serve a purpose beyond the sharing of culture and innovation. They allow national commissions to control the narrative of their country through a careful curation of displays that meet the objectives of their government. Countries’ objectives at world’s fairs change all the time, depending on their position in the world and what serves their best interest. The fairs themselves each …

“Do Not Take Sex Into The Practice”: Lelia Robinson And Her Struggle To Become The First Female Attorney Of Massachusetts, Georgia Grace Peters

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

Lelia Robinson was the first woman lawyer in Massachusetts. Although her achievements paved the way for future female litigators, her efforts to partake in the legal profession were complicated. This was because she herself had a complex relationship with her own identity as a woman who wanted to practice law. In her early career and experiences at law school, Robinson publicly disregarded the discrimination she faced and framed her success as a result of her individual merit and capability, viewing herself as an equal to other male attorneys rather than part of a gendered struggle. Her brief to the Court …

Remembering In The North: How The Civil Rights Movement Is Told Through Monuments, Courtney Wight

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

This thesis, titled “Remembering in the North: How the Civil Rights Movement is Told Through Monuments,” examines how the Civil Rights Movement is remembered in the North through public monuments. The Civil Rights Movement in the North has not received the same level of recognition compared to the South in public memory, yet the stories and activists in the North deserve the same acknowledgement. The cities of Newark, NJ, and Albany, NY, act as case studies to illustrate how the racism and discrimination, which prompted the Civil Rights Movement, were present in the North during the movement. Both cities, like …

“Let The Goddess Guide”: Athena, Columbia, And The Greco-Roman Roots Of American Imperial Rhetoric, Bridget Goguen

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

The goddess of wisdom and war models intellect without complacency, valor without rashness. Claiming this duality—a civilized militancy—from their patron goddess Athena, an ancient Athenian citizenry could rationalize imperial conquest as democratic goodwill. Millennia later, the United States, seeking subtle proclamation of classical succession, crafted their national personification Columbia from the mold of Athena. From the Civil War until the First World War, Americans called on Columbia to symbolically sanction and spectacularize their own imperial ascent. This paper explores the American adaptation of Greco-Roman rhetoric through the mediums of cartoons, sculptures, and paintings in order to reveal the ancient roots …

Presenting Yourself As A Historian: Career Preparation Assignment, Justin Behrend Ph.D.

School of Arts & Sciences

This assignment was developed by Professor Justin Behrend during the Fall 2025 semester.

Learning Objectives

• Students will prepare materials befitting a professional in the discipline.
• Students will evaluate their strengths in relation to the provided job posting.
• The class will provide critical feedback to improve students’ cover letters and CVs.

In The Eyes Of Empires: Depictions Of Ancient Illyria, Maeve Quinlan Miller

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

Illyria, called Illyricum under Roman governance, was an area in the ancient Mediterranean which extended across the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. Situated north of Greece, west of Macedon, and across the ocean from Rome, Illyria occupied a critical place in the world, and yet it remains underdiscussed in scholarship. The sources that have survived into the modern era come from non-Illyrian voices, like Livy from Rome, Polybius, a Greek historian, or Arrian, who took great lengths to record the campaigns of Alexander the Great. Without affiliation or deep understanding of Illyrian ways, places like Rome, Greece, and Macedon …

Diplomatic Misjudgments: The Decision-Making Process Before And During The 1870 Franco-Prussian War, Nathan Daly

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

How did emotions affect the diplomatic process during the waning days of the Concert of Europe?  Was the idea of national honor so prevalent that diplomats began to lack reason when it was called into question by opposing states?  What happens when overzealous officials make claims and requests that far outweigh their position and norms of the time?  To address these questions, this thesis examines the diplomatic negotiations that took place before and during the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War, with a focus on the French side. The first chapter, which examines the crisis before the war, highlights how the French diplomats …

The Last Boat: How American And Polish Domestic And Foreign Policies Shaped The Polish Jewish Emigration Experience, 1933–1939, Jesse Spadaccini

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

The interwar period from 1918 to 1939 saw Poland and the United States contend with major international and domestic questions regarding Jewish emigration. In a matter of twenty years, Polish policy developed from protecting its Jewish minority to actively persecuting it in political, economic, and social spheres with radical antisemitism. In the United States, immigration was limited post-1924 because of a nationality-based quota system introduced by the Immigration Act of 1924. Despite diplomats arguing for increased numbers, American officials’ position remained strong on limiting immigration, continuing unchanged as an understanding of Polish-Jewish plight became clear in the 1930s. The Polish …

From Stacks To Scholarship: A Legacy Of The Academic Library (1968-2000), Diane Duesterhoeft, Janet Ojinnaka

Posters - 2026

In 2027, St. Mary's University will celebrate the Dodransbicentennial (175th) anniversary of its founding. 

