Patty Pierose (III)

On her motivations to study history, and her research:

“The project I have been working on concerns the Prisoner of War Camps in the Magic Valley during World War II. Italians, Germans, and some Russians (called Mongols by some newspaper reports) lived and worked at the Rupert Prisoner of War Camp from late 1944 to 1946. Branch or site camps existed all over the valley, and I am particularly interested in those. My father had said there was a camp at Filer where we lived and that POW’s worked in his fields. My mom said they were so very young and though she wasn’t supposed to feed them, she often baked cookies, bread and cakes for them. Thus, I had always been interested in the fact that a POW camp was in Idaho…so I began reading what I could about camps in the United States and then more specifically in the west…In part, I am pushed by the fact that very few people know that this camp existed outside of Rupert and also that people keep trying to associate it with the Japanese Internment camp in Jerome county. I have taught myself a great deal about researching…I have collected many photographs from people, a particularly significant set of photos of prisoners in the fields. It was illegal to take photos of prisoners for national security reasons, so I prize those...I’m still researching, though the text is pretty well finished about the Magic Valley. Now in the spring I am moving on to the Treasure Valley sites.”

Patty Pierose (II)

Part II of an interview with Patty Pierose, who tells us about one of those moments in class when you say to yourself, "Aha!":

"Holy Cow Moments...the one that leaps to mind happened in Todd Shallat’s class. I was researching the Oakland fire in the early 90’s, and I was stunned to find out that Proposition 13 came into play. A cap on taxing of the especially valuable homes in the foothills left fire services woefully underfunded. Then the wealthy homeowners turned on the city for not protecting them. So, in the aftermath, a great number of changes came into play; insurance prices rose, which meant everyone had to pay for the wealthy to have left their cities in disastrous shape. Also, the 1989 earthquake had an enormous impact on homes in lower income areas, but no one rushed to help them out (of course). Jill Gill is fond of pointing out that the sin of greed is mentioned more times in the Bible than any other one. I mean the thing is, I would not have picked the topic as near and dear to me, but I ended up teaching myself so much about a relatively recent event…"

Kimberly Cochrane Blogs From Russia

This is it.

Student Focus -- Patty Pierose (I)

Periodically (very periodically) we will be posting interviews with history students. Brian Lawatch gamely answered some questions for us earlier in the semester, and now it's the turn of Patty Pierose. Today, the first installment. The question (drumroll...) "What drew you back to the university, and the study of history, after a bit of time away?" Her answer:

"I really just began at Boise State because the description of Dr. Gill's American Religious History interested me….I took it for graduate credit as that was the only spot open. I had already done some reading about American religion and how and where denominations took root, so it was an avocational interest with me….Gill is a great professor: she's organized; she is wonderfully enthusiastic; she can handle a delicate classroom question with great skill and finesse….After that is was "Katy, Bar the Door" to quote my farmer father. I decided to get a third degree, an undergraduate degree in history. For THE Fun OF IT. People crack up when I say that. Zirinsky and Gill told me I should go for a Master's Degree in History, but my ancient 20 credits of mostly American History left me feeling like I didn't know enough. I should have done it… I'm still having a wonderful time….I can't really have a bad instructor or class because as an adult learner, I know exactly how to learn and I don't stop at the grade. I mean, I want to be challenged and held to a decent, strong standard, and I'll keep reading everything, so mostly it's on me."

Come back soon for Patty's history class "wow moment"...

Phi Alpha Theta in Action

News (and pictures) from the field:

Phi Alpha Theta held a Reel vs. Real event on November 7th at Papa Joe's (the film was "Cross of Iron," and the host was Dr. David Walker).

One day later, Phi Alpha Theta President Megan Jamison and PAT member Hanako Wakatsuki ran the hot chocolate/coffee station at the Idaho Military History Museum's Veterans Open House and Night Fire. Somehow they managed to meet up with Abraham Lincoln, who allowed a photographer other than Matthew Brady to snap his picture.

