18 minute read
History & Philosophy
The Currency of Black History Podcasts as Public Pedagogy Tools
Molly Linhares Matthew Cook, faculty mentor
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Social connectivity and education via the Internet have become essential to our way of life during Covid 19. As a medium to freely share information with wide-ranging audiences, Americans have turned to podcasts for news, storytelling, and entertainment at growing rates. My research assesses the public pedagogical value of Black history podcasts, studying their potential to make sense of current US racial affairs. Findings suggest that these podcasts excel at tying personal experiences and current events to the past through storytelling, creating well-rounded, accessible learning experiences for audiences and perhaps signaling the start of a new era of educational possibilities.
Oral / Live Session B / 11:00 a.m.
Wendy Alfaro-Cruz Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor
In Public Health, the burden of disease on a population is best viewed through the lens of the biomedical perspective, which is, the bodily toll the disease inflicts, the epidemiological perspective, which relates to vulnerable populations affected; and the ethnographic perspective, which concerns the cultural norms in which people view the disease. Historically, the social justice narrative, which shows that disadvantaged populations suffer disproportionately from the burdens of disease compared to privileged members of society is just as crucial. This paper adopts this public health model and uses the World Health Organization data to reconstruct the history of the Ebola Pandemic in West Africa in 2013-2016. The findings are relevant to current public health concerns about the Covid 19 19 Pandemic.
Oral / Q&A Session
The Self-Serving Attributional Bias and Effective Teaching and Learning
Natalia Anderson W. John Koolage, faculty mentor
The self-serving attributional bias (SSAB) is a very common human bias. The SSAB, however, is at odds with being a good learner, since learning (often) requires learning from failure. It is also at odds with the teaching practice known as closing the loop, wherein teachers recognize issues in student learning and then adjust their approach to increase student learning. Patterns of thinking such as SSAB can negatively impact the teaching and learning environment, but we cannot rely on students and teachers to recognize and monitor this bias on their own. I suggest that institutional structures and measures that are intended to serve as a check on biased reasoning are a useful way to help reduce the negative impacts of the SSAB.
Oral / Q&A Session A
From Tlatelolco to #Yosoy132: Student Movements, Repression, and the PRI in Mexico
Jennifer Besler Mary G. Strasma, faculty mentor
Students in Latin America have often been at the forefront of movements that have named and challenged both political corruption and police brutality. Digging into the history of Mexico’s student protest movements between 1968 and 2012, this paper examines the intersecting issues of political corruption and repression of dissent by the Institutional Revolution Party (PRI), which largely controlled Mexican politics and government between 1930 and 2000. The repeated history of cover-ups of student deaths, I argue, led to the demise and rebirth of the PRI with the election of Enrique Peña Nieto in 2012, and spiraled into the movement against the party called #YoSoy132.
Oral / Live Session B / 10:30 a.m.
Memories of a Vanished Land: The Yugoslav legacy in Modern Bosnia
Ryan Block Mary G. Strasma, faculty mentor
Culturally diverse and geographically central, Bosnia as a region was key to defining moments of the Yugoslav nation between 1917 and 1995, a time that includes both great national achievements and horrific warfare. Because of this, collective historical memory in Bosnia is extraordinarily complex. This complexity is expressed in the intergenerational transmission of memory, nostalgia, and criticisms of various eras in the nation’s history, reflected in both its political landscape and expressions of public art. This presentation explores these forces of cultural identity, how people of Bosnia remember their past, and challenges and successes in their expression of it.
Oral / Live Session B / 11:20 a.m.
Chinese Investments in Africa: Myth, Fact and Reality
Cody Chambers Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor
The rapid and steady rise of Chinese investments in Africa in recent decades, have led to some extreme assumptions in the western media about what good or evil China might be up to in the continent. This paper seeks, first and foremost, to disentangle myth from fact regarding Chinese investments in Africa. Secondly, the paper argues that the bulk of the existing case studies, show neither strong evidence of a new resurgent Chinese resource imperialism, nor some unusual, imagined acts of Chinese benevolence. Rather, the paper concludes that the investments seem to benefit both parties in their own peculiar ways.