In 2025, the Louis J. Blume Library celebrated the 25th anniversary of its renaming from the Academic Library. Here, we highlight some milestones from the library's history.

More information is available here: https://lib.stmarytx.edu/tour/timeline

Reconstructing A Legacy: Zygmunt Lakociński, The Polish Research Institute’S Archive, And The Women Behind It, Alanna Gallo

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

Abstract: In 1945, Polish historian Zygmunt Lakociński embarked on a project to “document the truth against all myths.” Following the arrival of 7,300 Polish former prisoners, 6,000 of them women, to Sweden after liberation, Lakociński created the Polish Research Institute Archive (PIZ). The result was a collection of over 500 highly detailed and corroborated witness testimonies of Nazi war crimes at the Ravensbrück concentration camp. From its interview procedures and methodology to the composition of its staff, the Polish Research Institute Archive was utterly unconventional for its time. Aside from its scope, much of the archive’s importance lies in its …

Spring 2026, History Department, Csusb

History Department Newsletter

No abstract provided.

St. Mary's Rotc, One Hundred Years Of Military Science, Pedro Martinez

Posters - 2026

The ROTC program at St. Mary’s has built a proud legacy of over a century of military tradition, leadership, and service. That distinguished chapter will evolve at the end of this semester as the program transitions from host institution status and becomes an extension of the University of Texas at San Antonio. While the program will continue to operate, this change marks both the end of one era and the beginning of another. Much of this rich history had long gone undocumented by the university and the battalion, until now, bringing together the key moments of its evolution, from its …

Unassuming Antiquity: The 1939-1940 New York World’S Fair, Mary Rose Comerford

History & Classics Student Scholarship

This paper examines the self-representation of Japan at the 1939 New York World’s Fair through the country’s displays and gifts to the United States. American world’s fairs were events that many countries wanted to participate in, to showcase their innovation, industry, and culture. It was a place for them to enter the international stage and control their image of themselves to the rest of the world. Japan’s choice of displays varied at different points in history depending on what would best serve the country’s diplomatic interests. In 1939, following its military aggression in China, Japan looked for a chance to …

The Royal And Divine Garden: Cherubim And Vegetation Imagery In Solomon’S Temple And The Ancient Near East, Jack W. Sulewski

Global Tides

Solomon’s Temple is described in significant detail in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. It may surprise the reader to know that virtually all iconography included in the Temple’s design were standard forms of communicating religious concepts in the Ancient Near East. This can present some theological problems. Is Israel’s “use" of other pagan nations' religious symbolism an issue when communicating the holiness of God? To understand further the relationship between culture, politics, and Ancient Near Eastern religion, I spent one month doing archival research in England’s multiple museums analyzing ANE object collections. Through a report of my work, this essay …

An Ordinary Hero: Examining The True Nature Of Amelia Earhart, Daniella Hernandez

Emerging Writers

This essay explores how Amelia Earhart’s perception in society has been skewed by the sensationalism surrounding her career as a female aviator and the conspiracies surrounding her mysterious disappearance. The author argues that Earhart’s true character and the impact she had on society as a whole have been overshadowed by the media’s fascination with her strange death.

Student Senate Meeting Minutes March 25, 2026, Student Senate-Winona State University

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

This document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for March 25, 2026.

Student Senate Meeting Minutes March 18, 2026, Student Senate-Winona State University

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

This document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for March 18, 2026.

"That Others Might Be Free”: Pride, Prejudice, And Paternalism In The Imperial Period, Bridget Goguen

History & Classics Student Scholarship

The goddess of wisdom and war models intellect without complacency, valor without rashness. Claiming this duality—a civilized militancy—from their patron goddess Athena, an ancient Athenian citizenry could rationalize imperial conquest as democratic goodwill. Millennia later, the United States, seeking subtle proclamation of classical succession, crafted their national personification Columbia from the mold of Athena. Amidst the politics of territorial expansion in the aftermath of the 1898 Spanish-American War, the Americans called on Columbia to symbolically marshal and disguise their own imperial ascent. This paper explores the American adaptation of Greco-Roman rhetoric through the mediums of cartoons, sculptures, and paintings in …

Student Senate Meeting Minutes March 4, 2026, Student Senate-Winona State University

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

This document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for March 4, 2026.