Study Tour To Greece, Summer 09

Professor Nick Miller will be leading a study tour for the Honors College to Greece in May 2009. The trip will include Athens and other mainland sites of interest, as well as a few days touring several islands. It will focus on the entire sweep of Greek history, from ancient to modern. If you are interested, get in touch with Miller (426-3902, nmiller@boisestate.edu) or Chris Hyer in the Honors College (christopherhyer@boisestate.edu).

Important Note for Majors! Department of History Revises its Curriculum

Recently, the department of history proposed a series of wide-ranging changes to its undergraduate curriculum. Last week, the university approved those changes. We had two purposes in mind: one was to introduce World History into the lower division curriculum; the other was to reduce the size of the major, which is now 36 credits instead of 45. (the History/Secondary Education major remains virtually as it was). The changes will be present in next year's catalog. Keep in mind that you can choose which catalog they use to graduate, so get together with an advisor to see how the changes could affect you.

(Edited slightly at 2 pm)

Workshop on the Basque Farmhouse: Nov. 1-2

This workshop studies the Basque family farmhouse, which is core to the Basque Culture and determines many of its unique and universal characteristics. (There will be a field trip to the Basque Museum). The workshop takes place Nov. 1 and 2 (Saturday and Sunday) in the Multipurpose Classroom Building, room 201. If you need another credit for fall, this is something you could add to your schedule (especially if you are a full time student who doesn't have the maximum credits one could enroll in per semester!)

Find it on BroncoWeb (History 494-1094) and learn about Basque culture! For questions on this workshop contact Alberto Santana Ezquerra at 426-5331.

Reel vs. Real: David Walker Talks "Cross of Iron"

At Papa Joe's on Capital, 5:30 P.M. on Friday, November 7.

Join us for the first Reel vs. Real of the year, sponsored by Phi Alpha Theta, the history honors student club. You don't have to be a member to come and watch the movie and partake in the discussion! All are welcome!

Dr. David Walker is offering "Cross of Iron" directed by Sam Peckinpah. This movie was filmed in 1977 and is about World War II. Papa Joes has a large menu, and an espresso and wine bar too so there will be plenty of food and drink available for purchase.

We've reserved the TV 'lounge' area, so please come join us! Seating is limited....please reply to this message to let us know if you will be able to come!

Women and the Vote: Lisa McClain in the News

Yesterday (October 28), the Idaho Statesman published an opinion piece co-written by Boise State University's Dr. Lisa McClain and Linda Basch, the president of the National Council for Research on Women. A teaser:

Women, who are being aggressively courted by both campaigns, have much at stake in this election. Now that attention has turned from lipstick to the economy, perhaps we can start a dialogue on what really matters to women voters in Idaho.

Click on the link above to read the article.

Phi Alpha Theta

Every school year, the Boise State University chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honors society, hosts events ranging from "Reel to Real" film evenings to social gatherings. The highlight of the year comes with the Phi Alpha Theta regional conference, held at a different university in the Pacific Northwest every year, where students present their research and receive comment (firm but friendly) from faculty and students from other institutions.

Megan Jamison is the president of PAT this year. She's scouting for other officers (VP, secretary, treasurer). She can be reached at 426-1255 and at meganjamison@u.boisestate.edu. Get in touch with her! PAT is a great way to meet up with other history students and to get started as a scholar.

Fulbright Applications Due Soon

It's getting late, but not too late: Fulbright student program applications are due on October 20. If you are interested, get in touch with Nick Miller in the history department (426-3902, or nmiller@boisestate.edu).

If you are a freshman, sophomore, or junior who would like to talk about this fabulous program (which sends great students abroad every year after they earn their Bachelors degree), set aside some time to talk with that same Nick Miller, in Library 193 or at the above number and email.

The Museum Came to Life!

At the "Museum Come to Life" event at Julia Davis last Saturday, September 27, 2008, Dr. Barton Barbour was there as a fur trapper displaying his artifacts.

Idaho Council for History Education, Oct. 2-3

On Thursday and Friday of next week, the Idaho Council for History Education meets at Boise High School for its annual conference. Among BSU historians, Shelton Woods, Michael Zirinsky, Bart Barbour, and Bob Sims will speak on Thursday, while Lisa Brady and Jill Gill will be there on Friday. The keynote speaker on Friday is award-winning historian of the Great Plains, Elliott West. This conference is always a huge draw with informative and entertaining lectures -- make your way over to Boise High if you can!