Oral / Q&A Session C
The Burden of Disease: Dengue Fever in Africa
Dylan Chrysler Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor
In Public Health, the burden of disease on a population is best viewed through the lens of the biomedical perspective, which is, the bodily toll the disease inflicts, the epidemiological perspective, which relates to vulnerable populations affected; and the ethnographic perspective, which concerns the cultural norms in which people view the disease. Historically, the social justice narrative, which shows that disadvantaged populations suffer disproportionately from the burdens of disease compared to privileged members of society is just as crucial. This paper adopts this public health model and uses the World Health Organization data to reconstruct the history of Dengue Fever and Severe Dengue transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. The findings show that Dengue needs to be studied side by side with Malaria for purposes of more effective preventive interventions into both.
Oral / Q&A Session C
Neurological Connections: Addiction & the Divine
Susan Dodge-Doak Mark Whitters, faculty mentor
The dominant approach to addiction treatment in the U.S. is the Twelve Step method. Alcoholics Anonymous - as well as over 40 other programs based on its Twelve Step approach - are centered around spiritual action. Recent neuroscientific research is now illustrating why the spiritual approach might have become so prolific despite an increasingly secular American culture, as well as why it seems to work so well: religion and addiction experiences take place in the same area of the brain. Neurotheology has found further evidence supporting this premise. In a reversal of previous reporting, as of 2020 new research shows that A.A.’s Twelve Step program is the most effective treatment for addiction, and now we may know why.
Oral / Live Session A / 10:00 a.m.
The Women’s Rights Project, The United States Court System, and Second Wave Feminism
JuliAnna Ebeling Mary G. Strasma, faculty mentor
In second wave feminism, the phase of the women’s rights movement that began in the 1960s, activist organizations developed new ways of advocating for these rights. Examining four legal cases brought by the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project (WRP), this presentation argues that the WRP broke new ground by taking on cases challenging workplace policies and governmental statutes, and in doing so, set new precedents in both law and in activist practice, precedents that are still being effectively used by equal rights organizations today. Further, I argue, while the Women’s Rights Project was formed to fight for women’s rights, by dispelling the stereotypes and legal loopholes that prevented equality for all, two of the historic cases highlighted also benefited men.
Poster / Q&A Session 3
The Roots of the Waterloo State Recreation Area
Jordan Hammerberg Richard Nation, faculty mentor
Maps, land use records, and newspaper articles about the area around Mill Lake in Sylvan Township were used to investigate the rich history of the Waterloo State Recreation Area of Michigan. The land was sculpted by glaciers and dominated by oak and wetland habitats before being mapped by settlers, bought, and modified, including the construction of a dam and mill to grind the grain of area farmers. Even so, farmers struggled with the landscape until the federal government, under the New Deal, purchased the land and turned it into a park with the help of the CCC, eventually selling it back to the state. Perceptions and needs evolved over time until the land came to be used as a natural area.
Oral / Q&A Session B
The Fight for the Copley Medal
William Hasey Mark Whitters, faculty mentor
The Copley Medal is one of the most prestigious awards in Britain for science, comparable to the Nobel Prize. The theory of evolution is widely attributed to Charles Darwin, but some evidence shows that Alfred Russel Wallace should have received more credit for his contribution. In this presentation, I will argue for this assertion as a disciple of John Stuart Mill, a philosopher and contemporary of Darwin. Mill supported the hypothetical speculative method over induction (Darwin’s mode of research), making himself an “underdog” in his time as an opponent of emerging scientific investigation. I will play the role of Mill’s pupil who would have endorsed Wallace to win the Copley Medal.
