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Olivia Umphrey, "From Screen to Page: Japanese Film as a Historical Document, 1931-1959" (Woods) April 3, Friday, 12:30- 2:00 pm, Library 194, History Conference Room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

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)