Late Add: Elliott West will be speaking at the Fettuccine Forum the evening of Thursday, Oct. 2 for those who won't get to see him Friday, or who can't get enough. His talk will be at 6 p.m., doors open at 5:30 p.m. in the Rose Room. For more information, call 426-1255.

Focus on: Brian Lawatch

Once in a while, we’ll be talking to people we know and reporting what we hear, in only slightly edited fashion. Today’s victim: Brian Lawatch, history undergrad.

Why Did You Decide to Major in History?

I'm a history major because history is the one subject that I'm most passionate about. I feel that in order to understand the present, I need to have knowledge about our past. When I first started classes at BSU I was not sure what I was going to major in. I thought I would get a degree in business or some "practical" profession that could bring in a steady income. However, after my first year, I realized I was not going to be happy pursuing a degree I didn't enjoy learning about. I took a leap of faith deciding on history.

And why attend Boise State University?

Right out of high school I thought I did not want to be in Boise any longer so I joined the Army. It turned out that I missed this town and decided I wanted to return here for college and to be near family and friends.

You are a McNair Scholar – which means that you are the first member of your family to attend college – what has that meant to you?

Being a McNair Scholar means having a stellar opportunity to become an extremely competitive candidate for graduate studies toward a Ph.D. The program has given me the tools and knowledge required to develop the scholarly disposition that graduate institutions look for. The seminars make available time and resources toward hunting for schools, studying for the GRE, and developing healthy mentor-student relationships. Most importantly, the McNair program provided me with a $2,800 grant this summer to write a quality research paper for publication, presentation at a national conference, and submission to graduate schools. This program has helped me in countless ways and I encourage every undergraduate history major at BSU that fits the criteria to apply to the McNair Scholars Program.

How did you spend your summer?

This summer, as stated above, I used my $2,800 grant from the McNair Program to fund my undergraduate thesis paper: "Legitimizing Torture: How Similar Ideologies of the French in Algeria and the United States in the War on Terror Led to Torture." That took up most of my summer.

Didn’t you have any fun this summer?

For fun this summer I rode my mountain bike up in the foothills. I went to a cabin in Crouch, Idaho with about 20 friends and went rafting and enjoyed some home-made beer. I spent some time with new friends, old friends and family. Other than that, my summer was uneventful. I'm saving all my traveling for next summer after I graduate.

What’s your favorite piece of clothing?

My favorite piece of clothing... I would have to say is my "Members Only" jacket, which I do not actually have but wish I did.

What was your most memorable “Holy Cow” moment in a history class?

My "holy cow" moment in class was in David Walker's Western Europe after WWII class when we were learning about decolonization, specifically the French decolonization in North Africa. Learning about the frustration of the French soldiers, the people of France and Algeria, and all the politics reminded me very much of my own experiences in the Army. The superior French fighting force had a world of trouble against a rag-tag militia because the rules of warfare and clashes with Frances own humanitarian values dictated the direction of the war and the eventual outcome. This piqued my interest greatly and has been part of the focus of my research.

Whose shoes...

whose feet?

The Queen of Homecoming!

Megan Jamison (top), one of the History Department's intrepid student employees, has singlehandedly raised the department (close) to the pinnacle of homecoming hysteria, bringing home the second-place prize for best homecoming decoration on campus.

Edit: Actually, we won the prize for best thematic tie-in (click on the Bronco version of the Gettysburg Address, above).

Jill Gill Speaks at the City Club

Today, Professor Jill Gill discussed the role of evangelical Christians in American politics to a full house at the City Club in downtown Boise.

Alissa Peterson at Old York

Alissa Peterson (MAHR student) spent much of the summer in York, Maine working as an Elizabeth Bishop Perkins Fellow at the Museums of Old York (she's on the far right in the photo above, with other Perkins fellows). We can't do a better job describing her summer than the local paper, which we'll let fill you in.