Oral / Q&A Session C
The Home of Ossian Sweet
Yanni Kefallinos Mary G. Strasma, faculty mentor
The Ossian Sweet home is a historic landmark that has become emblematic of Detroit’s history of white supremacist terror. Sweet, a doctor, who was Black, defied segregationist norms and moved into an all-white neighborhood in 1925. When a mob attacked Sweet’s home and he defended it, one white man was killed in the fray. The NAACP and renowned defense attorney Clarence Darrow came to Sweet’s defense. This paper examines the historic trial that proved Sweet’s innocence, the discriminatory housing practices that existed prior to the Civil Rights Movement, and the significance of the marking and interpretation of the Ossian Sweet home as a historic site.
Oral / Q&A Session C
Resilient Women: Entrepreneurial Igbo Women, Nigeria
Alex T. King Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor
Activist groups in Africa have attempted getting women to take greater leadership roles in directing policies but their success has been uneven. Precolonial Nigerian societies reserved leadership positions for women, but today’s Nigeria does not. This study compares women’s organizations in 19th and 20th century Igboland, Nigeria, with their influence today. Igbo women regained some leadership after the 1980s. Interestingly, this was linked to the economic recession which spurred association networks for self-reliance, self-improvement, and activism. This study claims that public policy for the future of Southeast Nigeria can expect greater influence from Igbo women, henceforth.
Oral / Q&A Session A
Fort Wayne, Indiana: City of Three Rivers
Sister Mary Vianney Lyon, OP Richard Nation, faculty mentor
The confluence of the St. Mary’s, St. Joseph’s, and Maumee Rivers in modern Fort Wayne, Indiana created a landscape with a unique history, beginning with the Miami nation in the 18th century. The rivers served the city in various ways, from its accessibility as a trade and travel route during 18th and early 19th centuries through the industrial expansion introduced by the canal and then railroad. In more recent years, the importance of the rivers for their natural beauty has been emphasized by an expansion of the park system in Fort Wayne. The geography of the land and the industry which came to the city served as a catalyst for a series of transformations in the area over the last 300 years.
Oral / Q&A Session D
History as Artistic Inspiration: Playwriting
John Milkovich Ronald Delph, faculty mentor
This presentation hopes to show how history can be used to inspire the artist. Focusing on playwriting, the presentation will consist of showing three scenes from my play Memento Mori and explaining what research went into creating these scenes and the entire play. The play deals with events and city life during the Protestant Reformation in Germany and ends with the terrible sack of Rome in 1527. It follows the lives of historical and fictional characters through the development of the Holy Roman Emperor’s war with the papacy.
Oral / Live Session C / 1:50 p.m.
“Don’t Be Afraid to Tell Your Stories”: The Afterlives of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
John Paquette Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, faculty mentor
During World War II, the women of The Muskegon Belles and Grand Rapids Chicks teams in Michigan were known as the Michigan Leagues, a subdivision of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball Leagues. The largely forgotten women of the leagues had a newfound confidence that enabled them to join the workforce and pursue trailblazing careers in education, business, medicine and history in the 1940s and 1950s. These trailblazing careers include helping to desegregate companies and industries, champion Title IX practices, and advancing in professions overall. The paper argues that these women were able to have the confidence to achieve these goals because of their time in the women’s professional baseball league.
Oral / Live Session C / 2:10 p.m.
Womanspace: The Creation of EMU’s Women’s Studies Program in the 1970s
Nicole Rinkel Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, faculty mentor
My research recounts the founding of the Women and Gender Studies minor at EMU during the 1970s. Drawing on textual sources, including newspapers, meeting minutes, and course pamphlets, I offer a social history of the people who banded together to bring a Women’s Studies curriculum to EMU students. The development of Women’s Studies at EMU was a form of second-wave feminism for professors, staff members, and students. Using collections from the EMU archives, I demonstrate how this minor—through extensive community outreach, weekend seminars, and wide-ranging course programs—created a new space of study and inclusion for women across the state.
