New Exhibit at the Idaho Black History Museum

The Idaho Black History Museum has installed a new exhibit: "The History of the NAACP in Idaho," honoring local faces, places, and histories of many great leaders behind the movement to instill civil liberties and Civil Rights legislation in the state of Idaho. For more information, contact Chandra Silva at 426-4879.

Student Scholarship Opportunity

"Students in Service" is a part-time AmeriCorps program that offers scholarships to college students who participate in community service.

Contact Jiliana Finnegan at 426-5631 or jilianafinnegan@boisestate.edu. Go to
www.studentsinservice.org for more information.

Introducing the History Department Librarian!

Hello, my name is Erin Passehl, and I am a Librarian/Archivist in Special Collections, located on the 2nd floor of Albertsons Library. I am also the liaison to the history department. A Midwest native, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor degree in history and political science. I also have a Master of Science in Information (MSI) from the University of Michigan where I specialized in archives. I am excited to work closely with students, faculty, and staff in the history department.

I encourage everyone to check out the History Subject Guide that serves as a starting point for library research using books, journals, and databases, as well as links to other useful information such as websites and digital collections that may relate to your studies or research. Albertsons Library also has a blog that provides information on news and resources from the library, and a Twitter feed that showcases new resources both on and off-campus.

I am here to help faculty, staff and students with any questions related to historical research using the library or special collections. Please contact me anytime to schedule an appointment, request/suggest a purchase of materials for the library, or for help in general. You can find my contact information on my profile page.

Have a great semester!
Erin Passehl

Our "Top Ten Scholars"

Two of this year's Top Ten Scholars, Pankhuree Dube and Dane Vanhoozer, were history majors. Here they are, pictured just before the reception held in their honor on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference

Pictures of some of our participants: Brian Lawatch (with McNair Program advisor David Walker), Amber Thompson (with McNair Program advisor Lisa Brady), and Dane Vanhoozer. Caroline Valderrama, who will enter our graduate program next year, also presented.

Two Historians among 2009 Top Ten Scholars

Pankhuree Dube and Dane Vanhoozer have been selected as Top Ten Scholars for the 2009 graduating class. Dube focused on Latin American history while an undergrad at Boise State, while Vanhoozer worked on US history. Congratulations to them both for their achievements, and good luck in their future endeavors!

Graduate School Beckons Lawatch, Dube

Two history undergrads, Brian Lawatch and Pankhuree Dube, have been admitted to graduate programs in their chosen fields. Lawatch will attend George Washington University in Washington D.C. to study international history, and Dube will head to Emory University, which offered her a five-year fellowship to study the history of Mexico.

History Undergrads Present Their Research...

...at the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference on Monday, April 20. Dane Vanhoozer, Brian Lawatch, and Amber Thompson will be presenting their work. The conference will be held in various rooms in the student union building from 1 to 4 p.m. The conference program will help you find your way through the many presentations.

New Courses This Fall!

The history department made several revisions to its major this year; those revisions will go into affect next fall (2009). In general, we suggest that history majors to meet with an advisor to discuss the implications of these changes! Specifically, though, there are a few new courses that students need to know about:

History 100: This is an introductory course designed as a core option for non-majors. If you are a history major and do wish to take it, it will count for elective credit only.

History 199: This was until this semester History 291. We have changed the content slightly and now urge students to take it during their first year.

History 498: This is now the only history seminar we will offer, and is designed solely for senior history majors. This new seminar will not be a traditional "lectures and books" class. Instead, it will be entirely devoted to the writing, sharing, presenting, and critiquing of a historical research paper. The professor of record in the course will determine the fields covered by the seminar. Thus, in the fall of 2009 we will offer two of these seminars, one by Michael Zirinsky and the other by Shelton Woods. You can assume that in Zirinsky's seminar, you will be writing a paper on Middle Eastern and Islamic history, including US policy in the region. You can also assume that in Woods' seminar you will be writing a paper on East Asian history.

If you are a history major, please spread the word about these changes! There will probably be some confusion at first, but that's what advisors are for.

Night Stalkers

On March 13, 2009, Phi Alpha Theta volunteered at "Night Stalkers," a flashlight tour of the Old Penitentiary. Students helped by taking tickets, handing out brochures and programs, and helping keep the guests safe from the ghosts of...