Reading Migration Through Film: Using America, America, And ¡Alambrista! As Primary Sources, Joshua L. Kenna, Matt Stevenson

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this project was to:

• Engage pre-service social studies teachers in analyzing films from the National Film Registry.
• Develop inquiry-driven lessons where students use film as historical evidence.
• Model how media reflects cultural, political, and social conditions across time.

Student Senate Meeting Minutes February 25, 2026, Student Senate-Winona State University

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

This document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for February 25, 2026.

Biographical Directory Of Documentation And Information Science, Michael K. Buckland, Jenny Bossaller

Proceedings from the Document Academy

A new Biographical Directory of Documentation and Information Science (https://asist.a2hosted.com) has been created under the auspices of the Association for Information Science and Technology Special Interest Group in the History and Foundations of Information Science, using wiki-style presentation. It rescued, updated, and extended the “Pioneers of Information Science” webpages created by the late Robert V. Williams in the 1990s. The historical background, technical decisions, and policy options are summarized.

Student Senate Meeting Minutes February 11, 2026, Student Senate-Winona State University

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

This document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for February 11, 2026.

The Dental Phantom As A Tool For Exploring Fear, The Face, And Dental Education, Christine Slobogin Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dental phantoms have been used in dental education since the late nineteenth century. These pedagogical objects – particularly those from the first half of the twentieth century – have today enjoyed a resurgence of interest in the art and film worlds. After first outlining the history and pedagogical purposes of the dental phantom, this article examines what the artistic and filmic attractions to the aesthetics of these objects can tell us about fear, the mouth and the face, and dental education. How and why can a dental teaching tool be scary? Arriving at some answers to this question – reached …

A Crown In Death: An (Expanded) Dramaturgical Approach To The Trojan Women Of Euripides, Stephanie Lester

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

In the action-packed, visually-oriented market for modern media, some may assume a 2,400-year-old Greek tragedy to be slightly past its expiration date, especially if it features little to no action onstage like in Euripides’ The Trojan Women. However, it is important to remember that literature is lost when the world fails to cherish it, so if a text survives that long, it may be worth another cursory glance. In this case, that glance involved a full dramaturgical study featuring qualitative script analysis of multiple translations of The Trojan Women with related texts to explore context, themes, common literary devices, and …

Living Faithfully In An Economic Revolution, Part I: Learning From The Past, Joshua E. Hollinger

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Economic progress is a gift of common grace: God allows even fallen humanity to develop knowledge, institutions, and technologies that genuinely improve life."

Posting about past economic developments from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Living Faithfully in an Economic Revolution, Part I

Asylum On The Prairie, Christain Smith

History Hawks: A North Dakota History Zine

Asylum on the Prairie is a short history zine that examines the rise, abuse, and eventual reform of the Jamestown State Hospital, revealing the contradictions at the heart of early American asylums--institutions founded on care but shaped by neglect and stigma. Tracing the hospital from its 1885 opening through the 1937 scandal and later deinstitutionalization, it highlights how systemic failures persisted until public outrage forced change. Ultimately, the zine reflects on Jamestown as a cautionary example of how vulnerable populations can be failed without accountability and humane oversight.

North Dakota's Children's Homes & Foster Care During The Great Depression, Signe Svendsen

History Hawks: A North Dakota History Zine

This zine explores the experiences of children placed in North Dakota's children's homes and foster care systems during the Great Depression. As poverty, unemployment, and family instability increased, many children were separated from their families, revealing how economic crisis reshaped child welfare in the state, and how this affected families.

Student Senate Meeting Minutes February 4, 2026, Student Senate-Winona State University

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

This document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for February 4, 2026.

Writing History In The Digital Age, Taoufik Ait Bouchgour

Faits de Langue et Société (FLS)

In the digital age, the Humanities and Social Sciences have undergone major changes, affecting the tools, practices and methods specific to each discipline. The digital revolution is similar to that of the Renaissance and the printing press. In history, historians have had to review their epistemological and theoretical concepts. The relationship with sources and heuristic questions have also undergone profound changes. The notion of "digital history" is challenging the certainties of historians in the face of our societies' new need for historical truth and the predominance of memory. Historians need to look to the foundations of their profession. Without this …