Oral / Q&A Session A
“Don’t Worry, I’m Careful”: The Michigan Murders, 1967-1969
Michael Scheske Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, faculty mentor
Between 1967 to 1969, the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area was terrorized by the serial killer, John Norman Collins. During this time, he killed six women in the area, and he also murdered one female victim in California. He was convicted of the murder of one of the women on August 19, 1970 where he is still serving a life sentence in Marquette Maximum Security Prison. I argue that the Michigan media in the late 1960s sensationalized the story and pursued false leads, including flying in a famed psychic. Ultimately, this media distraction prolonged police investigations into this gendered and sexualized violence, which offers a window into this tumultuous decade.
Oral / Live Session B / 11:30 a.m.
Videla, Nixon, and Kissinger: Responsibility and Traumatization in Argentina
Riley Shepherd Mary G. Strasma, faculty mentor
In 1976, while Argentinians struggled with economic and political turmoil, a three-man group led by General Jorge Rafael Videla took control in a military coup. Videla’s regime kidnapped and murdered over 30,000 people, and unlawfully detained and tortured thousands more. Yet Videla’s rise to power was not sudden, nor was it opposed by the U.S. government. Using sources including declassified documents, I argue that U.S. presidents Nixon and Ford enabled Videla’s regime, and that Secretary of State Henry Kissinger tried to shield Videla from prosecution for his crimes. Further, this presentation explores the long-term effects that torture and disappearances had on Argentinian society.
Oral / Q&A Session B
Katherine St. Amand John Wegner, faculty mentor
This project will analyze the agricultural settlement patterns of French Canadians in lower Canada and Michigan between 1665 and 1715. In general, this project will examine where these individuals went throughout the Canadian Colonies and what they did when they got there. I will be using topographical maps, land plot information, and the diversity and amount of crops to help connect the agricultural information to the settlement patterns. This project will primarily focus on the geographical areas of Quebec, Montreal, Detroit, and Sault Ste. Marie. Additionally, I will be examining the farmland surrounding forts - both major and minor forts- within and near these areas.
Oral / Q&A Session D
“An Excellent Example of Wretched Bureaucratic Excess?”: Eastern Michigan’s Mascot Controversy
Olivia Stuck Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, faculty mentor
In the 1990s, Eastern Michigan University (EMU) followed the Michigan government’s recommendation to abandon its mascot, the Hurons, and this decision unleashed a wave of protest throughout the university. Research in EMU’s archives highlights major pushback from students, alumni, the community, and even the Huron Nation itself for removal of the mascot. This mascot controversy revealed growing tensions over identity and bureaucratic decisions at a university. EMU’s story illuminates the tough administrative decisions that have to be made on college campuses and how college campuses grapple with defining their identity.
Oral / Q&A Session B
Sleight of Hand: Soviet Anti-Religious Practices Continued in a Post-Communist Russia
Kirk Suchowesky Jesse Kauffman, faculty mentor
The post-Soviet, modern Russian state utilized the same tactics as did the late-USSR in religious policies: selective application, implementation, and reinforcement of the de jure religious tolerance policies, which established the Russian Orthodox Church as a de facto state-church institution above any other religious institution in the post-Soviet, modern Russian state while also effectively keeping the church subordinate to the state apparatus.
Oral / Live Session B / 10:50 a.m.
West African Troops During the Burma Campaign, 1943-1945
Liza Jane Throne Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor
The Burma Campaign was part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. West African troops, mostly from Nigeria and the Gold Coast, joined the campaign as part of the Royal West African Frontier Force. The troops were deployed in the Burma Campaign, 1943-1945, with West Africans constituting the 81st and 82nd Divisions, organized into battalions during training in 1943. This paper addresses the challenges of terrain, morale, patrols and
actual military battles in two major campaigns; and reinforces the contention that African troops in general, and West African troops in particular, were indispensable in the defeat of the Japanese and the reconquest of Burma.