Teaching in Thailand: Carole Schroeder

From adjunct Carole Schroeder, who teaches History of Eastern Civilizations, History of Western Civilization, and in the fall
semester, Korean History and Culture Through Film:

"I have just returned from five weeks in Thailand, where I taught
Conversational English at Muang Thalang School. I was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Boise Southwest, and the club donated my airfare, expenses, and 100 pounds of books. I flew into Bangkok, spent time there, and then flew to Phuket Island where I taught and left the books from Boise Southwest Rotary. I visited four provinces of Thailand while I was there, driving hundreds of miles on the 'wrong' side of the road while miraculously avoiding mishaps. I also traveled to Phi Phi Island where the movie 'The Beach' was filmed; there are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island, so the exciting driving was not part of that weekend."

Orgill and Black Preserve Idaho's History

Kelly Orgill (above) and Carissa Black have been entrusted with additional duties and asked to stay on as full time staff members at the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office, part of the Idaho State Historical Society. As far as grad school goes, Kelly Orgill’s MA work focuses on Idaho identity and environmental issues, and she is working with Dr. Lisa Brady. Carissa Black is not only working full time for the Historic Preservation Office, but is also an intern at the Public Archives and Research Library as part of her MAHR project where she is conducting oral histories and compiling research on Idaho’s conservation movement. Carissa will also be traveling (thanks to funding from the History Department) to Oregon and Washington this summer to attend archival training workshops.

Have News?

Write to profnjm@gmail.com.

Kim Cochrane Goes to Russia

Kim Cochrane, who graduated with honors on Saturday, sends this report: "...I am fascinated by Russia's history and culture, and in September I will head to Moscow, Russia for a year to teach English as a foreign language with EF English First. I am excited to live and work abroad, learn Russian, and experience Russian culture. This experience will help guide me toward a career in education, which I plan to pursue after attending graduate school."

News from the Classics

Charles Odahl reporting:

-- Kasey Reed, History Major and Latin Minor graduate (2006), completed an MA in Greek Language and Civilization at The University of Reading in 2007, and is currently working at the Boise Library before going on to more graduate studies in Classics.

-- Mark Hibbard, History Major and Latin Minor graduate (2007), has been accepted into a graduate program in Comparative Linguistics at the University of Leiden for the fall of 2008.

-- Matt Recla, MA in Ancient History and Religion (2006), has now completed his second year of doctoral studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and participated in an archaeological dig at Ephesus, Turkey, last summer.

-- Karen Wadley has completed the first year of her MA program in Medieval History, will be doing museum and site research in Britain this summer (thanks to a travel grant from the department), and will be writing and defending her thesis next year.

Graduation Day

Professors Lisa McClain, Nicanor Dominguez, Nick Miller, and Jill Gill, at graduation, May 17, 2008. It only seems like it took a long time for them to get their degrees.

Congratulations to Susan Emerson!

She hasn't been "our" student for a few years now, but we still claim her: Susan Emerson is graduating this weekend with her Masters in Public Administration. Historian, globe-trotting volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, Network Administrator, TVTV devotee: what comes next?

Other students spotted, but not long enough to snap a photo: Aimee Thacker, Chris Blanchard, Alicia Cowger, Jake Bradford, Dairus Barnes, Joe Rollins, John Rollins.

Summer Plans: Odahl

Charles Odahl always puts his summers to good use. Last summer, he attended the international Constantine exhibition in Trier, Germany (for a book signing of his biography of the emperor); did research in Rome and Tuscany, Italy for a book he is writing on Cicero; and did archaeological and museum research at the ruins of Carthage in Tunisia for a future project. This summer, he is teaching Medieval European History and Medieval Latin Literature in BSU's first five week summer session; completing his book on Cicero and the Catilinarian Conspiracy; and taking some time off for surfing and sailing on the Oregon coast before starting the fall semester and new projects.

Audra Green Heads to Notre Dame

Audra Green, who received her BA in history from Boise State University in December 2006, will head to the University of Notre Dame in the fall on a Gaia Fellowship, which provides for living expenses and tuition for five years. She will study modern Latin American History and Migration Studies. Congratulations, Audra!