Masters Defenses Coming Up

There are a number of masters defenses coming up in the next couple of weeks. They are open to the public:

Alissa Peterson, "Traditions in Transition: Basques in America" (Schackel) March 18, 2009, Wednesday, 3:30 pm, Library 170, Sociology Conference Room

Karen Wadley, "The King and His Council" (Odahl) March 20, Friday, 1:30 - 3:00 pm, Library 194, History Conference Room

Josh Bernard, "History and Beauty: The History of the Idaho State Parks" (Shallat) March 30, Monday, 2:00 - 4:00 pm, Library 170, Sociology Conference Room

Kelly Orgill, "Bequeathment: How the Hardships of Idaho's Settlers Have Shaped Idahoan Identity" (Brady) March 31, Tuesday, 3:00 - 5:00 pm, Library 170, Sociology Conference Room

Olivia Umphrey, "From Screen to Page: Japanese Film as a Historical Document, 1931-1959" (Woods) April 3, Friday, 12:30- 2:00 pm, Library 194, History Conference Room

Students: The Library Wants You

The library has created a new committee called the Student Library Advisory Committee. That committee will help the library administration learn what students think about library operations and how they could be improved. The first meeting will take place March 18, at 4:20 pm in Library 201C. If you are interested, please RSVP to Kim Leeder at 426-1621 or KimLeeder@boisestate.edu.

Lubamersky and Miller Lecture at UC Berkeley

This week Professors Lynn Lubamersky and Nick Miller will be delivering lectures at the University of California, Berkeley. Lubamersky will discuss commemorations and national identity in Lithuania since independence, and Miller will give the annual "Peter Kujachich Lecture in Serbian and Montenegrin Studies." His talk will be titled "Serbia in 1989: Where Was the Serbian Havel?"

Carissa Black Wins Photo Contest

Graduate student Carissa Black, who will soon defend her Masters project, recently won a photo contest hosted by the Idaho State Historical Society in honor of 2009's Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month. We've asked Carissa if we can post the photo, and await word on that front. More on the award at the Idaho State Historical Society.

A Night at the Movies

Last Saturday, Lisa McClain hosted a showing of "Braveheart" for Phi Alpha Theta. Rumor has it that there was some detailed discussion of the relationship of kilts to freedom.

Scholarship Season: Applications Due March 1 (Earlier Posting In Error!)

The history department has a number of scholarships totalling several thousand dollars to offer undergraduate and graduate students every year. Applications are due March 1! Think about applying. Questions? Call 426-1255.

Reel vs. Real: Lisa McClain to Host "Braveheart"

Phi Alpha Theta is sponsoring another 'Reel vs. Real' event:

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Papa Joe's Italian Restaurant (in the TV lounge area)

1301 S. Capitol Blvd.

7:00 p.m.

The movie is: Braveheart

The professor leading the discussion will be Dr. Lisa McClain.

Synopsis:

This 1995 film is about William Wallace, a Scottish rebel who leads an uprising against the cruel English ruler Edward the Longshanks, who wishes to inherit the crown of Scotland for himself. When he was a young boy, William Wallace's father and brother, along with many others, lost their lives trying to free Scotland. Once he loses another of his loved ones, William Wallace begins his long quest to make Scotland free once and for all, along with the assistance of Robert the Bruce.

Both food and drink are available for purchase. Join Phi Alpha Theta for this fun, 'historical' gathering!

If you have questions or want more information, please feel free to call!

Megan Jamison, Phi Alpha Theta President

meganjamison@u.boisestate.edu

426-1255

Scholarship Applications Due February 15

The History Department has scholarships to offer students. They range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per year, so they are worth the effort of applying. The application deadline is February 15, which is approaching fast. For details, check out the BSU and History Department scholarship information sites.

More Scenes from the Inauguration Party

Scenes from an Inauguration Party

This morning's inauguration-viewing-party, hosted by the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, was a huge success, with wall-to wall attendance estimated at 600 people. The history department was well represented, with Professors Klein and Schackel bringing their classes (Jill Gill's 200-student section watched in their lecture hall, fearing they would overstuff the Jordan Ballroom).

Presidential Inauguration Gathering January 20

On January 20, between 9 and noon, there will be a Presidential Inauguration watch party and information session in the Jordan Ballroom, hosted by the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs.The swearing-in is supposed to take place “around” 9:30 mountain time, but the big screen televisions will be showing the subsequent news and analysis, and some experts from SSPA will be on hand. This is a “drop-in” affair, so come over when you can.

Changes to the History Major for 2009-2010

This year, the department developed a series of changes to the history major, all of which we believe will benefit students. These changes will take effect in the 2009-2010 catalog. Overall, we have reduced the size of the major from 45 to 36 credits. This reduction will allow students to minor in other fields more easily, and brings the size of our major into line with others nationwide. More specificially, we have introduced new lower division surveys on Islam, Africa, and Latin America, some of which all majors will now have to take. Finally, we’ve introduced a new “capstone” seminar (History 498), which will be offered three times a year and will be required of all majors. This course will be devoted entirely to writing a research paper in a seminar setting. Different professors will offer the seminars. In the fall, our first two seminars will be offered by professors Michael Zirinsky and Shelton Woods, and students who take those seminars will write research papers that fall into those professors’ areas of expertise.

The changes in the major will force many students to make a choice: graduate under the new requirements, or under the old ones? Generally, if you are well on the way to graduating under the old requirements, you should probably continue on that path. But if you have questions, get in touch with a faculty member in the department, who can advise you on the best strategy for you.

Please note that the History/Secondary Education and History/Social Sciences/Secondary Education majors will not change.