Oral / Q&A Session D Jewish Resistance to Anti-Semitism in Michigan During the Twentieth Century
Katie Tingstad Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, faculty mentor
During the twentieth century, the Jewish people living in Michigan experienced a renewed wave of anti-Semitism. This research showcases the ways that Jewish people combatted the new wave of anti-Semitism in Michigan by analyzing Jewish newspapers such as The Detroit Jewish Chronicle. The Jewish people of Michigan during the twentieth century celebrated their major successes in their newspapers, including personal and commercial achievements and the contributions of Jewish soldiers in World War II. This research highlights the resilience of Michigan’s Jewish residents of the twentieth century, who refused to abandon their Jewish identity even though it subjected them to anti-Semitism.
Oral / Live Session B / 10:30 a.m.
“I do not think it is alarming… there is no need of panic.”: Michigan’s 1918 Influenza Epidemic
Nate Turner Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, faculty mentor
In 1918, the influenza pandemic erupted in Michigan, and conflicts between the state and local government played a role in slowing the spread of the virus. Using local newspapers, this paper examines how public health officials in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor handled their respective epidemics. This paper also analyzes the various opinions about how to limit the impact of the virus. Politicians believed orders restricting public gatherings and closing non-essential business would limit the spread, whereas public health officials argued that these orders would damage the economy, increase public anxiety, and cause people to become more susceptible to the virus. Pressing back to examine an earlier epidemic reveals new insights into the state of Michigan’s response to the 2020 Covid Pandemic.
Oral / Live Session A / 9:40 a.m.
The Burden of Disease: Towards HIV/AIDS Universal Access Treatment in Botswana
Nate Turner Joseph Engwenyu, faculty advisor
To date, at least three African countries have achieved the threshold of “universal access” for HIV/AIDS treatment to their populations. One of these countries, Botswana, had arguably the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world during the 1980s and early 1990s. Two decades later, Botswana triumphantly overcame the odds, by drastically reducing the spread of the disease and effectively treating those who contracted it. Investment in public health and democratization efforts were launched in three critical areas: surveillance and education campaign, investment on a nationwide antiretroviral therapy program, and enforcement of a mandatory testing program. This paper narrates this success story and recommends it as a model for others to copy.
Oral / Live Session A / 9:00 a.m.
The Epistemic Status Between the Hard and Soft Sciences
Krista Webb W. John Koolage, faculty mentor
In this paper, I argue that there is no good distinction between hard and soft sciences. I argue that the basic inferential principles that underlie the sciences cut across this traditional division. And, while there are some differences that matter, none of these differences suggest we should draw a ‘hard/soft’ distinction in such a way that it suggests one is in a better epistemic position than the other.
Oral / Q&A Session D
The Florida Disaster: What Went Wrong for Al Gore in the U.S. Presidential Election of 2000
Ryan Williams Mary G. Strasma, faculty mentor
In the U. S. presidential election of 2000, the nation was transfixed as the winner was not declared for many weeks, and the election was ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Democratic candidate and then-Vice President Al Gore won the popular vote, but appeared to lose the electoral vote, which would give the presidency to then-governor of Texas, George W. Bush. But in the state of Florida, the margin was only 537 votes, and the Gore campaign had expected to carry the state. The reason for this outcome was a combination of Florida’s partisan domination, felon disenfranchisement, and the butterfly ballot in Palm Beach County.
Oral / Q&A Session B
Contested Civic Space: The Piazza della Signoria in Medicean Florence
Joanne Wisely Ronald Delph, faculty mentor
The heart of civic life in Renaissance Florence is an open square, the Piazza della Signoria. The piazza was the site of debates, executions, and power struggles, making it the most contested space in the city. Florentines held tremendous pride in their republic and often commissioned sculptural works to represent their civic values, displaying them publicly in the piazza. This research examines the shifting messages of sculptural works in the Piazza della Signoria during three distinct periods: from the piazza’s creation in 1300 until 1494; from the expulsion of the Medici in 1494 until their return in 1512; and after 1512 during the Medici’s reign as the Dukes of Florence.