MAHR Student News

Todd Shallat reports that many of our students in the Master of Applied Historical Research program have gotten jobs or fellowships "doing what they love:

-- Patrick Taylor has a real job with the National Park Service

-- Alissa Petersen has a cool museum fellowship in Maine

-- Don Anderson got money from Canyon County to do a film of Celebration Park for their new museum

-- Marc Frisk has a job with the Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge, where he is building an interpretive trail

-- Susan Whipple is producing a tourism book for the Snake River Scenic Byway, working via the City of Caldwell and Planmakers, Inc

-- Tully Gerlach has developed some art-history tours, and you can see him on the city streets with mobs of school children

-- Chris Blanchard has been hired as the "production editor" for the new online version of Idaho Yesterdays, working with ISU and the Idaho State Historical Soceity

-- Amber Beierle is now the state's historical librarian in the state historical society

-- Ann Felton has been appointed to the graduate faculty at BSU and will be teaching local history workshops, including a workshop on the past and future of the railroad in Boise, part of an effort to get AMTRACK back."

Whew. More better details as I get them.

Summer Plans: Gill

Jill Gill is scheduled to give a few talks this summer: the first set will be in Sun Valley in July, where she is doing a series of 3 talks on American religious history for a Jewish-Episcopal alliance that brings in speakers every summer on religion-related topics; then, in August, she'll be giving a talk on religion and politics for the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship in Boise. Jill will also continue working her book manuscript into shape for publication, and preparing for a new fall class of graduate students.

Summer Plans: Brady

Lisa Brady will be teaching a workshop June 23-24 on Deserts in World History, affiliated with the Desert Studies Institute, and will be one of the Lead Scholars for the Idaho Humanities Council's summer Teaching Institute on Environmental Literature, "A Word for Nature." Finally, She'll be completing the revisions for her manuscript on ideas of nature and strategy in the American Civil War.

Summer Plans: Miller

Nick Miller will spend much of June working in the National Archives (above) and the archives of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. He will be using collections related to the apprehension and punishment of (alleged and real) war criminals in Yugoslavia after the Second World War.

John Bieter Wins 2007 Advising Award

John Bieter, who serves the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs as its secondary education advisor, recently won the Provost's Excellence in Advising Award for 2007. In the History Department, we've known of John's excellence for years; it's nice to see that he's getting some recognition outside of our corner of the campus.

Holocaust Scholar Visits BSU

On Tuesday, April 23 at 7 pm in LA 106, Dr. Geoffrey Megargee will speak on the role of the German army in the killing of Jews on the Eastern Front during World War II. Megargee is a research historian at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. He is the author of War of Annihilation: Combat and Genocide on the Eastern Front, 1941 (2006) and Inside Hitler's High Command (2002).

Phi Alpha Theta in Spokane

The photo you all have been waiting for: Brian Lawatch, Dane Vanhoozer, Pankhuree Dube, and Tamara Mackenthun at the Phi Alpha Theta Northwest Regional Conference at Gonzaga University in April, where they each presented a paper.

Phi Alpha Theta Sends Students, Professor to Spokane

Professor Jill Gill is accompanying four of our students (Dane Vanhoozer, Tamara Mackenthun, Pankhuree Dube, and Brian Lawatch) to Spokane this weekend to take part in the regional conference of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honors society. The conference, hosted this year by Gonzaga University, provides an opportunity for students (undergraduate and graduate) to present their research in a formal setting.

Lynn Lubamersky to Study at the Holocaust Museum

Lynn Lubamersky has received a fellowship from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (above) to participate in the "Curt C. And Else Silberman Seminar for University Faculty on Teaching the Legacy of the Holocaust: Poland, Lithuania, And Ukraine" in June 2008.

Portugal for Historians

Pictures of our intrepid historians (Joanne Klein, in jeans, and Lynn Lubamersky) as they attend the European Social Science History Conference in sunny Lisbon, Portugal in February: the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos on the left, with the Belem Tower on the right.

Student News: Margaret Parker Goes to Korea

Margaret Parker, a student in our master of arts program, is in Korea on a Fulbright grant this school year. She is studying the status of Korean national identity. Students interested in Fulbright grants should check out the Fulbright Program website. They should also contact Nick Miller (Department of History, 426-3902) or Sabine Klahr (Director of International Programs, 426-3652) for more information. Applications for 2009-2010 will be due in mid-September, 2008.

2007: A Good Year for the History Department

Since you asked, in 2007:

-- Joanne Klein's article "Traffic, Telephones and Police Boxes: The Deterioration of Beat Policing in Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester between the World Wars" appeared in Policing Interwar Europe: Continuity, Change, and Crisis, 1918-1940, edited by Gerald Blaney for Palgrave-MacMillan.

-- John Bieter published "Lorenzo's Letters: A Basque Immigrant's Story in the American West," in Judy Li, editor, A Sense of Place: Cultural Ecology in the American West (Oregon State University Press).

-- We hired a new Latin Americanist, Nicanor Dominguez, who received his doctorate from the University of Illinois and writes about seventeenth-century Peru. He will teach courses on a wide range of topics in Latin American history. He is also, and almost as importantly, a film lover.

-- Lisa Brady's article "Negotiating The Thin Red Line" appeared in April in Environmental History.

-- a Romanian edition of Charles Odahl's Constantine and the Christian Empire (originally published in 2004 by Routledge) was published. Odahl continues work on his study of Cicero.

-- Lynn Lubamersky published her article "The Status of Idaho Women Lawyers Today," in the The Advocate, the official publication of the Idaho State Bar.

-- Todd Shallat's Ethnic Landmarks, which examines Boise's multiethnic past, was published, as was Mobile Home Living In Boise, which was the product of a task force headed by Shallat.

-- Lisa McClain's article “’They have taken away my Lord’: Mary Magdalene, Christ’s Missing Body, and the Mass in Reformation England” was published in Sixteenth Century Journal XXXVIII/1 (2007): 77-96.

-- Nick Miller's The Nonconformists: Culture, Politics, and Nationalism in a Serbian Intellectual Circle, 1944-1991 (by Central European University Press) appeared; Miller also testified at the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia in September in the trial of Jadranko Prlic, et al.

Nick Miller to talk on Kosovo's Independence

Nick Miller of the history department will speak on March 18 at noon in the Hatch Ballroom at Boise State University on the background to and implications of Kosovo's recent declaration of independence. The talk will be hosted by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Sandy Schackel and Lisa McClain on Gender, Race, and Politics

Sandy Schackel and Lisa McClain of the history department have separate opinion pieces in today's Idaho Statesman. McClain's can be found here, Schackel's here. Each of them addresses issues of race and gender which have been brought to the fore by the democratic presidential primary.

Todd Shallat: In the News

Today's Idaho Statesman has a front page report on the decline of trailer-park living in Idaho; the report draws on the research of a BSU team headed by professor of history Todd Shallat. If you are interested in a copy of their report, which is not the usual dry-as-dust policy stuff, give Shallat a call at 426-3701.

Lisa Brady: Woman of the Year

Professor Lisa Brady has been named one of the Boise State University Women's Center's Women of the Year, for her work as founder of and scholar-in-residence at the Renaissance Residential Community at Boise State.

Boise Hosts Environmental Historians

March 11-14: Boise will host the national conference of the American Society for Environmental History. Several hundred environmental historians will be in town (dressed in green, yes, that's it). The conference is being organized by Lisa Brady of Boise State's department of history, along with colleagues from Idaho State University and the University of Idaho. For information, call Professor Brady at 426-4309.

Lynn Lubamersky and Joanne Klein: Doing History in Portugal

Professors Lynn Lubamersky and Joanne Klein are in Lisbon, Portugal, at the European Social Science History Conference. Lubamersky is presenting her paper on the eighteenth-century Polish doctor Regina Salomea Pilsztynowa, and Klein is commenting on a panel on policing right-wing and communist dictatorships.

Lisa McClain: Woman of the Year

Lisa McClain, professor of history and director of the Gender Studies Program, has been named one of two Women of the Year from Boise State University by the Idaho Business Review. Congratulations, professor McClain!

Welcome to The Scribe

The BSU Department of History Blog.